Cathy Littlefield - I Will Be Your Hands And Feet
Exploring faith journeys and inspiring ministries that embody the good news of God. This is The Cumberland Road. I am your host, TJ Malinoski. Today, I'm in conversation with Kathy Littlefield. She is the interim coordinator for the Cumberland Presbyterian Women's Ministry. It's a role with responsibilities that include the local, regional, and denominational women's groups coordinating mission and service and fellowship opportunities. In our conversation, we talk about her faith background, about living in Boonville, Arkansas, drawing inspiration from health issues. We talk about wisdom that comes with age, and Kathy's drive to serve others with her feet, her heart, and her soul. Enjoy this conversation that I have on the Cumberland Road with guest Kathy Littlefield.
T.J.:Kathy, thank you for joining me on the Cumberland Road. How are you doing?
Kathy:I'm doing very well today. Better than, I should. I'm blessed, but I'm also fighting this allergy. So bear with me if I have to blow my nose. Or
T.J.:Oh, that'd be fine. That would just, we'll we'll work through it.
Kathy:There we go. Alright.
T.J.:Kathy, if you would, let's take the first few minutes and just talk about who you are and what church you attend and your your service to the denomination. You got some things going on?
Kathy:I do. I do. Well, let's see. I live in Booneville, Arkansas, and I go to the Booneville Cumberland Presbyterian Church. I, have been active in CPWM probably more so since about 2006.
Kathy:I think I had my first taste of a convention in, when, Arkansas hosted at Hot Springs. And that's been a few days ago, but that was my introduction into CPWM. And it was a game changer for me.
T.J.:In in what way?
Kathy:Oh my gosh. I got to be at the host table where I could see everybody that came in. I could put names and faces together. Might not could remember them later, but at least I got to do a visual of who they were, where they were from, that sort of thing. And so after that, I was hooked.
Kathy:And so yeah.
T.J.:And just to give a little bit of background for those who don't know, CPWM Convention is Cumberland Presbyterian Women's Ministry. And there's a yearly convention in the summer. And it's a gathering of women from all over the United States and all over the world to get together to do worship, have workshops, business meeting, plan new mission projects, adopt new mission projects, and you add on all the things that are left off.
Kathy:Oh, man. Yeah. I you about covered it. I'm telling you. You did really good.
Kathy:You wanna be you wanna belong? You should come over. Yes. We do all of that and much, much more. We have each year, we, do officer elections.
Kathy:We search for presidents and for secretaries to be able to come, and we try to keep that in a succession where, each everybody can participate locally, regionally, or on the convention level. So each each local has their group, and they have their role as president, secretary, and that sort of thing. Same way with the region, same way with the so all of that is just all of what you said was just a little glimpse of what women I think we it best sums it up when we were in Norman, Oklahoma, and there was a sign big sign on the wall that said CPWM Lemon Strong. And I'm holding up my arm, y'all, for the for those of you that can't see me or you can just hear me, but, we are CPWM Strong. When you want somebody to do something, they call on the women.
Kathy:Mhmm. And we usually can get it done some way, somehow. And that's a good thing. There's nothing wrong with that. So I'm I'm gonna pat ourselves on the back, women out there, or you girls out there that you know what I'm talking about.
T.J.:Kathy, what do you think the essence of Cumberland Presbyterian, Women's Ministry is? If you were describing it to someone who didn't know in a very brief, what is the what makes CPWM at the congregational level, at the regional level, and then at the denomination wide level?
Kathy:I'll tell you what. When you when you say those words, Cumberland Christian Women's Ministry, and you have that group, you have women that bond together. They have these projects that they like to do. They wanna do service work. They want just a multitude of things that they don't wanna sit idle.
Kathy:Yes. We like to eat and we like to meet, but we also want a project something that we can get our hands in to be able to do something that produces something good. And so on a regional level, it's just ramped up a little bit more, same same sort of scenario, and you carry that on into the convention end, and it really gets wild because 1 year, I know, when we went to Oklahoma, we packed purses and and took a people from all over brought these purses filled with stuff. They took them to downtown Oklahoma City, and it was a the big bus, you know, that you the charter bus, it was packed full of these purses. They want a hands on project that they can say, look what we did.
Kathy:Look where where we accomplished that. That's how I kinda, met some I've I've met so many people that I would not have ever met ever on my journey in this, CPWM world because I wouldn't have had that opportunity had I not belonged. And you don't have to belong because when you come to the Conover Presbyterian Church, you're automatically you don't have to say, I wanna join. You're in it. I mean, there's no initiation.
Kathy:There's I mean, you know, there there might be $5 dues. You know? I mean, but that you know, that's in a nutshell. That's kind of where I love working with the women. It's just amazing.
Kathy:They're they're great people out there, and I can't I wanna meet more of them. When I go to a convention or a meeting, I have to go around. I'm work I I call it work in the room. I'm not I'm not a politician, but I wanna go around and I want to visit with everyone there. And I want to get to know them, and I want to learn what they want.
Kathy:What what do you like? What do you not like? You know? I want to be able to help them someway, somehow.
T.J.:Now, Kathy, you currently are serving as the interim director for the CPWM, Cumberland Presbyterian Women in Ministry. Yes. What does that role entail?
Kathy:Well, they hats off to Cardelia Hal Diamond. If you're listening, babe, praying for you. Love you. And, yeah. Hey.
Kathy:I gotta gotta give her a shout out. She was great. I love her, and it's hard she used to feel. So I had she had to step away. And so Christy Lonsberry, hats off to her.
Kathy:Kudos to her. She stepped up. And, between Christie and all of the executive officers, we came together, and we did the convention in Louisville, Kentucky. It went off really well. And so after that convention, they were looking for someone to fill the role until they decide who is gonna come on full time.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Kathy:And it is gonna be a full time position now where it used to be it was part time. So they came. Christie reached out to me and asked me if I would be able to do the CPWM interim role, for the coming year. And that you know, you, there's a lot of work behind the scenes. It's like, you do the calendar for the year, that's online.
Kathy:You do the you you look for the officers that are going to be up and coming to keep that rotation going. You do the, nominating committee. They have a role to play, because I have to present that to them, and see if they're okay with who we have found that might be willing to serve. And they serve for 3 years, and they rotate off. So there's a lot of planning for the coming year.
Kathy:Like, we're already planning heavily. The executive committee, Christy, and myself are already in the works, planning for Albuquerque in New Mexico. Can't wait. Oh my goodness. Girls out there, if you're listening, you're gonna love it.
Kathy:You need to get registered. Get get online and get with it.
T.J.:And Albuquerque will be the place for the convention 2022.
Kathy:Yes. Alright. And it is going to be awesome. And so we we planned for that. This last Saturday, it was an amazing time.
Kathy:We had a I guess it was gonna be it's the first kickoff of a Zoom retreat that we had. Christy worked herself to death. I was the guinea pig. That's and so we did that. She we would get on, and I would critique.
Kathy:And and so we had the the best time, and I know she's exhausted, but we had I'm gonna guess you registered for this online, and I'm gonna guess between the watch parties. Some people had watch parties at churches. I know Paducah, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee. You know, there was and people globally also as well were able to register, and and, everybody got the link that came in to the Zoom meeting, and it was an amazing time. I'm going to guess at least a 180, at at least, We're watching or listening, and it was awesome.
T.J.:Cathy, what does a Zoom retreat look like? What happens on a Zoom retreat?
Kathy:Well okay. We have a you have the welcome and introduction of, the executive officers. You have you have an opening prayer, and that was done, globally. I can't recall the lay write off. I should have wrote that down, but I can't recall who did that.
Kathy:But you have the opening prayer. You have the the devotional.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Kathy:All the things that you would normally probably have in a short meeting, you would have. And so then, there was also, Judy Millam McGee, our current president, brought a message on the or the current theme rise up and did a wonderful job with that. People afterwards were, like, texting me and, like, I want a copy of that. You know? So she's gonna get her story her message in print, and we're gonna get that probably we're gonna probably put that up on the website as well for for women that want to print that off.
Kathy:Let's see. We had the Brazilian, the Colombian, and I'm not gonna leave out somebody. Japanese, were also represented. But they did also the Colombian and Brazilian did the worship service. That alone was worth it all because if even if you didn't understand, you knew the song, You knew the words.
Kathy:It was just in a different language. And it every time, it did not grow old. Every time I I did it or heard it or saw it, it it sent chills up and down me. That's how moving it was for me. I don't know how moving it was for other people, but for me, it was great.
Kathy:Micah Tank did the, communion. And so everybody that wanted to could participate in communion, and she interpreted. Also, our main speaker during the day was Lisa reverend Lisa Scott, and she was a past vice moderator. I don't remember what year, but, she was our main speaker. And so I have to give shout out to her.
Kathy:She did an awesome job. And we had an interpreter to follow her, and we also had an interpreter to follow, Judy Miller McGee as well. So Mhmm. It was a very good time.
T.J.:Kathy, are there plans to have another one?
Kathy:Oh, I I I see plans coming,
T.J.:for
Kathy:another one. It was awesome. I I I just hope everybody enjoyed it as much as we did. Get, I know, Christy, you worked hard to get it together, but, oh my gosh, I think it was I think that's gonna be a thing coming to the future. Is gonna be Zoom related retreats like that because some people still aren't meeting, with this COVID going on.
Kathy:So it's it's going to, it's gonna be a game changer, I think, for for CPWM women. I think, I think this is gonna be the 21st century and forward.
T.J.:Well, Kathy, let's talk about you and your faith. Have you have you always been a Christian? What is your story? What is your journey?
Kathy:Well, you know, I never I don't say no. Let me take that back. I'm not never, but, I didn't have the opportunity in to be a Cumberland Presbyterian always. I didn't grow up in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. And, and that's not that that's a bad thing or, but I did miss some of the things that I wished I could have done in my youth that, I see the youth doing now.
Kathy:And I'm so I think that's why I work. I haven't always worked camp, but the last couple of 3 years, I've worked camp with Martha Chambers. And so, that's those are fun times and, blessed times. But I haven't believe it or not, I went to a primitive baptist. I barely remember it.
Kathy:So, the only thing that ever sticks in my mind about primitive baptist was they did foot washing. And that's the only thing that I can remember. Can you that sticks in my mind. That's the only thing I can remember. But, then we went let's see.
Kathy:I don't know what, happened, but we didn't go anymore. So I had a lady across the street from us where we lived. Actually, we're we were 7 miles out from town, but across the street meant the highway.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Kathy:And so she, and my friend down the road, we would walk and meet each other and go to each other's house, but my neighbor across the road saw the need. And so she would take us to church with her. And I got another whole new experience of Assembly of God. And I loved it. I mean, I mean, I love learning about other place, other places of church worship that I wouldn't own
T.J.:Okay. Cathy, I lost you there. The last thing I heard was that you attended, an Assemblies of God church, and you liked it. We had little technical difficulties. Now we're back together.
Kathy:Yeah. Gotcha. Well, I tell you, it was a definite learning experience. I'm one of which I'm proud to say that I was glad that she, took me to that experience. And so and I even, they had, I think, called Missionettes, I believe, and you went through the steps of that.
Kathy:And, I did I did most of that, I think. And then the next thing I know, we're moving. And so we picked up, and we moved to Booneville, where we are now. And, I did then start the neighbors across the road. Took me I I've always had a ride.
Kathy:I always found my way eventually to get back to church, so they were going to, Walnut Grove CP Church. And so when that's where my CP started. So and then I kinda I got away from that after, probably, graduation maybe or maybe a couple of years after that. But then, went to Baptist church for a while. Then I was in a different house, and the neighbor behind me the neighbors always found me for some reason.
T.J.:That's interesting.
Kathy:It is. It's an interesting thing. And so he was like, well, you know, why don't you come to the church at Bumble? So I'm like, well, okay. So I, went to church at Bumble, and that's where I started, my son started.
Kathy:He was, like, probably 6.
T.J.:Mhmm.
Kathy:Something like that. So I knew he needed to be in church. And so that's kinda where I I kicked off, and I've been going there ever since. I think I joined in 87 there. And, let's see.
Kathy:And I think he joined maybe in 93 when he was a little older. But it was a funny thing that, one of the girls that's older than couple years older than me, she had 2 boys, and they would all sit on the second row. And so she got where she got Justin down there with her to other 2. She needed a clone because she needed somebody to sit between the other 2 that were together because she was sitting between her boys. So it was, the fight was on after that, but, she managed it very well because I couldn't I was, at that time, my first experience was to lead the singing, and that in a sense is funny because I don't read music.
Kathy:Yeah. And so I'm like but I if I hear it, I can pick it up.
T.J.:Mhmm. If
Kathy:I if I can pick the tune up, and I've always been able to do that. I even, sang in a quartet when we were at Walnut Grove. So
T.J.:Wow.
Kathy:Yeah. But not not a drop of music can I read? And so but I've always led singing. Don't ask me why. I don't get it.
Kathy:But, anyway, now that I've turned, um-mm. I might even say how many years. I'm I'm taking piano now, so I'm going to learn to read music.
T.J.:Alright.
Kathy:Know what all those dots and curves and all that means. So
T.J.:So you sing by ear. You're not able to No. Read music.
Kathy:But I'm learning.
T.J.:So, Kathy, you landed at Boonville. Yep. Was there a point in your life where you felt closest to God that you were actually developing a relationship with God? Or are you one of those individuals that just sort of osmosis, just sort of absorbed and have always been a follower of Christ?
Kathy:That's a good question. Let's see. Osmosis.
T.J.:No. I'm not sure if I'm using that term right. Okay.
Kathy:I I you know, that's I just don't know. That's a tough question. I think as I've grown older, I have my my journey with God has gotten deeper. But I think it's been from, I'm gonna say, the mid forties on. Mhmm.
Kathy:I think I have developed a deeper relationship. Not that I didn't have one the 1st years, but I I think as you get older, you you realize you become wiser and you realize, you know, yeah, this is, you know, this is a good thing.
T.J.:Would you say like, I'm in my forties now. I find myself doing a lot of reflection.
Kathy:Yes. Very much so.
T.J.:Is there a point a general point in a person's adult life where they begin to reflect on what's ahead and in the present, but also the past as well? Stir it together, call a little bit of wisdom maybe?
Kathy:Yeah. A lot of wisdom. Yeah. I need a lot of wisdom some days. But I, yeah, I try not to dwell on the past because they say you need to believe the past in the past.
Kathy:You know, you I always, think of Lot's wife, don't look back. You know? She turned to fill pillar of salt. So, I try not to look back, but but you can't help but think back, on the past mistakes that you've made that you think, oh, I shouldn't have done that. You know?
Kathy:Why did I do that? Mhmm. And I can only you know, sometimes I think God is like, would you stop? You know? You're wearing me out, Kathy.
Kathy:Can you not, get it together? And but he's a loving God and a forgiving God and a gracious God. And so aren't we blessed to have him as our lord and savior?
T.J.:Well, looking at your relationship now, you know, I I I feel like I kinda stumped you. Didn't mean to do that. How has your faith in Jesus Christ improved your life? How has it given you purpose and direction?
Kathy:My direction has always been helping others. Always. People say I put too much on my plate. I can't stop not serving somebody else. I I just can't I I'm I have to be a goer and a doer and a not necessarily a planner, because I'm I shoot from the hip.
Kathy:I'll be quite honest with you. I didn't even look at these questions today. So and you might can tell it, but but I I'm a shoot from the hip kinda girl. I just I go with the flow, and I just, I I overextend myself. I just I just I am what I am.
T.J.:Where do you think that that drive to serve others? Why where does that come from? Why do you have that?
Kathy:My goodness. From from Jesus Christ. He we're we're his hands and his feet. We have to help each other. The times are are just getting more and more depressing is not a good word.
Kathy:But
T.J.:Challenging.
Kathy:Challenging, concerning. And it's like we have to step up, and our theme is rise up. And so we have to rise up to the occasion and say, hey. They need a hand over here, you know, or they need sis over here, you know, and and I want to do that. I want to to be a doer.
Kathy:Mhmm. I've always been a doer.
T.J.:Who are some of the people who've inspired you and deepened your relationship with God?
Kathy:The first person that comes to mind is Sherry Petit, and she's gonna kill me for even mentioning her. But we met in the garden and literally in a garden years ago in Springfield, Missouri when we had the retreat retreat convention up there. So she inspires me. My goodness. If you if you see her on Facebook, she's always going and doing it.
Kathy:And I just love her. She's just hilarious to be around. So she is an inspiration to me. I I have to give a shout out to Christy Lonsberry. We've become very good friends in this short time that we've known each other.
Kathy:I mean, it's very short time, but we feel like I feel like I've known her for years. I feel like I get this I mean, I've I've walked up to her just like to you know, if I didn't know her, you know, I would but she's been an inspiration to me, and I've learned a lot through her wisdom in her walk. And so, so many women in the in the Cumberland ministry. You know, I mentioned, Lisa Scott, reverend Lisa Scott. I'm amazed at the work that she did when she was in Arkansas.
Kathy:She had a tough road, and so I I look up to her. Women that face challenges are I I just, I admire a lot of those women out there and Just trying to think some more that roll out right off the there are so many. There's so many of them out there that I have come to know that I wouldn't have known had I not been in the role of CPWM. So it's just amazing to me in this walk of life that we meet all of these women. And when I talk to them on the phone and I haven't met him, but I want to meet him.
Kathy:I want to know what they're about. I I just that's me. I want to I want to be on the side that you're on, and I wanna say, tell me about your life, you know, or how's it going with you? Or that's just I want to know that.
T.J.:Kathy, as somebody that I have watched and gotten to know more, you you seem to be a doer, and you had mentioned in our conversation about serving. So what well do you draw from to be able to keep you going, your strength, the energy that you have, the desire to serve people?
Kathy:TJ, that comes from God. You know, he had I haven't always had good health. I will tell you that. I missed a couple of conventions, and that was back in 2015. I learned that I had a brain tumor, and I went through that.
Kathy:And I miss Columbia. Had my plane tickets. I had the hotel, the whole 9 yards. And I go to the doctor, and she says, you need to go get a CT scan. I go, and I don't even get out of the office till she's calling and saying, you need to get back over here.
Kathy:And so I miss Columbia. That was a life changing experience to have brain surgery. For 2 weeks, I didn't know anything.
T.J.:You you lost
Kathy:you
T.J.:lost your short term, long term memory?
Kathy:I I was in I was out of it. I I I was like I woke up, but I didn't I mean, it wasn't long till I was out again, and it was like, oh, you know, several days before I came around again. So
T.J.:What was that recovery like? I didn't know this, Kathy.
Kathy:Oh, yeah. It was, it was something else. I had to I had lost part of my right functioning to walk, and so I had to relearn to do that. Yeah. I was there in there for a couple of weeks, And then I had to relive it all again in 2016.
T.J.:Oh, man.
Kathy:Yeah. And then I missed Nashville. And so I didn't get to go to Nashville to convention. So it's like, okay, Lord. It's okay.
Kathy:I'm gonna get through this. You're gonna you you've got me. You know? You're with me. I know this.
Kathy:And so but the the second one was nothing like the first one. I went in on a Sunday night. No. Wait. I went in on a Thursday night, and I was home Sunday.
T.J.:Wow.
Kathy:Totally different. Totally different doctor, totally different hospital. And I I, I told the good lord, I said, if if, you can bring me through this, I'll be your hands and feet.
T.J.:Well, you have have and still are very much living that out, Kathy.
Kathy:Yes.
T.J.:You're in full force. Lot of energy.
Kathy:Full force. Full force. I blew you away on that one, didn't I?
T.J.:Yeah. I didn't I didn't know about that. Yeah. Yeah. Talking you've talked about CPWM.
T.J.:You you are the interim director for, the ministry. You talked about the retreat, worshiping in other churches and other denominations, and you've had these life experiences. I like asking each guest this question, and that is, what hopes do you have for the church? Where would you like the church to to be and to grow and to do ministry?
Kathy:I am hoping that I know that a lot of people I'm hoping the church grows, and I know the church is growing globally because I've I've seen that, firsthand Saturday at the Zoom retreat. And I'm hoping that we can continue to grow the churches here in United States. I know churches are struggling and COVID hasn't helped anything. But I'm hoping that we can stay on track and keep pushing forward and just keep reaching for the mark because we have to do this. We have to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Kathy:So I'm hoping that even if we have to do it by Zoom, that's fine. I mean, some people might not be okay with it, but I get that. And I know it's not like reaching out and hugging your neck or shaking your hand or patting you on the back, that sort of thing. But at least we can see or hear each other and and help each other through this because we have to walk this walk together.
T.J.:Kathy, do you think that being the hands and feet of Christ is the way for the church to grow numerically, but I think also in its discipleship.
Kathy:Yes. It has to be that way. You you can't do that's what god wanted us to do. He wants us to love one another, and he wants us to be his servant. And so we have to go forward, and we have to try to reach out to our brothers and sisters out there Yeah.
Kathy:And connect with them. We had a team one time said, won't you be my neighbor?
T.J.:Oh, yeah. That's right.
Kathy:Yeah. Won't you be my neighbor? So, yeah, we have to do that.
T.J.:Well, Kathy, I appreciate you being the guest today with the technical challenges that we've faced and, scheduling challenges that we faced even before the technical challenges. If folks wanna reach out to you and learn more about you and CPWM and, convention and future projects and future retreats, where can we find you?
Kathy:Oh my goodness. I have a Facebook page of all my own. You can reach out and friend me that way, or you can find me at, you can call the center. I have an extension, and they it will come to me. If you need help, I'll be glad to help you in any way, out there.
Kathy:Just or you can reach me that way. You can email me, cpwminterim@crimeland.org. Is that right?
T.J.:That's right.
Kathy:Yes. Okay. I have that email, or you can, I can give you my personal email if you need that? We won't go there unless I have to, but that would be awesome too. I'd rather rather get it through the center, but that's neither here nor there.
Kathy:So
T.J.:but,
Kathy:yeah, just reach out to me. I'm ready to help you guys out there. I want I want to help the women out there in in in the church, in whatever I need to do. I'm ready, willing, and able to I'm a doer. I'm I'm ready to get it done.
T.J.:Well, to close this out, Kathy, I have another question. If someone wanted to start a woman's group in their local church, and they didn't even know where to begin, what would you tell them?
Kathy:Contact me. I can hook you up. Okay. We've got all kinds of information out there that on the website, I can fill you in with all sorts of information that you'll need to get going, and it you'll just be tickled pink.
T.J.:Alright. Kathy, thank you so much from coming all the way from Boonesville to here to share your faith journey and talk about, Cumberland Presbyterian Women's Ministry. I can hear you and see your excitement about it. Thank you for joining me and sharing today.
Kathy:Well, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it now, but, you know, you're gonna have to say Boonville.
T.J.:Boonville. Okay.
Kathy:There's no s in it.
T.J.:For those who are residents of the Boonville area in Arkansas, please forgive me.
Kathy:But, yeah, it's been a great experience, and I I appreciate the opportunity to be able to do this podcast because shout out to you. One of these days, we're gonna have to turn the microphone to you.
T.J.:Well, yeah. One day.
Kathy:Yeah. We need we need to we need to see what TJ's all about.
T.J.:Kathy Littlefield joining me on the Cumberland Road. Travel with me on our next journey down Cumberland Road.
