The Center for Leadership Excellence and the Commission for the Status and Role of Women are teaming up in the hopes of offering more support for women in ministry in the NC Conference.
As a part of this endeavor, we are sending monthly emails of encouragement and suggestions for how women in ministry can support one another. If you would like to be added to our email list, sign up here. Or, you can check out past Encouragements emails in the archive at the bottom of this page.
Recent Encouragements
“My mother used to say,” the 95-year old church matriarch began (a phrase which usually indicated surprising humor or deep wisdom would follow), “your sacrificing years are the best ones; so don’t complain!” Her eyes twinkled as she gazed into my sleep-deprived eyes of early parenthood. Then she winked and squeezed my hand, because we both knew that there was indeed a right and holy time for some complaining. Especially when lack of sleep is involved.
Still, her mother’s words have stayed with me.
As spring is arriving and the earth is warming, it’s time for me to dust off my trusty bike and start to use a little peddle-power for exercise and entertainment. No one has ever looked at me and thought, there’s a cyclist. But I love riding my bike.
I also love watching cycling, especially the Tour de France. It is a grueling, three-week race that requires incredible endurance, but the most amazing part to me is the teamwork. Even though it is an individual sport, riders protect their own teammates.
There can sometimes be a sense of feeling overwhelmed in ministry. The to-do list is very long, the emails pile up within a matter of hours, and other projects call for our immediate attention. Then there are the challenges of serving alongside others and the possibility of roadblocks at times, not to mention balancing family and personal needs. This is when friends in ministry can be invaluable. They listen, they pray, they can help problem solve, and they speak words of hope and peace into one’s hectic and demanding life.