Since becoming
a Christian, one way or the other I have been involved in women’s ministry. I
went from a once-a-week attendee to a regular participant.
My desire to
serve in the ministry grew alongside with my faith walk. From teaching, to
facilitating and then leading and now the God’s grace, the Lord has directed me
into writing the studies and leading our own little group each week.
Having been in
various women ministries, I can tell you that us "girls" can be very catty and
“clique-ish” when we want.
Are you part
of a women fellowship?
Have you
experienced this recently?
Unfortunately many
women turn away from the fellowship and blessings the women’s ministry can
provide.
I recall an
incidence that occurred while I was ministering in my fellowship. I couldn’t help
but notice the whispering and eye-rolling. I caught the two ladies unawares; they
both jerked and looked away quickly like two kids caught in naughtiness.
I was hurt.
It crushed my heart.
I
struggled with being myself while they were around.
They worked
hard to be extra nice but the cut of their disrespect gripped my heart.
Thankfully, I
was able to get over the incidence.
Have you been
through a similar experience?
Did you walk away
from your fellowship due to hurting experience?
A look around
our church, the number of women in attendance on Sunday in comparison with the
number of women in attendance at one of your women’s studies tells us a lot about
our ministry.
It takes God’s
wisdom to overcome situations of gossip, hurtful words.
Sometimes a walk
away may just be right.
The Lord led
my husband and me away from this assembly and not long afterward other women who
had been hurt too.
What was the
next move?
What were we
going to do?
We sought God’s
face through prayers…
Just like
every other women, we too desired something more
We want to be a part of a ministry
not just Bible Study.
We yearn for a bond of fellowship,
We desire a connection of
sisterhood.
We need that connection, we need sisters.
As women, we all
need these things.
When we are connected, we grow.
When we are broken off, we begin to wither and die.
Fellowship is
important to the spiritual growth of the vine and the branches. (John 15)
What was the Lord doing?
The Lord was
opening the door for us to start a women’s fellowship of our own.
Women’s
ministry does not have to be in church, or under the umbrella of the church.
Women’s
ministry is not confined to the building you attend every Sunday, women’s
ministry is something we do every single day.
Peter tells us
that as each of us “has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good
stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)
We can minister to one another at anytime and anyplace.
Let’s not
limit God because we are limited in our thinking.
True ministry serves,
it does not seek to be served.
I opened the doors to my home to having the fellowship started. We began to grow. Although some
stayed and some left, sometime
later, the ministry’s growth halted, I became discouraged. We just didn’t seem
to be getting anywhere.
I began to
seek God’s face about the study, the women and the will of God in it and over
it.
I heard the
Lord say to me, “One Woman at a Time”.
That was our
ministry.
That was what He wanted us to focus on.
He was bringing to us one
woman at a time, according to His timing.
We were
growing together,
We were encouraging
one another,
We were
fellowshiping together and
We were becoming
a unit.
We didn’t seek
titles, or recognition, we sought only Jesus, His word and His truth.
Our little
group grew from a couple to a few more.
It was not
about the numbers.
It was about
that one that did show up each meeting. That one that
needed prayer, encouragement, strength to face the next day, some needed
reproof, and we all needed instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
That is what
ministry is all about!
Using the gifts God
has given us to point people back to Him.
Eight words that moves my heart “I don’t
know how to study my bible.”
If we rely on
someone else to constantly feed me, then we will always be left wanting more,
we will always be waiting for my turn at the table.
But if we can
teach women how to study the Word of God for themselves and to dig out from His
Word the treasures of His glory for themselves, then we are finally fulfilling
the commission that Jesus gave to us all in Matthew 28:19, and we are
fulfilling the ministry (2 Timothy 4:5).
Our group has provided an opportunity
for us to teach women how to study their bibles and how to seek Him in their everyday
lives.
It is pointing
them to the foot of the cross where everything they ever needed or wanted was
poured out for them.
It is teaching
them how to hear Him speak to them through His word, teaching them to have an
intimate, personal relationship with their Savior and their God.
It is giving
them the tools and the equipment to grow and become firm in the foundation of
Jesus Christ so that when the storms come, they will not be uprooted.
If we are not
able to give them this, then why are we in ministry at all?
The heart of
ministry is Jesus Christ, if we lose sight of that then we have lost sight of
ministry all together.
God is not calling us to minister to the
masses, but He does call us to minister. It is my prayer that as the Lord leads
our little group, “The Upper Room Women’s Ministry” we will continue to grow
together and fellowship with one another right where we are.
We meet each week
in the home of one of our sisters whose gift is hospitality, and we have
outings and fun fellowships apart from those times as well.
Most of us go
to different churches, come from different backgrounds, some of us have been
walking with the Lord for years, and others have only just begun. But in the
end, we minister to one another; we are there for one another, One Woman at a
Time.
If
you live around Clayton, North Carolina, US, you are more than welcome to join us.
Simply send an email to stephis545@gmail.com
About the Author
Stephane Singletary gently leads "The Upper Room" Women's Ministry where writes and teaches women to love Christ.
She is also the author of "Winning Him Without A Word: Learning to Live and Love an Unbelieving Husband".
Have you read my new devotional? You can get yours here.
Download Your Free Devotionals Here:
Name*
Labels: Devotions, My Awesome Guest
Since becoming
a Christian, one way or the other I have been involved in women’s ministry. I
went from a once-a-week attendee to a regular participant.