Women in complementary contexts often argue about whether or not there is a place for their gifts in the church. This chapter is intended to present a tremendous and enormous stimulus, in response to this question, as well as a call to men and women to cultivate and support women’s gifts more fully and fruitfully within their local congregations.
Gloria and I (Kathleen) work together on this chapter, first distributing a simple questionnaire to eighteen women in various ministerial posts in congregations with a strong biblical basis, where only men serve the elderly and preach in services. This is not scientific research, but we are pleased that the eleven interviewees represent six different denominations (including independent churches), different regions of the United States and six different countries. They are leaders of Bible studies, directors of the ministry of women and wives of pastors involved in the ministry of women. We seek to collect from these women (and much more informally, during our own travels and ministries) an idea of how women serve in the church and how the church can encourage them to serve more and more successfully. to quote them, and we will. We thank all the women who have shared their thoughts on this important topic with us.
- The topic of how women use church donations requires more space than a chapter allows.
- Is our goal to provide an encouraging prospect? First.
- When I ask the question: how is the women’s ministry going now?And then.
- As Gloria asks the question: How can the Church foster ever more fruitful ministry among women?.
Answer 1: How it happens anywhere
Many women put this point first, and it should definitely come first: women are above all human beings created in the image of God and created with men to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subjugate it and have dominion over it. Genesis 1 is the first thing. Every human being has been created to listen to and obey the Word of God, and therefore, in fact, men and women, children must learn and live the scriptures together. Among all his people, God generously distributes gifts and talents, knowledge and wisdom, intelligence, and competence, all for his glory and the good of Christ’s body.
Much of the history of what women do is simply what Christians in general should do: study and share the Bible with others, participate in the ministry of music, evangelization, cradle, empower others, help the elderly or disabled. others, visiting patients, working with finance or administration, designing or organizing newsletters, preparing or serving meals None of us can do all these things at any time, but all believers share the call to share our gifts with the other sheep in the flock. and with the sheep called to join the flock.
The fact that the authoritarian role of teaching/directing the elderly must be played by trained men (1 Timothy 2. 12; 5. 17) places a guard around this particular service channel and opens the other channels through which men and women are also called. Serve. There are dangers in all directions, of course: not only that we can lose the clear teaching of the scriptures, but, by now, we can add more to it, or that important biblical restrictions on a single channel could somehow minimize the value of Most women I know have personally encountered these dangers in one way or another , just like me.
What we want to emphasize here, however, are stories that are not told often enough: the stories of a good and fruitful ministry among women. These stories surround us; they may not often be told simply because the people in them are busy chasing them. Most of the people interviewed with our questionnaire do not confirm a perfect balance of tensions within their congregations, but a healthy participation of women in multiple service channels. You visited many church meetings, see women and men greeting, or perhaps directing, singing, or reading the scriptures, or bearing testimony, or being quoted in newsletters as leaders of various ministries and committees. Fully engaged complementary ministries are not only possible; happen in many areas and it’s beautiful when the parts work together and it’s heartbreaking when they don’t. As we’ll see, there’s plenty of room for growth, but there’s a lot of vibrant life to report.
How’s the ministry going among women now? First of all, as is the case anywhere. Women and men are in this together, as human beings created by God and called to follow Him according to His Word.