Why Another Ministry?

This was originally posted on THE AROMA OF INFLUENCE blog at www.beyondordinarywomen.org, the website of the new ministry founded by Kay.

Is there need for another ministry, especially at a time when so many great organizations request funds to help those living in poverty and with injustice? Is our mission necessary to the extension of the kingdom of God? As I asked God about beginning Beyond Ordinary Women Ministries, I sensed that his answer was yes.

Why?
Because Jesus’s great command for the church is to go and make disciples, which involves a two-part strategy—baptizing them and teaching them (Matt. 28:18-20). Those who set out to fulfill this commission must be mature in character and trained in ministry. Paul says that God has given gifted people to equip the church to serve others (Eph. 4:11-16), and Beyond Ordinary Women Ministries (BOW) seeks to help them do that well.

BOW will provide resources for discipling and equipping women to grow their influence in their workplaces, homes, communities, and churches. As women are challenged, encouraged, and equipped to accept God’s call to reach out to others both near and far, it benefits the church and other ministries. Our focus is small and under-resourced churches that lack trained leaders. As we go and develop women in their home churches, they are prepared to extend the love of Christ to others.

It is thrilling that the American evangelical church is awakening to the needs of the world and is extending the care of Jesus to them. Too long we have lived comfortably in our homes and gathered in our state-of-the-art churches with little regard for the physical needs of the rest of the world. I appreciate this change in emphasis and the many new ministries formed to deliver such assistance.

In our fervor to alleviate poverty and injustice both in the U.S. and overseas, however, we must remember that those doing such work must be grounded, trained, equipped, and matured at home so they are ready and able to do great work elsewhere, producing fruit that is not only physical but also spiritual. The current swing in ministry focus must not discount the necessity of preparing the laborers well.

Join us in supporting the equipping work of the church. I invite you as pastors of small churches to use our teams of seasoned leaders to challenge and train your women. All of you can help us with prayer and donations of any size to equip women in remote, small, and under-resourced churches to serve others.

God is on the move; we must prepare women to step up and extend their spiritual influence everywhere they go.