Jan Haney was worshiping at a Women of Faith event in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2008 when she couldn’t shake the thought:
“Why can’t we bring something like this to our church for women in our community at a price everyone can afford?”
She knew the women in small towns deserve to hear great speakers and be lifted up just as much as those in larger cities.
With a team of 20 women and the blessings of the elders at her church, she set out to host her own event. In 2009, the first event was as held in Ash Flat, Arkansas, featuring Kelly Minter. More than 350 women attended Rock This House—a name based on Acts 4:31 where the house the people met in shook from the power of prayer.
I had the privilege of being part of the 6th annual Rock This House weekend with more than 600 women in attendance. The entire population of Ash Flat is only 1,012.
“It’s something that is talked about all year long—newspapers local magazines have stories about it,” Haney said. “Rock This House has become very popular and is looked upon as a one-of-a-kind ladies event—and draws more women than any other event in northeast Arkansas. We have ladies attend from Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as from all over Arkansas. Usually there isn’t a hotel room to be found during the event. A good boost for the local economy too.”
Led by the acapella group, Amazed, what’s striking about the event is just how many denominations are represented among participants. Everyone is invited—people come from dozens of different churches.
It’s been estimated that there’s not a church in the county that isn’t represented in one way or another.
Jan Haney’s story and Rock This House remind me of the power of one person pursuing a God-given dream to impact a community.
What is God calling you to? What is holding you back?
What if you took one step forward toward the dream you have today?
