I
was at lunch a couple weeks back with a friend. She sat across the
table from me and poured out her heart as to how she felt a few things
were missing from the "church" as a whole. As we continued to talk it
occurred to me that I've had this conversation a hundred times with a
hundred different girlfriends. What's missing? I began to think.
Really, why are so many woman dissatisfied with the modern church? Well, if
you are expecting my answer sorry to let you down because I really don't
know the exact answer. I could speculate and give you a lot of opinions
(I have several, but I'm not sure if any of them are valid answers).
What I do have though, is a possible answer to help. To maybe make a difference. Maybe something to
help us, as Christians, move in what we are called to do…love the Lord
God with all our heart, our soul and mind and then love our neighbor as
our self.
For
the last few years I have been through a thing or two and have
come out wanting to make a difference in the lives of those around me.
Not necessarily fix anybody's problems, because I've learned that is
God alone who can do that, but I can lead people to a very real relationship with a God who can fix & heal their problems. How do I make a difference though? At times, I've struggled with the 'how to' part of this question. The following is what I've come up with.
First,
let me explain that when I shared my heart and with two woman close to me
about my dream, vision and heart I received two very different answers.
The first person lady said to me, Amy, you can't just start a ministry out
of nothing…you need to be anointed to do that sort of thing while the
second lady quickly refuted that line of thinking with the fact that God
is willing to anoint anyone with a willing heart and a voice that says
'Here I am, Lord, send me'. With that I give you my vision and I will
let God determine which lady had the correct answer for this dream. With
this dream, I will hold loosely to any preconceived notions or
expectations. If this is a flop, clearly the first person was correct
and I needed anointing. If this is a success then the second person was
correct and God anoints those with a willing heart to change the world
we live in and bring glory to Him through our faith put into actions. About 5 months ago
my sister sent me a song and it literally infused me with a hope that
not all was lost and she still saw my heart through my pain. Listen to
the song below. This was really the turning point where I knew I was going to
take my pain and use it…and little by little I began to see myself come
back to life with my original heart to change the
world or at least at the very minimum, my own sphere of influence.
What
I want to do is this. The second Friday of each month starting on
February 8, 2013. I want to hold a, for lack of a better word, woman's
worship & serve event. The format will be simple. We come together
to worship and then each month I will have a different speaker and
topic in which it won't be just another 'good' message but it will be
prayerfully life changing to all the woman involved and will inspire
young and old (that term is relative) woman to IMPACT the world around
them. Each speaker each month will have a topic in an area that you can
serve. For instance, one month I would have somebody on the front
lines in Human Trafficking rescues and restoration come speak to bring
awareness but even more, practical information on how we can help.
Maybe the next month I will bring somebody in who is on the front lines
of foster care/adoption to again offer practical information as to how
to adopt or foster care. The next month I would have a speaker speaking
about healthy marriages and parenting and give practical/Biblical
advice as to how to sow into your marriage and children. Maybe another
month it would be a topic of abortion and healing after abortions. I
have had so many woman in the church tell me they have had abortions but
have never been able to tell anybody….so let them be healed so they can
rise up and help others walk through the pain and receive healing from
Jesus too. You
get the point. There are countless subjects and speakers we could
have. I don't know about you but I don't want just another worship
service, another church service, another sermon where you go home and
say, well that's nice and go about your week. Ladies, it is time to
rise up for such a time as this and begin to make a difference in the
world around us. Inspire & pour into other lives. Let's take all that we have learned and experienced
and DO something with it. Let's IMPACT our world for God and watch Him
transform and heal lives! I
don't know exactly all the details right now or who will all be
involved in this. This is where all of you come in. I have had countless
woman email me about my blogs sharing their similar heart and stories.
If any of this blog inspires, ignites or stirs something up in your
heart to make a difference in the lives around you and stirs up a desire
to do something more than just 'go' to church but rather BE the church
then email me and let me know if you would prayerfully consider being
apart of launching this ministry. Here
is the first big part. We need a building that we can rent once a
month. A building that has sound equipment that can host a group of
woman (hopefully each month it grows in size). If any of you reading
this knows some place any place in Macomb county please email me and we
can talk. My heart is that this event would bridge the gap of churches.
I do not want it to be just one single church event but rather simply, women in the
body of Christ kind of event. So, keep that in mind that I would love a school,
office building, store front, business anything that can hold this type
of event. Please let me know if you have a place that you know of to rent for something like this. Next, I am praying for a worship team. A group of woman (I realize a female drummer may be a bit difficult to find) that have a heart for worship....real life, heart of God kind of worship. If this is an area you feel like you are called to help with please let me know. Musicians/vocalists both needed. I can't wait to see who God puts together for this part! :) So, here is my heart. Any and all of you who want to be a part of this, email, text, call me and we will prayerfully launch this together!! I am so excited to see what God does with this first step I am taking. Any of you that know me, know that it is truly my hearts desire to pour into lives and make a difference in this world....so here begins my journey....will you join me?
