December 3, 2025 • 22 mins
Hey, Friend!
If where you work or go to church values the gifts of women everybody wins.
Creating a valuing culture starts with seeing women the way Jesus did.
But before you tell yourself that you are not in a position of influence so you can’t change the culture of your work or church, listen to this episode. There are small, incremental things that you can do that will have a ripple effect to slowly change the culture.
I hope you give it a listen!
Becky
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
It's been a month now for the past four weeks.
(00:03):
This podcast has focused on the topic of feeling valued in ministry, a journey toward
wholeness.
We've talked about things such as what it feels like not to feel valued or how to reclaim
your worth in ministry, how to find courage to ask for what you need and how to communicate
your value without apology.
(00:26):
Today, we're going to turn outward because the goal isn't just to feel valued but rather
to create spaces where others feel valued too.
This episode is a bonus episode and it will end the series.
Today, we're going to share some ways that organizations and churches can actually create
(00:48):
cultures that value women.
Want to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend, are you a people-pleasing conflict-avoiding leader?
Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence or to navigate difficult
(01:11):
conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.
I'm Becky Burroughs, your host and a minister and life and leadership coach with over 50 years
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
(01:34):
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So, get comfy or start a mindless task.
You know how to pause or rewind if you need to.
Let's get started.
Every organization, every church, every family has a culture and a climate.
(01:58):
The culture simply put is what matters to us.
And the climate is what it feels like to be here or even to work here or in case of
a church to worship here.
And your culture of your church isn't just a statement that you put on your church website.
(02:19):
It's not expressed in a mission statement.
It's what happens in the small moments like who's invited to speak, who gets the credit,
who's heard in meetings, who's quietly carrying the load, who decides when it's time to change
something, who gets to decide that we're not going to change anything.
(02:43):
Who decides the time, who decides the place, who decides how we're going to do things and
on and on and on.
And it creates a culture.
One of the most obvious examples of culture to me is Chick-fil-A.
You can visit a Chick-fil-A anywhere in the United States.
(03:07):
And for those of you listening who are outside of the United States, it's a very good
fast food restaurant that serves chicken.
And but the fascinating thing about this fast food restaurant where you drive up, you
place your order, you pay and you leave and it's all done very quickly is that no matter
where you go, no matter which Chick-fil-A you're at, no matter what city, no matter what state
(03:32):
in the United States, it's always the same.
You can tell that there is a culture of a particular type of training that every single
employee of Chick-fil-A must undergo and must commit to in order to stay employed there.
For example, one of the first things they want is your name and they will call you by name.
(03:54):
When you finished and you're about you've paid and you're ready to leave and hopefully
you've said thank you, their response is always the same to a person they will respond with
it's my pleasure.
That is just a simple indication of one aspect of the culture of this particular fast food
restaurant.
(04:14):
So as you think about that and you apply that to your church, what is the culture of your
church?
Is it friendly?
And how can you tell that it's friendly?
What are the markers that would say to an outside person, not to you because you're in
the middle of it?
So of course you think it's friendly, but to a visitor that your church is friendly.
(04:35):
Because your church value the gifts of women, that is part of your culture and it's the
markers for how your church values the gifts of women is how women's gifts are being utilized.
So culture really speaks a lot to the experience of people in the room and of course as I said
(04:57):
before, climate is what it feels like to be here that also speaks to the experience.
So let's for example, if you have a culture, I'll go back to my Chick-fil-A example.
You have a culture at Chick-fil-A of the way you treat people, you call them by name, you
smile, you're friendly, you get them through fast and you always end with it's my pleasure.
(05:18):
How does that make people feel?
It makes people feel cared for.
It's unusual.
No other fast food restaurant that I've been to has that same culture.
So it stands out and it makes you want to go back because of the way you're treated.
So culture is what people experience whether you're present or whether you're not present,
(05:40):
whether you're not in the room.
But if you are part of the system, you have a responsibility in shaping the culture.
It is shaped one conversation at a time, one affirmation at a time, one boundary at a
time, one policy at a time and all of those things stack up to create the culture.
(06:00):
When women are valued, ministries expand in perspective, in compassion, in creativity,
because no one but women have the perspective of women.
No one but women have the unique compassion that women can offer.
No one but women offer the particular type of creativity that women offer.
(06:26):
And listen to what I'm not saying.
I'm not saying men are not creative, men are not compassionate, men don't have a perspective.
They do, they do, they do.
But men have a men's perspective, the type of compassion that men are comfortable giving,
the type of creativity that men tend to have.
There is some overlap.
But there's also some experiences that do not overlap.
(06:48):
They are unique to the way women do things.
And when women are valued, as I said, ministries expand.
We get the full picture of the image of God when women are valued as men are valued.
But when women are overlooked, then we see a very narrow picture of the image of God as
(07:10):
expressed in men.
Every narrows and in some way, in some perspective, everyone loses.
Jesus modeled this perfectly.
Jesus elevated women's voices in a culture that tried to silence them.
In the first century, where women were nothing more than property.
(07:31):
Jesus elevated the value of women.
He would say things like she has done a beautiful thing for me.
He saw what others dismissed.
So if you want to create a value, a culture that values women, start with seeing people,
start with seeing women the way Jesus did.
(07:54):
Here's three ways you can start right where you are.
It doesn't matter where your church stands on women's roles.
That's the way we tend to say it in the United States.
There are three things you can do.
Number one, model, public affirmation.
Celebrate the contributions of women.
(08:15):
Say out loud, her leadership in this particular thing she's doing made this possible.
Or that idea came from her.
Or she organized this.
She led this.
She came up with this idea.
Not just going to her quietly and thanking her for her service, but making a point of in
(08:36):
some public way, whether it's in conversation with men and women, whether it's with church
leadership, whether it's from the pulpit, give credit where credit is due.
And that points out to the church at large, women have a lot to offer.
They may be working behind the scenes, but we need to give them public affirmation.
(08:59):
Number two, create shared leadership.
Whether or not you are ready or comfortable or even willing to have women be, have a role
in the leadership of your church, such as serving as a shepherd or serving as a minister.
Women bring more value than some of the tasks in which they are given.
(09:23):
Invite women to be on your vision team.
Invite women to shape the vision of this church, not just executing tasks behind the scenes.
Invite women to help you think through a problem.
What can you handle this?
Do you have this?
Invite them to be a part of the solution in a group setting where men and women are serving
(09:45):
together.
And number three, protect the wholeness of your church.
Encourage rest and boundaries and personal growth as spiritual disciplines, not as luxuries.
A culture that values women doesn't just praise what they do.
It sustains who they are.
(10:06):
I, in my 19 years in ministry, I can think immediately of dozens of women who, one woman who served
as a preschool director for 40 years, quietly, behind the scenes.
Never got any public recognition for 40 years.
Do you think anybody in that church ever offered her a sabbatical?
(10:28):
It was a volunteer position.
Did they ever offer to train someone to assist her so she could take a vacation?
That kind of thing tends not to happen.
We just are so grateful when we have high capacity volunteers and we work them to death.
The person that's usually a volunteer that's over the resource room where all the consumables
(10:49):
are kept, the papers and the pens and the scissors and the paint and all the things that are used,
for example, in a children's ministry.
And sometimes they will say, "I'm going on vacation."
But does the church acknowledge the work they do?
Does the church bless them with time off as an acknowledgement and a thank you for the work
(11:12):
that they do?
You see, when you begin to see others the way you wish to be seen, your leadership becomes
a mirror of grace.
You'll notice that quiet volunteer who just keeps showing up week after week.
You'll affirm that new leader trying to find her footing.
You'll make space for that next generation of women so that they can lead with strength
(11:37):
and gentleness.
And then there's this beautiful ripple effect, one woman who has been healed, creating a safe
space for others to flourish.
So think of a woman in your ministry or circle who gives deeply but is rarely affirmed.
And this week, send her a message that simply says, "I see what you do and it matters.
(12:03):
You matter."
It may take 30 seconds but it could actually absolutely change her day if not her year.
But the question still remains, do our churches really, do they really value the gifts of women
in the same way they value the gifts of men?
Have you noticed that when it comes to men in churches, pretty much any task is available
(12:28):
to them, whether it's a leadership task or a behind the scenes task?
We don't say to the men, "You can only do this."
And yet to have the church, somehow someone feels comfortable saying to them, "Here's a list
of what you can do."
And then when a church feels, "Priced at the heart," or someone begins to say, "It doesn't
(12:49):
make sense to me. I don't understand why I can't do this thing that God has clearly gifted
me for," then churches wisely decide to enter into a study.
You know, let's study what women can do or let's do a study about women's roles.
And yes, these are important theological conversations.
(13:12):
But they can also be limiting conversations if they start from the wrong premise when
the starting point is what are women allowed to do?
We've already reduced half the body of Christ to a policy question.
And yet, when Paul describes the church, he calls it a body.
(13:32):
One with many members, each, each, every single one who is gifted by the Spirit, he doesn't
say some parts are optional.
He says every part matters.
So when we frame women's contribution as a debate of the role that we're going to allow them
to play in church instead of a conversation of their value, we totally miss the richness
(13:58):
of God's design.
And I want to be clear here, this isn't about a platform or a position.
It's about a posture.
When we talk about valuing, when we take the posture of valuing women's gifts, we're asking,
do we listen when women speak spiritual insight or do we weigh it differently than when a man
(14:20):
says it?
Do we invest in developing women as leaders to the same level that we invest in men?
Do we create spaces for women's gifts to shape vision, not just support it?
And what's so interesting to me is we take that one hour of worship on a Sunday morning,
(14:43):
one hour of a week.
I don't have a calculator with me to calculate how many hours in a week.
Maybe you already know.
But it's that one hour, this conversation becomes about what are we going to allow women
to do in that one hour?
But what if instead, what if instead we look to add, do we value women's contributions
(15:08):
in any way the same way we value men?
Even if you only have women working in children's ministry, do we give the same value to that
that we do to men who are teaching in adult class?
Do we, how are we investing in women as leaderships?
Is there a budget for that?
There better be.
Sadly though, in my experience as someone who offers workshops, I can't get women to
(15:33):
attend the workshop unless I can go out and find scholarship money for them because churches
are not providing budgets to invest in developing women as leaders in the same way they invest
in men.
When a church says we value women, but then they limit women's gifts to what's convenient,
(15:53):
what they're really saying is we value your service, but we don't value your voice.
We welcome your presence.
We want you to be here, but we don't welcome your influence unless we ask for it.
And you know what friends, that's not biblical partnership, that there's an imbalance there.
And I believe that when the church does not fully value the gifts of women we all lose.
(16:18):
As I said earlier, we lose perspective, we lose compassion, creativity, and the spiritual
depth that come from women.
We lose balance in leadership decisions.
We often have a group of old white men, which many of our elderships are comprised largely
of old white men, making decisions for an entire church that is composed of men and women,
(16:47):
old and young, and various colors.
They provide a very homogenous view.
And so it's important to have that balance, however a church feels comfortable having it.
You know what?
We lose half the reflection of God's image, and that was meant to shape the church.
(17:11):
And when many, many have been called and gifted and spirit-led and they quietly wonder if
their obedience will ever be enough.
They don't leave the faith, but some leave ministry spaces because their faithfulness
have gone unseen.
I have many friends who have left my particular faith because there are many churches in my
(17:32):
faith who do not utilize the gift of just the women.
And they say, "God has called me to do this.
I've got to go where I can be obedient to His call."
So for a moment, let's imagine something different.
What would it look like if churches didn't just permit women's gifts?
They prioritize them.
(17:53):
It would look like women being developed as teachers, as ministers, as preachers, as strategists,
as theologians, as shepherds.
It would look like shepherds' meetings where both male and female voices are heard and
equally weighed.
It would look like ministry teams that reflect the diversity of the body, not just gender,
(18:15):
but experience and calling.
It would look like a generation of young girls growing up, not asking, and I allowed to
do that, but believing I am called to do that.
Because when churches value women, they're not bending to culture.
They are aligning with creation.
(18:36):
So maybe you're listening and thinking, "Well, I can't change my church's theology.
I don't lead at that level."
That's okay.
That's okay.
Culture shifts through small acts of faithfulness.
Here's what you can do.
You can model value in your sphere of influence.
Make sure that you're the person that speaks the names of women in the room where they're
(18:58):
not present.
Here's what that might look like.
Let's say you're talking about me.
And you're in a meeting where something's being discussed and you say, "You know, I talked
to Becky about that the other day.
She's got a very good idea on how we could do that."
Something that simple can plant a seed in the hearts of others where they're like, "Well,
(19:19):
I didn't think about talking to her."
They may just go talk to this person privately.
There's nothing wrong with that.
They may get her input, her life experience, her wisdom privately.
It's a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful start.
You can also celebrate gifts publicly.
Acknowledge women's spiritual contributions out loud whenever and wherever you can.
(19:44):
You can mentor generously, pour into other women who are finding their footing in leadership.
Women of all ages, even the teenage girls.
And you can stay rooted, your faithfulness, plant seeds, even in hard soil.
Your presence is prophetic just by showing up fully as God, as who God made you.
(20:07):
You're telling the truth about His image in you.
As I began this series with one question, what does it take for a woman in ministry to feel
valued?
Maybe now we can end this series with a bigger one.
What would it look like for the church to truly value the way Jesus did?
(20:28):
Valuing women the way Jesus did because Jesus never treated women as a footnote in ministry.
He treated them as partners in mission.
There were women who traveled alongside Jesus and the disciples, women who funded that
ministry.
And let's keep the vision as we keep walking toward, not just women who feel valued, but
(20:51):
a church that values them fully.
Thank you for joining me for this bonus conversation.
If this episode spoke to you, share it with your team, with your pastor, with your friends.
Let's keep this conversation going with courage, grace, and strength.
And hey, let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you, or made you think.
(21:17):
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe, and please leave a review.
Hey, I want to connect with you.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at hello@beckyburroughs.com.
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
(21:37):
camps for Women in Ministry, this is a four week workshop.
Or becoming part of a Kairos Cohort, year-long group coaching.
Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(21:58):
(upbeat music)
It's been a month now for the past four weeks.
(00:03):
This podcast has focused on the topic of feeling valued in ministry, a journey toward
wholeness.
We've talked about things such as what it feels like not to feel valued or how to reclaim
your worth in ministry, how to find courage to ask for what you need and how to communicate
your value without apology.
(00:26):
Today, we're going to turn outward because the goal isn't just to feel valued but rather
to create spaces where others feel valued too.
This episode is a bonus episode and it will end the series.
Today, we're going to share some ways that organizations and churches can actually create
(00:48):
cultures that value women.
Want to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend, are you a people-pleasing conflict-avoiding leader?
Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence or to navigate difficult
(01:11):
conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.
I'm Becky Burroughs, your host and a minister and life and leadership coach with over 50 years
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
(01:34):
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So, get comfy or start a mindless task.
You know how to pause or rewind if you need to.
Let's get started.
Every organization, every church, every family has a culture and a climate.
(01:58):
The culture simply put is what matters to us.
And the climate is what it feels like to be here or even to work here or in case of
a church to worship here.
And your culture of your church isn't just a statement that you put on your church website.
(02:19):
It's not expressed in a mission statement.
It's what happens in the small moments like who's invited to speak, who gets the credit,
who's heard in meetings, who's quietly carrying the load, who decides when it's time to change
something, who gets to decide that we're not going to change anything.
(02:43):
Who decides the time, who decides the place, who decides how we're going to do things and
on and on and on.
And it creates a culture.
One of the most obvious examples of culture to me is Chick-fil-A.
You can visit a Chick-fil-A anywhere in the United States.
(03:07):
And for those of you listening who are outside of the United States, it's a very good
fast food restaurant that serves chicken.
And but the fascinating thing about this fast food restaurant where you drive up, you
place your order, you pay and you leave and it's all done very quickly is that no matter
where you go, no matter which Chick-fil-A you're at, no matter what city, no matter what state
(03:32):
in the United States, it's always the same.
You can tell that there is a culture of a particular type of training that every single
employee of Chick-fil-A must undergo and must commit to in order to stay employed there.
For example, one of the first things they want is your name and they will call you by name.
(03:54):
When you finished and you're about you've paid and you're ready to leave and hopefully
you've said thank you, their response is always the same to a person they will respond with
it's my pleasure.
That is just a simple indication of one aspect of the culture of this particular fast food
restaurant.
(04:14):
So as you think about that and you apply that to your church, what is the culture of your
church?
Is it friendly?
And how can you tell that it's friendly?
What are the markers that would say to an outside person, not to you because you're in
the middle of it?
So of course you think it's friendly, but to a visitor that your church is friendly.
(04:35):
Because your church value the gifts of women, that is part of your culture and it's the
markers for how your church values the gifts of women is how women's gifts are being utilized.
So culture really speaks a lot to the experience of people in the room and of course as I said
(04:57):
before, climate is what it feels like to be here that also speaks to the experience.
So let's for example, if you have a culture, I'll go back to my Chick-fil-A example.
You have a culture at Chick-fil-A of the way you treat people, you call them by name, you
smile, you're friendly, you get them through fast and you always end with it's my pleasure.
(05:18):
How does that make people feel?
It makes people feel cared for.
It's unusual.
No other fast food restaurant that I've been to has that same culture.
So it stands out and it makes you want to go back because of the way you're treated.
So culture is what people experience whether you're present or whether you're not present,
(05:40):
whether you're not in the room.
But if you are part of the system, you have a responsibility in shaping the culture.
It is shaped one conversation at a time, one affirmation at a time, one boundary at a
time, one policy at a time and all of those things stack up to create the culture.
(06:00):
When women are valued, ministries expand in perspective, in compassion, in creativity,
because no one but women have the perspective of women.
No one but women have the unique compassion that women can offer.
No one but women offer the particular type of creativity that women offer.
(06:26):
And listen to what I'm not saying.
I'm not saying men are not creative, men are not compassionate, men don't have a perspective.
They do, they do, they do.
But men have a men's perspective, the type of compassion that men are comfortable giving,
the type of creativity that men tend to have.
There is some overlap.
But there's also some experiences that do not overlap.
(06:48):
They are unique to the way women do things.
And when women are valued, as I said, ministries expand.
We get the full picture of the image of God when women are valued as men are valued.
But when women are overlooked, then we see a very narrow picture of the image of God as
(07:10):
expressed in men.
Every narrows and in some way, in some perspective, everyone loses.
Jesus modeled this perfectly.
Jesus elevated women's voices in a culture that tried to silence them.
In the first century, where women were nothing more than property.
(07:31):
Jesus elevated the value of women.
He would say things like she has done a beautiful thing for me.
He saw what others dismissed.
So if you want to create a value, a culture that values women, start with seeing people,
start with seeing women the way Jesus did.
(07:54):
Here's three ways you can start right where you are.
It doesn't matter where your church stands on women's roles.
That's the way we tend to say it in the United States.
There are three things you can do.
Number one, model, public affirmation.
Celebrate the contributions of women.
(08:15):
Say out loud, her leadership in this particular thing she's doing made this possible.
Or that idea came from her.
Or she organized this.
She led this.
She came up with this idea.
Not just going to her quietly and thanking her for her service, but making a point of in
(08:36):
some public way, whether it's in conversation with men and women, whether it's with church
leadership, whether it's from the pulpit, give credit where credit is due.
And that points out to the church at large, women have a lot to offer.
They may be working behind the scenes, but we need to give them public affirmation.
(08:59):
Number two, create shared leadership.
Whether or not you are ready or comfortable or even willing to have women be, have a role
in the leadership of your church, such as serving as a shepherd or serving as a minister.
Women bring more value than some of the tasks in which they are given.
(09:23):
Invite women to be on your vision team.
Invite women to shape the vision of this church, not just executing tasks behind the scenes.
Invite women to help you think through a problem.
What can you handle this?
Do you have this?
Invite them to be a part of the solution in a group setting where men and women are serving
(09:45):
together.
And number three, protect the wholeness of your church.
Encourage rest and boundaries and personal growth as spiritual disciplines, not as luxuries.
A culture that values women doesn't just praise what they do.
It sustains who they are.
(10:06):
I, in my 19 years in ministry, I can think immediately of dozens of women who, one woman who served
as a preschool director for 40 years, quietly, behind the scenes.
Never got any public recognition for 40 years.
Do you think anybody in that church ever offered her a sabbatical?
(10:28):
It was a volunteer position.
Did they ever offer to train someone to assist her so she could take a vacation?
That kind of thing tends not to happen.
We just are so grateful when we have high capacity volunteers and we work them to death.
The person that's usually a volunteer that's over the resource room where all the consumables
(10:49):
are kept, the papers and the pens and the scissors and the paint and all the things that are used,
for example, in a children's ministry.
And sometimes they will say, "I'm going on vacation."
But does the church acknowledge the work they do?
Does the church bless them with time off as an acknowledgement and a thank you for the work
(11:12):
that they do?
You see, when you begin to see others the way you wish to be seen, your leadership becomes
a mirror of grace.
You'll notice that quiet volunteer who just keeps showing up week after week.
You'll affirm that new leader trying to find her footing.
You'll make space for that next generation of women so that they can lead with strength
(11:37):
and gentleness.
And then there's this beautiful ripple effect, one woman who has been healed, creating a safe
space for others to flourish.
So think of a woman in your ministry or circle who gives deeply but is rarely affirmed.
And this week, send her a message that simply says, "I see what you do and it matters.
(12:03):
You matter."
It may take 30 seconds but it could actually absolutely change her day if not her year.
But the question still remains, do our churches really, do they really value the gifts of women
in the same way they value the gifts of men?
Have you noticed that when it comes to men in churches, pretty much any task is available
(12:28):
to them, whether it's a leadership task or a behind the scenes task?
We don't say to the men, "You can only do this."
And yet to have the church, somehow someone feels comfortable saying to them, "Here's a list
of what you can do."
And then when a church feels, "Priced at the heart," or someone begins to say, "It doesn't
(12:49):
make sense to me. I don't understand why I can't do this thing that God has clearly gifted
me for," then churches wisely decide to enter into a study.
You know, let's study what women can do or let's do a study about women's roles.
And yes, these are important theological conversations.
(13:12):
But they can also be limiting conversations if they start from the wrong premise when
the starting point is what are women allowed to do?
We've already reduced half the body of Christ to a policy question.
And yet, when Paul describes the church, he calls it a body.
(13:32):
One with many members, each, each, every single one who is gifted by the Spirit, he doesn't
say some parts are optional.
He says every part matters.
So when we frame women's contribution as a debate of the role that we're going to allow them
to play in church instead of a conversation of their value, we totally miss the richness
(13:58):
of God's design.
And I want to be clear here, this isn't about a platform or a position.
It's about a posture.
When we talk about valuing, when we take the posture of valuing women's gifts, we're asking,
do we listen when women speak spiritual insight or do we weigh it differently than when a man
(14:20):
says it?
Do we invest in developing women as leaders to the same level that we invest in men?
Do we create spaces for women's gifts to shape vision, not just support it?
And what's so interesting to me is we take that one hour of worship on a Sunday morning,
(14:43):
one hour of a week.
I don't have a calculator with me to calculate how many hours in a week.
Maybe you already know.
But it's that one hour, this conversation becomes about what are we going to allow women
to do in that one hour?
But what if instead, what if instead we look to add, do we value women's contributions
(15:08):
in any way the same way we value men?
Even if you only have women working in children's ministry, do we give the same value to that
that we do to men who are teaching in adult class?
Do we, how are we investing in women as leaderships?
Is there a budget for that?
There better be.
Sadly though, in my experience as someone who offers workshops, I can't get women to
(15:33):
attend the workshop unless I can go out and find scholarship money for them because churches
are not providing budgets to invest in developing women as leaders in the same way they invest
in men.
When a church says we value women, but then they limit women's gifts to what's convenient,
(15:53):
what they're really saying is we value your service, but we don't value your voice.
We welcome your presence.
We want you to be here, but we don't welcome your influence unless we ask for it.
And you know what friends, that's not biblical partnership, that there's an imbalance there.
And I believe that when the church does not fully value the gifts of women we all lose.
(16:18):
As I said earlier, we lose perspective, we lose compassion, creativity, and the spiritual
depth that come from women.
We lose balance in leadership decisions.
We often have a group of old white men, which many of our elderships are comprised largely
of old white men, making decisions for an entire church that is composed of men and women,
(16:47):
old and young, and various colors.
They provide a very homogenous view.
And so it's important to have that balance, however a church feels comfortable having it.
You know what?
We lose half the reflection of God's image, and that was meant to shape the church.
(17:11):
And when many, many have been called and gifted and spirit-led and they quietly wonder if
their obedience will ever be enough.
They don't leave the faith, but some leave ministry spaces because their faithfulness
have gone unseen.
I have many friends who have left my particular faith because there are many churches in my
(17:32):
faith who do not utilize the gift of just the women.
And they say, "God has called me to do this.
I've got to go where I can be obedient to His call."
So for a moment, let's imagine something different.
What would it look like if churches didn't just permit women's gifts?
They prioritize them.
(17:53):
It would look like women being developed as teachers, as ministers, as preachers, as strategists,
as theologians, as shepherds.
It would look like shepherds' meetings where both male and female voices are heard and
equally weighed.
It would look like ministry teams that reflect the diversity of the body, not just gender,
(18:15):
but experience and calling.
It would look like a generation of young girls growing up, not asking, and I allowed to
do that, but believing I am called to do that.
Because when churches value women, they're not bending to culture.
They are aligning with creation.
(18:36):
So maybe you're listening and thinking, "Well, I can't change my church's theology.
I don't lead at that level."
That's okay.
That's okay.
Culture shifts through small acts of faithfulness.
Here's what you can do.
You can model value in your sphere of influence.
Make sure that you're the person that speaks the names of women in the room where they're
(18:58):
not present.
Here's what that might look like.
Let's say you're talking about me.
And you're in a meeting where something's being discussed and you say, "You know, I talked
to Becky about that the other day.
She's got a very good idea on how we could do that."
Something that simple can plant a seed in the hearts of others where they're like, "Well,
(19:19):
I didn't think about talking to her."
They may just go talk to this person privately.
There's nothing wrong with that.
They may get her input, her life experience, her wisdom privately.
It's a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful start.
You can also celebrate gifts publicly.
Acknowledge women's spiritual contributions out loud whenever and wherever you can.
(19:44):
You can mentor generously, pour into other women who are finding their footing in leadership.
Women of all ages, even the teenage girls.
And you can stay rooted, your faithfulness, plant seeds, even in hard soil.
Your presence is prophetic just by showing up fully as God, as who God made you.
(20:07):
You're telling the truth about His image in you.
As I began this series with one question, what does it take for a woman in ministry to feel
valued?
Maybe now we can end this series with a bigger one.
What would it look like for the church to truly value the way Jesus did?
(20:28):
Valuing women the way Jesus did because Jesus never treated women as a footnote in ministry.
He treated them as partners in mission.
There were women who traveled alongside Jesus and the disciples, women who funded that
ministry.
And let's keep the vision as we keep walking toward, not just women who feel valued, but
(20:51):
a church that values them fully.
Thank you for joining me for this bonus conversation.
If this episode spoke to you, share it with your team, with your pastor, with your friends.
Let's keep this conversation going with courage, grace, and strength.
And hey, let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you, or made you think.
(21:17):
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe, and please leave a review.
Hey, I want to connect with you.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at hello@beckyburroughs.com.
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
(21:37):
camps for Women in Ministry, this is a four week workshop.
Or becoming part of a Kairos Cohort, year-long group coaching.
Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(21:58):
(upbeat music)
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.