From Living Word Ministries

A traditional three-course tea and warm fellowship abounded at Living Word Ministries’ Annual Women’s Christmas Tea Party, held this past November 28, with women from all around the Enchanted Circle. Over 70 women attended, representing multiple generations and faiths, business sectors, and walks of life.

This event began five years ago, with Nancy Levy and Gayle Martinez joining forces. Add to this mix the decorator extraordinaire Yvonne Garcia and you have an event that has made its mark on northern New Mexico. Women look forward to this annual gathering to prepare for the holidays, to rejuvenate, and to be inspired.

Nancy Levy, who professionally catered tea parties in the 1980s and 90s, has passed on her craft to Erica Apodaca, who recently started her own business doing specialty tea parties and cakes.

To encourage warm conversations, organizers invited a dialogue for personal activation. They asked each table to discuss individual passions around community issues. The following questions were posed: What issues need to be addressed in our communities and what can each one of us do to work towards making things change?

Familiar community problems came up, such as drug and alcohol abuse and the domestic violence associated with it. Others brought forward the need to get involved in community elections, boards, and commissions. But the tangible issue that came forward for all was that we can love one another, without judgement, seeking to encourage each other, and to live our best life, whatever that may look like.

“For our tea party this year, it was important for us to acknowledge multiple roles of women, as wife, mother, sister, grandmother, entrepreneur, etc. We wanted to create an environment where women could relax and enjoy themselves, and visit with one another over holiday tea and goodies prepared with creativity and love. I believe we did just that,” said Gayle Martinez, co-pastor at Living Word Ministries, host of the event. “The event was about having important dialogues, mentoring, networking, and empowering women to be the change they desire to see for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

To learn more about events with purpose, go to www.lwmsite.org; follow Living Word Ministries on social media at Facebook/lwmsite.org, or contact Pastor Gayle Martinez at pastorgayle@lwmsite.org; (575) 613-8010.