Studying Together: Deborah
Judges 4 & 5 – The poet William Ross Wallace wrote “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World.” In this poem, he praises motherhood for its influence in the world. Motherhood, in its most brief, yet most powerful description, can be written in one word: Influence.
Judges chapter four, verse four introduces us to Deborah. She is described as a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth and a judge in Israel. As we read through the Scripture record of her, we find a woman of strong leadership and faith. She encouraged Barak, a great general, to go forward against Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army. and expect a God-given victory.
When victory had been won, we read the thanksgiving song that she and Barak sing in chapter five of Judges. Deborah sings a line describing herself as arising as “a mother in Israel”. Of course, we know that she was not the biological mother of all the people in Israel. This is not what she meant. However, Deborah links motherhood with influence. Her great faith and insight gave great weight to her counsel; an influence that she would liken to the that of a mother. What a tool!
Whether in a natural or a spiritual sense, we can be “mothers” of influence. The truth is, that we, most likely, already are – for the good or for the bad! The strength of Deborah’s influence lay in the strength of her relationship with God. May we each be strong mothers within our sphere of influence, anchored in our relationship with the God of all victory!
Harmony Pace, Euro Ladies Ministries Director
Chatting Together: Christene Moreno
Hello, my name is Christene Moreno and I live in Athens, Greece with my amazing, handsome husband, Joshua Moreno, and our 3 kids: Esther, Naomi, and Judah. We have served in the Athens area for 10 years and prior to that, we AIMed in Antioch, Türkiye for 2 years. I love Jesus more than anything, and winning people for His kingdom is my passion. Some of my favorites are coffee, good food and adventures!
How long have you been leading Ladies ministries?
I have been co-leading Ladies Ministries at The Crossroads Church in Athens since 2018.
What scripture would best describe your Ladies ministries?
Proverbs 31:10 “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”
Many women, of all ages, often feel worthless and unworthy of anything good. I try to encourage them that they are priceless! This is a scripture I often use and teach to our ladies.
What has been your greatest challenge in Ladies Ministries?
Availability! With the busyness of life, it has been challenging for ladies to be available. It’s hard to work with people who are never there or can never free themselves up to be a part of what is happening. It has often been challenging to get ladies to see the importance of prioritizing God and church/ministry over everything else.
What has been your greatest victory in Ladies Ministries?
Winning new ladies to the Lord! In one of our first Ladies Conferences, we had a new lady come that someone in our church had been teaching Bible Studies to. She received the Holy Ghost that night, got baptized shortly thereafter, and has never stopped coming. Her whole family was saved. That is a great victory!
What tip would you have for motivating ladies to be a part of Ladies Ministries?
Make it exciting. People want to be a part of something that is enjoyable and uplifting. Serving God is fun and we can have fun while we serve in His Kingdom.
What have you tried that works best?
Fellowship! Ladies love to eat, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. This is also a good chance to bring new ladies to a non-threatening, informal introduction to the church.
Do you have a specific resource you would like to share?
I love the Reflections magazine we get from Ladies Ministries International. I often use them and pass them around for others to read. When teaching about modesty I enjoy using “The Girl in the Dress” series by Lori Wagner and highly recommend reading “Guarding the Channels of the Supernatural” by Kim Haney.
Has your Ladies Ministries done any community outreach? Tell us about it.
Yes, Greece is flooded with refugees from time to time. Our ladies, alongside our Youth Department, have gathered goods and put together care packages for the community where most of these refugees reside.
What advice or encouragement would you give to someone who is just starting out?
Showing ladies that you care about them goes a long way. A simple hug or a quick conversation to check on them makes all the difference. Most people will forget what you say, but everyone will always remember how you make them feel. Make your ladies feel important!
Debra Summers, Euro Ladies Ministries Secretary
Leading Together: Who, Me?
They say that you don’t truly know if you’re ready to be a parent until you start having children. In my case, this is true. For a few years, I felt like I wasn’t ready to be a mother because I had trouble keeping the laundry washed and the dishes cleaned. Today, a giggling toddler runs around our home, and the laundry still occasionally remains unwashed, and the dishes dirty. In my mind, I allowed these insignificant details to become imaginary requirements that I had to meet before I could reach motherhood.
I wonder how Mary felt when the angel appeared to her with the message that she would give birth to the Messiah. Did she have a list of characteristics that she wanted to develop, or a list of accomplishments that she believed would make her ready? All we know is her response: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) The Lord gave her everything she needed for her task. He caused her to become pregnant; then, He comforted her when she heard the whispers of those who gossiped about her pregnancy. He gave her the strength to travel 4 days to reach Bethlehem, and He was with her when she gave birth to the infant Jesus. She was not alone during any step of her journey.
How often do we look at ourselves and say, “Who, me?” when God gives us a task? Probably much more than we should. And yet, God still trusts us enough to ask us to help Him! Just as He proved Himself faithful to Mary as she completed her task of giving birth to our Savior, He will prove Himself faithful to us as we obey the plans He has for our lives. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, when Paul asks God to remove the thorn from his flesh, God tells him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God’s grace and glory shines through our imperfections, and His spirit is faithful to help us accomplish what He sets before us. All we need is a willing heart like Mary’s who will say, “Let it be to me according to your word.”
Don’t wait until you’re ready – Jesus will help you! Simply take a step of faith forward and He will give you what you need.
Candace Lindholm
Meeting Together
Hebrews 10:25 admonishes us to not forsake gathering together. One great tool for a successful Ladies Ministry in your church can be ladies meetings.
Regularly scheduled meetings can serve several important purposes:
- They bring ladies together on a different level than a church service does. Ladies get to know each other on a more intimate level and you, as the leader, also get to know the ladies more intimately. This can lead to a greater understanding of people’s situations, which leads to opportunities for ministering to each other on a deeper level.
- They are an excellent outreach tool! Encourage your ladies to invite their friends to a meeting. Many will come to this type of a gathering before they would come to a church service, but as they get to know you and begin to learn God’s Word, a hunger will develop within their hearts to know more.
You may decide to have a monthly meeting, or quarterly, or maybe just on special holidays. Whichever you decide, the purpose of this column is to give you some inspiration for doing a themed Ladies Meeting.
Although Mother’s Day has already been celebrated in the United Kingdom, for many of us, we will celebrate this special day in the month of May, therefore, our first issue will be about a Mother’s Day theme.
Hats Off to Mothers
Because of the many duties we perform, it can be said that mothers “wear many hats,” and this will be the theme upon which we build this meeting.
Key Verse: Proverbs 31:10 – “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.”
Color Scheme: Pink and white or lavender and white (for decorations and table settings, if you choose to do so.)
Mother’s hats: This list is not exhaustive so put on your creative hat and add as many as you would like.
- Tiara: A godly wife is worth more than rubies. (Proverbs 31:10; 18:22)
- Nurse’s cap: Caring for sick children and tending to scraped knees.
- Graduation hat: Mothers teach their children practical skills as well as spiritual principles.
- Chef’s hat: Cooking nutritious meals for the family.
- Maid’s hat: House cleaner and organizer of all things.
- Baseball cap: Coaching her children in many aspects of their lives.
- Super hero: Every mother is a super hero to her children, and let’s face it, we have to be super heroes to accomplish everything we have to do on a daily basis.
To emphasize the theme, you could ask each lady to wear a hat to the meeting. (Have some extra hats available for those who may forget, or who may not have a hat.) For more inspiration, check out this You Tube video.
Perhaps you would like to have a Mother/Daughter Meal. Each mother could be given a pink flower to wear. You could choose a few of the daughters to write a letter or a poem about their mother and she could read it to the group.
Hopefully this short outline gives you some ideas. If you decide to go with this theme, we would love to see your photos and hear how it worked for you. Please feel free to send your pictures to me at [email protected].
Crystal Wallace
Teaching Together
In this section, we will share with you some books or Bible Study/devotion outlines from ladies across our region, that can be used to study with your group of ladies.
Bible Study: Being a Godly Mother
Being a mother, either physical or spiritual, is an honor, as well as a responsibility. With the Lord’s direction and help, I have been, and am continuing to be a “mother” to my own children, grandchildren, and to the children (younger and older) in our local church.
Mothers must understand the influence we have, and must have on our children. We need to walk in truth, be godly examples and be easily accessible to those who are following us as we follow our Lord Jesus Christ.
What to do? What to say? How to be?
- Let’s love the Lord (Luke 10:27) and love others according to 1 Corinthians 13.
- Let’s study the Word for ourselves and for others. Knowing the Scriptures will give us the necessary words and advice needed. Study, think, and be – that’s the key! Philippians 4:8, Titus 2:4-5
- Let’s seek wisdom. We need it for ourselves and for others. How well do we communicate? What and how do we want to impart the wisdom that comes from the Lord Jesus? James 3:17, and the 31 chapters of Proverbs.
- Let’s praise, worship and pray privately as well as publicly. We must be examples, and be willing to pray with and for the children we are leading and influencing. Philippians 4:4-7
- Let’s walk in the Spirit! The Lord knows all: our hearts and the hearts of those we want to influence. We want to be examples of joy, thankfulness, humility and service. Galatians 5:16
Dear mothers, we are and will be blessed as we live and serve as godly examples. May our children say: “I, too want to be a follower and disciple of Jesus.” That is our goal, that is our joy.
Submitted by Melissa Majdling, pastor’s wife, Bordeaux, France
Bible Study Recommendation: More to Life Series
Author: UPCI Ladies Ministries
Language: English
A three-part Bible study with twelve lessons from the More to Life Series designed for women. Each lesson will bring meaning and blessing to your life, with the realization that we need God’s protection, grace, and peace. Lessons are scriptural and easy to understand, interactive, with practical applications for life, and includes prayers from the Word of God. Finding God’s Favor is book one in the series. Other books in this series: Pursuing God’s Plan (Book 2); Walking God’s Way (Book 3)
Fanny Cooney
“She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.” Mark 14:8-9 (NLT)