Last October, we finally had a title for Spark: Igniting Your God-Given Creativity, and since then, I
- finished the manuscript,
- reviewed it with Mennonite Women USA and Mennonite Women Canada who commissioned the project,
- made revisions,
- reviewed the manuscript with MennoMedia as the publisher,
- did some fine-tuning,
- and now I’m excited to share the cover!
Thanks to designer Merrill Miller for a cover that communicates the Spark and intention of this study series.
Rediscover the joys of being created in God’s image and nurture your own creative spirit!
Nurture your spirit with this dynamic, 12-session women’s Bible study. Spark thoughtfully takes you deep into the Bible, and unpacks stories of God’s creative spirit at work.
Starting with the story of creation, Spark helps you discover anew the joys of being made in the image of God, and encourages you to foster your own creativity as a divine gift. Each session artfully brings biblical texts to life, encouraging you to uncover, develop, and embrace the gift of your own creativity.
An exciting new development, is that Spark will also be available as a Women’s Retreat kit with everything you’ll need to help plan and lead a successful women’s retreat.
The director’s guide includes step-by-step instructions–from how to plan a retreat and choosing a retreat location to announcements, promotion, and snack ideas. The Bible study portion of the kit includes 4 Spark sessions. A participant guide encourages women to make personal connections and provides space for reflection throughout the retreat.
This Spark women’s retreat is comprehensive, with easy-to-follow directions, fully equipping leaders to prepare for and lead the retreat. It’s also very flexible, with ideas for retreats spanning one evening, a full day, or a weekend. Because everything is included in this retreat kit, it’s great for team building and groups of all sizes and ages.
Both Spark and the Women’s Retreat Kit are currently at the printer’s, and I look forward to their being available soon.
P.S. If you haven’t yet taken my readers’ survey and are willing to help make this website better, please click here, or on the button below. All responses are anonymous, and I look forward to seeing the collective results and sharing them with you. Thank you for your time–I appreciate your feedback! (p.s., this survey will close on Wednesday, May 27, 5pm, Pacific.)
April Yamasaki 
Congratulations on this project! The cover is lovely and inviting, and the topic really speaks to me. Your blog already encourages me to ‘nurture [my] own creative spirit’ and I look forward to reading more.
It’s been a great joy to work on this project, and I look forward to seeing the finished product in print! I also appreciate your kind words about the blog–responses like that nurture my creative spirit and encourage others also. Please keep reading, commenting,and creating 🙂
You keep writing, engaging, and improving based on feedback, April. I know you are also following your own internal compass. This is just a note of appreciation and encouragement. Nice cover, also!
Thanks, Shirley – I’ve been learning a lot from other bloggers and writers like you. One of my growing edges is to find a better balance between writing on my own blog, guest posting, and also reading and commenting on the great writing that you and others are doing. I’ve tended to go more with the flow of all of that rather than being deliberate, but lately I’ve been thinking more about how all of those different parts fit together. Thanks for your encouragement!