For some time, my thoughts have been given to the Women of Hope. It is because of the importance of women’s ministry in church. The WoH consists of ladies who do not belong to any other fellowship groups in church. Most of them are mothers with children.

Sunday School children and young people are the future of our church. Seniors are our assets who will be our legacy. In contrast, ladies in the WoH are the strength of our present church and the vitality of our future. Why is it so? First of all, most of them are wives who are to complete their men. Unless they are spiritual and godly, their husbands will not fulfill their callings for the work of the kingdom of God. Spiritual wives encourage spiritual husbands. I have hardly seen a spiritual man without a spiritual wife. Secondly, most of them are also mothers. They are nurturing and raising their children. Mothers’ influences on their children are unrivalled. They will form and mould their children’s spiritual life and values. While they are not spiritual, they cannot raise their children spiritually. It means that without exaggeration, their spirituality determines their husband’s and children’s spiritual life, humanly speaking. They are the ones who should pray for their families and church. When they are asleep and backslidden, their homes and churches are in sleep. They are like oxygen for the life of all.

The current Ladies Fellowship has played an important role over the years. Most of its members have given their time and energy to serve the Lord by serving His people in church. They have visited the sick and supported the discouraged. They have provided meals for families in afflictions. They have been praying for church families. They do share daily prayer items amongst themselves and give themselves to pray for them. They have contributed to the growth of our church behind the scenes, and we owe them much. Most of its members are seniors by now, except a few who have joined the Ladies fellowship in earlier years. It caught my eyes that, while all other fellowship groups do experience successions of their members and leadership, the Ladies Fellowship has not experienced the same successions. There are capable younger women who do not belong to any fellowship group and have missed out on all the opportunities to serve the Lord in church. There are new families joining us and they do not belong to any fellowship group in church. It is not just for ministry but also for the younger women themselves. They need fellowship amongst themselves and to exercise their spiritual gifts within the body of Christ. They need to encourage one another and to grow in fellowship with the fellow believers. They need to take the batons of service from the seniors and to continue their ministry into the future. They grow by serving, and when they grow, their families will benefit from their spiritual growth, and their church will be blessed by them. They will be better members of the body of Christ, and they will be better helpmates, mothers, and sisters at home.

I’d like to share with you some of my thoughts about Christian women in the Bible and think about some lessons for younger women who should be active participants of the WoH.

Women, disciples of Jesus

Though none of the apostles were women, we know that some of His closest disciples were women. Think about Luke 8:1-3, “¹And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, ² And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, ³ And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” Note the connecting word “and” in the beginning of verse 2. The twelve apostles were with Jesus, and some others were also with Him. Some others were women including Mary called Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna. There were many unnamed women who followed Jesus and ministered to Him. How do I know that there were many “unnamed women” who were with Jesus and ministered to Him? Well, there were many others (in Greek, “others” is a feminine plural word) in verse 3, and they ministered unto Him of their (in Greek, “their” is also a feminine plural word) substance. The twelve disciples were able to devote themselves to learn from Jesus in order for them to continue the ministry after Jesus had ascended, and women ministered to Jesus and His company with their substance. The women looked after the needs of the school of Jesus. They remained to watch the death of Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:55-56), while His apostles ran away from the site for fear. It tells us the value and significance of women disciples in the ministry of the Lord. Their ministry was essential to Jesus and His twelve men and in the continuing work for the Kingdom of God.

Women, integral part of the church

Since the Day of Pentecost, women as well as men joined the church in great numbers. Acts 5:14 says, “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” It indicates that there were no distinctions made in conditions of membership between men and women. The importance of women to the whole church is reflected by the concern which the early church had for widows who needed care and help (Acts 6:1-6). It means that there were many women in church.

1. Women’s good works are frequently mentioned in the Bible. Dorcas is cited as an example of faithful, loving service (Acts 9:36-39). Lydia is revealed as being a woman of great hospitality, “constraining” Paul and his company to abide in her house (Acts 16:1-15). Phoebe is described as a “servant of the church that is in Cenchreae” (Romans 16:1). Likewise, the Ladies Fellowship members have done outstanding work for the church of Christ, and now we need the WoH to continue the work.
2. 1 Timothy 5:9-10 is a good example showing us what women’s role is in Christian churches and homes. “Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, ¹⁰ Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.” Though it speaks of Christian widowhood, it tells us about the roles of women in churches and homes. The first moral and spiritual characteristic of virtuous women in verse 10 is that they are well reported of for good works. In other words, they have reputations of “good works.” Their services are noted here. Their good works are elaborated on in the same verse: (a) they bring up children (they ought to be godly and morally outstanding before children), (b) they show hospitality to strangers (they are genial and hospitable to the guests), (c) they wash the saints’ feet (interestingly it is limited to “the saints”), (d) they relieve the afflicted (they show Christian love to the afflicted), and (e) they diligently follow every good work. It is what the WoH is expected to achieve.

What I need to emphasize here is that their good works do not refer to the duties they must perform but works to which they have received testimony already by others. I’ll continue on this.

Lovingly,

Your Pastor

More Lively Hope

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