The Church’s Next Great Crisis

What does it cost us when half the church’s gifts go untapped?

I’ve been wrestling with this question quite a lot lately.

Conversations are stirring in the church world about our inability to engage the 21st century female.

“I don’t know where I fit in the church.”

“I feel like I don’t belong because I’m a single woman and everything the church does is for wives and mothers.”

“I don’t want to just serve in the nursery or kids’ ministry, but I don’t know how to get involved in other ways.”

These are statements that I hear repeatedly.

Before I came on ministry staff full-time, I felt this way too…

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  • Rich Johnson June 27, 2011  

    So help me (us) figure this out.  How do we (pastors and staff) help a single woman get meaningfully involved in the church OR putting her God-given gifts to work in places outside of the church? 
    I don’t hear these comments at our church probably because we’re just 20 weeks into the deal. But I don’t want to ever hear them either.  So i’m thinking through this question as well.  It will cost the church a lot!  A great deal to ignore or disregard the amazing gifts in single women that go well beyond children’s ministry and folding bulletins.  Outreach is a huge focus of our church so we’re leaning towards empowering people to create new ministry opportunities in their spheres of influence.  But we haven’t gotten past the dreaming stage.Thanks for provoking the thought wheel.

    • Anonymous June 28, 2011  

      Rich, thank you so much for taking this issue seriously. How you build the culture of your church now will set the pace for the future. I would just encourage you to find some women to serve among your leadership team early on. If you are purposeful to draw out the gifts of women, you’ll create a culture where women know they are welcomed into ministry.

      I’m so grateful for leaders like you who are willing to recognize the concern. Thank you!