In this issue:
A message from the Director of WM, Gwen Sampson
An article on the Gospel-centered community, "A place for hope and healing"
An Interview on the season of ongoing changes and transitions
A book review: "Nothing to prove"
A gallery of photos from "Clothing Swap with a Cause"
In this issue:
Focus: Gwen's vision for this ministry
Feature: Approaching everyday anxiety from the perspective of two female mental health professionals that attend Grace
Podcast: Finding Peace in the Midst of an Anxious World
Poll: What does community mean to you?
If a newsletter were to be part of accomplishing this vision, it would need to reflect a caring community of women, devoted to Christ, sensitive to the needs that arise in all seasons of our lives. I invited Linda Sadlowski, a member of our community, to help develop this publication, drawing on her journalism background.
While admittedly, a newsletter cannot be all things to all people, or be a place to address all topics, as a start we would strive to:
Be a voice that reflects the heart and purpose of the Grace Toronto Women’s Ministry
Offer a forum for healthy biblical expression related to topics and issues that matter to women and our needs
Choose diverse content that informs, entertains, and inspires women, through a Christian lens
Seek opportunities for women at Grace Toronto to feel engaged and heard
We hope you enjoy this inaugural issue of At the Well and expect that it will evolve organically as it reflects your feedback and ideas.
If you have a topic in mind, would like to be part of a small advisory group for the newsletter, or can pen an article or two, please reach out to our team (Atthewell@gracetoronto.ca). We will respond and let you know about a suggestion that may appear in a future issue.
What’s special about the Woman at the Well?
She was brave: She spoke up and asked hard questions. She was unfazed by the man who spoke with her. She engaged him in conversation about his claims.
She was a woman who understood pain. She was a social outcast and scheduled her day to avoid humiliation.
She started her day empty and ended her day filled: She met Jesus in the middle of a routine day doing a routine task, and her life was never the same.
Get to know her by reading John 4:1-40.
What do I do?
When anxiety is a normal part of everyday life
By: Linda Sadlowski
Why is it so hard to stop worrying about everything? We spoke with two mental health professionals who are members of our congregation, Ali Duyck and Aiwen Xu, for their perspectives of the human experience, and they both acknowledged that when left unchecked, worry can take its toll on our well-being.
In Ali Duyck’s practice as a family therapist, her goal is to help others feel safe and hopeful as they work through issues that can contribute to stress and anxiety. On the one hand, certain responses are given to us by God to help us - when we use them appropriately, to keep on track to meet a deadline, or protect us from danger. “However, when we are exposed to triggers for an extended period of time - like living with uncertainty in a pandemic - it can put emotions into overdrive.”
Some people are wired to experience worry or anxiety more intensely than others. Ali says this can do with our upbringing and what was modeled around worry, or our exposure to trauma in life, or just having a temperament that is more sensitive to stress triggers. “While I believe that worry will always be a part of our lives, how we let worry or anxiety impact our day-to -day living can definitely improve.”
Aiwen Xu agrees.
After spending a few years practicing law, Aiwen began feeling a calling toward something different. She realized it was life-giving to her to hear the stories of others and walk side-by-side with them in their struggles. With time, she decided to return to school and study to become a psychotherapist, with the aim of starting her own private practice.
According to Aiwen, our increased anxiety or worry can stem from a desire to gain some level of control back into our lives. “I find it helps to step back and take an inventory of the things I can control and the things I can’t. This can lead to a stark realization of just how many things in our lives are outside of our human control. We might find just how much weight and power we give to the external things of this world, to give ourselves a sense of security, acceptability, accomplishment, or purpose.”
Acknowledging a peace that can only come from Him
Both Aiwen and Ali agree that as we seek to find our sense of self in God, and as His presence in our lives becomes more real, and we believe in His promises to us, we will slowly gain a sense of peace that can only come from Him.
“Also, as we acknowledge worry, validate it, and respond accordingly, it begins to have less power over us.,” Ali adds. “I have witnessed many people, including myself, feel more settled in how we respond to life's circumstances because of practicing these steps. We do not have to feel at the mercy of our circumstances. God is so much more powerful than that, and He has given us the tools to use our emotions for our good.”
Both say that our worries are real and need to be acknowledged. Stuffing them down, minimizing them, or ignoring them might provide temporary relief, but the goal and hope is to achieve longer-term health. Ali acknowledged that “While working with a therapist might not be possible for everyone, connecting with someone close and trustworthy about your worries and sharing this burden can be a first step.”
An article like this one can only touch on the surface of a topic that is front and center in so many people’s lives. We thank Aiwen and Ali for offering their perspectives.
At the Grace Toronto Women’s Ministry breakfast in early February 2022, Rebecca Lai asked the 60 participants this question: “What does community mean to you?”
These were some of the responses:
Experiencing mutual trust
A sense of belonging
A safe place to be vulnerable
Giving/getting support
(Take our poll using this LINK)
While it may be challenging to choose just one, what, in your experience or desires for community, means the most to you?
Recommended Resources
Each issue of the newsletter will highlight a book or podcast that reflects a relevant theme.
In our featured podcast, “Finding Peace in the Midst of an Anxious World,” you are invited into a women’s conference breakout session relating personal experiences and counsel that can assure anyone that we are not alone. Even if our circumstances may feel all consuming, fear and anxiety do not need to define who we are:
Understand the many forms that anxiety can take
While anxiety is not a sin in and of itself, it can lead to a sinful behaviour
How to approach and address anxiety in a Godly manner
Additional Resources
Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Practical advice on how living life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups
The Neighbours Are Real and Other Beautiful Things (Preston Pouteaux)
An exploration of living a life found in God’s love for you
Have you found a podcast/book/resource helpful in your journey? Tell us about it by emailing our team (Atthewell@gracetoronto.ca), so that we may be able to include your review in a future issue.
