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Category Archives: women’s ministry

5 Ways to Spiritually Nurture Your Grandchildren

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Today I’m thrilled to have my friend Janet Thompson - who is a grandmother several times over – share with us today about ways we can spiritually nurture our grandchildren. (These tips would work with your own children too!) Janet, the author of a dozen books and Bible studies, has just released a new study in the New Hope Publishers line of Bible studies for women. “Face-to-Face with Lois and Eunice: Nurturing Faith in Your Family” helps women learn to pass their faith on to the next generation.

The only woman in the Bible referred to as a “grandmother” is Timothy’s grandmother, Lois. She and her daughter Eunice received accolades from the Apostle Paul on their rearing of his protégé and future pastor, young Timothy: “I [Paul] have been reminded of your sincere faith which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5, NIV).

He later adds: “And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15, NIV).

As a grandmother of 11 grandchildren who all know about Jesus (and some know Jesus as their Savior), here’s what I’ve learned from Lois:

  1. Pray for, mentor, and nurture the faith of your adult children—the parents of your grandchildren.
  2. Give with a purpose. Choose gifts that introduce grandchildren to Jesus at an early age. Shop at Christian bookstores or online to find age-appropriate games, books, DVDs, CDs, and toys.
  3. Look for opportunities to talk to grandchildren about Jesus and His love for them.
  4. Be a role model that family members admire and respect.
  5. Assume an active role in your grandchildren’s lives, even if you live far apart. Stay current and don’t criticize the things that interest them. Learn their communication style and method—email, texting, Skype or FaceTime, cell phone, social networking, etc. Remain relatable and relational with each generation.

Lois and Eunice were intentional in raising Timothy in the faith. The world didn’t set standards for their home, God did. They knew God’s Word and taught it to Timothy. I’ve found songs are one effective means to help children (and their parents) learn Scripture. Most kids love to sing along to CDs in the car and soon Mommy and Daddy are learning the words too.

Parents are often so busy raising their children that they rely on the church to educate the kids spiritually. We grandparents are usually at a stage of life where we can help parents nurture faith in the home. If relationships are strained with adult children or you don’t live close, you can still pray for them and/or keep in touch in different ways.

My prayer is that my legacy to my grandchildren will be: “Grammie taught us about the Bible and Jesus, and she lived what she believed.”

Share with us what are you doing to leave a spiritual legacy with your family.

 Find out more about Janet, her speaking, and books.

Get your own copy of “Face-to-Face with Lois and Eunice: Nurturing Faith in Your Family.”

Join the M.O.M. revolution!

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I asked my dear friend Stephanie Shott to share with us today about an exciting new movement she’s initiated. If you’re a mom, a grandma, an aunt, or ever want to be a mom, don’t miss this!

 

The M.O.M. Initiative

Many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice and never has to count to three, but we all know being a good mom is not that easy. Those sweet little bundles of joy don’t come with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own.

What is the M.O.M. Initiative?

“Mothers On a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers” is a group of moms and a package of resources to equip, enable and support women as they experience Titus 2 principles in real life. It is a mentoring package of resources that give Christian mothers an easy, hands on approach to passionately pursue mentor relationships with younger mothers and mothers-to-be, and ultimately impact the next generation for Christ. Simply stated, the M.O.M. Initiative exists to help moms become the best moms they can possibly be.

The M.O.M. Initiative website

Virtual encouragement for real life moms: The website is a safe place to grow as a mother, to gain a better understanding of what a mother is and what a mother does, and to foster and support mentor/mentee relationships.

Virtual mentoring in times of need:  Find practical tips, helpful tools, godly wisdom, and informative insight on current issues. The M.O.M. Initiative website also offers a private chat room where a mom can connect virtually with a mentor and find help in times of need. The website offers help for both the mentor and the mentee.

Practical articles for every season of life: A diverse and experienced group of moms provide the helpful and insightful articles on the M.O.M. Initiative website. Not only are they passionate about ministering to the hearts of mothers, they are also writers, speakers, counselors, nurses, or experts in their fields who devote much time and effort to serving other mothers.

The M.O.M. Initiative workbook

This workbook – currently in development – will be an invaluable tool to help Christian moms mentor other moms in the church and beyond. This eight-week study, five lessons per week, study will:

  • Present moms with biblical truths and solid information on the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and developmental needs of a child
  • Foster insight through thought provoking questions
  • Encourage moms to implement proactive mothering techniques
  • Include a M.O.M. mentor guide and a missional planning guide

Giving birth to the M.O.M. Initiative

M.O.M. Initiative founder Stephanie Shott was a single mom at age nineteen. Without Christ and without a mentor, she made a series of serious choices that affected her precious young son. When Stephanie became a Christian five years later she learned being a mom is much more than a three-letter word and a handful of sacrifices. The significance of Titus 2:4-5 deeply impacted her.

Stephanie’s experience fostered passion for mentoring moms and birthed the vision for the M.O.M. Initiative. Her goal is to impact not just church moms, but to also facilitate mentoring relationships with young moms wherever they are found – in homes for unwed mothers, low-income housing projects, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile shelters, schools, hospitals, the mission field and more. (Planning guides for each of these venues will be available in the back of the book.)

Will you join the M.O.M revolution? The M.O.M. Initiative is not just a book. It’s not just a website. IT’S A REVOLUTION!

 

Is your faith unshakeable? – #3 Post of 2011

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This blog was originally posted in February 2011 with the release of my third Bible study “Unshakeable Faith.” It is the 3rd most read post of 2011.

Over the last few years, many Christian women I love and admire have endured difficult circumstances such as life-threatening illness, divorce, death of a child, and financial hardship. The quality of their faith significantly affected how they endured these trials and how God worked in them for His glory. God strengthened and guided them through their close relationship with Jesus.

Their experiences made me wonder how I would do in the same circumstances. Like most women, I manage to juggle the everyday things of life – work, family, ministry, and home life – without too much difficulty. But sometimes, even in just a small crisis, my self-sufficiency is shaken. Would I stand firm in really hard times or would these trials knock me flat? I began to ask God to show me how my faith could be prepared.

God pointed me to the apostle Peter. Peter was just an ordinary man, a fisherman. He worked hard. He had a family and friends. Peter was passionate and a natural leader, but he was also headstrong and impetuous. Peter had sworn to follow Jesus unconditionally, no matter the circumstances. Yet on the night Jesus was betrayed, his faith wavered and he denied His Lord. But then several decades later Peter willingly faced martyrdom rather than deny Him again.

This study is about what made the difference in Peter’s faith. Unshakeable Faith looks closely at Peter’s life and teachings to discover some of the key characteristics God built into his faith that helped him stand firm in the face of death. That’s the kind of faith I want to have.

I want this study to really make a difference in women’s lives, not just give them more knowledge. Studying God’s Word is wonderful, but if we don’t apply what He teaches us, let it shape our lives, then we fall short of the full purpose of study. Unshakeable Faith not only leads readers into learning God’s Word, but it also purposefully helps readers apply it. In addition to each week’s application section, there is a “Faith Shaker” story that helps us see how that faith trait works in real life. These stories are about real women who have faced a life trial with which many readers will relate. Readers get to see how their faith keeps them standing firm. A strong faith in Jesus Christ does work in real life!

Do you have a story of unshakeable faith? How has God held you up and brought you through life’s difficulties?

 

Unshakeable Faith: 8 Traits for Rock-Solid Living, is an 8-session Bible study for women published by New Hope Publishers. This study helps readers apply 8 key “faith traits” found in the life of Peter so they will be prepared to weather the harshest storms of life. Find out more.

Do we really need women’s ministry? – #4 Post of 2011

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This week I’m sharing the most read posts of 2011. The following post also had the most comments of any post of 2011. Click here to read the original post (December 2, 2011) with all the comments.

There’s been a bit of debate in recent years about whether or not churches should have separate  programs just for women. In fact, many churches have discontinued their women’s ministries. Some say it’s a financial decision. Others say that churches simply don’t need it.

I’ve been in women’s ministry leadership for many years. I’ve seen God do amazing things through women’s Bible studies, women’s outreach events, women’s mentoring programs, women’s retreats, and more. Through my experience I’ve learned several things about women and I could tell you story after story to illustrate them:

  • Women are usually more open to discussing spiritual things than men.
  • Women are more willing to be vulnerable and open to new relationships.
  • If we can reach the woman, we can very often reach her entire family.

I’d love to get a dialogue going about our need for women’s ministry and what we can do to best reach women in our community. Here are a few online articles I’ve come across recently that make great fuel for our discussion.

  • Women’s ministry has incredible potential to impact the women of your church and community. Great thoughts in this article: “What Women’s Ministry Can Be.”
  • We need women’s ministry now more than ever. According to a recent study, the percentage of women attending and leading in churches has declined. According to this article in Christianity Today we must be training Christian women to reach out to other women: “The Newest US Mission Field: Women”
  • This author emphasizes that women’s ministry should not be another social club. We need to help women find Jesus, deep community, and spiritual growth: “Why We Don’t Need Women’s Ministry”

So let’s talk! You may be a ministry leader, volunteer, or participant. I’d love to know what you think about this topic. I’d also like to hear about what your church is doing.

Do we really need women’s ministry?

Posted on by

There’s been a bit of debate in recent years about whether or not churches should have separate  programs just for women. In fact, many churches have discontinued their women’s ministries. Some say it’s a financial decision. Others say that churches simply don’t need it.

I’ve been in women’s ministry leadership for many years. I’ve seen God do amazing things through women’s Bible studies, women’s outreach events, women’s mentoring programs, women’s retreats, and more. Through my experience I’ve learned several things about women and I could tell you story after story to illustrate them:

  • Women are usually more open to discussing spiritual things than men.
  • Women are more willing to be vulnerable and open to new relationships.
  • If we can reach the woman, we can very often reach her entire family.

 

I’d love to get a dialogue going about our need for women’s ministry and what we can do to best reach women in our community. Here are a few online articles I’ve come across recently that make great fuel for our discussion.

  • Women’s ministry has incredible potential to impact the women of your church and community. Great thoughts in this article: “What Women’s Ministry Can Be.”
  • We need women’s ministry now more than ever. According to a recent study, the percentage of women attending and leading in churches has declined. According to this article in Christianity Today we must be training Christian women to reach out to other women: “The Newest US Mission Field: Women”
  • This author emphasizes that women’s ministry should not be another social club. We need to help women find Jesus, deep community, and spiritual growth: “Why We Don’t Need Women’s Ministry”

So let’s talk! You may be a ministry leader, volunteer, or participant. I’d love to know what you think about this topic. I’d also like to hear about what your church is doing.