The Women's Enrichment Ministry of First Baptist Church in Orangeburg will have its Spring Forth Banquet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 20 at the Family Life Center.

The event is an evening of fellowship for all women of the Orangeburg community, regardless of denomination or church affiliation, and will feature a meal and words of inspiration from Christian comedienne Cherie Nettles. Tickets are $10, and a love offering will be taken for the Samaritan House.

Nettles' comedy has been described as "knee-slapping" and "belly-laughing." Drawing from the turmoil of her childhood, the onset of a chronic childhood disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and her survival of ovarian cancer, Nettles exemplifies transitioning from trial to triumph. God has taught her that through her brokenness He could lift her up and place her feet on a firm foundation. Her enthusiastic, high-energy storytelling and humor reach out and touch the hearts of women of all ages.

Nettles perceives that often Christians only anticipate the joy of the deliverance of a trial while overlooking the minute-by-minute sustenance given to them by Jesus Christ in the midst of the trial. Looking through His eyes, she now sees how God took the ashes of her life and formed beauty. Her powerful testimony and contagious laugh will leave her audience both challenged and inspired.

A cum laude graduate of the University of South Carolina, Nettles also attended Columbia International University Seminary. She is a former high school and middle school social studies teacher currently working as a Christian comedienne, keynote speaker and freelance writer. Her passion is leading other women to a deep commitment to Jesus Christ. She completed her first DVD project in January 2006.

Nettles lives in West Columbia with her husband, Mike, her 15-year-old son, Alex and her 12-year-old daughter, Ashleigh.

Reservations for the Spring Forth Banquet must be made no later than Friday, March 16. For more information, call the Family Life Center at 803-534-2960 or First Baptist Church at 803-536-1545.

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