Women invited to deepen spirituality at Upper Room

Coming soon, women in the Merrill area will have a unique opportunity to enrich their lives and deepen their spirituality. On May 4, the Upper Room, a special gathering place for women, will open. Programs and workshops will be presented on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings that are specifically focused on women, their spirituality, their needs and interests. The Upper Room is located at 1004 ½ E. Main St. in downtown Merrill, directly above the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store.

The Wednesday evening programs will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings are from 9 a.m. to noon throughout May and June. These include sessions on women's spirituality, embracing menopause and the changes it brings, and finding hope in mid-life and beyond. Workshops include knitting or crocheting a prayer shawl, making a "Footprints" necklace and creating a personal journal. More programs will be added throughout the summer and into the fall.

Sallie Bachar and Sue Norenberg, both from Merrill, are co-directors of the Upper Room. "This is a dream come true for us," said Norenberg. "We've been talking about something like this for a long time."

Norenberg works at the St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Center. Bachar is recently retired and is a writer and spiritual director. Both women have a passion for inspiring and encouraging other women to fulfill their dreams and become the best they can be. "We believe there is a hunger in most women for something deeper and more meaningful in their lives," said Bachar. "We hope that the programs offered by the Upper Room will help put women in touch with that hunger and give them the encouragement they need to become who they are meant to be."

The pair also publishes a quarterly magazine for women called Pauses. "The purpose of the publication," said Norenberg, "is to nurture a woman's spirituality. The Upper Room is an expansion of that ministry, and together we feel they complement each other."

The Upper Room will also be open every Thursday morning, beginning May 12, from 9 - 10 a.m. for an informal hour of coffee, fresh bread and prayer. "We want to provide a place where women can feel comfortable in sharing their spirituality," said Bachar. "We women talk about everything else in our lives but rarely are we comfortable with discussing the deeper issues - who we are as women and our relationship with God."

"We want to stress," said Norenberg, "that the Upper Room is a gathering place where all women from every walk of life and faith denomination are welcomed."

"Our goal is to provide an environment where all women are honored, respected and heard," added Bachar, "and we hope to accomplish that in our programs and through prayer, companionship, learning and celebration of who we are as women."

The public is invited to an open house on Wednesday, April 27, from 4:30 -7:30 p.m. For more information on the programs offered or to pre-register, call 715-536-4561 or 715-432-1261.