June 2017

The Surprising Reason Women Go to Seminary

And what it can teach churches about discipling women.
The Surprising Reason Women Go to Seminary

I grew up in a church with an abundance of female role models, and I enjoyed the support of two enthusiastic parents. They spotted my gifts early, and helped name my calling. When I decided to attend seminary, no one was more excited than they were, and nothing about this path seemed unusual to me.

In reality, it was.

Not many women go to seminary, and even fewer seek the M.Div., ...

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Join Our Summer Study Group

Meet with women from across the country for community, encouragement, and discussion.
Join Our Summer Study Group

I was naïve when I took my first staff position at a church—about a lot of things. As the minister for small groups and community outreach, I was eager to get started and excited to join people together in meaningful community gatherings. The church didn’t have small groups prior to my arrival, and I knew I’d face some battles getting buy-in, but there ...

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How I Found a Support Network

5 ways I formed a group of women leaders around me
How I Found a Support Network
Image: iStock

I remember the first time I found “my people.” I had been invited to present several workshops at a conference for women ministry leaders. It was the first time I was exposed to a group of people just like me. Women! And not just women, but women who were leaders! In ministry! In the large group sessions, in the workshops, and in the speakers’ room—these ...

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The Extra Job in My Head

How to take a mental break when your mind is filled with reminders of your to-do list
The Extra Job in My Head
Image: iStock

I was sitting in a meeting with my team when I found myself drifting off to my to-do list located smack dab in my head: the sheets need changing, the dog needs groomed, the chicken’s been thawed for two days and needs to be cooked before it goes bad. On and on and on. This wasn’t a random occurrence of my mind wandering. This happens daily. It’s as if I’m ...

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Four Questions to Ask When Complacency Calls

With all the politicking, protesting, and terrorizing, it’s tempting to give up the fight.
Four Questions to Ask When Complacency Calls
Image: iStock

My husband recently teased, "What are you freedom fighting this week?" I snickered, because we both know how my empathetic tendencies get ignited when bedlam wreaks havoc on our broken world, and within the people to which we minister. I want to always be ready to battle for hurting people while pointing them to the God who heals. But too often lately, I find myself ...

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3 Reasons to Heed Limits in Your Leadership

As leaders, we naturally get frustrated by limits. But we can use them to our advantage.
3 Reasons to Heed Limits in Your Leadership
Image: iStock

Recently I was pursuing an opportunity that I was really excited about. Not only was it something that I would enjoy, but also it would enable me to be closer to my family and be helpful to the future of The 4Sight Group. I started out cautiously optimist, and with each step it seemed that this opportunity was going to become a reality. But then a major roadblock emerged unexpectedly ...

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Diminish the Power of Negative Circumstances

Take control of your circumstances by changing your mindset.
Diminish the Power of Negative Circumstances
Image: iStock

In 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. preached a sermon titled, “Looking Beyond Your Circumstances.” It was eight years before his “I Have a Dream” speech that would change America’s course. In this lesser-known sermon, Dr. King suggests that one of the great temptations is to become too absorbed in our circumstances, which leads to the conclusion that ...

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