Women’s Refresh Weekend: A Year of Change and Growth
Five years ago, Mom’s Refresh Weekend was introduced as a time of quiet, relaxation, pampering, and connection for only Victory Moms. Over the years, the weekend fostered traditions and friendship and each year adds new experiences and new people.
The weekend has outgrown its original space at Brenda Miller’s house, sparking the opportunity for something new. This year’s event will be at the Shepherd’s Gate Inn and will include all women over the age of 21 who have participated in Victory Lane Camp.
“What Shepherd’s Gate Inn is doing is a ministry to us. I’m excited to partner with them this year,” shared Paige Fischer, who organizes the weekend. “With the inclusion of more women we’re renaming the event Women’s Refresh Weekend.”
This is a change that Brenda Miller, Victory Mom and the original host of the event, is excited to experience. Brenda holds this weekend closely and remembers moments and traditions from years past. One of her favorite memories is having conversations on the screened porch. “We would have times when we would sit out on the porch and just talk. It’s such a relaxed atmosphere with birds in the background... a time to be honest and share who we are and where we are in life,” she described.
Brenda continued sharing, “There’s something about the Refresh Weekend that allows us time to really get to know each other. Getting to know these awesome moms and being able to connect with them is by far my favorite part. It happens very differently here than at camp. You have a chance to get to know women for who they are. At camp, sometimes you’re somebody’s mom, but at Refresh, you are an individual.”
One of this year’s new participants is Wendy Bowman. Wendy and her family have been involved with Victory Lane Camp over the years and participated in their first camp experience last summer.
After hearing wonderful things about the Refresh Weekend, Wendy thought she would love to experience it with other women who need a bit of a “pick-me-up.” She explained “I realized that it isn't selfish to do something for me. If I neglect to plug in and recharge my phone, then it won't function properly and eventually will power down. The same is true for us. As moms we neglect ourselves way too often and then are on the verge of powering down, which is the opposite of what our families need from us.”
Wendy hopes to experience rest from everyday responsibilities as well to spend quality time with other women, encouraging each other. Another aspect of the weekend she looks forward to is hearing from the featured speaker, Emily Colson.
Emily Colson wrote the book “Dancing with Max: A Mother and Son Who Broke Free” about her experience raising a son with autism. Emily has been involved with Victory Lane Camp in the past, speaking at the first banquet, and interacting with people from the community since that time.
Brenda shared, “I’ve had a chance to get to know her before, and I have never connected with an individual as much as I have with her. The fact that she, as a speaker, understands our kind of life... I’m excited about seeing the other moms get to know her and her story.”
Including Emily, Women’s Refresh Weekend expects to welcome 19 women this year. It will involve time for Emily to share her testimony and stories of how her church has impacted her and vice versa. It will also include time for pampering, solitude, worship, prayer, and amazing food. Not wanting to give too many details away, Paige expressed, “Our goal is to create an atmosphere where the women that come can grow deeper in their connections, so we can have more community with one another.”
If you are a women age 21 and older and want to experience a Refresh Weekend, we would love to have you. Your first step is to sign yourself and your family to come to Victory Lane Camp this summer. There are still openings for both Victory and Serving Families. Check out the links below, and we will see you this summer!