I wonder what you think of when you read those words: chocolate, coffee, and makeovers? Maybe you thought, “Those are things that women enjoy!” or, “Those are things that bring women together.”

My son, who was just looking over my shoulder at the title said, “That’s all stuff girls like.”  I wonder if he would have said that if he had seen words like justice, passion for God and others, risk and adventure, sacrifice and obedience.

If you didn’t think “women’s ministry”, maybe you should have. Increasingly, I’ve been noticing that Christian women’s ministries have really picked up on all of this. In church bulletins, I see blurbs about women coming together around one or all of the above; chocolate, coffee and or makeovers.  A visit to a Christian bookstore will reveal whole packets of materials for planning and implementing a women’s event that comes replete with a plan for chocolate, coffee and or makeovers.

I’m not opposed to any of these activities (eating chocolate, drinking coffee, getting a makeover), but I am opposed to the lack of balance I see.  There’s so much more to being a woman of faith and so much more that can bring us together. Where are the events, then, that empower women to live significant lives, change the world, pursue big hairy audacious dreams for God?  There’s a time and a place for chocolate, coffee, and makeovers; it just can’t be all there is to women’s ministries. We are made for more and we can be more than that.

In addition, what are we teaching our own daughters- and sons- about what it means to be a woman of faith?  I want my daughter to grow up to pursue her call, to live an adventurous life with God and to pursue the God-given dreams on her heart.  The best way for that to happen is for her to see her mother living the same way.

Gals, I love chocolate and coffee (not so much makeovers even though I could probably use one!) just like the rest of you, so please hear my heart.  What I’m saying is that I think we can be known for more than that.  Let’s be known for pursuing God-sized dreams and visions, for being willing to take risks and step out in obedience and to see things happen that are bigger than ourselves for the sake of others.

I know many of you are already trying to live this way and I would love to hear more about that.  I think we need to hear each other’s stories and in so doing encourage each other to keep pursuing more and all that God has for each of us.

 

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash