fbpx

The Church has no shortage of brilliant women. These women love Jesus and are willing to roll their sleeves up and lead in ways that bear fruit for the kingdom of God.

But some barriers can keep capable women from rising to fill leadership roles or even serve in other ways. So, what are those barriers, and what can you do to stop them from stifling women in your church?

Women rise when we break down biases.

It’s hard to notice who’s not in the room if you don’t look around. Even unconscious biases—which have to be identified and then challenged—can keep women from being viewed as qualified leaders. These biases build a wall between gifted women and the assumptions, cultural practices, and organization structures that hinder us. They throw an invisibility cloak over women who can bring valuable insight to ministry teams.

When we’re intentional about bringing women to the table, we get a fuller picture of the viewpoints, experiences, gifts, skills, and ideas within the body of Christ.

Women rise when represented.

Studies have shown that finding a mentor is a more difficult task for women, and nearly 1 in 5 women report that they’ve never had a mentor at all.

But much like the high value of discipleship in the Christian life, when it comes to leadership, having mentors and role models can make a huge difference. When women have visibility and influence, we’re able to develop others—including other women who yearn for wisdom from someone who has been in their shoes.

Women rise when we break the cycle.

According to research, diverse teams are smarter. But to reach gender diversity and reap its many benefits, we have to break the cycle of “I don’t know any.”

If you don’t know any women in leadership, ask around, and seek opportunities to learn from them. If you’ve never considered a woman for the position you have in mind, think about what a woman could bring to the table. If you’ve never invited a woman to speak at your event, ask a woman to come to share her expertise.

It’s when we break this cycle that we break the barriers holding women back from serving the Church as visible, valued hands and feet of Jesus. When we look outside of our circles and see value in lifting a diverse array of voices, that’s how women rise.

Who Wrote this?

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get updates and learn from the best

More To Explore

Featured Member - Tyler Harden
Featured Member

Featured Member Of The Week: Tyler Harden

What’s your name? Tyler Harden Where do you serve, what is your title, and how long have you served there? I’m one of the co-founders

Pssstttttt—Want to know our secrets?

Here’s how to learn more from church leaders across the world: 

  1. Stay up-to-date on the people, technologies, trends, and best practices shaping the future of communication strategies for your church, delivered directly to your inbox. >> Join the List
  2. Join 20,000+ peer communicators worldwide who are part of the Church Communications® community, supporting each other each and every day >> Join the Facebook Group
  3. Explore related topics in more depth on the Church Communications® Podcast >> Subscribe to the Podcast
  4. Connect with us on social >> Instagram, Facebook Page, Twitter
 

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to my readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”