Women in Ministry

This post is for the young women at the Arkansas Youth Department's Timothy Retreat - for teens who are sensing God's call to ministry. In the links below you will find a few resources to help you study the role of Women in Ministry, what the Assemblies of God thinks about it, and also my notes from the session. 

Final Words of Wisdom for Young Women Feeling a Call to Ministry:

• ·      Listen to the voice of Jesus – have mentors, observe others, learn from leaders, but ultimately you must be obedient to what God wants you to do. Be sensitive to His voice.
• ·      Take your time – you have an appointed number of days for a reason. The preparation of your own heart and the process of leading you to ministry is more important than the ministry. Let God develop your personality & interests as you live your life.
• ·      Don’t be afraid of singleness – God has placed us in families. Look for the people around you that become your family – you don’t have to create your own to be validated as a minister.
• ·      Get education – ask God what he would have you to do, may be Bible school, may not. Know the word of God, but be open to what God asks of you to do as it relates to study.
• ·      Get involved now – don’t wait until you have a degree, have a family, have an invitation. God is asking us to listen & be obedient now. He is active around you. What is he asking you to do?
• ·      Love people, not the ministry – you will fulfill God’s call if you genuinely love all people. Look for opportunities to share Jesus through words, actions, prayers, compassion.

PDF Resources to download:

Timothy Team Retreat - Women in Ministry Notes - Buckner
Assemblies of God Position Paper on Women in Ministry
Assemblies of God Position Paper on Deacons
Was Paul For or Against Women in Ministry - Keener
Dealing with Questions About Women in Ministry - Beckett
Ministry & Marriage - Reinas

Online Resources:
A/G Women in Ministry Website
Articles for Women in Ministry
Arkansas Women's Ministries

Books about Women in Ministry:

God's Women Then and Now - Gill & Cavaness
Paul, Women and Wives - Keener
Jesus Hearted Woman - Detrick
Why Not Women: A Biblical Study of Women in Missions, Ministry, and Leadership - Cunningham
A Year of Biblical Womanhood - Evans
Jesus Feminist: An Invitation to Revisit The Bible's View of Women - Bessey
Redeeming Singleness - Biblical Theology of Singleness - Danylak

Community & Relationships

Recently I have been reading a book called "Soulcraft: How God Shapes Us Through Relationships" by Douglas D. Webster. (Thanks to my friend Joy for the recommendation!) It has been a great read so far and is speaking to me in a variety of ways about relationships, how we disciple others, and how we build true, authentic community.  

Here's a quote from the the chapter called "Wholeness": 

"Does today's evangelical emphasis on the ideal Christian life match with the biblical picture of costly discipleship? Or have we created a false recipe for Christian happiness, which includes falling in love, sexual intimacy in marriage, a successful career and having well-adjusted children? "Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" looks suspiciously like the American dream. Often it is hard for us to accept that God has in mind a greater agenda than our personal peace and happiness." 

So what are your thoughts on this topic?

I've been reading much about the single life and promoting a Biblical theology of singleness, only to come face-to-face with a non-Biblical view of the single life among churches and Christians. Instead of promoting authentic community, we have become individuals that oftentimes want to change others to be as we are. We no longer accept people for who they are, but accept them in light of who they will become based upon what the world has deemed "normal." 

I am afraid that we are placing more value upon our own peace & happiness than upon authentic relationship that comes only from Jesus Christ. We care too much about what others think of us, and far too little about what God thinks of us. We have placed marriage & family, success & money, and habits & locations, far above true obedience and sacrifice that should be the "norm" for those who are called to follow Christ.

Let's make a difference in the world, not because we conform to it, but that we leave a lastly impression of God's light, love and acceptance.

I am not single...

I am not single

• Because something is wrong with me.
• Because God has called me to be single
• Because I've never had opportunity to be married
• Because I don't want to be married
• Because I am picky (well, maybe!)
• Because I am in transition to marriage
• Because little old ladies haven't tried to set me up with grandsons

I am single 

• Because it is Gods plan for me at this time of my life. 
• Because I trust God with every area of my life
• Because no one but God can make me complete.
• Because God has equipped me with the gift of singleness
• Because he has entrusted me with great responsibility
• Because God says I am whole in Him alone
• Because God has called me to be His.

All singles have different situations for their singleness. For me, I am single because I took a step of obedience to God to serve him completely. At age 27 God spoke to me to stop trying to be complete by searching for a mate and to be whole by finding completeness in Him. Through my singleness, I found the fullness of obedience to God.

Sometimes the language we use implies assumptions we have that everyone is in transition to marriage or that we are missing out on an essential of life because we are single. We then can isolate or neglect the needs of those who are single that work with us or are in our churches. We can exclude, marginalise, and minimalise their calling & capacity. 

We were all born into community and family must be seen as much more than immediate family or spouse or children.

If you are single, embrace it. Allow God to use you in it. Don't live your life in transition to the next great thing, because it may not be all that great. God has a plan for you and he wants you completely.

I am not single because of anyone or anything or any problem.

I am single because God loves me.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been inspired recently to embrace my singleness, thanks to my friend, Suzanne, and a couple of books that have helped me to read & interpret scripture accurately on this topic. 

If you want to read these book, I encourage it and here are the links:

Redeeming Singleness: How the storyline of scripture affirms the single life by Barry Danylak

Singled Out: Why Celibacy Must be Reinvented in Today's Church by Christine Colón & Bonnie Field