So what do we do?

The words “women” and “ministry” are seldom together in church of Christ vernacular unless, of course, the heretical change agents are making a bid to take over and uproot all orthodoxy – or so it is often presented. And while the issue of women’s “roles” is an ongoing and important topic, I am concerned with a more immediate need not of women in pulpit ministries, but with women’s ministries in the churches of Christ.

I’ve been a member of the churches of Christ for several years and an active participant of the congregations of which I’ve been privileged to become a part. But in each, almost without fail, I see a sad lack of effective, intelligent women’s ministries. Often what is classified as “women’s ministry” is nothing more than wifely boot camp. My brothers, this ought not be. There are scores of women who are a vital, yet untapped, resource in our churches today who are ages from even the contemplation of marriage. What is there for them? While there is merit in learning to love one’s husband and be a good spouse, many women today are making the choice not to marry at all. Ministries like this are simply not adequate.

The problem, however, does not even begin there. It begins with the youth group. In most youth groups, there comes a point at which the boys are considered young men; they begin to learn to serve communion, lead singing and to lead prayer. The girls are then either farmed out to nursery duty or subjected to yet another dating class. By the age of 16, they simply aren’t interested anymore. Many begin to feel that they are simply props at church; the church needs them for babysitting, but not much else. I honestly think fewer women, myself included, would struggle less with the discussion of the ‘roles’ of women if there actually were any. Instead, the roles of women are defined by what they may not do as opposed to what they may and even must.

So what do we do about it?