Jul 10 7:10 PM

The Women Around Me

Jul 10 7:10 PM
Jul 10 7:10 PM

Jodi Kenney is an Army wife, mother and household manager. She is also the Communications Coordinator for MCC. She and her family have been attending MCC since 2016.

I grew up in a family of three girls, with the fourth being my mother. Being a part of a group of women, bound-together through life’s joys, struggles and experiences, is something I am intimately familiar with. What I did not realize, until years later, is that there was so much more that I needed than just sharing experiences.  As women of faith, we are not bound simply by experiences; we are bound by our love for Christ, our devotion to His Word and by the building-up of His body of believers.  Women’s Ministry is something distinctly unique. A gift from God.

As I found the Lord through Women’s Ministry, He moved us, deployed us, and challenged us.  Every church, every community, every struggle found me leaning on the women around me for support. I have been taught more from the one-on-one relationships solidified in Women’s Ministry, bible studies, prayer groups, meals ministries, and fellowship events, than from any single sermon. It’s where I feel most comfortable to make mistakes, to cry and to laugh out loud, to ask the stupid questions and to, when necessary, share my fears.  And, more than once, completely fall apart. You see, these women showed me how to live what my pastors taught:

Keep seeking God: I saw that it was safe to ask any question in my search for God by Linda’s graceful responses during my very first bible study…in the book of Revelation.

Give selflessly: I saw that in June, as she called to check on me every single day of Dave’s deployment, just so I knew that someone saw me and someone cared.

Always offer hospitality: I saw that in all the women of Dyer’s Creek Church each time those women fed a mourning family.

Study God’s word daily: I saw that in Jeri as she cultivated our love of the Word by showing us her devotion to God’s Word every week in Explorer’s Bible Study.  

Pray: I saw and learned that as Mildred taught me how to pray; week by week in our prayer group and in Donna, as she prayed over my family during a difficult season.

Reach out to the newcomer: I saw that in Pam’s invitation to walk and Elizabeth’s invitation to tea when I first arrived in the East Mountains.

Disciple other women: I saw that in Avril as she taught me how to be a leader in Sanctuary Bible Church’s Women’s Ministry.

For me Women’s Ministry isn’t about events, it’s about the relationships cultivated and ultimately the lives intertwined, through living life together, side-by-side, prayer-by-prayer, study-by-study. Women’s Ministry is about speaking God’s truth into women’s lives; it’s about discipleship, about filling in the gaps and watching for those who may not have been seen. It is answering the question: “Is there a place for me?” with a resounding YES!

Women will always need relationships with other women. I will always need godly role-models who can speak God’s truths into my life. Who have walked the hard road and who can guide me through things I’ve never experienced. I will never stop needing these women.

Are you, like me, wanting to build relationships with other Godly women?

0 comments
We are Sent to Serve
May 3 3:25 PM

We are Sent to Serve

May 3 3:25 PM
May 3 3:25 PM
Renee and I planned to have lunch together yesterday to catch up on our lives and just generally enjoy ourselves. 
However, God had far greater plans for us. A young man named Jordan sat down to talk with Renee as she waited for me outside the restaurant. He shared a bit about how he'd just gotten out of jail, how he'd been misunderstood, and how he was trying to get his life together.  When I arrived, Renee stood up and told him that she'd pray for him, and we both started walking away.  He stopped us, though, and asked if we had a couple dollars.  We said no, but Renee offered to...
Read More
0 comments
Digging In: Studying the Bible in Context
Apr 28 11:39 AM

Digging In: Studying the Bible in Context

Apr 28 11:39 AM
Apr 28 11:39 AM

I will never forget the spring I truly learned about the profound importance of biblical context. It started with a woman who came to see me for counsel. She was terribly depressed because her children were sick and she truly believed it was her fault. It turns out that she thought she didn’t have enough faith! When I tried to clarify, she impatiently said, “You know ‘By His stripes you are healed.’ 1 Peter 2:24.”

So, we looked at the passage, and yes, that was the exact wording. But 1 Peter is not about health at all, it is all about...

Read More
0 comments

back

subpages

Contact Us

*** You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form ***