Carol was in her early 50’s when we first met. I was a good two-and-a-half decades younger, and I thought she was cool. At first, I figured it was her clothes and hair that made her so “hip” and different from the other women in her age group. I soon realized it was something deeper. […]
Soul Care
Just like caring for your body, caring for your soul takes time, energy and commitment. Spiritual growth doesn’t occur in a vacuum, but happens in relationship with God and others. It requires transparency and vulnerability before God and each other during this life-long journey that transforms from the inside out. Soul care is taking the […]
ABC’s of Leadership
A leader is more than someone who has followers. She needs skill and then someone to lead well. Leadership of both large and small groups should include an acute sense of responsibility to God, the local church and the group itself. Leadership should arise out of who we are before God. A seasoned leader learns […]
Stay Little in Ministry
“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 I’ve had numerous conversations with my almost-teenage daughter about what it means to grow up. Do you start wearing makeup? Downloading different styles of music? Ignoring your family in public? Tenderly, I challenge my daughter. “Hon – don’t […]
5 Tips for Working with Volunteers
My grandmother was a master gardener…without the benefit of formal training. I don’t ever remember hearing her call a plant by its Latin name, but she could grow anything bigger and better than anyone I’ve ever known. We’d walk amid rows of sprouts, and she would occasionally point out a stray shoot and remark, “That […]
Turn Down the Volume as a Speaker
I feel like I should start this column like those support groups start… “Hello, my name is Jennifer.” (Then you say, “Hello Jennifer” and I continue…) “My name is Jennifer… and I am a speaker who used to yell!” There are several challenges facing women when it comes to public speaking. One is obvious… we […]
Meetings, Glorious Meetings, Part 2
Meetings get a bad rap. John Kenneth Gailbraith quipped, “Meetings are indispensable when you don’t want to do anything.” It’s truer than we care to admit, so last month, we began looking at how we can redeem the time spent in meetings by creating occasions that are purposeful and meaningful. We began by asking whether […]
Six Foundations of Personal Leadership
Ministry is like an iceberg. The visible part receives the most attention and is often used to measure success or failure. Yet, it’s the part that is hidden from view that is of greatest concern to God. Oswald Chambers wrote, “My worth to God in public is what I am in private.” Personal investments in […]
Meetings, Glorious Meetings, Part 1
Do meetings leave you feeling stirred or sleepy? Was your time well spent or wasted? Did you receive information that was fruitful or futile? Is it possible to make meetings into ministry? Meetings are a necessary part of ministry life, but they don’t have to be a bore, a chore or have everyone looking for […]
10 Qualifications for Women in Ministry
“Girlfriend!” How many times have you made this desperate call? From the store fitting room or the hospital waiting room, a good, godly girlfriend is often the first one we call. We call in crisis or in happier times, like when the last pair of clearance shoes is our size or the test results are […]
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