Word-Filled Women's Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church

Edited by Gloria Furman, Kathleen Nielson, Contributions by Nancy Guthrie, Susan Hunt, Kristie Anyabwile, Cindy Cochrum, Ellen Dykas, Keri Folmar, Carrie Sandom, Claire Smith, Gloria Furman, Kathleen Nielson

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A Practical Guide to Bible-Centered Ministry Among Women

The Bible is clear that women as well as men are created in God's image and intended to serve him with their lives. But what does this look like for women in the church? 

Helping church leaders think through what a Bible-centered women’s ministry looks like, this collection of essays by respected Bible teachers and authors such as Gloria Furman, Nancy Guthrie, and Susan Hunt addresses a variety of topics relevant to women. Whether exploring the importance of intergenerational relationships, the Bible’s teaching on sexuality, or women’s roles in the church and the home, this book of wise teaching and practical instruction will become a must-have resource for anyone interested in bolstering the health and vitality of the local church.

Published in partnership with the Gospel Coalition.

Read Chapter 1


Editors:

Gloria Furman

Gloria Furman (MACE, Dallas Theological Seminary) lives in the Middle East where her husband, Dave, serves as the pastor of Redeemer Church of Dubai. She is the author of many books, including Labor with Hope; Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full; and Glimpses of Grace.

 

Kathleen Nielson

Kathleen Nielson (PhD, Vanderbilt University) is an author and speaker who loves working with women in studying the Scriptures. After directing the Gospel Coalition’s women’s initiatives from 2010–2017, she now serves as senior adviser and book editor for TGC. She and her husband, Niel, make their home partly in Wheaton, Illinois, and partly in Jakarta, Indonesia. They have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and five granddaughters.

Product Details

Category: Church Ministry
Women
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 272
Size: 5.5 in x 8.5 in
Weight: 11.3 ounces
ISBN-10: 1-4335-4523-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-4523-8
ISBN-UPC: 9781433545238
Case Quantity: 48
Published: July 31, 2015

Table of Contents

Part 1: The Heart of Women's Ministry

  1. The Word at the Center: Hearing God Speak
    Kathleen Nielson
  2. The Word on Women: Enjoying Distinction
    Claire Smith
  3. The Word Passed On: Training New Leaders
    Carrie Sandom

Part 2: Contexts for Women's Ministry

  1. The Local Church: Finding Where We Fit
    Cindy Cochrum
  2. The World around Us: Practicing Evangelism
    Gloria Furman
  3. The Ends of the Earth: Thinking Global
    Keri Folmar

Part 3: Issues in Women's Ministry

  1. Older and Younger: Taking Titus Seriously
    Susan Hunt and Kristie Anyabwile
  2. Sexual Wholeness: Affirming Truth with Compassion
    Ellen Mary Dykas
  3. Gifts and Giftedness: Finding the Place to Serve
    Kathleen Nielson and Gloria Furman

Part 4: The End of Women's Ministry

  1. Ultimate Goals: Heading for That Day
    Nancy Guthrie

Endorsements

“Out of both biblical conviction and years of experience, these women think seriously about discipleship, evangelism, intergenerational mentoring, and compassion. Their strength is evident, their commitment to Scripture robust, their joy in the gospel intoxicating, their anticipation of the consummation providing a lodestar to their lives and service. Although this is a book by women to foster “Word-filled women’s ministry,” much of it will be read with equal profit by men. I hope that some of those men will be pastors who in consequence reflect on what they can do encourage such ministry in their own churches.”
D. A. Carson, Theologian-at-Large, The Gospel Coalition

“Women’s ministry is ultimately not about women. Nor is it about programs. It’s about the glory of God and the health of his church. Word-Filled Women’s Ministry is a much-needed resource for both men and women to consider the necessity of ministry among women as well as the centrality of the Word for cultivating a church in which women flourish.”
Melissa B. Kruger, author; Vice President of Discipleship Programming, The Gospel Coalition

“There is no question that the women in your churches will be discipled. The only question is whether they will be discipled by the world or the Word. That’s why I’m so excited about Word-Filled Women’s Ministry. It’s more than a book. These contributors represent a movement of teachers guiding women to find hope and freedom and salvation in the gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed in his Word. I couldn’t more highly esteem these writers, and I pray that you will take up their charge to take up the Word.”
Collin Hansen, Vice President and Editor in Chief, The Gospel Coalition; author, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation

“Here is a book that focuses on the possibilities and not just the problems of ministry among women. It is written by women from a wide range of ministry contexts, but all with hearts that beat with a common gospel rhythm. Every chapter is grounded in Scripture and wonderfully practical. Women and men of the Word, read it and be encouraged by all the gospel possibilities.”
Jenny Salt, Associate to Archdeacon of Women’s Ministry, Sydney Anglican Diocese; Host, Salt—Conversations with Jenny

“This is a significant subject that I have long been interested in, and the voices of my sisters in this book are as edifying as they are encouraging. Pastors, teachers, elders, and women’s ministry leaders alike will benefit from this Bible-based, gospel-centered, local church–focused work. I so resonate with their central thesis—“Profitable ministry among women is grounded in God’s Word, grows in the context of God’s people, and aims for the glory of Christ”—that I anticipate with joy the flourishing of this vision in the churches.”
Ligon Duncan, Chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary

Word-Filled Women’s Ministry is written for the bustling daughters of Christ, who need God’s Word to train and sustain them in their various labors. It acknowledges the vast diversity of women’s ministries in different churches while calling them to a unified commitment to God’s Word. Women grow best as they learn from Scripture, first as it is preached to the gathered church and then as it is explored and explained in the company of other godly women. This book is an incentive to the latter, casting a vision for what can and ought to happen when the Bible takes its rightful place at the center of women’s ministry.”
Megan Hill, pastor’s wife; author, A Place to Belong; Managing Editor, The Gospel Coalition

“A marvelous resource for thoughtful Christians, male and female, who long to see the power of the gospel unleashed in their own lives, in the church, and throughout world.”
Colin Smith, Senior Pastor, The Orchard, Arlington Heights, Illinois; Founder and Bible Teacher, Open the Bible

“Full of careful biblical teaching and many helpful applications, this book is an invaluable aid for all Christian women to think through their own ministry possibilities. But it is also a highly useful tool for pastors and elders to understand and then activate much-needed biblical opportunities for every ministry in the local church. I hope it will be on the must-read list of every church leader.”
David Jackman, Former President, The Proclamation Trust

“Gloria Furman and Kathleen Nielson, along with a host of other talented writers, help us explore a vision-guided practice of our theology. Too often in church ministry, gender is received as a problem to be solved rather than as a beautiful gift from God to be explored. This book is a marvelous map to enjoy God, lead in God’s church, and explore God’s world, whether a woman is stepping into ministry for the first time or is a seasoned veteran.”
Daniel Montgomery, Lead Pastor, Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Founder, Sojourn Network; author, FaithmappingPROOF, and Leadership Mosaic