Woman's eye close up
Originally uploaded by Netfalls
Yesterday I sipped a cappucino while waiting for a young friend of mine. In minutes, we'd be talking about relationship drama, college choices and problems with girl friendships. But as I waited, a small brochure caught my eye. It was a "Business Directory for Women," and it listed a variety of services that women entreprenuers run in the Richmond area.
That brochure got me thinking. Why, exactly, do we need a "Business Directory for Women"? Why, even, do we need women's ministry? Many of the things that we do in women's ministry at Hope aren't necessarily women-specific. We study Ephesians at Thrive. That's for everyone. We do socials. Guys can socialize too, right? We think about leadership development. Last I checked, that was also a dual-gender need.
So why? Is it because we are still feel like an underserved minority group in the church? Is it because we have specific needs that can't be met elsewhere? If the world is becoming equal-opportunity in so many ways, why such a gender split in the church?
In my heart, I think we need women's ministry. Churched or not, women's events and group abound, so there must be something to that. But sometimes I wonder why, and to what extent. So you tell me:
Does the body of Christ need women's ministry? If so, why?
I think that within a larger body, such as Hope, niche ministries become connecting points for people groups. This is true whether you're talking about youth ministry, mom's groups, women's ministries, and also men's ministries. The point of these ministries is not exclusion, but rather focusing on common needs and interests. This gives us all a place to find new friends, make lasting connections to a particular body of believers, and most importantly become an active, contributing member of the congregation.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read your post, given that my Mom and I were just having a similar conversation last week. She has been a strong Christian woman for many decades and enjoys a weekly couples' small group with my Dad. Yet,as we were talking about ministry at church she said you can never replace the power of women getting together and praying to the Lord. She went on to say that there is something so wonderful when a group of women get together who understand each other and have a shared faith, it's a beautiful thing. I've learned much from my mom and couldn't agree more with her thoughts on ladies' ministry!
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