Women are searching for a place of refuge, and the church should be a sanctuary where they can heal and experience restoration.
By Adrianna Anderson
The needs of women’s ministry continue to change, because the needs of women continue to change. But women are searching for a place of refuge to unburden their hearts. And the church should be a sanctuary where they can heal and experience restoration.
My husband Gregory always affirms his love for me as his wife and sister in Christ. When I’m hurting, he reminds me to reach up by pursuing God in prayer and reach out to encourage other women by ministering to their spiritual and emotional needs. Scripture shows us another man who also understood the importance of this principle. The apostle Paul reminded believers, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, CSB).
Praise God, during difficult seasons of change, loss, and grief in my life I found encouragement, emotional healing, restoration, and refreshment through my church’s women’s ministry.
But, what about the women who don’t have opportunities to do this? What do they do? Where do they go?
In the current ministry landscape, hurting women need tangible and practical help. “Women demonstrated unique and special care for me when my mom died unexpectedly in April 2020,” recalls Michelle Hicks, manager of women’s publishing at Lifeway. “COVID-19 was in full swing. But that did not stop these friends from making phone calls, sending cards, leaving items at my door, and planting a tree in my backyard. God used them to heal and restore my broken heart as they constantly reminded me of His goodness.”
Women need restoration and refreshment
Does hearing the word restoration make you retreat or rejoice? Have you ever needed to restore something you loved back to its original state? The word “restore” is repeatedly mentioned in Scripture and it means, “restoration to a former condition of health, or bringing a person back.”
I once had an armoire in need of restoration due to lots of use over the years. Because I love DIY projects, I thought I knew exactly what I needed to do to get it back in pristine shape, but I was sadly mistaken. It needed a lot more work than I could handle on my own, and I had to seek the services of a professional to help me restore it.
We all need to be restored in some area of our lives. Do you know a hurting woman in need of restoration? Lifeway Research’s State of Ministry to Women research showed 65% of women churchgoers say their church provides opportunities for them to be refreshed and restored spiritually and emotionally. Praise God for these churches. But remember, the spiritual and emotional process of restoration requires more than we can handle on our own. So women’s ministry in churches matters.
65% of women churchgoers say their church provides opportunities for them to be refreshed and restored spiritually and emotionally. Share on XWomen need effective women’s ministry
Women need effective women’s ministry, because women wear lots of different hats. They work inside and outside of the home, raise children, and care for parents—usually while putting themselves last. Be intentional and take time to remind them of the importance they hold in the life of your church. And remember, without her involvement, your church can’t fully thrive and grow.
“Women have a deep longing for authentic connection, to be seen, heard, understood, and welcomed. The women in our churches are living through a range of serious challenges—anxiety and depression, job instability, struggles with addiction, marital stress, and kids who have abandoned faith or are wrestling with gender confusion,” said Tina Boesch, manager of Lifeway Women Bible studies.
“These women need to connect with one another, but for our relationships to be truly restorative, they must be grounded in a relationship with Jesus and centered in His Word. Ideally, that’s what women’s ministry should do—create a community anchored in Christ and the hope of the gospel. Effective women’s ministry isn’t entertainment; it brings women to the feet of Jesus. And that’s the reason it’s so healing and nourishing for women.”
“Effective women's ministry isn't entertainment; it brings women to the feet of Jesus. And that's the reason it's so healing and nourishing for women.” — @TinaBoesch Share on XWomen need women’s ministry leaders
Women need women leading them. They need pastors advocating for women’s ministry for the sake of their overall spiritual health and healing. “The theology of leadership continues to push me into this arena,” Jim Misloski, director of developing leaders of the Missouri Baptist Convention said. “The creation mandate in Genesis 1:28 was given to both the man and the woman as image bearers of God.”
If you don’t have a woman in a leadership position, pray and search for one called to lead. Women are willing to help start a women’s ministry.
“To not provide clear and safe pathways for women to exercise the spiritual gifts given to all by God is poor stewardship,” Misloski said. Ask what resources women need and remove unnecessary obstacles. Plan meaningful ways for the women to connect by creating opportunities for them to be emotionally restored and refreshed.
“To not provide clear and safe pathways for women to exercise the spiritual gifts given to all by God is poor stewardship.” — Jim Misloski Share on X“We’re robbing the church of valuable leadership resources and likely preventing women outside the kingdom of God from exploring, experiencing, and enjoying the King,” Misloski said. “These are the kingdom issues that compel me to pursue avenues for women in ministry to flourish. If they don’t flourish, I don’t think we will either (Ephesians 4:7-16). We are a body.”
Pastors and ministry leaders, as your sisters in Christ and co-laborers, we ask you to support us by investing wisely in the women in your local congregation. This ministry investment will have an eternal reach that extends to your wives, moms, daughters, aunts, nieces, single moms, stepmoms, divorced women, widows, and future generations to come.
“The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you…” (1 Peter 5:10, CSB).
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.