Each winter, the Summit Woods Women (SWW) Winter Conference takes place over a Thursday through a Saturday afternoon. Each woman is able to choose between three timing options: Thursday-Saturday, Friday-Saturday, or Saturday Only. This conference has traditionally been held at the Heartland Retreat Center in Parkville, MO, just about 50 minutes north of SWBC. Women are invited to spend the night in hotel-style rooms where they are paired up with one or two other women from the church. 

Over the weekend, the ladies in attendance participate in song, prayer, times of teaching, and extended times of fellowship with one another. The schedule also has a significant amount of free-time built in so that those in attendance get to enjoy times of relaxation, crafts, walks, hikes, games, etc.

Each person who registers for the conference usually receives some SWW swag (usually a sweatshirt or jacket since our conference is in the winter). There are also a few give-aways over the weekend where some of the ladies take home helpful resources or fun goodies.

Each year several ladies are asked to share their testimony—either of their initial salvation or a time in their life where they learned to trust God in what He was doing in their life. It is such an encouraging time together to hear how the Lord is working in the lives of the women of SWBC.

Generally, we have a woman from our body who is gifted in teaching lead our teaching sessions. However, in 2025, we asked Pastor Bret to come and teach. It was such an encouraging and helpful time together as we studied from God’s Word. The past few years, we have been using the resource, “Taking Time to Quiet Your Soul” by Jim Berg to direct our times of study. This is a solid resource to help us identify both our unbelief and those things that are causing “noise” in our souls and preventing us from living quiet lives before the Lord.

In 2025's conference, during the  first session, Pastor Bret walked us through chapters 12 and 13 of this book, “Identifying Your Loudest Noise Maker” and “Dealing with Your Conscience.” In the second session, he walked us through chapter 14: “Seeking Forgiveness from Others/Dealing with Your Side of Wedge.” In the final session, Pastor Bret walked us through chapters 15 and 16, “Granting Forgiveness to Others/Dealing with the Other’s Side of Wedge” and "Qualifying for Divine Help.”

Although it was a cold and snowy weekend, it was such a warm and sweet time together as women of Summit Woods. I was so encouraged by the testimonies and the teaching and was reminded of the importance of quieting the conscience through Biblical reconciliation, trusting the Lord, and identifying the loudest “noisemakers” in my life.

The 2026 SWW Winter Conference will be held February 12-14 at Heartland Retreat Center. Look for registration on the church webiste and newsletter. 

Please be praying for the SWW Leadership Team as they prepare for this conference each year. Please pray that we would be wise in the decisions and preparations we make. Also pray that it would continue to be an encouragement and benefit to the women of Summit Woods. Finally, please pray that many Summit Woods Women would make an effort to attend the Winter Conference and be spiritually encouraged by it.

If you have any questions regarding the SWW Winter Conference, please reach out to Kelly Capranica or Hailey Vansell.