Sweet Monday

Reaching women for Christ one sweet invitation at a time

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Back To Sweet Monday Prayer

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Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefor pray earnestly for the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38

September is Back To Sweet Monday for many hostesses. After a summer off and planning for a new season of monthly gatherings, hostesses are eager to open their homes again to neighbors, family and friends. The desire is to see women connect with one another and connect with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Like churches, schools and colleges around the world, this September will begin with a bit of caution and uncertainty. Hostesses around the world are thinking through what this season of Sweet Monday may look like for them since COVID-19 is still a threat.

We hope that you will join us in praying over our hostesses during this season of uncertainty. Below are just a few of the things we are praying for:

  • Lord, let our hostesses be encouraged by Your Word daily.
  • Lord, don’t let our hostesses become discouraged. Help them to remain faithful and not try to measure success.
  • Lord, help Sweet Monday to find more ways to reach women for Christ through events like Sweet Monday Online.
  • Lord, help our hostesses to be creative in finding ways to connect with their neighbors, family and friends.
  • Lord, let more women come forward and desire to reach women for Christ.
  • Lord, let Your Gospel be proclaimed to the ends of the earth.
  • Lord, we pray that more women around the world and their families will come to know you as their Lord and Savior as a result of Sweet Monday.

To register to attend our September Sweet Monday Online, Click Here.

Building Your Team of Believers

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“Work smarter not harder.” This is a phrase we often hear when it comes to being efficient. What we may not realize is that this principle is actually biblical. Moses was advised to select capable leaders to help him bear the load of governing the people of Israel (Exodus 18:13-26). Jesus selected 12 disciples to carry out the mission of spreading the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 9:1-2), and then He gave the Holy Spirit to empower all believers to do the very same thing (Acts 2).

As leaders/hostesses of Sweet Monday, we want to encourage you to delegate responsibility and empower those who are faithful to your group. If you are single-handedly trying to invite people, lead and host, it could be a little overwhelming. Encourage your women to pray and ask God to reveal the women they should invite each month. Possibly, partner the women so they can pray together each week and hold one another accountable. Maybe consider asking a friend to be the host and open her home each month so all you have to focus on is leading the lesson. Give another person the responsibility of preparing the dessert. These are a few simple ways to lighten the load and engage the others.

When those who attend your Sweet Monday have a small role, they will become more invested and take some ownership of the group. In time, you will find the task of being a leader less overwhelming. And the best part is that you’re gradually building new leaders. When your group gets to the point where it is so filled with people, you can encourage one of the faithful to start their own Sweet Monday! This is a way we can guarantee our hostesses won’t get burned out and Sweet Monday will continue on for years and years to come. Being a great leader means sharing the load and empowering others to become leaders themselves.

If you would like to learn more about Sweet Monday – who we are, what we do and why we do it, visit our About Us page.

Spotlight: Sweet Phyllis, Hillsboro, KY

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Name: Sweet Phyllis

Town: Little Village of Poplar Plains Hillsboro, KY

Hostess Since:

My Journey with Sweet Monday began in 2007. As a pastor’s wife and a passion for intergenerational women’s ministry, I became a Sweet Monday Hostess at the church. In 2016 as a retired pastor’s wife and passion for helping women, I prayed for “What Next?” I am experiencing a renewed opportunity with Sweet Monday to serve God in my family and community. My husband James and I have served the Lord together during 24 years of our marriage and we see Sweet Monday as a fantastic outreach ministry.

Favorite Sweet Monday Theme:

A Proper English Tea Party in the local community is a great social time of relaxation and fellowship with devotions that help us experience rest in Christ.

What inspired you to start a Sweet Monday in your home?

I love to encourage others to share Christian hospitality. I saw Sweet Monday as an excellent outreach to all ages with a simplicity of sharing Jesus with others in our homes. From ages 3 to ladies in their 90’s – all actively share in Sweet Monday and love the themes, fun and devotions.

I connected with Sweet Jamie and the Sweet Monday staff for prayers and in January 2018 I launched two Sweet Monday outreaches in my community. Sweet Monday is in my home in a rural village of Poplar Plains on the 2nd Monday each month. Sweet Monday at Fleming County Senior Center is the 3rd Monday of each month.

What advice would you give a new hostess?

You cannot do this on your own, but The Holy Spirit will lead and give you courage, confidence, strength and a “Sweet Monday team” of volunteers to help you each month.

How has Sweet Monday influenced your life and others around you?

I am excited to be a hostess in what I like to refer to as “A New Era” for Sweet Monday to move forward with Eternal Dividends with no taxes. It warms my heart to see how Sweet Monday has inspired ladies in my community to become a team that spreads the Word to benefit their families, friends, neighbors and new people God puts in our path.

How have you made your Sweet Monday your own?

Sweet Monday gives me an opportunity to see Romans 12:1-3 (Message Bible) experienced in my own life and share Jesus with fun and simplicity. With Sweet Monday books in a bag and my phone I can share Sweet Monday anytime anywhere. With one lady or a large number of ladies I love the smiles and the enthusiasm Sweet Monday brings to their lives. I want to spread the word and encourage others to become Sweet Monday Hostesses.

I am especially grateful for the leadership of Sweet Monday. With less travel Sweet Monday staff can be with hostesses and teams wherever we are around the world. Technology connects us with each other to encourage, get to know each other as we share, pray together and see Sweet Monday move forward.

Spotlight: Sweet Debby, Maranhão, Brazil

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Name: Sweet Debby

Town: Barra do Corda, Maranhão, Brazil

Hostess since: December 2010 (including a 2-year break while in the States to care for my folks). Resumed in June 2017.

Favorite Sweet Monday theme:

It’s a tie between Clutter Auction and Celebrating You (a birthday party for everyone).

What inspired you to start a Sweet Monday in your home?

It was an article in the magazine, Just Between Us, telling about the Sweet Monday ministry and Kim Newlen, the founder. I was on furlough at the time, and the more I read, the faster my heart beat. It was like God was saying “You could do this Debby. It’s what you love to do already.” It just looked and felt doable even though it scared the living daylights out of me.

Timidity and fear have pretty much ruled me most of my life. I tell people it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever loved doing. Another motivator was seeing how weary and overworked so many of the Brazilian women were. There was rarely anything just for them. I wanted to give them a night when they felt loved and valued, could laugh and be rejuvenated, with a scattering of God’s grace and truth mixed in.

What advice would you give a new hostess?

Just trust God with who comes. Even if it’s only one, invest in her. Don’t gauge your success by the numbers. Some of our sweetest times have been with just a small group of women. Also, find someone to help you so you don’t burn out.

How has Sweet Monday influenced your life and the lives around you:

Sweet Monday has influenced my life by allowing me to take this step of faith. I’ve seen God use me in spite of my fear. I totally relate to Moses. But God is bigger, and He has proved it over and over again. He has also opened doors of further opportunity that started in this sweet environment of love and acceptance. And amazingly enough God has raised up a team of young gals who first came as attendees, then came to know the Lord through further studies and a small group in our home and now serve with me to help carry the load. God amazes me with His awesome surprises. I’ve attached a picture of the team around my table at a recent planning session.

Spotlight: Sweet Jennifer, Chesterfield, VA

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Name: Sweet Jennifer

Town: Chesterfield, VA

Hostess since: August 2015

Favorite Sweet Monday Theme:
My favorite theme was our Chinese New Year Celebration. We learned about the traditions of Chinese New Year and got to try some popular dishes. I was able to put this together with the help of my friend Amanda. She and her husband had spent more than five years in China as missionaries. Amanda shared with us her many amazing stories of how God is working in the lives of people on the other side of the world. I love when I get the opportunity to invite other women to share their testimonies and talents with our Sweet Monday group.

What inspired you to start a Sweet Monday in your home:
I was lucky enough to know Kim Newlen for a short time. I did some graphic design work for Sweet Monday, so Kim and I shared many emails, phone conversations and one lunch I will never forget.

When I met Kim, I was lost. I had not been involved in a local church since I was a child, and God’s truth had become skewed in my mind over the years. I remember when I first met Kim, being so impressed by her confidence in her faith. She spoke of a relationship with Christ that I had never experienced, and she wasn’t afraid to share it with any and everyone. At the time of our meeting, I didn’t completely understand what Sweet Monday was all about.

Shortly after meeting Kim, I starting attending a local church and through God’s word, prayer and the discipleship of others, God’s truth became very clear to me. I began to experience the same relationship with Christ that Kim had spoken of and demonstrated with her life. Quickly I began to understand how important Sweet Monday is, and I wanted so badly to use Sweet Monday to help reach out to the women that God had placed in my life and on my heart.

When Kim was sick, I sent her a card telling her what an inspiration she was to me, and how God had been working in my life. I also said in that card, “who knows, maybe one day I will start my own Sweet Monday.” I then received a return Thank You card from her on the day of her death. I knew that my relationship with Kim was not by chance. God had truly brought her into my life for a purpose. One and a half years later, I opened my home to family, friends and neighbors for my first Sweet Monday.

What advice would you give a new hostess:
As a hostess, I have learned that it is not up to me to measure success. It is up to me to be obedient. When I first started my Sweet Monday, I remember staring anxiously out the window worried that no one or only a few women would show. I remember being a little disappointed the first couple months when attendance was low. But I quickly learned that success was not about numbers, and it was not about who attended. Each month was a success because whoever came was who God wanted to be there. So my job is to open my home in obedience each month, whether one woman or fifteen women attend.

How has Sweet Monday influenced your life and the lives around you:
Sweet Monday has brought me closer to Christ by giving me confidence in my faith and has made it easier for me to share my faith with others. It has also helped me to trust God with everything. I get to watch Him at work every month when he provides everything I need so perfectly for each Sweet Monday.

Sweet Monday has touched my 4-year-old daughter. She helps me set up, she sees me prepare a message from the word of God and then gets to hear the laughter of women gathered in our home each month. Then a week later I usually find her playing with her dolls, and she tells me she is having her own Sweet Monday.

Sweet Monday has also brought me closer to so many women around me, and I know and have seen God working in their lives.

How have you made your Sweet Monday your own:
As a graphic designer, Sweet Monday has really allowed me to be creative. From coming up with themes to creating keepsakes with Bible verses for the ladies to take home, I get to put my creative talents to work each month.