Chicks @ the Gate

So we have just had our first GATECHICKS FUNTIMES! event and it was a smashing success!

Sushi nite was awesome!!! Not only did we make sushi (thanks Rachelle for sharing your skills!)but there was lots of gabbing and laughing and time spent with some new friends...I really hope you all had fun! So now that we have acquired this new skill maybe I will have to come up with a great venue for us to put it into action! Like...christmas 2007? Anyhooo! There were approximately 23 people who came (thanks for coming if this was you!) and we learned some of the ins and outs of basic sushi making, everyone seemed to have fun making AND EATING (the best part!) If you missed out on the fun don't worry...coming soon will be another fun nite in March, maybe "makeover and a movie" gatechick style! Thanks again to all who came, to all who helped and a special thanks to Terry for letting us invade her house! See you all soon!
p.s. as soon as I can figure out how to resize the pics they will be posted too!!

So now we are into the new year and it seems to be the same old thing every week...so we at Chicks@thegate thought we should spice things up a little. Our vision (this will sound familiar I am sure!) is to build an encouraging community. A place where women can come and share their hearts, get to know some new and old friends even better. To encourage each other in an environment that does just that...breeds growth. Growth in me and you, and inspires us to step out and meet someone new or try something different or discover some answers to questions we may not even know we had. That's what community does. It challenges and encourages and supports all at the same time. Sounds like something I would love to be involved in...how about you? So here is your opportunity.
We are having an EVENT. The sole purpose of this event is to a) have fun b) learn something new c) maybe meet some new women d) oh and did I mention have fun!
So what is the event...

• what: A SUSHI MAKING NIGHT (i know you have all been dying to learn this - very cost effective!)
  
• when: FEBRUARY 25/2007 @7:30PM (until approximately 9ish)
• where: THE TERRY PURVIS RESIDENCE...80 OJIBWA RD. WEST LETHBRIDGE
  
• who: YOU...IF YOU ARE FEMALE/LIKE SUSHI OR JUST WANT AN EXCUSE TO WOW YOUR FRIENDS WITH YOUR CULINARY PROWESS AND MONEY SAVING SKILLS/OR YOU WANT TO GET OUT AND MEET SOME NEW/FAMILIAR FACES/YOU NEED A GOOD LAUGH (sushi making -i am told- is not as easy as it looks when giggling hysterically) This event is open to all women of the gate who want to come...bring a friend!(please)
• who else: Richelle Tucker has graciously volunteered to teach us this fine art and skill (YAH! Richelle!)
• what else you need to know: you must register BEFORE by Feb. 19/07 (we need to make sure we have enough food and supplies) and speaking of supplies...there is a $5 registration fee (how official) actually this is just to cover cost of food and supplies and send you home with some sushi . To register please talk to Lindyl Pankonin at thegate any Sunday before the Feb. 19/07.

For the last few weeks God's been stirring up a sense of urgency and expectancy regarding our adventure in Waterton. God has some amazing things for us there. We know we are going to grow in our knowledge of Him and in friendship with each other.

I want to encourage all of you who are coming to spend some time this week preparing yourself. Spend time with Him, calm yourself and prepare to be in His presence. As the Song of Solomon scripture we used as the theme for the weekend says:

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride
You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes
How fair is your love, my sister, my bride
How much better than wine is your love

We come to God as a bride, one in unity with the rest of his body, but His beloved nontheless. In eagerness He awaits us, always, as we await Him. Experiencing His presence, His love for us, His glory, is not something that is rarely available or difficult to grasp. He is, in fact, pursuing us - with His mercy, His love and His kindness.

We had a great time at the Ultimate Video Scavenger Hunt. Two teams raced neck to neck to complete a list of tasks, evidenced by video that sometimes involved innocent bystanders as well as the not so innocent participants. My personal favorites included watching milk come out of Esther and Kate's nose (from opposite teams), renditions of "I'm a Little Teapot", and the infamous "Where Have all the Flowers Gone" with representatives of Amnesty International (just before the peace vigil at City Hall).

The resulting video evidence was hilarious! Don't worry, Chicks@theGate will hold on to said video evidence for our future viewing, embarrassing and blackmailing pleasure. The winning team took home candy, sparkly pencils and fake jewelry (what every Chick needs) and we all enjoyed a smorgasbord of make-it-yourself sundaes!

In the future we hope to plan an event that we can invite Gate guys along to.... we've left them out quite a few times now. If you have any suggestions for a co-ed type of event, please comment on this blog or e-mail Chicks@theGate.org.

Attention all chickadees!

This coming Monday, August 7th, Chicks@theGate is hosting the Ultimate Video Scavenger Hunt. Here are the specs:

Location - downtown Lethbridge, the Gate
Time - 6:30pm

If you would like to join us, please sign up on the sheet at the bulletin board of the Gate, or e-mail Chicks@thegate.org

This is a green event - only walking, running will be permitted, no vehicles allowed. Each team will be assigned a videographer who will not participate in the hunt but will document the evidence. We will meet back at the Gate for video viewing and make-it-yourself Sundaes. We look forward to seeing you there!

You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride
You have ravished my heart with one look of your eyes
How fair is your love, my sister, my bride
How much better than wine is your love

For several years now the women of the Gate have tearfully (or joyfully) waved our men (husbands, brothers, friends) away to an exciting weekend of guy time with God. And every year we thought, what about us? Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get away for an entire weekend of spiritual renewal? Those days are over. By amazing revelation from God, or perhaps some common sense, we realized that the only thing preventing us from devoting a weekend to spiritual refreshing and intimacy with our Lord was our lack of action. No longer.

You, amazing and wonderful woman of God, are most cordially invited to our first all-female, all-weekend Autumn Adventure. We are going to whisk ourselves away to beautiful Waterton National Park to spend an entire weekend learning, sharing, talking and praying about Intimacy with our Lord. God desires a loving and intimate relationship with us. He is both our father, our friend, our brother and the lover of our souls. This adventure will be a time of great refreshing, of new revelation and the building of stronger relationships, both with God and with each other. Please join Chicks@theGate this October for an Autumn Adventure.