As our Relate Women Sisterhood Conference is just a couple weeks away (on April 20-21), Pastor Helen Burns has been praying and planning out an incredible weekend along with our team. We thought it might be fun to distract her for a few minutes in order to hear what's on her heart and learn a little bit more about what's inspiring her in this season, so we threw some questions her way. Here's how she responded:
My very favourite things are:
People are my favourite... I love my family and my church, but I just really love being with people (I'm a ESFJ). I also love a great book (historical fiction and biographies preferably) I adore a delicious cup of coffee (my very favourite is made by my personal barista, my husband John), I love to travel the world and experience different cultures and learn from them, and I love to laugh a lot so anything that makes me laugh-to-the-point-of tears is my favourite.
Best book I’ve read lately:
Two recent standouts have been The Nightingale (Kristen Hannah) and The Broken Way (Ann Voskamp).
I think an ideal day off would look like this:
Get up early, spend time with God as I enjoy a great coffee... then spend time with family, friends or my husband and head into my favourite city in the whole world - the city of my birth, Vancouver. I'd go for a walk in Stanley Park or Granville Island. Maybe shop a little on Robson Street and then have a fantastic dinner at a cafe that serves amazing food - I'd order salmon or a steak. I'd end the day at English Bay staring at the ocean and people watch for an hour or so and come home to my home on a hill and feel insanely grateful for my very, very blessed life.
Something on my bucket list that I haven’t got to yet:
There's still some countries I'd love to explore... Israel & Iceland come to mind first and I think I would love to spend a week or so in an Italian villa where I can take a cooking course.
What is inspiring me right now:
A young generation of women that I see all around me. They are longing to bring change to the world, they are not content with the status quo, and see so many things that need care and attention for their future and their future children. I am aware that they want those of my generation to walk beside them and behind them cheering them on and helping them navigate their lives in this sometimes very lost and scary world. They make me want to rise up in this season of my life more than ever.
How I’d describe the Sisterhood Conference using just three words:
Jesus-centered.
Empowering.
FUN.
How I’d describe the Sisterhood Conference using more words:
This conference is created to give everyone an opportunity to spend some powerful uninterrupted time investing into their personal life, their future and relationships with both God and others. It really is all about coming together to be equipped and empowered through magnificent times of worship, learning from amazing teachers, building new and lasting friendships in an atmosphere that is beautiful and fun. This conference also is an invitation to make the world a better place through partnership with ministries locally, nationally and globally. It's a stunning picture of Sisterhood in every way.
What I’d like women to know about themselves:
I would want every woman to know that they are custom made by a loving Father in Heaven who created them with a purpose that only they can personally fulfill. They are unique and amazing in every way and have a very important part to play in this world. I would want them to know that whether they are in their teen years, well into their senior years and everything in between, that its critical that they rise and take their place... Many have been kicked down and hurt by life, many have made mistakes, some have extraordinary circumstances that they are dealing with and so much more, but every single woman has something to offer and we all need her more than she could ever imagine. Together, Sisterhood is miraculous!
Pastor Helen Burns
