This Wednesday, Pastor Tyler is hosting a women's ministry/conference interest meeting. This gets me excited on multiple levels. When women collaborate, amazing things can happen. We accomplish far more than we ever could on our own, we begin to feel connected to a larger network of people, we see the bigger picture outside of our individual lives, we find new ways to participate in building the church, we are validated in our ministries inside the home and work. A woman who has trouble making friendships may find that one sister she really connects with. A woman who has yet to find community may get drawn into a group of women who love her.
Over the years, there have been several stabs at starting a women's ministry at Vintage21. When we were very small, the church would throw women baby showers. There was a smattering of brunches here and there. Discipleship would start up under the prompting of a few more ambitious types but soon fizzle out. The DirtyDish Online, an online publication started by the women at V21 had a fairly strong run for three years, but it too has faded. There have been at least two WONDERFUL conferences in the past several years, but nothing consistent to look forward to.
I know there has been debate over whether a ministry specifically for women should even exist. For awhile, the thought process was that women should work on building friendships within their community groups and if this was actually accomplished, a larger church-wide ministry wouldn't be needed. I am starting to grow relationships with the women in my community group, but I have some core friendships with people I've known and grown to love over the years from college, past community groups or through other friends. We regularly hang out, have play dates, blog together and chat online. Growth in the church has necessitated that we spread out, but it is comforting to know that these women are still there to keep me grounded and poke fun at me in a way only people who have known me five or more years could. I'd love another medium to reconnect with these women, form new relationships, and do something that brings real change.
So what does a girl want from a women's ministry? Well, that's hard to say. I know what I don't want - brunches, recipe swaps, a lesson in how to keep a clean home, debates on homeschooling/public schooling/un-schooling, married women talking down to single women, etc. What I do want is deep discussion about how Jesus loves us, transforms, and changes us. I want us to explore how as single women, married women, mothers, divorcées, grandmothers, and widows we can love our city and even begin to change the way women relate to each other.
One of our biggest temptations is to compare ourselves to other women. We compare jobs, kids, homes, creativity, vocal talents, wardrobes, figures, spirituality, smarts, friendships, senses of humor, spouses or boyfriends, number of followers on our blogs, etc. Stay at home moms in particular struggle to find some way to assess the job they are doing and it seems the easiest way is to look to the right and left. I'm excited that women from all places in life will be getting together to explore what Jesus says about who we are. I'm hoping that as we grow in confidence in the gospel and let it wear away at our pride and insecurity, we will find ways to encourage, challenge, and care for each other.
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