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J
journey of faith
Just moments past six o’clock faith to each other. had regular attendance to tem-
on a Friday night in early April It was this type of connection ple. But I wanted something
there are nearly a hundred to other women that led to her m o r e . Hearing the stories of
women streaming through the own, unique journey of faith. friends who were a part of
doors of Heritage United Growing up in a faithful church and sang in the choir
Methodist Church in Jewish family, Friday nights impacted me. I wanted that.
H a t t i e s b u r g . Pastor’s wife like this one would find her But I didn’t really know what it
Paula Artmann is front and cen- parents and siblings in one was that I wanted.”
ter; greeting with heart-felt place; gathered around the fam- Throughout her teenage
embraces and words of wel- ily table for Sabbath Eve dinner. years, Artmann said she
come and comfort. “This didn’t change when I befriended a number of
Yet all the while, she is acute- became a teenager either,” Christian women who lived out
ly aware of the ‘behind the recalled Artmann. “I wasn’t their faith in a way that both
scene’ details involved in this allowed to go on a date until we impressed and intrigued her.
weekend conference designed had Sabbath Eve dinner. We “I had some really wonderful
to enrich and enlighten the shared the meal and said the people in my life. They were
women of her church. prayers over the wine and the committed Christians who real-
“We’ve been working on this candles and the bread. It was a ly showed me their faith with-
weekend for quite some time,” great childhood.” out having to say a whole lot.”
noted Artmann, taking stock of Yet even from an early age, Later in college, she made
the schedule that’s been Artmann said she remembered even more friends and joined a
mapped out for the next 24 feeling like something wasn’t sorority.“ Those girls became
hours. complete. my very best friends, without
Artmann heads up the “I came from a very close- ever pushing their Christian
women’s ministry, aptly titled knit Jewish home,” said faith on me.” After hearing a
“ C o n n e c t i o n s ” . The name A r t m a n n . “I went to Sunday sermon streaming from the live
reflects the group’s core school every year, won atten- radio in her car, Paula Artmann
endeavor to connect women of dance awards every year. W e decided to become a Christian,