Recently, I’ve been reflecting on something Henry Blackaby said: “The church doesn’t have a leadership problem; it has a discipleship problem.” I’ve found myself thinking about that, especially when talking with pastors of smaller churches who are discouraged because they don’t see enough people stepping into leadership roles. What if the question isn’t “Why aren’t […]
Why multi-generational women’s ministry works
Research shows women make up 50-60% of the attendance at our churches across the country. When we look at our Illinois churches that are running 50 or less in attendance, it’s been my experience that most of our pastors recognize the intentionality of the women seeking to be discipled and further their leadership opportunities who […]
Realigning with God’s purpose
Lately I’ve been reading Priscilla Shirer’s study, Elijah. In his showdown with the prophets of Baal, Elijah proved who was truly God, because only God could light the sacrifice. Yet so many times, we go to the altar, bring the sacrifice, and light the fire. Then the fire burns off quickly because it was never […]
Investing in younger leaders benefits everyone
When our team is working on a project or event, it often becomes apparent we need other voices in the process. We identify a gap in our collective knowledge about a particular topic or task. Then we need to expand the table to make room for a leader to bring her own skills and experiences. […]
Lifting our shields of faith, together
I love being in a room where I’m meeting women in our IBSA family. As I talk to them and learn more about their stories, I start to get a sense of their scars—those things that have cut deeply, caused trauma, and left a mark. We all have multiple scars, and in those rooms, I […]