As leaders serving in our churches, we should always be looking for women who are ready for the next step in ministry. Our desire is to disciple so that they become fully devoted followers of Christ and find their place of service in the Kingdom. But we have to “ask”! Read this post by guest blogger, Dawn Stephens, Associate Minister of Local Disciplemaking and Women’s Small Groups at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. Enjoy Dawn’s post today as she encourages us to " just ask!"
As I sit watching the wedding of Prince William and Catherine “Kate” Middleton I want to encourage you in a practice that we can probably say Prince William also experienced in the past few months.
Just like Prince William would have never really known if Kate wanted to marry him if he had not “just asked”, you too will never know if women in your churches will join you in a journey of discipleship, service and friendship if you don’t “just ask”.
I think we can say that women want to be in relationship with other women and many times will not initiate that relationship, but they will respond if asked by another woman.
I want to encourage you to look where in your daily life you can ask other women to join you, whether its in a ministry or serving opportunity. Look at your weekly schedule and see where you can ask another woman to join you. Is there a hospital visit you can take someone along with you and model how to serve those struggling in a health crisis? Is there a bible study you will teach that someone could apprentice with you? Is there a mission trip you feel led to take and someone might join you?
I want to tell you the story of two women in my church: Hope and Lee.
Hope teaches a women’s small group and has been on several mission trips in her life. She was planning on taking a trip this year but did not have a clear direction. She knew that Lee, a woman in her small group, really desired to go on her first mission trip also this year. Hope told Lee that she would go with her and asked her to choose where they would go on the mission trip. Hope thought that Lee might pick a country close to home with a pretty certain agenda. Instead, she chose a trip to Thailand working with unreached peoples. They both are so excited about what God will do in and through them on this upcoming trip.
But….. Lee might have never gone on the trip had Hope not asked her and Hope would have never known the privilege of discipling a sister in Christ on her first mission experience had she not “just asked”.
Please, look around your life, pray for women you can influence and love and “just ask”.
Check out these other helpful resources:
Women Reaching Women
Transformed Lives
Dawn has been involved in women’s ministry in both volunteer and staff positions for the past 16 years. Her desire is to train, equip and encourage women to use their God given gifts and abilities to show Christ’s love and grace to our world. She graduated from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Women’s Ministry certificate program, is a LifeWay Ministry Multiplier, and has served on the Alabama Baptist State Women’s Ministry leadership team.
