Intellectuelle   Women's Ministry

While talking up our blog, Melissa of Little Cabbages was in tune with the spirit--the spirit of this blog, that is:

I have always longed to fellowship with a group of women who continued to function beyond the usual "church lady" schtick. A good friend and I have often toyed with the idea of starting a weekly reading club where we could read and discuss the great books through the filter of a Christian worldview. Sadly, we have been unable to conjure up a very few faces other than our own. Not because we are elitist snobs, but because of those "blank stares and quizzical looks." Does anyone think beyond what's for dinner? Are Christian mothers and wives content to goosestep their way through their faith spouting platitudes and reading the latest feelgood literature from the Christian bookstore window? Are we as a church passing on such benign and powerless apologetics to our children?

Tonight I'm going to make myself a hot chocolate and a bagel and read Intellectuelle from it's first post to it's last!

You go, girl!  I love that she shares her literal food for thought as well :)

I just don't fit in the box...and I never really have. I've always cringed at the activities of the typical church women's ministry because what I saw seemed either to focus on a single group of women or lacked the quality and depth of books and studies not intended specifically for women. If you say I'm making broad sweeping comments about women's ministry, you might be right. But the fact is, in many churches, women with more intellectual tendencies are looked upon to nurture others - as they should - but usually are expected to keep their intellectualism to themselves. Women's bible studies are often very poorly written...with the exception of some great materials by Elizabeth George, Elyse Fitzpatrick, Kay Arthur, and a few others.

When I entered into seminary studies in 2002, I promised myself that women's ministry was the LAST thing I would ever participate in. That promise was reminiscent of the one I made when I was 18 - that I would never work in the fast food industry. So far, I haven't flipped a burger, but God seemed to have other plans for me with regards to women's ministry.

I came to the conclusion during one of my graduate courses in bioethics that women's ministry is, indeed, in need of a face lift (but please do not confuse that for some unnecessary nontherapeutic physical enhancement) and that I am called to this work. Born from this was The Foundation for Women of Faith in Culture, its primary mission being to support the spiritual maturation of women through biblical, theological, and worldview education. I'm excited to say that people are finding this ministry on the internet and are responding.

My hope for Intellectuelle is that it is a place for men and women to reflect on faith and living, but I hope especially that it brings together a community of women who will continue the discussion of what it means to be a thinking Christian woman - and that the Church will take notice of our discussion and our existence.

Speaking of contemporary women's ministry, someone at my church informed me about After Eve Young Women's Conference. The date of this event is November 4-5 in McLean, VA...and if I wasn't busy, I'd plan to attend.

After Eve is different from typical women's conferences:

This is a conference by young women for young women. We believe there are many out there thirsting for truth and facing challenges in their lives - just as we are...we want to bring them a fluff-free conference that deals with relevant matters and challenges them to a deeper walk with Christ through living by the Word.

Speakers include Shauna Niequist of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, MI, Julie Bell, Kerri Pomarolli, and Janet Congo.

Topics for the conference include My Will Be Done, Get Over Yourself, Just One of the Guys, and my two favorite titles, Theology is for Girls, Too! and My Secret Secular Life. This looks like a fabulous event, I hope they have a great turnout and a major impact!

The Pacific Fertility Center of San Francisco intends to recruit women to donate eggs for cloning and embryonic stem cell research for the South Korea-based World Stem Cell Foundation, which announced this week that it is opening a satellite operation in the San Francisco Bay area.

According to the Fertility Center's Dr. Philip Chenette, "women are fascinated by by the chance to help." Of course they are interested in the chance to help. The alternative response to the request would be "no, I'm not interested in helping people who are dying of diseases that research might prove to benefit."

Cloning and embryonic stem cell research depends upon the willingness of women to risk their own health and even their lives in order to produce eggs for research that they are told will help save lives (while, obviously, destroying lives - another issue for another blog entry). What real choice does a woman have to say "no" to such a request? The liberal side of our culture says that a woman has a right to make choices about her own body, but that real choices are often obscured by oppression, coercion, and power-mongering. Doesn't anyone else see how this project is exactly that and amounts to a pure objectification of women? The feminist outcry is barely a whisper at this point.

John Piper fans, of which I am one, tend to aggregate naturally, like iron filings on a magnet. My guess is that 75% of our readers have already perused one or more reviews of Sex and the Supremacy of Christ and a good number may have read the book already. Thus, rather than boring you with another summary, I will launch directly into my personal experience with the book.

The chapter actually written by John Piper will be no big shocker if you have read him before. Piper is a musician with only one tune: �The Supremacy of Christ� and a variation on it called �The Glory of God.� Having already read five of Piper�s books before I tackled this one, what he wrote here about sex was no surprise. I don�t say that as a criticism. His radical God-centered theology is never old news. But I do wish he would have descended a little deeper into human psychology and explained why and how sex brings glory to God, rather than merely stating that it does. Maybe that is a subject for another book. I hope Lauren Winner deals with the psychology of sex in Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity a book I plan to read someday.

Being a married woman now for two and half years, I was immediately interested in what the Carolyn Mahaney had to say in the chapter she wrote for Christian wives. Her advice addressed dealing with being �available� for one�s husband and overcoming past sexual abuse. Since I have ever had even the remotest difficulty in either area, I found little for me. Perhaps other woman may find it to be exactly what they need.

It did keep me thinking for several weeks about how strange it is that none of the advice on sexuality for Christian women seems applicable to my temperament. Every Man�s Battle was far more relevant to me than anything I�ve ever read directed to women, although what it had to say about women also seemed bizarrely off-base. Is there a generational difference here? Sometimes I wonder. The women I know who are under 30, including myself, seem to have far more trouble controlling their sexuality than embracing it. I remember a conversation I had with a friend when both of us were studying to becoming missionaries and were also engaged to be married. She said, �I�m not worried that my husband might have an affair someday�I�m worried that I would!� I heartily concurred with her. So why the lack of information from Christian authors for women dealing with temptation?

The most helpful chapter was �Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken� by David Powlison. In this chapter, Powlison does not fail to elaborate on the fact that women also struggle with sexual temptation, though he does not give as much space to men who have been sexually victimized. His case study of �Tom,� a single Christian man who struggles with compulsive masturbation was an excellent account of how sexual battles are often (I�m tempted to say �always�) the outward manifestation of underlying sins, such as anger at God or a desire for power or revenge. Some of his insights reminded me of Larry Crabb's analysis of sin inInside Out. The church fails to help those who have been broken by sexual six, whether as perpetrators or victims, when we fail to realize that recovery/repentance is more than merely making a mental decision to forgive once and for all or a internal vow to �never do it again� but involves allowing God�s mercy to transform hidden parts of our soul. Though Powlison does not say it in these exact words, I think he believes that since alienation from God is the root of our dysfunctions, including sexual, healing must come through learning the character and ways of God, not merely through relying on our own self-control.

The one chapter which seems to be missing here and also in every other book I�ve seen is a chapter for pedophiles. I confess that pedophilia is probably the one sexual sin that still truly scandalizes me, and I don�t think I�m alone in my shock. People talk a lot about how to help the victims of childhood sexual abuse, but talk a lot less about what to do with people who have urges to abuse children. I�d like to believe that pedophilia is rare enough that it doesn�t need to be addressed in a general book on sex, but sadly, statistics and experience seem to say otherwise. What should a Christian do when he is tempted by children? Keeping it secret doesn�t seem to work. But who really has the guts to confess such a thing to other Christians or even to one�s pastor? I have never yet read an testimony, even an anonymous one, by a Christian who struggled with pedophilia and learned to overcome, yet I know that many people in the church do struggle. Of course, once a child has been molested, the law needs to be involved. But what about those people who have not acted out on their urges? The church should find a way to help those people to �stay clean� for the rest of their lives. Keeping it secret and hoping that the moment will never arrive when one gives in to the temptation is just inviting disaster.

�Where words are many, sin is not absent; but he who holds his tongue is wise.�

This is, I admit, a strange quote to choose as an opening for a post about submission. But I want to keep it in mind as I write. I am conscious that I am young; that my theology is developing; that I�ve already embarrassed myself enough in the past by trying to �educate� others with my great wisdom. So, my wish is that you would take my thoughts as reflecting where I am now in my journey to understand the Scripture�not as a rant against any who might disagree with me or an attempt to conjure up some kind of conspiracy theory.

Now, with those disclaimers in place, I want to go to Ephesians 5: 21-22. In most of your Bibles, you will find a heading �Husbands and Wives� dividing verse 21 and 22. And verse 22, of course, is usually translated like this: �Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord.� The Greek there is not difficult or ambiguous. The way most English translations render it is good enough. Well, except for one thing. There is no verb �submit� in the Greek "wives {submit} to your husbands. " This is not a matter (like the ending of Mark) where scholars debate whether or not the word is actually in the original texts. Everyone is in perfect agreement that the word �submit� is not in verse 22. Translated literally, the Greek says, �Wives to their own husbands as to the Lord.�

- summing up my own view
...touching on woman pastors, parachurch alternatives, and double standard choices.

Figuring out a cogent, working viewpoint on women and their roles, that is.
I've come upon a couple of additions to the discussion.

First, from Susan Wise Bauer's blog:

I have a great affection for Westminster and a great respect for its (mostly male) faculty. I find it discouraging, though, that Westminster is still going in circles over the same issues that were troubling the (overwhelmingly male) faculty when I was there fifteen years ago. To wit, What Should Women Be Doing in the Church?

.....Evangelicals generally are very resistant to the idea that their ideas about masculinity and feminity are in any way shaped by their culture; a certain division of gender roles has become, for many American evangelicals, the center of their orthodoxy. (Not the Apostles’ Creed, say, or the Nicene Creed, but, “Do we ordain women?”) Far too many evangelical groups identify themselves, not by their understanding of the resurrection, but by the restrictions they place on women.

There are tremendous fears that lie behind this attitude
....Sometimes discussions about “women in the church” are actually discussions about the reliability of the Bible, and sometimes discussions about the reliability of the Bible are actually discussions about men’s fears of women, and it’s exceedingly difficult to figure out WHICH conversation you’re having at any given time.

She further quotes from John Stackhouse, "“When society was patriarchal, as it was in the New Testament context and as it has been everywhere in the world except in modern society in our day,...." which made me question, "Is modern society not patriarchal?

This is a very pertinent topic for women today, for Christians today. Let's wrestle some of this out.

Secondly, a detour I happened upon was inspired by a comment to Hannah Im's "Submission" post, which led me to Katharine Bushnell . She is described thus, "Katherine began to realize “that woman’s plight was rooted in the fact that the Bible was seen to support the degradation and suppression of women."

This was a woman missionary whose life spanned 1855 – 1946. "She ... added the dimension of educating all women in Biblical languages so that the original intent of controversial passages could be clearly understood."

::UPDATED:: to include Rebecca Groothuis' article, " The Bible and Gender Equality". Illustrates the egalitarian view in a very balanced way.

I'm ready to hear some of your thoughts. Writing on your own blog? Want to comment here? And why are the scholars still going in circles?

Perhaps this is a good place to ask for listing of important passages in scripture for women and their roles. What are the views out there of what scripture references are important to building a view on women's roles?

A simple list, or list and comments, I would love to hear your views.

But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression. NASB

It appears that I Timothy 2:12-14 renders obsolete a few of the things I suggested. For example, I said that part of the reason behind women not being allowed to teach or have authority over a man was that women were not educated in the same things and on the same levels as men at the time the letter was written. But the rationale given in I Timothy is (1) that Adam was created before Eve (v. 13), and (2) it was not Adam who was deceived, but Eve (v. 14).

The passage goes on to say that women will be saved through childbearing, which I take to be the raising of children. (v. 15) Though surely a woman who is infertile or single may also be saved, even if she doesn't adopt, serve as a nanny, or otherwise care for children.

I have no problem accepting that Adam was created before Eve, but will admit to having trouble with verse 14 which states that it was the woman, not the man, who was deceived, and therefore a woman should not teach a man.

Yes, Eve was deceived and therefore sinned, but...what led Adam into sin? Mere persuasion? Was the persuasion accompanied by distraction, forgetfulness, or lust? My question has to do with the fact that clearly men can be deceived, and women can be distractable, forgetful, and lustful, and wrongly persuaded. I don�t know that it can actually be proven that women are more easily deceived than men, though there seem to be certain types of deceptions which are more particular to women, and others more so to men. Some persons may answer that this can�t be proven; we simply have to accept it in faith as true.

Eve wasn�t the only one who �fell into transgression," though; Adam clearly did as well. Was he also not deceived? In Genesis 3:17 it says that Adam "listened to" his wife. Does this mean that a husband must never listen to his wife's persuasion? Or does it mean that Adam failed to ignore or override Eve's persuasion?

Also, it was Eve who brought Adam down and not vice-versa. But what of it? Does it have something to do with a reversal of the order in which Adam and Eve were created? I understand that if a man if responsible for teaching a woman and leads her wrong, he�s responsible. If a deceived (deceived by another man, of course) man's teaching sways and brings another man down, he's still responsible, yes? But let�s follow the chain of command: if a woman seeks to teach her children and younger women, and is to follow the teachings of her priest or husband yet knows that they teach error, is she bound to perpetuate the error, or to correct it?

In reading Fruit in Season, I came across this:

"In 'Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World', Joanna Weaver digs deeply into this topic of balance.

While there are many things that need to be done, things I'm capable of doing and want to do, I am not always the one to do them. Even if I have a burden for a certain need or project, my interest or concern is not a surefire sign that I need to be in charge. God may only be calling me to pray that the right person will rise up to accomplish it. What's more, I may be stealing someone else's blessing when I assume I must do it all.

..and then a collection of the hopes of one woman's desire to minister. I identified. I also was a little saddened. Saddened, because this is a real inner conflict for many of us women who see the needs and desire to minister to them; who live in a confused cultural melange of messages of who we are.

It reminded me of how much ministry is taken on by women, and especially women in the midst of their reproductive years in the full flush of family life. This is something that I think is off balance in our view of life and in our church life. It is something that you most often find in the "Traditional" role types of churches, as well. I don't understand the willingness to encourage women to work in this way while at the same time preaching a message of "Women are to be silent", or some sort of truncated and arbitrary idea about when women can or cannot minister in a leadership role. Is the area of leadership the issue or the role of leadership?

This might sound more like a rant than an observation, but where is the logical balance on this if we don't question and seek the answer in the scriptures and instead run around in frustrated continuation of what we are used to? ... A mistaken Martha at best, a stubborn Pharisee at worst.

For conversation and commentary on modern Christian womanhood, visit true womanhood in the new millenium and Gifted for Leadership, two group blogs for women.

True Womanhood's stated purpose:

The true woman of the new millennium seeks to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with her heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love her neighbor as herself. She is gifted by God with amazing and unique gifts and she is empowered by the Holy Spirit to use those gifts for His glory alone. As this true woman commits herself to the Word of God, she eschews the man-made stereotypes given to her in the past and delights in God’s distinctive calling on her life in her home, in the church, and in the world.

Gifted for Leadership is under the auspices of Christianity Today International and features an impressive lineup of writers (by profession) including Carla Barnhill, Carolyn Custis-James, and Lauren Winner. Check them out.

I say captivating because they now have my attention. I hope they have yours as well. God has called each of us to bow down and worship Him, and has given each of us gifts and talents and desires that are intended to serve him through the cultivation of the earth – the creation mandate.

I have been focused recently on drawing attention to women who serve God outside of the church. These women are moms, doctors, musicians, artists, writers, businesswomen, carpenters (watch HGTV and you’ll see them), teachers, politicians, pilots, etc. These women love what they do, but many have not figured out that they, as believers, are serving God through their vocation. I have a special mission that I invite each of you to take up with me, and that is to let these women know that what they do matters to God as much as being a women’s ministry leader or Christian author. There is not one single area of our lives that is unimportant to God, but sometimes that is the message we send. And let's face it, some of these women struggle to fit in amongst the women I fondly refer to as church ladies. And I can relate. We really need to broaden the scope of women's ministry to invite and include women who are outside the box of those who are normally involved. And women's ministry leadership needs to be reshaped to include more personalities, characteristics, gifts and talents so as to identify with our contemporary landscape. I hear from women who are wired different than others on their leadership teams, and are being misunderstood and excluded because they don't fit the preconceived mold. It's very sad....so I beg of you, take another look at your ministries, especially who is not there.

As womens ministries continue their work in the church, many are putting forth a fragmented perspective on living. In all fairness, this isn't just happening in women's ministry, but in all areas of the church. For many, your "spiritual life" are those times with God - personal devotions, Bible studies, worship - and the rest of your life is....well....the rest of your life. Spirituality is not a separate part of our life, independent of more "ordinary" things. Yet this is a mindset that became prevalent in the 19th and into the 20th century. But the only "true division in the Christian life...is that line we call sin." (Franky Schaeffer, Addicted to Mediocrity, p. 27)

This segmented approach to living only enables one to live for themselves most of the time, and attempt to live for God in concentrated moments. And for those who haven't entered into vocational ministry, many continue to struggle without the knowledge that they are serving God in their work. We thank our pastors, worship leaders, and women's ministry directors for their service to the ministry, but when was the last time you thanked an artist, a car mechanic, or a garbage man for their service in the Kingdom?

Human endeavors need not be regarded as unspiritual or ungodly. As image-bearers, we are wired not only to do work, but to desire it. As God created the world and everything in it and saw that it was good, we too have an interest in working to create beautiful things. And unless something is sin, it is ministry in God's Kingdom.

So as women (and men, of course) express their desires to become painters, musicians, hair dressers, academics, tax professionals, social workers - whatever - don't discourage them. If God has gifted an individual in a particular way, who are we to say otherwise?

This is a repost from Flash Point, but its very fresh and want to bring as many minds into this very worthy project.

I have been pondering for some time the relationship between women, worldview, ministry, and career. Probably because being a woman myself and wanting to serve the church - serve God - according to my areas of giftedness - I have been left to wonder if young women today are struggling with where they fit in the grand scheme. Not all women are called to or are necessarily drawn to marriage and motherhood at an early age. Today, this record-size Y generation has more educational pursuits and career desires than previous generations. At the same time, there are few positions of leadership that women can pursue in the church and - from my perspective - the academy isn't much different. But I firmly believe that with a solid understanding of what it means to hold a Christian worldview will prepare women to as they enter the early season of adulthood. Knowing that each of us was created to live on earth, we can seek careers that may not necessarily be ministry-proper, but know that they serve a role in God's larger plan and that each of us are called to do our work to the glory of God. In light of this understanding of work, worldview and women, I hope you find yourself curious at the prospect of a young Christian women's leadership conference that will equip women leaders in a variety of professions and callings while at the same time learning to engage our culture. Nothing like this exists for young women in the Christian community, but it should. If you have any interest, drop me a note or comment here on the blog.

Recent posts to my blog Flash Point and Intellectuelle relating to the various ministries of women seems to have inspired discussion about this person I refer to as "Church Lady." I feel a sense of responsibility to all who read this blog because my desire is not create a collective stereotype of those women who seem to be the opposite of our group here at Intellectuelle. This matter deserves greater qualification, for the dignity of all women and for the benefit of those of you who care to interpret the meaning of my posts. So, the question remains, what is a church lady? This is my response (in no particular order):

A "church lady"...
1. is only able to see one possible role for all women, the stay-at-home wife and mother. (Be careful here, not all stay-at-home wives and mothers see this as the only possible role for women.)
2. believes the hard work of doing theology is men's work, women should only bother with the practical matters of the household.
3. perceives the application of Scripture as logically prior to examination toward understanding context.
4. concludes that her "child like faith" is all she needs to contend with life in this world. Words and concepts that require more than minimal work are unnecessary to grasp, especially because they do not directly pertain to salvation.
5. regards group outings to the mall, cookie exchanges, and the annual Mother/Daughter banquet as the core of a successful women's ministry - ENTERTAINMENT. (These things in and of themselves are not bad, but obviously there is much more.)
6. thinks that evangelism and discipleship of women today is more than redemption from sin, but redemption to something, the role of "church lady."
7. believes that a core element of her faith is to be encouraged, reducing God to personal therapist/coach. (Encouragement isn't a bad thing, but God never promised we'd feel good about ourselves and our circumstances all the time, but asks us to rejoice in Him at all times. These are different categories.)
8. thinks seminary, higher education, and/or the pursuit of a career are exclusively the domain of men. (See #1)
9. isn't [consciously] aware of the need to have bible studies, discussion groups, and other gatherings at times when working women can join.
10. often understands the doctrine of sin and salvation, but rejects the need to understand other core doctrines because knowing them will not impact or affect her salvation.
11. thinks reading books other than the bible is a complete waste of time.
12. prefers to completely cloister her family from the rest of culture, thus paying homage to the sacred/secular divide, as the best way to protect them from the evils of society.
13. believes that there are 2 kinds of women (ala the account of Mary & Martha....Mary at the feet of Jesus) and focuses on living like Martha and never gets to the feet of Jesus.
14. says you don't have to come to church already "cleaned up" but certainly acts like you should.

As a result of these dearly held views, single women never seem to fit in well in relationships with this kind of woman. Women of questionable backgrounds are avoided (can God possibly really redeem "there kind?") and church ladies are almost always what churches want to put in place as women's ministry leadership. From my own experience, I can tell you that I was overlooked by a church as a salaried pastor to women because my husband is an unbeliever....because he doesn't come to church with me.

I'm sure I can say a lot more on this matter, but I really wanted my views to be understood. I do not speak for everyone here, but I'm sure there will be more agreement than not. And just to be real clear here, I am not ridiculing or chastising women who might not consider themselves abstract thinkers are academically geared. I am very supportive of all women, to whatever ministry God has called them to. But I simply cannot tolerate the one dimensional view of women that permeates the church and women's ministry today. I met a woman recently who identifies herself formally as the "wife of the director of....blah blah blah....for such and such organization." How sad is that.

To conclude, I need to give myself a bit of credibility here: I absolutely love to throw a good tea party and I'm as much of a girly girl as anyone else. I know how to have fun, to throw great events, to fellowship, and to encourage, but there is more to the Christian life than all those things. Aspire to Christ-centered ministry, not event-driven ministry.

This has got to be one of the best pieces I've read from TCW. From the Editor's Blog, read Invisible Christian Women.

My mom and I were attending a women's ministry event—a weekend retreat dubbed an escape. To us busy career women, this sounded like just what we needed—time away from the daily grind. And connecting with one another on this getaway was the biggest draw of all.

So on a Friday afternoon we flew to this national conference anticipating encouragement, togetherness, and a sense of belonging to the larger community of Christian women.

But by Saturday night I simply felt invisible.

The event was certainly well planned and executed. I enjoyed the great worship music, the chit-chat with women from around the country, the chance to hear some top-notch speakers. But the entire weekend seemed geared toward young married moms. And as a single 30something with no kids, I felt like an outsider. Even my mom, an empty-nester nearing retirement, felt a bit out of the loop.
...

I don't think this evening would've bothered me if its narrow focus had been an isolated instance. But I've been to many women's ministry events over the years—teas, luncheons, weekend retreats, national conferences—and many of them have had a very homogeneous demographic in mind: young married moms.

The editorial ends with a series of questions, many of which I have been asking for a few years myself.

Is your women's ministry group inclusive and diverse? If so, how do you accomplish that accepting atmosphere? If not, how can you help make it more welcoming to all?

I consider myself something of an expert on this topic because I have been on the outside since I first became involved in church women's ministry. For awhile, I tried to fit in trying to look like everyone else. But my life and my personality were not like everyone else. For example, being "functionally single" at church makes it really hard to find a Sunday school class to fit in (I'm not single, widowed, college aged....but the married group is full of couples!) and in women's ministry, it's even more challenging. And it was one thing if I didn't fit into the group, but when the focus was on happily married young moms with Christian husbands, I felt worse than invisible...more like an alien. Now I'm a functionally single woman with great kids, a great husband (who is still an unbeliever and doesn't attend church with us), and on top of that, I am an academic of sorts.

The bottom line is, I know, it's not about me, but I do have a passion for the women who are on the outside like I once was (and still am) and I want to be part of the solution. We want everyone to have a sense of belonging, to be nurtured and discipled. The church really needs to take serious the different kinds of women inside and outside of the church. What can we do to reach them? Today's women are extremely diverse in age, experience, career, parenting, etc. Understanding that this diversity exists is the first step towards creating opportunities through bible studies, discussion groups, target specific conferences, etc, to minister to all kinds of women. Yeah, we'll miss some - we can never be so target specific that we'll always hit the nail on the head, but we can do more to try. Find out what the diversity of gifts are in your ministry and see what you can do to expand the influence to the women already in your church, and then look at the women who aren't in church but are a part of your church's community, and see how the diversity of gifts in your ministry can be used by God to further the growth of the Kingdom and have a real impact on women's lives.

Last week I highlighted the faith of the four men in Mark chapter 2 (and Luke 5:17-26). This week I wanted to point out a passage in Romans chapter 12 that is also instructive, and relevant to women who seek to honor God and serve Him with their gifts. (I assume that, though the passage refers to the male gender, it applies equally to the female, and recommend that it be read that way):

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Let love be without hypocrisy...
(emphases added)

The whole passage is one of my favorites.

Just have to say a few more things about Dawn, the mother of six I wrote about in this post (whom Sheena introduced us to originally -- thanks, Sheena!). First, and main: She did not contrive, conspire, maneuver, plot, scheme, plan, arrange, or otherwise try to achieve influence, notoriety, etc., on eBay or anywhere else. She simply began using her gifts, and her situation -- i.e., what she already had.

Apparently, the Pokemon card auction wasn't her first landslide writing (or auction) success; a couple years back she sold an old, dirty baseball for $1125 because of the description, which chronicled a morning in her life as a mother. (Another great read!)

As result of that auction, she got emails from people telling her she should write a book. But, considering the logistics, she decided to start a blog instead. Because I Said So "(changing lives, one diaper at a time, since 1994)," is as good as her auction. She's also been collecting stories from her family life with the possibility of a book in mind...and may have her opportunity to publish soon!

Dawn hasn't been to college and has never taken a writing class outside of high school. But she's a natural writer, with a fantastic sense of humor. She portrays motherhood as the crazy, messy, expensive, exhausting, and joyful thing it truly is -- free of shame and apologies. She's not afraid to express the feelings that all mothers have, whether they'll admit it or not. (About shopping for school supplies, she says, "Yes, it's almost that most wonderful time of the year and it can't come soon enough.") It's apparent that she loves her kids and is a great mom (she wouldn't have such a sense of humor about everything if she didn't, and wasn't), but she's also honest about things such as the exhaustion factor and the relief of a break.

I realize I run the risk of receiving hard questions as a result of this post, but it's one I'm willing to take. This post will probably seem very familiar as it sounds a lot like my post commenting on TCW's Invisible Christian Women blogpost. But I think there is a shift occurring in the hearts and minds of women in the church, so I am addressing this topic again. (Also posted at my blog Flash Point).

It seems I missed this awesome post by Amy Simpson on August 28th, titled "Why I Don't Do Women's Ministry." Like the Invisible Christian Women post at the TCW Editor's Blog, this also addresses the complicated culture of women's ministry. And while you might not agree with Invisible Christian Women or this particular post, it's definitely worthy of your consideration.

It’s been a long time since I attended a women’s Bible study, luncheon (why don’t they just call them “lunch”?), or anything else just for Christian women. I’ve spent enough of my life feeling bored, self-conscious, and out of place (think junior high gym class).

In my experience, the people who plan these events make all kinds of assumptions about who I am as a women. For starters, most assume I’m a full-time stay-at-home mom (and the best time of day for a meeting is, of course, 10:00 in the morning). They also seem to believe I enjoy making refrigerator magnets, spend most of my time thinking about fashion and chocolate, and can think of nothing better than getting away from my husband and kids (even though I’ve been at work all day) and hanging out with my “girlfriends.” This isn’t me—at all.

I used to think I just didn’t fit. Somehow I wasn’t like most women, and this probably had something to do with my spiritual life, so I should try harder to fit in. Now I realize that’s not true. In fact, the funny thing is, I don’t really think I’m a misfit. Most women I know feel the same way I do about women’s ministry programming. I know that women’s ministries do connect with many women and provide important opportunities for growth. But they seem to be focused on serving a relatively small segment of the population. So I wonder: Why do so many of our women’s ministry efforts treat women as if they all have the same lifestyle, schedule, goals, affinity for June Cleaver, and penchant for pink roses? And why are we expected to call ourselves “girlfriends”?

I don’t mean to undermine the importance of women’s ministry, or trivialize the effective ministry that’s happening in many churches. But by and large, I believe our churches are running shallow, one-dimensional programs that miss important opportunities to minister to many women.

Coming up next week, October 4 and 5, is the Leadership Summit for Women taking place at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Among the speakers is one of my favorite thinkers, Carolyn Custis James, author of When Life and Beliefs Collide and president of the Whitby Forum. This is definitely an event for women in leadership within the Christian community. I plan to be at this event, so if you haven't registered yet, plan to do so as the deadline is quickly approaching. Be sure to say hi if you see me!

Tomorrow, I will be participating in the Synergy Leadership Summit for Women at Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, WI. A time has been set aside for current leaders where we will discuss the future of women’s ministries, reaching emerging generations of women, and tending to our own souls in the midst of ministry. I have my own perspectives and stats on these matters but would love to hear from you so that I can take some of your thoughts with me to the meetings.

I believe considering the future of women's ministries is to be considered as part of the ministry of the church, not in isolation and not something totally other. As a matter of making disciples, teaching all that Jesus taught, our focus should begin with Scripture and take into account the needs of women in our world today. This goes hand in hand with reaching emerging generations of women.

Where women's ministry could use change is in its relationship to the leadership of the church. Many pastors and church boards have abdicated their responsibility, allowing the women's ministry to have their fun events and outings, without the expectation that something more substantial can and should occur. Bringing pastors on board not only to support this ministry, but also recognize the importance of it in light of our existing cultural landscape is essential to the future of women's ministry.

I just arrived at Elmbrook Church for the start of Synergy. The day opened with a video akin to the Mac/PC guys, "Traditional" vs. "Contemporary" perspectives of ministry. Today we're going to hear more about bringing these 2 together in Synergy. More soon!

There are about 600-800 women here today and yesterday. It's been a wonderful time, women from all over the country - I believe 15 states are representative. Looking around and observing who is here, it seems to be predominately attended by white, middle class 35-40ish women (on average). The sessions are doing a great job integrating professional and academic insight into practical ministry. Next speaker is Jane Creswell to discuss business principles brought to bear on ministry.

Our church has recently “adopted” a wonderful Hispanic congregation whose pastor, along with ours, recently preached on the theme of spiritual gifting. Rev. Pagan pointed out the following passage from Exodus, ch. 35:30-33:

Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work.

It seems clear from this passage that what might otherwise be considered a “talent” – craftsmanship – is actually (or also) a spiritual gift. It is to be used in the same way as the other spiritual gifts: diligently, in accordance with the measure in which it’s given, for the common good, and as fully belonging and necessary to the Body of Christ (Romans 12:6-8, I Cor. 12).

Artists and craftspeople: take heed :-)

‘Tis the season for planning next year’s women’s retreat. These annual April events are staples on many calendars in my neck of the woods. But not mine. Here are some reasons why:

 In my experience, women’s retreats (as well as most “women’s ministry”) usually serve up the Christian version of lite beer: half the calories with half the taste. They invariably focus on that infamous, overworked icon, The Proverbs 31 Woman or its kissing cousin, Created to be His Helpmeet. The result is a bland, flavorless brew seasoned with too little (or sloppy) theology, bare-bones Bible, and a douse of June Cleaver that could choke a mule. (Pardon the culinary metaphor. It seemed to fit.)

 The average women’s retreat doesn’t engage my mind, which gravitates more toward academic and scholarly pursuits. (Granted, these aren’t everyone’s cup of sunshine, but a few occasional rays would be nice.) I’ve been told that I think more like a man than a woman. I haven’t yet decided whether that’s a compliment or something else. Whatever it is, it rarely puts in an appearance at the retreats I’ve attended.

 An over-emphasis on emotions. There’s nothing wrong with emotions, but my emotions aren’t the sum total of who I am in Christ. I crave exegetical accuracy, depth and relevance, careful research, scholarship, razor-sharp hermeneutics and the application of critical thinking and analytical skills in theology, history, science, literature, fine arts, economics, social science, and philosophy. (Is there a place for those elephantine doses of emotional, crying jag, touchy-feely, Kleenex-clutching retreat sessions? I suppose. I just don’t see why we should begin and end there – or why they’re sometimes deemed the sole point of connection between women.)

 Weekend themes of “getting them grounded in the Word” and “growing in Jesus” and such. Nothing wrong with that, but implicit in these themes is the assumption that “women of the Word” is the exclusive territory of the retreat planners who will now teach the rest of us what we’re missing.

 Retreats billed as “ya’ll come” that focus on young married women with kids. I’m within spitting distance of age 50. I also have an eight-year old son. The conundrum: I’m apparently too long in the tooth to qualify as a “young married,” but haven’t sprouted enough gray hair to qualify as a Titus 2 “older woman.” Betwixt and between. Retreats don’t seem to know what to do with women like me.

No matter the size of your church, you have an idea of what works for your women's ministry, so much of what we do is "safe." Everyone enjoys the holiday tea, the cozy bible studies, and the efforts to use chocolate as a tool for building strong community. I'm not opposed to these events and quite enjoy the opportunity to excuse myself from the monotony of the every day and the ever-so stressful tyranny of the urgent. But enough about me....

There are many kinds of women who our ministries will never reach, so we shouldn't be too quick to beat ourselves up. But in my experience and based on the emails I receive from women, their are women in the church who are available and capable to reach out to women with more intellectual interests. If there are women in your church or on your women's ministry team who have an interest in this area, don't write them off - set them up to succeed in this area of ministry.

Today, women are excelling in higher education and our women's ministries just are not equipped to reach them. Many of these women simply are not available for Wednesday morning bible studies, have little time for retreats, and feel out of place in women's ministry settings as they currently exist. But there are ways to impact these women. Create opportunities to challenge their mind and not just their heart. This can be done through book discussion groups, apologetics studies, and Bible studies that do more than scratch the surface. Go to events at local colleges, coffee shops, and community forums and see what women are discussing. I guarantee they are not talking about how to make homemade baby wipes.They want to know how to identify truth, live authentic lives that help others, and live a life of integrity in spite of the uphill challenges women still face in our society. They want to know how to serve God in ways outside of the kitchen and nursery. God gifts women in all sorts of ways, and some of us just don't have a clue about hospitality.

These women, like many other women I know, are uninterested in being emotionally vulnerable, they want to discuss the reasons for their beliefs - or even the reasons for your belief. We live in a world where it seems very likely that a woman is about to become President of the worlds greatest superpower (whether we like it or not), so women are expecting more. With an uncompromising Gospel message of Christ, sin and salvation, let's meet the 21st century women where they are at.

Join the Facebook group
Out of the Box: Fellowship of Intellectual Christian Women for more discussion and ideas on these and related topics.

Has the call to have "a personal relationship with Jesus" become more of a cliche that feeds into our individualistic ideals, or does is point clearly to the need to know Jesus as both human and divine and his redemptive work on the cross? Does "a personal relationship with Jesus" bring to mind the core doctrines of the Christian faith, or does it propose a feminized Christianity that appeals to our therapeutic needs as something separate from our intellectual life.

As I have been thinking about the work of women's ministries in the local church in the upcoming year, I hope that this is the year that our womens ministry leaders will not only move away from the cliches and stereotypes, but actually refute them. And so I challenge each of you to consider this, "a personal relationship with God," and be prepared to talk to the women in your ministries about what this really means.

My friend, Keith Plummer, addressed this issue in a blogpost in 2005. I'm thankful for the archiving of blogs as this is one you should take a look at. In it, Keith reflects:

Talk of having a personal relationship with Jesus is so deeply entrenched in evangelical discourse that calling it into question may strike us as sacrosanct. But hopefully we're willing to ask, along with Noll, whether this emphasis is due more to an attempt to be biblically faithful or to the imbibing of American cultural values (e.g., individualism).

What is the nature of your relationship with Jesus? Is it grounded in an understanding of the Scriptures? Is it purely existential in that it that the relationship is reduced to merely the individual experience? Is the relationship measured qualitatively according to how you feel on a given day? Does your understand ing of who God is include a biblical anthropology?

It's not about whether or not you have a relationship with Jesus, it's about what that relationship looks like. We have the Scriptures to teach us about who God is and how he has acted in history. Because the testimony of Scripture points to a sovereign Lord who cares about even the smallest details of our lives, we can call him our personal savior. He works within human history, having his hand on the course of events without limitation. This is the God who can be trusted and depended upon. Does your relationship with Jesus acknowledge this truth?

Women's ministry leaders: make 2008 the year for reflecting on the sovereignty of God.

Without a doubt, there are far less opportunities for women in the church to hone their speaking skills than their are for men. I was at my church this Sunday where we had the opportunity to hear from a seminary student in his mdiv program, obviously studying to be a pastor. He wasn't horrible, and although my kids were able to point out some of his inadequacies, I'm quite sure he struggled because his subject matter was a little too broad. He engaged the commentaries, but had a hard time engaging his listeners. I'm sure he would have done much better if his topic had been a bit narrower, but it was an excellent opportunity for him to become a better preacher with hands-on experience.

As I listened to him, and as I ponder it more this morning, I wish there were more opportunities for women's leaders to develop and grow their speaking and teaching gifts. In my world, the pulpit on Sunday morning will not serve this need (and I'm ok with that). So what exists that will give women more opportunities to get this training? And is there a need for it?

Last question first: there is a need for it. The more gifted women's speakers there are at the local church level, the more opportunity we have to provide solid teaching events. Being a teacher necessitates some degree of speaking ability, and while on the job training is helpful, it's very minimal within the women's ministry context.

First question: what exists that will give women more opportunities to further develop their speaking skills? Carol Kent provides Speak Up seminars that help women's speakers to fine tune what they do. These seminars get into the nuts and bolts of how to be a great speaker/teacher. I've never personally attended one of her events, though I wouldn't mind doing so in the future. I know someone who has and she greatly benefited from the event. Beyond Speak Up, there isn't really anything else. But an event like the Evangelical Theological Society's annual conference would provide women opportunities to speak on selected topics with theological/biblical content. Women theologians and student academics are already involved in these events (as do many male mdiv students aspiring to the pastorate), but nothing like this exists on the women's lay leadership level. Some would argue that it need not exist.

Would you participate in a women's leadership speaking conference?

Why did Adam eat the forbidden fruit?

The answer commonly given comes from Gen. 3:17 by way of Pauline interpretation: he listened to Eve. Eve was deceived by the serpent and therefore ate of the fruit, and Adam listened to Eve and ate of the fruit as well.

But why did he listen to her? Is it her fault? Is it his fault? Is it the serpent's fault?

The serpent beguiled Eve. She listened to the serpent instead of obeying God. Adam listened to Eve instead of obeying God. All three were cursed. Note that, when God asked Adam whether he'd eaten of the tree of knowledge, he blamed Eve (Gen 3:12). When God asked Eve what she'd done, she blamed the serpent (v. 13). So God cursed first the serpent, and then Eve, and then Adam. Is there significance to this order? Was it first the serpent's fault, and then Eve's fault, and then Adam's?

In Romans 5:12-19, we read that sin entered the world through Adam's transgression (disobedience), not through either the serpent or through Eve. Does this mean that original sin is imputed to Adam, and that he is responsible for that sin? (In I Corinthians 15:22 Paul says that "in Adam" all die.)

Sharon Cairns Mann intends her new novel, Mother of Exiles, to be a great read, and it certainly is. The writing is clean and taut, the pace brisk, and the pages hard to keep from turning. Mann also aims to help fill the non-fluff sector of the (Christian) fiction market, a much-needed service. I thank Mrs. Mann for sending me a copy to read and review.

Ronia Sorenson, rookie chaplain at a women's correctional facility in southern Colorado, could not have anticipated how deeply she'd become involved in the drama of prison life. Yet not only does she learn of a world so corrupt, so rough, that most ordinary citizens believe it only exists in the movies (or novels), but she discovers important things about herself and about redemption in the process.

With colorful writing, the author does a deft j