Dear Women’s Ministry Leader,
I’m not really sure where to start. I have so much I want to say.
I was 24 when I became a Christian and up until that point I had never heard of you. I didn’t know about women’s ministries and I had no idea there were women like you in the world.
But then I met you right after I started going to church – and you embraced me in a beautiful and unusual way – like I was a long lost child who needed your quiet strength – yet like I was a long lost friend whom you had been waiting for for years.
You made me feel like I belonged. Like I had always belonged. Like I was coming home.
And then you began teaching me things I never knew before. Things my soul craved and my heart longed for. Things that changed me and made me better.
You took me under your wing and introduced me to other women in the church. Women just like me. And with every new friend I felt more and more like I was part of a family I had been created for.
And I remember being overwhelmed by the amazing events you created for us!
Each event was not only beautiful, but intentionally significant.
You taught me a lot about being a servant leader, sweet friend. I watched the way you purposefully prayed for each woman who would attend, stayed up late, and worked hard to assure every little detail was taken care of – yet you somehow found time to love on each and every one of the ladies who attended.
You had a special knack for finding just the right team of woman who could make a plain, ordinary gym look like a beautifully decorated ballroom.
It was so much more than what I would have done.
Some even said it was too much. And maybe it was. But I know your heart and it was because you wanted every woman to feel special because, to you, every woman was.
I remember the first time you asked me to be part of a luncheon we had at the church. I felt part of something important and you challenged me to do things I never knew I could.
And I noticed the way you looked for women who were on the fringe and invited them to play an important part in making each event the best it could be and I realized you were intentionally inviting them to help so they would feel they belonged too.
Oh… and I’m not sure I’ve ever told you, but THANK YOU for helping me get grounded in the faith.
I loved sitting at your feet as you taught the Word of God and helped me understand God’s amazing love for me and His perfect plan for my life. And I realize that you were one crazy, busy woman. So, please don’t think I didn’t noticed how diligently you worked to be sure that I had teachers who would pour into my life when you weren’t able to.
You showed me that the God of all creation would really speak to me from His Word… and that God’s Word is rich with meaning that is found far beyond the surface for all who will do a little digging for buried treasure.
I remember the first time you asked me to teach.
I couldn’t believe it! I thought, “Me? Are you kidding?”
I had never taught before, but somehow you saw in me what I had never seen in myself. I had no idea that serving women in the Word would become one of God’s calls on my life. But here I am almost 30 years later, still WOWed by Christ and excited that He allows me the opportunity to teach His Word.
I wanted you to know that I’m still just as crazy passionate as I was when you first asked me to teach… and still just as afraid every time.
So… thank you! Thank you for helping me become who God created me to be.
And then there was my past…I knew you knew where I had been. My life “B.C.” (before Christ) was something I never wanted anyone to know about. I was so ashamed.
But you taught me that Jesus was not only going to use me in spite of what I had been through, but because of what I had been through.
I never realized He wanted to use the messy places of my life in a way that would ultimately bring Him honor until you showed me how our Redeemer delights in making beauty out of ashes and then displaying His work so others would see how much He loves them too.
I remember when a group of women teamed up and asked you if you would plan a fun, frilly, and frivolous event because they thought it would attract more women if we kept things light.
You told them in no uncertain terms, NO.
Thank you!
Thank you for helping solidify in my heart what I knew in my head.
That the church is not a social club, for frilly events, with meaningless activities, or events meant to make people laugh and then leave without having a clue about God’s love or plan for their lives.
Thank you for being a beautiful and powerful part of the church who…
- grounds women in the Word
- gives women an opportunity to serve and be served
- teaches women how beautiful it is to walk in unity
- helps women understand the power and beauty of living out Titus 2 in real life
- helps women discover and thrive in the areas of their individual giftedness
- teaches us what it means to love and be loved in real, tangible and unexpected ways
Thank you for being an extension of the local church – a group of women who unite and who rally together to serve the church, the community and the culture they are part of.
Dear sweet ministry leader… keep running your race! We NEED YOU? You strengthen us!
And you are needed – you are significant – you are loved!
Oh… and I want you to know that you have made a profound difference in my life and I will be eternally grateful for your constant prayers, sacrificial service, and for making me feel like I belong in this eternal family I was created for.
Has a women’s ministry leader left an imprint on your heart?We’d love for you to share about her here!
AND PLEASE TAKE A SECOND AND SHARE THIS IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN A WOMEN’S MINISTRY OR KNOWN A WOMEN’S MINISTRY LEADER WHO HAS IMPACTED YOUR LIFE?
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