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It all began with a seemingly innocent question: "Does anyone have any prayer requests?"

An hour later, the prayer requests were still going strong.

For many women's small groups, this is a common occurrence. Prayer requests and even Bible study time can often turn into long-running therapy sessions in which women unload the anxieties and worries of their weeks ...

One of the ways I lead within my church is to teach a spiritual class for women. For ten years, I have taught a weekly class, often taking a group of 50 to 60 women through a spiritually challenging book. We dive in deep, spending several months going through chapter by chapter, taking time to discuss, to reflect in solitude, to learn.

The best thing about this class, ...

This fall I've been through one of the biggest transitions in my career, and it's not just the job responsibilities. After spending seven years in working almost exclusively with women, I now spend the majority of my time with men.

And I love it.

For a woman as "pro-women" as I am, it's a little hard to write that sentence. I have a stake in promoting ...

It seems that everywhere I look, I see an example of bad leadership. And it's not just in the realm of business or politics, either. I've seen pastors and Christian leaders make poor decisions, or make good ones and implement them badly. It's not a problem limited to our day, either. Reading the Sermon on the Mount, it's clear that Jesus doesn't mince ...

Last month, at a benefit for Breakthrough Urban Ministries, my friend Arloa Sutter—its founder and executive director as well as author of The Invisible: What the Church Can Do to Find and Serve the Least of These—said their ministry goals stretched beyond feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, finding jobs for the jobless and giving hope to the hopeless. ...

Kathryn Stockett's The Help has been one of my recently treasured reads. An intricate tale of racism in Jackson, Mississippi, that I found myself both enthralled and appalled with as I turned her pages.

Sotckett, anticipating this judgment on her home state said, "Mississippi is like my mother. I am allowed to complain about her all I want, but God help the person ...

Sue Miller is a pioneer among female leaders. She is a vision-caster, a people-builder, and a woman who knows—from the inside—how to change the church. Sue is revolutionized children's ministry in our generation, beginning with Willow Creek and expanding throughout the country with the publication of the book, Making Your Children's Ministry the Best ...

Making the call about when and how to step out of a leadership role tops my all-time list of "Things I Hate." I would venture to guess that you've been there; that the struggle leaders face over when, how and why to step away—although circumstantially unique—are somewhat common.

Earlier this year, I stepped out of a role that played a significant ...

One of the greatest monsters that I wrestle with in my leadership is being confident in the calling and gifting God has for me. I battle the usual suspects of insecurity, fear and the obsessive need to compare myself to others. These enemies to my confidence can get the best of me if I let them.

One of my favorite leaders from Scripture is Deborah. I love to unpack the ...

If you read the GFL e-newsletter, you may recall my mention of a certain giddiness when I saw an ad for a one-day conference about "Women and Christian History" being held right in my neighborhood. Well, this past weekend, I went.

Some highlights for me included seeing archaeological evidence of women priests, deacons and elders in the early church, and that ...