Mothers honored at annual Mother's Day event hosted by Compassionate Outreach Ministries
Mothers enjoyed a luncheon with their daughters on Saturday while listening to a moving sermon about the power of a mother’s love and strength.
The annual Mother, Daughter, Women's Luncheon was again hosted and sponsored by Compassionate Outreach Ministries at the University of Florida Hilton Conference Center, 1714 SW 34th St., Gainesville.
The theme for this year’s luncheon was "Women Wearing Camouflage Clothing."
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Mothers' luncheon:'Compassionate' mothers are 'made for this'
Camouflage clothing was chosen for the theme to symbolize victory, said Senior Pastor Margaret Dennison, who co-founded the church in 1985 with her late husband, Bishop Larry J. Dennison.
“We’ve been in the fight since he’s been gone,” she said. “We went through the battle for five years and we won the victory.”
The luncheon included the displaying of a memorial of 15 women with their names and pictures who died while serving the church. The women: Ruth Hill, Lucy Mints, Annie Pickens, Eva Simmons, Annie Elliott, Aline Hardin, Dorothy Hines, Virginia Dennison, Ora Rudolph, Inez McKinnon, Roslyn Woods, Essie May Fields, Florence Cox, Clarrie Parker and Rosa Lee.
“They’re the prayer warriors that helped get me where I am today,” she said.
Dennison said she created the luncheon to give women the opportunity to spend time with their mothers, daughters and special women in their lives.
“If they don’t spend time with them throughout the year, this is the day to do that,” she said. “I planned it so they can spend time together.”
Her mother, Doris Collins, said she’s grateful to spend Mother’s Day with her family.
“I thank God for being here with my daughter,” Collins said.
Stephanie Sheppard presided over the event and led the invocation prayer.
“We don’t take it lightly that we’re here today.” Sheppard said. “Bless the mothers and daughters and send a special blessing to those without mothers and let them know you will never leave them nor forsake them.”
The history of camouflage and its significance, along with the welcome, was given by church member Karen Woods.
“When Godly women fight, we have the victory,” Woods said. “When we fight with the Lord, we have victory. Camouflage is used in hunting to hide so you can scope out prey. It protects the soldiers and equipment in the jungle. We thank God for protecting us from predators.”
Lisa Shuler attended the celebration with her aunt and daughter, whom she gave birth to on Mother’s Day.
“It’s a blessing to be a mother of three and I have a daughter who was born on Mother’s Day,” Shuler said. “We share a special bond that I hold dear to my heart.”
Shuler said she looks forward to this event every year to spend time with women and worship with one another.
“I love this event because it brings out unity among the mothers and daughters and church members,” Shuler said.
Her daughter, Antoya Shuler, traveled from Jacksonville to surprise her mother during the luncheon.
“It was nice to surprise her and spend time with other women,” she said. “I love when I come back to feel the warm embrace from the church I grew up in.”
Synethra Pittman of S.D. Pittman Ministries in Jacksonville was the guest speaker.
She began her sermon with a quote paraphrasing British novelist William Thackeray, “The mother is God in the eyes of a child.”
“As a child, we’ve seen mothers make impossible things happen,” Pittman said. “Mothers are doctors without degrees. Mothers are counselors, teachers, tutors and problem-solvers.”
Pittman recognized that women serve in the ministry of motherhood by being a biological mother, an adoptive mother, a stepmother, an aunt, a grandmother, a spiritual mother and a godmother.
“A Godly mother is a praying mother,” Pittman said. “Mothers are anointed to pray for their children. We’re not here because of our doing. We had a mother behind the scenes praying for us. I’m so glad she prayed and didn’t stop praying.”