Being a woman with the spiritual gifts of teaching and leadership, when the Lord called me into ministry I ran into Christian leaders who believed the Bible confined women to the nursery or the kitchen. Worse, as a counselor, I met women whose pastors stood behind their abusive husbands. Such misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Scripture has harmed many in the body of Christ, and not just women. Continue Reading
Are You Thinking Too Much When You Need to Act?
I’m delighted to introduce you to Lisa Grimes and Paula Stafford. Lisa is one of my best friends and president of our Lighthouse Ministries board. Paula is an amazing woman and part of our weekly Bible study. Their book Remember Who YOU Are officially launches this week. I highly recommend it and asked them to share an excerpt with you.
With International Women’s Day on March 8th, Lisa and Paula’s new book is timely. It shares the wisdom they wish they had known at the outset of their careers and encourages professional women (and men) with immediate steps to more fully experience success, balance, and fulfillment in their careers and personal lives. Now from their book…
Whenever I speak to a group of women, there is one question that is always asked. “What would you do differently?” My answer is always the same. “I wish I had been more confident earlier in my career.” Looking back, I can say I was defensive in meetings because I wasn’t confident enough. I fell into the trap of competing with other women because I wasn’t confident enough. Because there were no letters behind my name in an industry filled with PhD’s and MDs, I was not confident enough. As it turns out, I was far from alone. In fact, I was a statistic.Continue Reading
Am I Being Shrewd or Stingy?
What is the difference between being shrewd and being stingy when securing services?
Many years ago I spearheaded a conference for youth. A musician friend, I’ll call John, agreed to travel with his family to lead the worship. He was FANTASTIC! His talented presence set an awesome tone that united youth groups from across the city.
The weekend was life changing for youth and adults alike. God was glorified. And I learned a big lesson. Price doesn’t equal value.
I thought I was being a good steward for the church and the conference. Too late, I realized I’d been inconsiderate of this major contributor. Let me explain.
John asked only that we cover his expenses. The speaker had suggested we bring in a band to draw students and celebrate after the conference. The singing duo cost more than the total price for John, the speaker, and the food. Our church chipped in to keep the cost down for the students.
By the time the conference ended everyone was spiritually high and physically exhausted. In hindsight, we didn’t need the band. I share this because if I’d realized the value John and the speaker would bring, I would have skipped the concert and gladly paid these men the difference.
This is an example of a problem I’ve seen repeated in various ways. Some of the same people who expect to pay for a restaurant meal or entertainment expect gifted professionals to share their life-changing services for a nominal fee or at no charge. On the other side, many in ministry are reluctant to ask a fair price for their services.Continue Reading
Sick Submission
I don’t mean to rant. But I get distressed when well-meaning people pass on teaching that hurts innocent people.
I believe in submission. Someone must take the helm or chaos erupts and needs are overlooked. I just don’t buy the rot that’s taught as biblical submission.
A dear woman said, “We need strong men. Every wife should tell her husband, ‘I’m in your corner no matter what. I’ll follow wherever you lead.’” When I gave some real life examples of couples I’ve worked with, she saw another side.
Psalms 119:160 says, “The sum of Your word is truth.” Scripture makes sense only in the context of the whole.
I was part of a church that held my friend’s philosophy. In a committee meeting I expressed a thought different from the pastor’s. Afterwards a man said, “Give the preacher what he wants. He’s the preacher.”
The committee was to come up with plans that served the flock—not stroke the pastor’s ego. The discussion helped us discover the best plan. As a leader, I’d be appalled if my committee wasn’t free to share their opinions.
Another leader called herself “God’s anointed” to justify her control. Even in the Old Testament there were three offices—king, prophet, and priest. The priests had to confront King Uzziah when he became strong and proudly overstepped his role. (2 Chron. 26:16-23)Continue Reading