Women’s Weekend Retreat Speaker - Mary Henderson

It’s been such a joy over the years to attend the Women’s Weekend – to spend time in fellowship with one another, learn from the Word, and grow with each other. 

This year, our speaker is Mary Henderson!

Mary is passionate about helping people to grow strong and deep in their relationship with God. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She has worked alongside her husband John for more than 40 years with Cru, an international, non-profit Christian organization. In this capacity, she has lived and worked throughout New Zealand, Europe, Russia, and the United States. She enjoys teaching, writing, performing theatrical improv, and hiking with her husband. She and John have three grown children and two grandchildren. They currently call Austin, Texas their home.

She graciously answered some additional “get-to-know-you” questions! 

Where were you born/where did you grow up?

I was born in Pensacola, Florida, and then moved with my dad, mom, and sister to Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Louisiana. My dad was a geologist, and he worked for a large oil company, so we moved to wherever they wanted him to look for oil. I loved moving and exploring new environments, which was great preparation for my life as a missionary.

How did you first come to SW, and how long have you been at SW? 

We moved to Oregon from Texas in 1986 when our son Matthew was 9 months, and Austin was 4. We stayed with Scott and Kristi Gilchrist for several days when we first arrived. Matt was learning to walk then, and I remember laughing in delight when Scott held out his arms, and Matt walked to him.

John and I came to SW from Austin because we had met Scott when he spoke at our Cru retreat in Texas in that spring of 1986. Scott and John really hit it off at the retreat and Scott asked us to come be part of the church and for John to lead an evangelistic ministry here. John had planned to start at Dallas Theological Seminary in the fall, so we decided to come, and John attended Western Seminary instead.

So we’ve been a part of SW since 1986, though sent as missionaries after only 3 years in Oregon. We went first to New Zealand, then Hungary, and now our ministry is to Eastern and Western Europe, while living in Texas.

What are a few fun facts about yourself?

About 10 years ago, I swam with stingrays in the Caribbean Sea.

As a child I made marionettes—puppets with strings.

I made a xylophone with my dad for a school science fair project.

I teach and perform theatrical improv. I started taking classes in improv in 2011 and absolutely loved it. Since then I’ve taught improv classes at my church and performed in dozens of shows. 

I love hiking. John and I hike almost daily for an hour or more, continually exploring new areas.

What is your favorite book of the Bible? 

Oh wow, that’s a tough one. I think it changes every few years. For a while now, it’s been 2 Corinthians because Paul writes about difficult things he was experiencing and his perspectives on those things.

How many books have you written? How did you come to love writing?

I’ve written 4 books, and they’re all available on Amazon.com:

• ​Breaking Free: Journey with God Through Illness to Health

• ​Retrain Your Brain for Joy

• ​Rest for Your Soul

• ​Beyond: Create a Life You Love After 50, 60, 70, & More

Writing just naturally flows out of me — it’s how I process my thoughts and communicate with people. As God has taught me things, I’ve wanted to share those and somehow, it flows out as writing. It’s just how God made me!

Why is the theme of this weekend, “Choosing Delight,” important to you? 

Many of the things I’ve learned in life, I’ve learned the hard way: by failing at first. As I’ve gone through hardships, Paul’s exhortation to “Rejoice always” hasn’t been all that easy! (1 Thessalonians 5:16) And in the stresses of life, David’s encouragement to “Delight yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4) can be difficult. 

Also, God delights in us. (Zephaniah 3: 17) Experiencing this has been a major part of my life. 

 In the ups and downs of life, I wanted consistent joy (who doesn’t?), and so I began studying and learning principles, exercises, and habits to make the pursuit of “delight” enjoyable and attainable for myself and others. I love sharing my discoveries about this with others—it delights me!

How can we be preparing for this Women’s Weekend? 

Think about Psalm 63 & the questions below:

• What has your journey in life been like, of delighting and rejoicing? Think about 1 Thessalonians. 5:16. When has it been hard and easy for you to rejoice?

• What do you think are your main obstacles to:

  • ​Rejoicing throughout the ups and downs of daily life?

  • ​Experiencing God’s presence with you throughout your days?

Pray that God will help you to rejoice and delight more consistently.

We invite you to join us for Women’s Weekend, October 10th-11th! We are so excited for what the Lord will do during this time and look forward to seeing you there!

*Mary’s books will be available for purchase during the weekend