Beauty for Ashes

HISTORICAL TIMELINE

 1996  

• Speakers: Anne van Niekerk and Vicky Chilvers
• Theme: Putting Down Roots in Christ – Anne van Niekerk
• Theme: What a Woman Can Do – Vikki Chilvers
• Held at the YFC campsite, CYARA, in the Magaliesberg
• About 230 women attended

 1997  

• Speakers: Walty and Colleen Snyman
• Held at Henly-on-Klip
• Theme: Becoming the Woman God Wants You to Be
• Special event: ‘Mad Hatters High Tea’ with musicians, Derek and Linda Gordon, arriving in period costume in a horse-drawn carriage

 1998      

• Speakers: Marlene Holtzhausen, Julia Blackbeard and Rex Mathie
• Theme: Walk in the Light
• Drama: The Covenant Players
• Special event: ‘Masks Until Midnight’ late night supper
• Held at Good News Conference Centre, Honeydew, for the next ten years from 1998 to 2007

 1999  

• Speaker: Jill Briscoe
• Conference theme: Prayer That Works
• Guest mime artist: Meilene Chalklin

 1999

• Held a conference for Women in Ministry
• Speaker: Jill Briscoe
• Theme: Renewal on the Run
• Special event: An African Breakfast
• Special dinner: If Music Be the Theme of Love, Play On…
• About 85 women in ministry attended

 2000

• Speaker: Kathleen Porter, missionary from Russia
• Conference theme: There is a Season…
• Special event: International dinner
• Guest dancers: Verna Snyers and Yolande Murphy

 2001

• Speakers: Judy Mbugua from Kenya, and Maureen Onions
• Theme: The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me to be a Woman of God in Today’s World
• Guest dancers: Verna Snyers and Jessica Lee
• Drama: The Covenant Players
• Special event: ‘Grace Odyssey 2001’ dinner

 2002

• Speakers: Linda Strom and Terry Meeuwsen (700 Club presenter)
• Conference theme: Beauty for Ashes
• From this time on Beauty for Ashes became our name
• Guest artist: Andre de Villiers
• Guest dance group: Rejoice Dance Company
• Special event: ‘Princess and Pauper’ dinner

 2002

• Held a separate conference for Women in Ministry
• Speakers: Linda Strom and Terry Meeuwsen
• Theme: Be Still and Know That I am God
• Special dinner: Winter Wonderland
• Special event: Thanksgiving breakfast
• About 100 attended

 2003

• Speakers: Jill Briscoe and Judy Briscoe Golz
• Conference theme: Building Better Relationships
• 400 women attended

 2003

• Held a separate conference for Women in Ministry
• Speakers: Jill Briscoe and Judy Briscoe Golz
• Theme: Heart Hunger – Heart Cry
• About 120 attended

 2004

• Speakers: Angela Thomas and Chante Hinds
• Guest artist: Pianist Andre Kempen
• Guest dancer: Denise Auths
• Conference theme: When Wallflowers Dance
• 600 women attended

 2005  

• Speaker: Liz Curtis Higgs
• Guest artist: Babbie Mason
• Guest ballet dancers: Iain and Karen MacDonald
• Guest mime artist and dancer: Meilene Els and Denise Auths
• Conference theme: Loved by God
• 900 women attended
• Christian Living Today magazine partners with us

 2006  

• Speakers: Angela Thomas and Cheryl McGuinness
• Conference theme: A Beautiful Offering
• Guest artists: Janine Price, Linda Gordon, Trevor Sampson, Abigail Layman, Lyndon Petersen
• Guest dancers: Xander and Ansua Steyn, Marlee van der Merwe
• Guest dance and drama group: 13th Floor (formerly C-Kruis)
• Our first double conference over two weekends to accommodate the numbers
• 1800 women attended over two weekends
• Struik Christian Media partners with us

 2007

• Speakers: Priscilla Shirer and Julie Ann Barnhill
• Conference theme: Indescribable God!
• Guest artists: Lionel Petersen, Stella Katombe, Ansua Steyn
• Guest dance and drama: 13^th Floor
• Guest ballet dancers: Iain MacDonald and Lorna Maseko
• 2000 women attended (1000 at each conference) – we were unable to accommodate all the women who wanted to attend

 2008

• Speakers: Carol Kent and Anita Renfroe
• Moved to Mosaiek Teatro, a 3,000-seater auditorium in Johannesburg, AND held a Pre-conference
• First ever Beauty for Ashes conference in Cape Town!
• Conference theme: Celebrate! He is our hope!
• Pre-conference theme: Choices That Will Change Your Life!
• Guest ballet dancers: Iain MacDonald and Sarah Hurter
• Cape Town Pre-conference: 450 women attended
• Cape Town Conference: 850 women attended
• Johannesburg Pre-conference: 1,400 women attended
• Johannesburg Conference: 2,500 women attended
• Radio CCFM (Cape Community FM) partners with us

 2009 (May)

• Speaker: Liz Curtis Higgs
• Guest artist: Babbie Mason
• Guest ballet dancers: Iain MacDonald and Lauryn Summerley
• Conference theme: Beneath His Wings (the book of Ruth)
• Johannesburg Conference: 1,700 women attended
• Cape Town Conference: 600 women attended
• New venue in Cape Town: Common Ground Church, Rondebosch

 2009 (Sept)

• Speaker: Angela Thomas
• Guest artist: Nicole C. Mullen
• Opening soloist: Oliver Toorn
• Guest artist: Neville D – Cape Town only
• Conference theme, Cape Town: A Beautiful Life
• New Cape Town venue: His People Conference Centre, N1 City
• Cape Town conference: 650 women attended
• Cape Town, Nicole C. Mullen concert at the Lighthouse: 450 attended
• Conference theme, Johannesburg: Do You Know Who I Am?
• New Johannesburg venue: New Life Conference Centre, Bryanston
• Johannesburg conference: 1,400 women attended
• One Gospel (channel 331 on DSTV) partners with us

2010

• Speaker: Angela Thomas
• Guest artists: Kim Hill & Paulette Wooten
• Theme: Do You Know Who I Am?
• Ballet: Iain MacDonald & Shannon Glover
• New Cape Town venue: Jubilee Conference Centre
• Cape Town: 600 women attended
• Johannesburg: 1,400 women attended
• JOY! magazine partners with us

So far this is a total of 25 conferences in 15 years! Literally hundreds of women have found Christ or re-dedicated their lives to Christ.