Gloria Furman and Kathleen Nielson sit down to talk about their new edited book, Word-Filled Women’s Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church, published by Crossway in conjunction with TGC. What a difference it would make to local churches around the world if the message of this book was taken to heart!
You can download an excerpt of the book here.
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, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
“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 Kruger, Women’s Ministry Coordinator, Uptown Church; author, The Envy of Eve
“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, Editorial Director, The Gospel Coalition; author, Blind Spots
“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, Dean of Students, Sydney Missionary and Bible College
“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.”
J. Ligon Duncan, Chancellor and CEO, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi
“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, Praying Together; blogger, Sunday Women
“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 S. Smith, Senior Pastor, The Orchard, Arlington Heights, Illinois
“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, Proclamation Trust, London, England
“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, Pastor, Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, Kentucky; Founder, Sojourn Network; author, Faithmapping and Proof
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Heart of Women’s Ministry
- The Word at the Center: Hearing God Speak
Kathleen Nielson - The Word on Women: Enjoying Distinction
Claire Smith - The Word Passed On: Training New Leaders
Carrie Sandom
Part 2: Contexts for Women’s Ministry
- The Local Church: Finding Where We Fit
Cindy Cochrum - The World around Us: Practicing Evangelism
Gloria Furman - The Ends of the Earth: Thinking Global
Keri Folmar
Part 3: Issues in Women’s Ministry
- Older and Younger: Taking Titus Seriously
Susan Hunt and Kristie Anyabwile - Sexual Wholeness: Affirming Truth with Compassion
Ellen Mary Dykas - Gifts and Giftedness: Finding the Place to Serve
Kathleen Nielson and Gloria Furman
Part 4: The End of Women’s Ministry
- Ultimate Goals: Heading for That Day
Nancy Guthrie
