Editor’s note: In this four-part series, we’ve asked women from churches across Canada how women’s ministry plays out in their local context. From St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Vancouver, BC, these women describe both the aims and practical inner-workings of their women’s ministry. In this third instalment, we asked, “How Do You Train Female Leaders?” You can read their answers for “What Is a Healthy Women’s Ministry?” and “Why Is Ministry Among Women Important?” here and here.
Christel Humfrey, Calvary Grace Church, Calgary, AB
At Calvary Grace we have a number of ways that women can be equipped to fulfill leadership roles where biblically appropriate. The primary way is by sitting under good preaching and teaching. In the pew on Sunday morning we learn how to rightly read, interpret, and apply Scripture to our lives.
Our church also hosts a Learning Community for the UNION School of Theology where women who minister to women can do further theological education alongside men training for pastoral ministry.
On a more practical hands-on level, the women’s ministry leaders are always on the lookout for potential leaders among the women. Generally these are women who are already spiritual mothers among us. Their lives are shaped by God’s word and they quietly go about pouring themselves into the lives of other women and pointing them to Christ. One way that we support and equip these women is by inviting them to lead a small group women’s bible study under the oversight of our elders. Our pastor does some initial training with the leaders and they receive further feedback and encouragement along the way from other more experienced female leaders.
Miranda Webster, First Baptist Church Orillia
Training is caught and taught. Intentional classes and workshops must be organized and planned to deepen the understanding and knowledge of women leaders. The pastoral staff at my church provides a variety of leadership opportunities for women and further equips women leaders by investing time and energy in quality courses. Periodically, classes are taught by the pastor. Other times, qualified women teach and lead the course. Both are needed. Other training is observed by living life together. Seeing how a faithful believer cares for her children by teaching them how to pray is a type of training this does not happen in a formal classroom setting. It does happen when one woman invites another woman into her home.
Jennifer Winger, Calvary Baptist Church, St. John’s, NL
As we disciple one another and live in community, women with leadership skills start to naturally rise with initiative in using their gifts, and express a desire to serve. As leaders, we are always trying to discern people’s gifts and callings as part of their sanctification within the body. When we recognize that a woman is stepping forth more and more, we begin to pray and discuss with her where she sees the Lord leading her in ministry.
Our priority is that she is walking in a healthy way with the Lord and that she is focused on knowing and pursuing Christ first. We will then work with that woman to gently start putting her in ministry situations that give her a chance to serve in a safe environment- one that allows her to fail safely. She should be well involved in discipleship personally and in the community. As she serves, we give her more and more responsibility always meeting with her for support, prayer and assessment of how she is doing in her own walk. We provide curriculum and support for any kind of formal training the Lord may be leading her in.
Bronwyn Short, St. John’s Vancouver
- By running training in small group and bible study leadership for our women and/or by joining training that is regularly held by our church or offered in other places (ie. Simeon Trust or Women in the Word)
- By identifying, mentoring and training new leaders and immersing them in ministry, while being supported and given feedback and prayed for.
- By offering monthly gatherings for our leaders to debrief, pray and receive input.
- By keeping a mind-set of training, training, training for all the tasks required to run the ministry as well as for leading bible study.
- By writing Bibles studies that show HOW to read the word (ie.equip in the skills) as well as, read the content of the word.
- By asking leaders to identify any potential leaders.
- By praying to God to raise up leaders.
- By having a woman dedicated to the task of supporting leaders.
Sue MacDonald, Grace Toronto Church
We train female leaders by equipping them and giving them the opportunity to lead. We have a year long discipleship program where women lead women in smaller groups of 3-5. Women, who have gone through the year-long discipleship program, are then challenged the following year to become discipleship group leaders and/or to take leadership in other areas of the church. We have other programs that facilitate a leadership culture in our women. At our women’s conference, lay-women are encouraged to lead based on their gifts – some teach, some help organize, some emcee and some serve as panelists. We also have 6-week women’s bible studies that give women the opportunity to teach and lead women.
