By Emily Billingsley, Women of Saint Michael President

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”-Helen Keller

The purpose of the Women of Saint Michael (WOSM) is to serve as an extension of Christ’s Kingdom by uniting the women of our parish. Through decades of volunteering, serving, and convening, WOSM has provided a forum for creating profound impact in our community and the world while deepening relationships with one another. By curating a seasonal offering of speaker events, volunteer opportunities, and social moments, WOSM aims to bring together our community in meaningful and measurable ways. A committee of women have come together to create an unforgettable year ahead. We kick things off each fall with a new theme, and this year we also kick things off with our new spaces.

This Year, We Gather as the Women Of Saint MichaelAround a Shared Goal: Becoming Better Equipped—Together.

Over the course of our programming, we will be guided by Colossians 1:9: “We continually ask God to fill us with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.”

We begin the year with our first speaker series, and we wrap with our always sold-out Spring Luncheon. Let’s dive in!

Deepening Worldly Relationships in our New Parish Hall: The Women of Saint Michael Offer a Church-Wide Evening With Tommy Spaulding

As Saint Michael enters an exciting new chapter with the opening of our expanded campus, the Women of Saint Michael are thrilled to welcome three-time bestselling author, nationally recognized speaker, and leadership expert Tommy Spaulding for a special church-wide evening on October 7, from 5–7 p.m., in our brand new Parish Hall.

Known for his bestselling books It’s Not Just Who You Know, The Heart-Led Leader, and The Gift of Influence, Tommy has inspired audiences around the world with a powerful message about relationships, influence, purpose, and living a life that matters. In a culture that often celebrates power, position, and achievement, Tommy teaches that true influence is rooted in service, humility, genuine care for one another, and a commitment to show up faithfully in the lives of those around us.

The evening will begin with a reception featuring beverages, light bites, and an opportunity to gather in fellowship before Tommy’s presentation.

Tommy’s message beautifully complements the Women of Saint Michael 2026–2027 theme, “Equipping Women with Spiritual Wisdom for Today’s World,” inspired by Colossians 1:9. Throughout the year, we will explore how God equips us with wisdom, understanding, and purpose to navigate relationships, strengthen families, serve others, and lead meaningful lives.

Tommy’s message will inspire us to remember that the most important growth happens within us—through genuine relationships, deeper faith, and a renewed commitment to living with purpose and intention.

Join us as we gather for an evening of fellowship, inspiration, and learning as we begin a year of equipping, connection, and growth together. Before October 7, engage online with Tuesdays with Tommy, tommyspaulding.com/blog/, to begin our journey to equip!

Equipping Our Minds and Hearts: Annual Speaker Series

Erin Osborne, our WOSM Programming Chair, is busy securing additional impactful speakers for our series centered around this year’s theme. Attending one event or the entire series is the perfect way to dive into the WOSM community and take away timely content and new friendships. Dates and more information may be found on our website, saintmichael.org/women, which is the perfect landing page to secure your season tickets now!

Equipping our Need for Community: WOSM Mardi Gras Fête

Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 4. This year, we are thrilled to transform our Parish Hall into Orleans Parish! Dueling pianos will bring the vibe and the sounds—start building out your request list. The Spirit of New Orleans can be found in the city’s food, music, beauty, and charm, but most of all in its people. This event is all about convening our congregation to build on our relationships.

Equipping Our Calling to Use our Time, Treasure & Talents for Good:
St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange

Since 1958, the St. Michael’s Woman’s Exchange has served as a shopping destination for the entire city. Dollars raised are poured directly back into local charities vetted by our Gifts Committee, highlighted in the following paragraph. Our elegant and recently refreshed gift shop occupies #5 Highland Park Village and is an institution in the shopping center. WOSM volunteers serve as buyers, display artists, salespeople, cashiers, gift wrappers, department chairs, governing board, and accounting and advertising team—it takes 130 volunteers to be exact and we always seek to invite new volunteers. Please think of The Exchange for all of your gift needs: women, men, children, and home!

Gifts Committee

Each year, a committee of over 20 WOSM volunteers convene over several weeks to formally diligence over one hundred 501(c)3 grant applicants. From diagnosing cash flows to meeting on site with staff then evaluating board composition, these women give their time to put our hard-earned treasure into the most deserving and equipped hands to help our most vulnerable community members. Beyond vetting the financial health and integrity of each grant recipient, our process is guided by the spirit of giving expressed in Matthew 25:35–36.

St. Mary’s Guild

The coveted St. Mary’s Guild equips our entire congregation with delicious nourishment while raising funds for our grant recipients. On the 2nd and 4th Sundays from September through April, WOSM volunteers provide home-baked goodies and/or help at the Guild’s bake sale table in the new café. Just like the Exchange, proceeds are deposited right back into our community to local grant recipients.

Altar Guild

Each week, WOSM volunteers assist the clergy and serve the Parish by preparing the sacraments and maintaining all supplies necessary for the worship services. This ‘behind-the-scenes’ volunteer group is mission critical to our church services.

Day of Service

On January 22, 2027, the WOSM come together to serve as one. We volunteer at Jubilee Community Center in southeast Dallas to freshen spaces and further its mission. Look out for signups and grab some friends!

Jubilee Mother/Daughter Tea

On March 6, 2027, WOSM volunteers will transform the Jubilee Community Center into a tea room built for queens (and princesses!). The Mother/Daughter tea brings together one of our most loved communities for a joy-filled day.

We Equip Each Other with Thanks and Celebrate this Community’s Accomplishments: Spring Luncheon

The WOSM calendar culminates with our much-anticipated Spring Luncheon. In addition to celebrating the hard work of all of the WOSM, this is where we announce “the number”: the amount this army of women has raised through The Exchange, St. Mary’s Guild, fundraising, and more. As mentioned above, these dollars are given right back into charities in our community. The checks are presented to 75–80 organizations. We hear from our final, highly anticipated speaker of the series, and we toast the year over a lovely luncheon. Tickets go on sale early spring, and we hope you will join!

Equipping You With Confidence to Join WOSM

In addition to the traditions above, the WOSM committee provides new and unique social and volunteer opportunities each year. Shopping socials, holiday gatherings, serving at the Saint Michael’s farmers market—there is always something around the corner with WOSM. This year, we are introducing three seasonal evening socials, “WOSM Wednesdays,” at the church. Complete with childcare and bites+bevs, these evenings are meant to foster relationships over Mahjong in a casual setting.

 In closing, we hope you feel the calling to equip yourself by leaning into the Women of Saint Michael. We need volunteers along the way, and we desire to bring each and every woman into the fold.

Keep a lookout for our communication both in print and on our webpage through the church website and reach out if you are not sure how best to dive in—do not be bashful. Let us all equip ourselves for this worldly walk: better, together—see you this fall!

**This article was written by Emily Billingsley and was featured in the 2026 Fall Archangel.