On Feb. 25, Colerain Church, 1923 Noble Road, Kirkwood, hosted the kickoff for Women Empowering Women's 2023 program. The year-long program was developed by Wesley Church in Quarryville to provide women in the local community with a support system and tools to navigate obstacles in their lives.

The theme of the kickoff was "Finding Peace in a Chaotic World," and the event featured a talk from guest speaker Laura Troutman. This year's program is inspired by Proverbs 31:25, which reads, "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."

"We want to equip women with the information they need to navigate this time and the state of the world that we live in," said Alexa Gruber, an organizer for the program. "We can get so focused on the uncertainty and negativity of life. God is raising a generation of women to be bold and not live in fear."

Colerain Church will host meetings through the program on the last Saturday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. until November. Meetings are free to attend, and child care will be provided.

During each meeting, participants will discuss a new topic and different ways one can address issues such as financial struggles, raising children, dealing with family dysfunction and taking care of one's mental health. Participants range from high school students to women in their 60s, which allows women to provide each other with insight on various stages of life.

Gruber and Wesley Church's director of congregational care, Beth Foss, decided to create the program after they saw a need in the community for a support system that focuses on women. The first year of the program sought to provide women with a toolbox of skills that can be used to address life's struggles. "A lot of women were dealing with issues like loneliness and developing their faith after (the COVID-19) pandemic," Foss said. "Now that we have the tools to combat these things, we wanted this year's program to focus on strength."

Foss and Gruber chose this year's theme to represent their goal of helping women build a foundation in faith and community. "It's a time once a month for us to gather in strong community, encourage each other, have child care, grab a bite to eat together and just focus on something valuable that we all need to hear," Gruber said.

Women Empowering Women is open to all women who are interested in participating and is not limited to those within the congregation. For more information, email Foss at bfoss@wesleyqville.org.