The Virtual Cottage Opens Doors

Your heart is touched by needs of women and issues in your community and beyond, but it seems “virtually” impossible in your circumstances to be part of a generative solution. Follow your heart and join a virtual cottage meeting from the comfort of your home. This convenient monthly opportunity can help you be a wave in the great ocean of change. Your participation can change from a virtual impossibility to a real possibility.  

Take Cherilyn Holloway’s experience as she attended her first meeting in April. Her story illustrates our mission to meet with like-minded women to gather and work diligently to inspire, inform, and serve. Cherilyn learned about Big Ocean Women from our friend, Destiny, of New Wave Feminists. She was intrigued by Destiny’s posts from CSW in New York and followed up when Destiny encouraged her to look into Big Ocean cottage meetings. Because there is not a local cottage group near her home, Cherilyn opted to attend a virtual cottage meeting.  

Cherilyn is outgoing and adventurous, so she wasn’t timid about being part of the virtual cottage. However, she did wonder if she would simply be “talked at” rather than included in the conversation. In her words, “my thoughts and opinions were ‘overly-well received.’ I felt very comfortable.”  It was a learning process because she was not sure of her answers or the tenets. In the small group that gathered online, she felt comfortable asking, “What did you mean? Please explain.” She now looks forward to the next meeting.

Cherilyn wasn’t the only one who was impressed. The cottage leaders suggested we learn more about this amazing participant. As I interviewed Cherilyn, it was apparent that she is certainly a “like-minded woman” who is doing a great work at Cornerstone Pregnancy Services in Ohio. Just as we honor our procreative power, their mission is to share the love of Jesus, provide Christ-centered support, and empower women to make life affirming choices. This support includes pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, objective counseling, classes, and even free formula and diapers. Read more about her work here. See her self introduction here.

In addition, Cherilyn’s personal mission statement aligns perfectly with Big Ocean’s tenet to create generative solutions with our global sisters. “My vision is that from the womb to the tomb I will strive to be a person that is pro-love and pro-unity.  …” She seeks to sit at the table and form partnerships with everyone in the community to honor and support women in their unique role as life-givers. To learn more about her community engagement model, email her at cherilyn.brice@yahoo.com.

We invite YOU to come experience the power of our virtual cottage meetings. The Zoom link for the meetings in May: https://zoom.us/j/719196591 These meetings will be Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. US MDT and Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. US MDT. Check out our Facebook page or email  bigoceancottage@gmail.com to ask questions or get information about upcoming meetings. Your contribution can evolve from a virtual impossibility to an absolute reality.