Woman’s Guild Week 2024
The 2024 Woman’s Guild week will run from Monday May 27 to June 2. This is an annual event that allows women in PCEA church to dedicate one week for ministry activities that include prayers, acts of mercy, evangelism, and leading worship in the church.
Woman’s Guild as a ministry has a long history in PCEA. Its roots can be traced in 1922 when some women missionaries saw the need to look for young girls and enroll them in their mission station in Tumutumu, Nyeri. These girls formed the first Girls Guild. A second fellowship of the Woman’s Guild was formed in Thogoto in 1926.
Later, a council known as “Kiama kia Ngo” was formed to help the women strengthen their campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Amidst a lot of ridicule, these women supported and rescued girls who ran away from the practice and helped them acquire education and grow in faith. The fight against FGM has taken a new shape in recent times through promotion of the Alternative Right of Passage for all girls. Its against this humble background the ministry of Woman’s Guild has grown and spread in all PCEA churches within East Africa and even in diaspora.
Woman’s Guild has many functions in the church which include influencing spiritual growth through fellowships and bible study, women and girls empowerment, girls mentorship, and education sponsorship. The Guild is a uniformed ministry with blue and white as their theme colours which apply for their skirt suits, shirts and head scarfs. Women in the process of becoming full members of the guild are called ‘followers’ and wear white headscarves dotted in blue.
The vision of the Woman’s Guild is, “To be an inclusive Christian women organization that empowers women and girls to transform society.” Towards this, Woman’s Guild strives to, “holistically empower Christian Women enabling them to effectively transform the society through worship, fellowship, networking, partnerships, advocacy, communication, mobilization of resources, research and training based on Christian values.”
Woman’s Guild theme for 2024 is derived from Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be.” Women are encouraged to seek the kingdom of God above all else by filling their thoughts with God’s desires, to take on his character, and to serve unreservedly.
According to the schedule released by the Director of Woman’s Guild Rev. Elizabeth Kimani, women will observe their mission week as follows:
- Sunday 26th May 2024: official launch of the Woman’s Guild week that will be aired on Kirk TV at 8pm.
- Monday 27th May 2024: Woman’s Guild members to gather in the Church and pray for families, nation, Church, needy as well as the ministry of women. Also, plan for the week ahead.
- Wednesday 29th May 2024: Women to plan either a medical check-up and a talk on health matters or showcase different talents.
- Thursday 30th May 2024: Women shall carry out Acts of mercy in which they visit the needy, encourage, pray with them and support them financially.
- Saturday 1st June 2024: Gather in Church to pray and plan for Sunday worship.
- Sunday 2nd June 2024: women will lead worship in all congregations. The readings for the day will be taken from Matthew 11:1-7 and Matthew 6:25-33.