A Night to Cherish the Old and Look Forward to the New
By Barbara Rolen
It was such a joy to gather in Bellville for the recent Filling Station on September 10. This bi-annual gathering gives us the precious opportunity to unite and remember why we continually say yes to this vital kingdom work. There was something special about gathering on the very land that God gave the ministry years ago. Nancy Zimmerman’s words, “We are on holy ground,” resonated deeply in our hearts.
The significant scripture that anchored our hearts that evening, and continues to guide Serenity Retreat in this season, is Matthew 9:17: “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
As Cynthia Wenz, our volunteer interim CEO, spoke about these new wineskins, you could feel something stirring in the room. There’s something powerful about recognizing when God is preparing us for something fresh—something that requires not just new vision, but new capacity to hold what He’s pouring out. Robert Zimmerman, our board chairman, painted the picture beautifully as he shared how we’re unifying around our central purpose. He also shared his heartfelt conviction that this ministry simply wouldn’t exist without our prayer ministers. Our mission—to provide a safe place for all generations to encounter the Lord and be transformed— can only be realized because of our faithful prayer ministers willing to be on the front line.
Prior to ending the evening, Tiffany Pardue, our Retreat Director, set us up well to move into a time of prayer. It was a beautiful sound to hear small groups of believers all around the room praying over the ministry.
One of the evening’s highlights was listening to the bell ring 25 times, each chime representing one year that God has been ministering to His people at Serenity Retreat. We each took time to individually reflect on this sacred moment. Personally, I was thinking of what an honor it is to walk alongside our prayer ministers who have ushered guests to the feet of Jesus and witnessed transformation before our very eyes thousands of times. It was beautiful to move right into an impactful time of worship outside while the sun was setting. Rob Moorman, our board vice-chair, and Keever Wallace, one of our proficient mentors and leaders in the ministry, led us in such sweet worship beginning with “Holy Ground”.
The weight of our calling felt especially significant the morning after on the 40 Days of Favor prayer call as we paused to pray for our nation and the family of Charlie Kirk after the devastating news of his death. I believe that our mission is more important than ever as we prepare to receive hurting souls who have encountered tragic events or who just can’t seem to make sense of life anymore. Come Holy Spirit and have Your way in our hearts.