The Shamokin Area Christian Women's club celebrated its 25th anniversary June 18 with a luncheon held, fittingly enough, at Masser's Banquet Hall in Paxinos, where the group has been meeting for the past 25 years. It is an affiliate of Stonecroft Ministries, an international women's organization whose mission is "To equip and encourage women to impact their communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

"Actually, a lot of this is community," said Lisa Faust, of Elysburg, area representative. She was the chair from 2000 to 2003, and also in 2007. She has been the area representative from 2003 to the present. "Bringing women together. Outreaching. Connecting with God and other women in our community."

At each meeting, the featured speaker gives a motivational speech, followed by a short program that can encompass anything from businesses explaining their service -- they've had talks on chimney maintenance and car care -- to a craft or informative talk, such as rubber stamping, doll collecting, adult literacy and the Linus project.

"We had a recycled fashion show once," Faust said. She wore a dress made of packing peanuts; another woman dressed in pizza boxes. Other programs have included a bargain shopping fashion show, in which the club sent models out to thrift stores to buy outfits for less than $20, and an annual country fair.

The non-profit, non-denominational group emphasizes connecting with their communities and each other, rather than promoting a particular religion. There are no dues, but at each hour-and-a-half meeting, donations are taken to support Stonecroft Ministries' non-salaried missionaries, who provide spiritual, non-denominational leadership in small churches around the world where memberships have declined.

"We try to stay as secular as we can," Faust said. A prayer is said at the beginning of their monthly luncheons, and when the guest speaker is finished. "It is an encouragement. It's a refreshing time. A fun time. We try to make it fun. It is also, of course, a time to socialize.

"We used to joke: We don't talk about our weight, our religion, our politics, or our ages," she said with a smile. "We're just not into conflict. It really is just a nice group."

And though it's primarily a Christian organization, the After 5 branch in Danville, geared more toward working women, has had Muslim women attend their meetings, too.

"We don't want people to be uncomfortable," Faust said, adding that some groups now call themselves Women's Connections rather than Christian Women's Clubs.

As area representative, Faust's position is ongoing, which means she could hold it for a long time to come. "I consider it a privilege, and I'm doing it because I'm asked to," she said. "It's a calling and I feel the Lord has chosen me."

The club's first chairman, Marge Herman, of Overlook, has remained a member all this time and now finds herself back in her original position.

"I'm being recycled," she quipped. She was joined by many original members and officers at the anniversary celebration.

n Cindy O. Herman lives in Snyder County. Send e-mail comments to her at Cindyherman1@yahoo.com.