One of the best decisions I’ve made for my life was to join a ladies Bible study group just after the birth of my daughter Annie. I had never done Bible study in a group setting before, and went in a little unsure and nervous. I’m so glad I fought those insecurities and showed up because that first Bible study changed my life forever. 

That was over two decades ago and I'm still doing bible study with small groups of women and my knowledge of and relationship with God has grown immensely.  These studies have also allowed me to develop friendships with other women which have helped to shape me into the woman, wife, mother and Christ follower that I am today.

I’m thankful for these women who have walked beside me during the varied seasons of my life. Seasons as a wife throughout my marriage, seasons as a mom raising a daughter from diapers to adulthood, seasons as a pastor’s wife walking through different stages of ministry, emotionally hard seasons, joyous and fruitful seasons. These women have laughed with me, cried with me, prayed for me, and encouraged my faith and without them in my life, navigating each season would have been drastically harder. Navigating those season with them has cemented in me our need to be engaged with other Godly women. God has shown me that the seasons I’ve walked through and the lessons I’ve learned aren’t just for my benefit and shaping but they are also for the benefit and shaping of others.

In Sophie Hudson’s book Giddy-Up Eunice she speaks of “cross-generational friendships.” She says, “it’s how we are supposed to live our lives: older women need younger women and younger women need older women. We’re meant to walk through life together. Blessing and learning from the ones ahead of us and investing in the ones behind us.” Now more than ever I realize that Gen X & Boomer girls need Gen Z & Millennial girls and vice versa.

This is the heart of Women’s Ministry at Gateway. For women to realize God has placed us in each other’s lives for a reason. These relationships are vital to our growth and development as spiritually influential women.

IMITATE-INVEST-INFLUENCE

are the guiding principles in our Women’s Ministry at Gateway. 

IMITATE CHRIST 

Paul says in Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Our desire as Christians should be to pursue our relationship with Christ in such a manner that we strive to imitate Him. If I’m honest the thought of someone imitating me is a bit scary and the weight of that responsibility is heavier when I try to do things in my own strength and abilities, but when I seek God first and imitate Him, that weight is lifted. When I imitate Christ, I can have peace and confidence when others imitate me.

Who are you imitating?

INVEST IN OTHERS

If we are not careful days, weeks, months and even years can fly by without us ever taking the time to invest in someone else's life. We’re all busy and it takes time and patience for relationships to grow. It also takes intentionality for the quality of those relationships to develop into what God truly desires for them to be. Yes relationships can be challenging, and they most definitely take time, but the joy and blessings that come from them are irreplaceable. 

Who are you investing in?

INFLUENCE SPIRITUALLY 

If I’m imitating Christ, and I’m investing in the lives of others, then spiritual influence will be a natural result. A simple definition of spiritual influence is “someone moving one step closer to Christ as a result of our connection.” Relationships are what make life rich. Spiritually influential relationships make life eternal!

Who is closer to Christ because of your influence?