Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
The sound of hundreds of women’s voices singing praises to God filled the Brookshires Grocery Arena on Saturday October 11, 2025, creating a moving picture of unity here in Bossier City.
Women from dozens of churches and denominations gathered together—not as separate congregations, but as one body in Christ—to hear Bible teacher and author Priscilla Shirer share a message of hope and encouragement.
The conference, which drew participants from Shreveport, Bossier City, Haughton, and beyond, became more than an event. It was a moment of community, revival, and shared purpose.
From Cypress Baptist Church alone, about 100 women attended. Organizer Darlene Simons said she had initially purchased a block of 50 tickets, which quickly sold out, and many others secured their own.
“What excites me most is gathering with women from other churches and denominations,” Simons said. “Any person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ to be Lord of their life is part of one universal church. The location and name of our local church is irrelevant. When we all get to heaven, none of that will matter. So my thought is, let’s all praise the Lord together now while we are here.”
First Baptist Church Haughton brought about 50 women to the event. For Whitney Lester, the gathering was a chance to see the Church at large unite in a common mission.
“At this conference, we left our ‘name tags’ of church affiliation, denomination, hurts, shame—all of the things that would typically set us apart—at the door,” Lester said. “We came together for one goal: to magnify and glorify the name of Jesus, all while being equipped in our faith through Priscilla Shirer’s teaching.”
She added that the shared experience strengthened bonds within her church’s women’s ministry. “When you worship in a corporate setting with other believers and experience that with your friends, it creates something lasting,” Lester said. “Our group is already sharing takeaways and encouraging each other through what we learned.”
First Bossier sent about 20 women. Stephanie Jurkovich described the day as uplifting and unifying.
“There is just something special about a room full of ladies focusing on Christ,” she said. “These events remind us that we all have the same goal—to make heaven as crowded as we possibly can.”
Jurkovich said she saw the conference as a blessing for her group and the wider community.
“We have the privilege to live in a country where we can gather in large groups to worship Christ and hear His Word,” she said. “Anytime we can do that in our community, it is a blessing.”
She also emphasized the personal impact. “We are all going through different things in life—some need hope, encouragement, peace, strength, or healing,” Jurkovich explained. “My prayer is that God met each woman right where she was, and that through Priscilla’s message, they heard exactly what they needed.”
Looking ahead, Jurkovich said she believes the event will have ripple effects throughout the Ark-La-Tex.
“God can use moments like this to remind us that, even though we attend different churches, we all share the same purpose in Christ,” she said. “That kind of unity makes our individual churches stronger and makes our collective light shine brighter.”
As the day concluded, many women expressed their hope that the unity displayed at the conference would carry back into their churches and communities.
“This event has the potential to spark revival,” Lester said. “It should be our prayer that unity in our community will bring forth true revival. We are not in competition with one another. We are One in Christ.”
For many, the conference was more than an event. It was a living example of Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”