Peaceful evenings with Jesus

Wait a minute. I know all of these women, but they don’t know each other!, I thought.

We had just logged on to our first online European women’s Bible study in February. Women had joined our video call from different countries and different congregations. I knew nearly every one of them, but many sisters were meeting for the first time.

At first, it was a little awkward. That had to change! We had two goals for our time together: to strengthen our faith and to strengthen our fellowship.

Once a month, on the last Sunday evening, we meet online. On average, 16 women from six different countries attend. We spend about 45 minutes studying God’s Word, followed by 15 minutes in small groups. I provide a few questions to discuss, but we also need time to visit. We want to get to know each other, share what is happening in our lives, and become friends.

Recently we studied episodes from the gospel of Mark. We gave our study a rather long title: “Peaceful Summer Evenings with Jesus (after Hectic Summer Days).”

Peace was an important part of that title. It’s easy to focus on our failings. We carry around the guilt of things we have or haven’t done. But as we studied these stories from Mark, we kept coming back to Jesus.

Jesus always knew what to tell every soul. To the leper, he said, “I am willing.” To the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” To Matthew, “Follow me.”

And Jesus still knows how to lift us up. When our guilt weighs on us, we run to the one who carried all our sins for us. In Jesus we have forgiveness . . . and peace. What a joy it is for me and these women to grow in that knowledge.

The other blessing of these evenings together is the fellowship.

Many of the women who join the study come from smaller congregations or isolated areas. The opportunity to spend an evening with Christian sisters from across Europe is especially precious. We remember that we aren’t alone: We are part of a much larger family of sisters who share one Savior.

Our evenings end with prayer. After sharing troubles, heartaches, and joys, we have the privilege of praying with and for one another. We also pray for people in our lives who need Jesus’ peace and for opportunities to share it. I know these prayers continue throughout the month. Those faces on the computer screen really are becoming friends.

Sometimes we even get to see one another face-to-face. This fall I’ll meet some of these women at a Reformation retreat, and later I’ll see others in Finland. Each time we see each other, whether online or in person, our friendship grows a little stronger.

We started with two goals: strengthening our faith and strengthening our fellowship. By God’s grace, both are happening. We’re spending peaceful evenings growing with Jesus and enjoying time with our new sisters.

Read “Women in world missions” by Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator. Learn more about women serving in world missions.

Author: Jennifer Wolfgramm
Volume 113, Number 10
Issue: October 2026