| Title | : | Word-Filled Women's Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1433545233 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781433545238 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 265 |
| Publication | : | First published July 31, 2015 |
Word-Filled Women's Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church Reviews
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As a pastor of a small urban church made up mostly of women I appreciated Furman and Nielson’s Word-Filled Women’s Ministry. It is a book founded upon Scripture and written for the church. From the beginning they write, “Profitable ministry among women is grounded in God’s Word and grows in the context of God’s people, and aims for the glory of Christ” (13). Rightfully understood, this should be the focus of all ministry: founded upon the Word, for the church, and to the glory of God.
Like any multi-authored book Word-Filled Women’s Ministry is a bit of a mixed bag. As a whole I really appreciated it, but I would view it as a springboard or to switch metaphors, an entrance door into women’s ministry. It’s very basic. Much of what is written is general enough to apply broadly to all of ministry. But it does start to press into the more particular questions raised by ministry to women.
In my opinion there are four stand out chapters. While I enjoyed the first chapter and believe it is foundational it was a bit generic. Still a good chapter. Here they are: First, I really appreciated Claire Smith’s “The Word on Women: Enjoying Distinction” (ch. 2). It’s a well written explanation of biblical complementarianism. It’s a chapter I would like to have my daughters work through.
Second, Cindy Cochrum’s “The Local Church: Finding Where We Fit” (ch. 4) was very helpful, personally. It got me thinking about how our church is gifted to serve the body. She writes, “The body of Christ is filled with capable women who are eager to serve Christ in the context of the local church, serving under the authority of church leadership” (100). As a pastor, my responsibility is to nurture and foster those gifts. To that end Cochrum says, “When leadership is proactive in finding ways to incorporate women into various roles, more of the church’s rich resources are employed for her work. Our churches are strengthened as women are welcomed to serve profitably and effectively in any area that is not restricted in Scripture” (101).
The third chapter that stood out was Susan Hunt and Kristie Anyabwile’s “Older and Younger: Taking Titus Seriously” (ch. 7). I resonated with Kristie’s sadness over asking older women to disciple her only for them to turn her down. I’ve personally asked three pastors (earlier in my Christian life) to mentor and disciple me. All three told me no. I just cannot process why. Susan Hunt’s response offered a bit of hope. Maybe they were afraid. Maybe they had no idea what to do. Maybe… Regardless, we need to take Titus 2 seriously and as a pastor one of the things I long to see is spiritually mature women initiating and forming deep relationships with new believers. Our challenge is that we have many young believers, but not enough older spiritually mature women. The harvest is plentiful…
The last chapter I really appreciated is Ellen Mary Dykas’ “Sexual Wholeness: Affirming Truth with Compassion” (ch. 8). This chapter could easily have been a book. Sexuality is exactly where Christianity is being attacked today from our western culture. There is a great need (understatement) for Christians to engage here, particularly godly women. One can’t help but wonder that part of the reason we are where we are is due to the failure of the church to encourage women to disciple women. A women’s ministry could even use Harvest USA’s Sexual Sanity for Women as a point of engagement for older spiritually mature women reaching out and teaching younger women.
One thing that bothered me throughout was the tendency to equate Bible Study with discipleship. I don’t believe that this is the intent of the book, but it came across that way. I was disappointed on Gloria Furman’s chapter on Evangelism (ch. 5) when it was basically a chapter on holding bible studies. Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for Bible studies. They are foundational, but evangelism and discipleship is more than bible study. Certainly not less, but much more. Making disciples is not just about teaching people what Jesus taught, but teaching others how to obey what Jesus taught. Obedience is learned not just through Bible study but in the ordinary of everyday.
I am a bit surprised that there is no bibliography. It would have been nice to offer a “here’s where to go next” resource list, especially because of the introductory nature of this book. Personally, I am going to read a bit more on dealing with the specific passages of Scripture that are often found in the midst of the debate between complementarianism and egalitarianism.
What I appreciated most from Furman and Nielson’s book is the call for pastors to be involved in women’s ministry. I honestly have been a bit hands off up to this point and this book was a helpful nudge for me. I need to be a more faithful advocate for women’s ministry in our body. It was a much needed course correction. I never want the women of our church to feel that the pastor is not behind them.
Here are a few places where I am headed to next: J. Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt, Women’s Ministry in the Local Church and Craig Blomberg and Thomas Schreiner’s Two Views on Women in Ministry. I also am thinking through more in relation to biblical gifts and how the women (and all) in our church may work together using the gifts God has given us to build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4). -
All of the essays were solid, but there was no "wow" factor for me. Possibly helpful for someone looking to steer her church's women's ministry toward deeper biblical waters, although there are very few practical ideas. This is more of a "let's get on the same page about the importance of deep Bible study for women, then go figure out what works in our particular context" sort of book.
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Clear and helpful on thinking through the Biblical basis for women's ministry: what it should look like, how it changes in different contexts; how we train and teach and raise up others. Nancy Guthrie's final chapter on why it matters (spoiler: because eternity matters) is a cracker.
Though some of the chapters get specific on what word-filled ministry should look like, I like that it's not too prescriptive. The authors are all from different places and churches, and their own testimonies and stories of the women in their churches are a helpful reminder of the diversity of gifts within the body of Christ. It gave me ideas without telling me what to do; ministry is all of our lives and can happen in all places.
Ch8, on sexual sin, was also a good read - mostly because of limited resources on the subject (as the author points out). -
These authors encourage other Christian women to do ministry outside their homes, which is sad. Any women reading this book will feel that unless they are somehow involved in some sort of "official church ministry" their work at home is less important or less effective. The focus of all 10 chapters is to "go out" and be involved in a "women's ministry." Not one chapter focuses on the most powerful way in which Christian women can influence others and grow exponentially: their own home.
If we really want to see the next generation of women walking with the Lord and being fruitful, we desperately need to have among us faithful women, not who are trained in Seminary, but who are bold homemakers. Women who love their families, their church, the lost, and also love cooking meals, making memories that smell like bread and having others to join them and imitate them!
We need more women who love and know their Bibles well, not because they have gone to all the retreats, (or seminary!), but because they have read it and prayed it over and over again through the years to the point that it has made their speech sweet, their attitude bold, and their home a joyful place where many come and gather, and eat and laugh and taste and see that Jesus is good and saves the lost. -
Soo good. I will read again soon. I was worried in the beginning that this book would be unhelpful for me since I've been raised going to Word-filled ministries, but this book gets women out of the rut of typical conservative women's meetings and gives many new ideas and helpful suggestions for ladies in ministry. It recommends some one on one, Bible studies in groups, special events, some book recommendations, and just general "empowering" of Christian women to shepherd other women that God is leading you to. You're probably always going to be an "older woman" to someone - why wait till you're ancient and irrelevant?! Just kidding, lol. That's horrible. But I do wish I had someone as a young teen who intentionally took me under her wing and made me think, and then answered my questions when I finally did. This book will help any Christian woman feel like she can be a real asset to the church in so many ways.
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2021: Appreciated this book even more a year later after reading more widely on the subject of women in the church/ women’s ministry. Although this compilation merely scratches the surface of the topic, it does begin to fill the gap in solid resources for women’s ministry within the local church.
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This book is hard to describe. I really loved parts of it, and other parts reminded me of women's literature that doesn't have deep theology. Part one was difficult to get through. I really thought that "Word-filled" ministry would have a thorough explanation of the importance of personal devotion, memorization, meditation, etc of the word. It lacked in that area. Part two really dug into what women's ministry looks like, and that was excellent (and so was the last chapter!). Overall, there was good theology throughout, but the flow and chosen topics were difficult to piece together (maybe a natural result of having multiple authors?).
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10 Critical Concepts for Women's Ministry
So, it turns out that stroller wheels still run pretty well over hummocky, leaf-strewn garden pathways, and that the thud of a tiny muck boot still makes the same satisfying "bong" against the metal bed of a wheelbarrow. When the going gets desperate with a little guy, the desperate go outside -- just as I did with this little guy's dad a couple of decades ago, and the truth is that there are some weeks when the only "women's ministry" that happens in my life is this offering of respite to my daughter-in-law who needs to go to the dentist or spend some time with her husband. Then, there are the weeks that include space for planning events and projects; for scouring the Bible, listening for God's voice in preparation for a class or a devotional or a blog post. Over the past couple of decades of my involvement with ministry to other women, I've spent more than a few moments wondering: "Exactly what should be the focus of a women's ministry in the church? Is it to help women know and serve women, or is it to help women know and serve God? Can it be both?"
Kathleen Nielson and Gloria Furman have compiled a series of ten essays in Word-Filled Women's Ministry, and they have addressed many of my questions as well as concepts I had not even considered. The ten essays could each stand alone in their focus on a particular aspect of ministry, but what emerges from the whole is a way of thinking about women's ministry (or ministry in general) that exalts the Word of God, identifies contexts in which women's ministry occurs, and addresses specific issues relative to women's ministry.
1. Where ministry happens and what it looks like are peripheral. Of central importance is a steady and purposeful focus on the Word of God, His deeply personal and powerful message of truth. There is no need to distinguish between having a warm and welcoming fellowship and having an academic and enriching study of a God-breathed text. Through the Word, women will find connections with others through understanding their own stories in light of the Big Story of God's creation of a people for Himself through His Son.
2.What it means to be a women and also a Christian is tied up in our having been created in God's image. "The perfect unity and differentiation of the eternal Person of the triune God [is mirrored by the unity and differentiation of] the non-identical but equal parts of humanity" -- male and female -- with roles and responsibilities that are unique and not interchangeable. Colossians 3:16 is a joyful job description from Paul to the faithful men and women who worshiped at Colossae. "When we come together, everyone will participate!"
3.The model for biblical leadership training found in II Timothy 2:2 represents four generations of gospel workers: Paul, Timothy, the faithful men, and "others." From this verse flow two qualifications for leadership in women's ministry: faithfulness and the ability to teach. Furthermore, Word-Filled Women's Ministry offers a sound strategy for training future leaders which is based on another of Paul's letters to the disciples in Thessalonica. He emphasized fluency with the gospel message, transparency of life, a parental urgency of purpose, and integrity before God. Chapter 3 is a gold-mine of suggestions and resources for leadership development.
4.Ministry to women within the context of the local church provides the rich resource of a broad palette of giftedness and a ready-made community in which to begin living in relationships of accountability and to begin utilizing gifts for the strengthening of the church. "Until the day when 'the city' comes down from heaven, local churches will be outposts of that city, colonies of heaven."
5.Grounding a women's ministry in Bible study is a means of fulfilling the Great Commission. This does not mean that every devotional has to be lifted out of the four Gospels or include an overt invitation. Gloria Furman asks (and then answers) some excellent questions with the central point being that Bible study will not only fuel evangelistic zeal and equip healthy ambassadors among believers, but it will also put all of life into perspective within the narrative arc of the history of God's Forever Kingdom. The mind-blowing truth is that mortal women may behold the face of God and live.
6.It's a treat when the sweet women of our Ladies Missionary Fellowship gather each month. We love our missionaries, and although our feet are firmly planted in mid-coast Maine, our hearts travel to the ends of the earth in prayer. Through praying for women around the world, we are absorbing the truth that women's ministry is as diverse as the different cultures where women minister. Essentially, however, we cannot assume a level of biblical literacy or a gospel mindset anywhere in our post-Christian age, and should be continually asking ourselves if we are centering all our most important events around fellowship and cute snacks or if we are making them into "occasions for rejoicing together in the Word and for celebrating the occasion in the light of its truth." This notion will affect the way I go forward with planning baby and wedding showers and other group celebrations.
7.As women search the Scriptures together, relationships are a natural outcome, resulting in a ministry of mentoring for those who are mature in the faith. This "life-on-life" discipleship is demanding, and it is tempting to shrink from the opportunity when it comes. Through the creative use of letters between an older woman and a younger woman, Word-Filled Women's Ministry explores the relationships of trust, intimacy, and unity that can develop among the women of a church through Paul's discipleship model found in Titus 2:3-5.
8.The call for women to be transformed into the image of God must address every area of life, including women's struggle with sexual sin. Ellen Mary Dykas presents a masterful analysis of the Luke 13:10-17 account of Jesus' healing of the bent woman. Women's ministry is the ideal context in which to recognize those who are bent by/in bondage to sin; to respond in non-judgmental love rather than intensifying the bent-woman's sense of shame; and to offer hope and freedom from their captivity to their bodies. A wealth of practical implications follow, and Ellen describes these using actual examples of young women from her own ministry.
9.As a Christian Education major back in the 80's, I graduated full of zeal and fervor into a world in which the only churches who would hire a 21-year-old female as their C.E. Director were so far-removed from my own statement of faith I wondered why they even bothered to interview me. And those who wondered very politely if I wouldn't be willing to fill the pulpit during any of the senior pastor's vacations. Undaunted, I eventually found employment with a parachurch organization working with children, but it was not until I was able to volunteer my time that I became involved in women's ministry. Gloria and Kathleen offer encouragement to those with a heart for ministry. Learning to work effectively with male leadership and humbly waiting for God to open doors and build bridges are essential. However and wherever it happens, women's ministry is at its best when "women reach out to help one another, [providing the] "safety and understanding that the presence of another woman brings."
10.Equipping women as co-laborers in Christ should include adequate training in theology, church history, and practical ministry with an eye toward the day that the prophet Habakkuk foresaw when the "earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God." The highest aim of all ministry is to prepare both men and women for "that day," and this wisdom takes us back to the gospel without which we would have no hope ourselves, or hope to offer the world.
Word-Filled Women's Ministry elevates the conversation about women and our service to the body of Christ a Dubai high-rise above the usual menu of "who gets to do what and under what circumstances." With our hearts yearning for the coming of Christ, our egos, our goals, and our boots-on-the-ground labor must all be focused on a harmonious striving for "the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
This book was provided by Crossway in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” -
I enjoyed this book so much my little girl asked me "mommy why are there so many lines in your book?"
There is so much richness to highlight and look back upon as I look into what God is doing in women who desire to see the gospel lived out in their everyday life.
Quote: " to think of ministry among women not as a program that holds an evangelistic event from time to time, but rather as a network of relationships that is always reaching out by means of the living Word- in our Bible studies, our friendships and mentoring, all our gatherings-always reaching out to help others receive the life-giving Word from which we would be cut off had it not come down to us. -
I read this book as an assignment for an upcoming leadership training. It is rooted singularly in the Bible and the Gospel. It was full of great research and insight into the present church. It encouraged me to see every woman as a child of God and to really hone in on that when relationship building. The ultimate goal for every follower of Christ is to lead others to him and spread the good news. This book offered a really practical approach on how to do that through women’s ministry with a strict Biblical foundation.
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Handy, thought-provoking, and encouraging book with perspectives from different complementarian women leaders about how to encourage more fruitful women's ministry (both formal and informal) centered on the Word! It was cool to hear from the different authors (as well as other women they surveyed) about how women's ministry is being played out in other parts of the country and even the world.
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Solid essays here. This is a great resource for the church and a needed call for women's ministry to be word-based.
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http://tribalchurchplantingwife.com/w...
Back in March I attended a workshop and had the amazing opportunity to meet Kathleen Nielsen. Our church had used one of her Bible studies for their women’s ministry the past year, and I had learned so much from her about biblical exposition (and was thrilled when she told me her husband takes work trips to Asia-Pacific). I was really excited to be given a sample chapter to one of her new books, Word-Filled Women’s Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church edited by herself and Gloria Furman. I have pre-ordered my copy and am eagerly awaiting to read the rest of the book and learn from these ladies who have such a heart to see women’s ministry be rooted in the Word of God.
“That’s how God’s word works. It accomplishes what he purposes. It succeeds in the thing for which he sends it. It calls people to life in Christ and then trains them, comprehensively, how to live in Christ.” —Kathleen Nielsen
In this chapter, Kathleen reminds us why the Word should be the center of women’s ministries, showing us in Scripture how God’s Word is speaking, it is powerful, is for everyone, is all about Jesus, is a matter of life and death, and is beautiful. I wish I could share all my favorite quotes with you all, but you should just order a copy of Word-Filled Women’s Ministries for yourself!
“We know that we must trust that by his Spirit, through his Word, God will accomplish his purposes without fail. Our trust must certainly be a respectful trust— like we have for a powerful weapon such as a sharp, two-edged sword that we’d better learn how to handle rightly. We have to learn how it works. For the Bible that means learning how it speaks—in whole books, from Genesis to Revelation, and in distinct genres, from narrative to poetry to prophecy to apocalyptic. The penetration of the Word surely happens most deeply when we allow it to speak in the form in which it has been given to us, rather than dicing it up and extracting segments or bending it to our own purposes. Not only from the pulpit but in every area of church life and ministry we can aim to let the Word have its full say as we listen fully, not neglecting any part of all the Spirit-inspired Scriptures.” —Kathleen Nielsen
I so appreciated how Kathleen values God’s Word and pointed us back to the big redemptive picture of the Bible, and how not only the Bible speaks of Christ but points us to him! As a church planter preparing to move to a remote location overseas, Word-Filled Women’s Ministry helped build my excitement to be a part of a global women’s ministry. Not only do I get to translate God’s Word into an unwritten language, but I also have the incredible privilege to disciple women and share with them a love for God and his Word that comes from studying it deeply. Reflecting on God and what he has done in Christ has also strengthened my fervour for developing the Genesis Bible study another woman from and I are developing for our church’s women’s ministry. I wish this book was available years ago, because I didn’t always have this urgent passion to disciple women, with not just a focus on women, but on feeding them the Word of God and teaching them how to study God’s Word for themselves.
“We Christians indeed have good news, urgent news, life-and-death news to receive and to offer through this Word, which has come down to us. If the Word is what it says it is, then as it rains into our lives we believers should surely be brimming with the urgency of hearing and sharing its merciful good news in these last days while the Lord may still be found.” —Kathleen Nielsen -
This is our go-to book for women's ministry at our church.
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I loved many things about this book. I learned a lot and it was very encouraged that we were getting a few things right. However, as someone who is in charge of women's ministry at a church plant, I was hoping for a few more practical how-to's or suggestions. Another area is that in the chapter about Titus 2 they never talked about what to do if there are no older women available. Because of where our ministry is located we have very few older women in Christian churches and, in our particular church, none who fit the criteria of no longer raising children AND who are "old" in the faith. Many of us in our small congregation long for the wisdom that comes from age in years and in faith, but what do we do in the mean time?
Overall I loved the book and would highly recommend it to others. -
Amazing book! The last chapter was especially haunting and motivational...considering what God uniquely equips you for here on this earth and how you are either investing or wasting those gifts. Thank you for this book!!!
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I liked this book and it has a lot of good material for a biblical understanding of women's ministry but I had a hard time wanting to get through it. Each chapter is written by a different woman and most of them, though solid, just felt rather dry to me. I think, perhaps, I've been engulfed in a network of churches/ministries/education that has emphasized a lot of this well and I've had the privilege of seeing many women do this well so it felt like review to me. I would definitely recommend this for people who are new to the complementarian, Bible-centric view of women's ministry. It's almost like a textbook for biblical women's ministry and it covers a lot of important ground.
I really liked all three chapters in Part 3: Issues in Women's Ministry ("Older and Young: Taking Titus Seriously," "Sexual Wholeness: Affirming Truth with Compassion," and "Gifts and Giftedness: Finding the Place to Serve"). Each one, I thought, had great, practical help and encouraging truth for a variety of situations. I also liked the final chapter, "Ultimate Goals: Heading for That Day," which really helps put our ministry in perspective. These last four chapters were the difference between three and four stars for me personally. I would recommend the book just for those.
We're in the process of establishing a women's ministry at our church and this book was helpful, though it's heavier and more academic that a lot of other books I've read on the subject. I think to really benefit from it, you would almost have to take each chapter on its own (although they share a common goal/theme and are cross-referenced). It's a lot to process but much of it is foundational so, like I mentioned, it may be more like review for some. I appreciate the authors' constant emphasis on the Word of God both in the "why" and "how" for doing ministry and in the support for their arguments. -
Though this book is aimed at those who are unashamedly complementarian (and it's hard to dodge this when it's brought up at least once in every chapter), there is so much great teaching in here about women's ministry - its importance, how we really can use God's word in all sorts of different ways and what it looks like in different contexts (not just in American churches but churches in Dubai, the UK, Peru and India) - which is of great benefit to all sorts of churches (as long as they aren't patriarchal!).
The two chapters which resonated with me most were the ones by Ellen Mary Dykas (about the need to minister to women faithfully and gently about sexuality) and Nancy Guthrie (about the need to minister to women to prepare them for the day of the Lord - will we be found in Him or not?). Both were quite challenging, and it made me realise that I easily forget the importance of these things.
As someone who has grown up in a complementarian church, but thinks that the issue about whether women can teach a church congregation overall is a secondary one and not as clear cut as many make it out to be, this book is still really useful, encouraging and faithful. However, the constant 'we're complementarians' refrain was a bit grating, and would probably irritate anyone reading who is much more egalitarian. -
A lovely read. Could be taken as a whole or chapter by chapter - I will most definitely use it as a reference going forward. Favorite chapters: 1, 7, 8, 10. Star docked for feeling a little disjointed, but perhaps docked uncharitably since a different woman wrote each chapter.
Side note:
Have I even read Philippians 1 before?! Seeing it in a new light tonight: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (vv 9-11)
We love with knowledge and discernment. True love isn’t blind. Why? Because we desire holiness and anticipate His coming again. True love wants the loved to know God better. Not for all their problems to be solved. Not for them to be a better person. Not for them to change in the ways I think best. Not for them to get their dream job. Not to be married. True love also lays down for others, is sacrificial, for the end that they might know Him better. He is the one who gave up His life for me. Oh, may I love like this! -
Positives: very rooted in the Word, casts vision for women’s ministry through actual Bible studies vs social gatherings, tells stories from around the world and not just American church experiences, sees the Bible as crucial for growth for believers and for evangelism efforts.
However, there wasn’t anything necessarily new or insightful for me as a reader (audiobook listener). Some of the essays were very basic, although I would assume the target audience is women who are already thinking about ministry and already convinced of the importance of Scripture. This book also operates under the persuasion that the best context for women’s ministry is the local church, as opposed to parachurch ministries.
I don’t think the book was what I expected. It was encouraging in some parts, and I liked the variety of stories showing how God is working throughout the world and through women specifically, but in other parts it just didn’t translate to my own ministry context or offer new thinking on how to minister to women and connect them to the Word. -
This book is a great reminder of how women's ministry should first and foremost filled with the Word of God. Kathleen Nielson and Gloria Furman did a good job of organizing and arranging the chapters in this book so that the Word is central. There are four sections; "The Heart of Women's Ministry," "Contexts for Women's Ministry," Issues in Women's Ministry," and "The End of Women's Ministry." So often women's ministry tends to be about what women think they need and just socializing and having a good time. This book points instead to the Word of God and making that the central part of women's ministry in order to figure out what women need and how they can serve the church as opposed to just giving in to their wants and desires. Each contributor did a good job presenting her subject to the intended audience.
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I came to read this book as part of a journey of learning about healing.
In particular, I was focussed on the Chapter that explained ministry to Tia, a woman tempted by same sex attraction who sought to overcome the same sex attraction to ensure fullness of marriage to her husband. That chapter is wholesome and solid.
On reading the rest of the book I question whether it actually meets its goal. I did not find much that was particular women's focussed. The Chapter I read stood out as one of the few areas in the book that had particular application to women. -
The authors, Furman and Nielson, draw on a number of other women to go through various aspects of why women's ministry is important. I appreciated how they looked at it through a number of different lenses not restricting the ministry opportunities to a particular age, race, or culture. This book provided more of a wisdom/perspective to think about ministry rather than being a practical/applicable book. I think the final chapter basically the why, or "ultimate goal" behind ministry was most powerful and encouraging.
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⠀I have mixed feelings on this book. It’s biblically solid and presents a true picture of what Women’s ministry should be within the church. ⠀
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Each chapter is written by a different author which made it hard for me to connect. I found myself gravitating towards reading other books rather than devouring this one. ⠀
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I loved the focus on the Word and that women’s ministry is not primarily a social gathering, but giving women a deeper understanding of truth. If you are looking for a vision to strive for in your woman’s ministry, this would be an excellent resources. ⠀
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This book had some good points and was generally encouraging. With the different authors throughout, there were definitely some chapters that stood out more than others. I enjoyed the chapter explaining complementarianism (although not anything new, I thought it was explained very well) and the chapter explaining how to deal with women’s sexual struggles.
Theologically I didn’t always agree with the book, and the style was erratic (as you’d expect with many authors), but I was able to glean some good illustrations and points of encouragement nonetheless. -
Some great chapters and a great concept to include many voices from various places to share their experiences in womens ministry. However the broadness of the scope alongside a lack of coordination in the chapters leads to a book that is too basic for women seeking to become leaders in their church and too niche for people who want to understand the basics of women's ministry. I'd recommend chapters (especially the last few) but not the whole book.
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Helpful, with some encouragements and ideas that can be applied. We have been studying it in our women's reading group at church, so the fact that we're all on the same page (excuse the pun!) hopefully means we can take some of this and put it into practice. I did struggle getting through some of the chapters a bit - perhaps a natural byproduct of a multi author book. Overall a useful read.
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This is a book for any woman who is a member of a church body, who wants influence on serving their church. It covers a myriad of topics, such as gender roles within the church, Women’s sexuality, discipleship, and more. I thought every chapter was applicable. I most enjoyed the first chapter, where the author emphasizes placing the Word of God as paramount.
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Word-Filled Women’s Ministry contains a lot of foundational and practical information regarding biblically-based women’s ministry.
It covers everything from Biblical womanhood to Biblical women’s roles in the church to unique ministry examples and more.
A good read, and a fantastic resource.
