It started as a daughter-mother spat, as a way to mend fences, as a way to come together on common ground. It has evolved into something very few humans could've imagined.

Change of Pace Women's Bible Study (CPWBS) has seen a lot of water flow under its bridge over the last half-century. People have come and gone, ideas have been explored and forgotten, generational torches have been passed, but the group has never wavered from its commitment to seeking life's deeper meaning and God's will.

"(CPWBS' origin) had everything to do with my mother (Ruth Martin) and I," said Dona Fisher, CPWBS' founder. "We didn't get along, and I couldn't deal with it anymore. So we asked, 'What can we do to bring us together?' It's been a bonding of God's words, and (the women have) been there for each other to depend on. We're there for anyone who comes in. It's just a beautiful place; there's love and hugs and tears and crying, and the women leave rejoicing. We're known for connecting in our fractured world."

On Thursday, Sept. 26, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., CPWBS will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding with a special meeting at Lancaster Alliance Church, 210 Pitney Road, Lancaster. The nondenominational group will present author Julie Clinton, the founder of Extraordinary Women Ministries, which seeks to draw women closer to God, and three study offerings - "Me, Myself and Lies," "Your Beautiful Purpose" and "Blessed Are the Chosen."

"(CPWBS) is a place where women are not alone," said Fisher. "It's a sisterhood, and they can become friends. When we help others, our hearts are open to healing. We share our struggles with each other. If we have our prayers answered, we just rejoice. It's very private and not a very gossipy place at all. It's just a powerful serenity."

CPWBS, which meets every Thursday morning from September to April at Lancaster Alliance Church, is a sisterhood of about 150 female attendees. They hail from all walks of life and from various parts of Lancaster County, from Manheim Township to Elizabethtown, from Strasburg to Ephrata.

"Some women leave their Thursdays open to feed their souls," said Fisher, a resident of Bent Creek. "They're all different; everyone has a different personality. But I treat everyone with respect. The pain that these women come to me with, if I don't know how to deal with it, I turn it over to God. You wouldn't believe how many of these women don't have a church. They come in to be healed."

"Our pace in the real world demands our time," Fisher continued. "Unless we set aside time for God, we'll go off to places where life is not for God. I thought it would be great to name it Change of Pace."

The women of CPWBS regularly deal with all sorts of life challenges, including raising children, abuse, spousal difficulties, mental health issues and physical limitations.

"(The Bible) has all the truth in it, and the truth will set us free," said Fisher.

At the start, CPWBS began meeting at Indian Springs Golf Club in East Hempfield Township, now Four Seasons Golf Club. The group has been meeting at Lancaster Alliance Church for the better part of the last 35 years.

For additional information about Change of Pace Women's Bible Study, go to http://www.changeofpace.org.