On Saturday, July 12th, at the 154th gathering of Evangelical Friends Church Mid-America Yearly Meeting, 19 pastor’s wives and one pastor gathered for the fourth annual Coffee Hangout breakfast at Ministry Conference 2025. Thank you to each woman able to attend and to Nepalese DB Tamang, pastor at Living Friends in Fort Worth, Texas, who joined as an interpreter to help his wife Sangita understand what was being said.
Stacey Wheeler started the meeting by asking Stacy Penrose to pray for the gathering and the meal, then Stacey shared how Coffee Hangout began and a short devotional. She also gave a small gift to thank Betty Jean Penrose and Stacy Penrose for all their help in being on the leadership team. During a delicious breakfast of French toast, fruit, yogurt, and coffee from the new cafeteria providers at Friends University, the women enjoyed visiting and catching up with one.
Betty Jean Penrose, a pastor’s wife from Plains Friends and the speaker for this breakfast, shared about how we are all God’s masterpiece. She read from the Bible and shared scriptures confirming this concept. Two paintings and one picture stood on easels behind her as she talked. Later, she shared about the oil painting her mother made her as a gift for her high school graduation. This painting depicted special moments like 4-H memories, awards, and other high school highlights. The cross in the middle was woven in with the other images representing her anchor for life. The middle picture made for her by her son Shawn Penrose depicted a cross, representing the sacrifice Christ made for us. And the last picture of a clay pot being shaped by the hands of the Master Potter was given to her and John Penrose from a men’s group in prison that they ministered to. It was signed by the members of the prison group.
As a favor to take home, each woman received a small wooden easel with a small canvas sitting on it with the verse from Ephesians 2:10, which states, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” This group typically gathers online once a month through Zoom, so it is always a blessing to be able to see one another together in person, share together, and pray for one another.
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