Recovering the voices and value of women in leadership is a strategic priority for our network. We are working alongside women to amplify their voices, resource their development and advocate for life giving ministry opportunities in which they can flourish. This, we believe, is essential if we want to see a culture enriched by the thriving partnership of men and women in ministry.
Read inspiring stories of women leading and engaging in ministry across our network.
On the eve of International Women’s Day 2024, women across our network logged onto Zoom for a night of encouragement, connection and camaraderie, their faces lighting up when recognising friends. That night, Kym Dixon, Leader Health Support and Formation, launched a new initiative for the women in our network.
As Kym said, “Belly & Bones aims to empower women to pursue the “fire in their belly and the burning in their bones”, creating space for them to give voice and expression to the stirrings of God within.”
Holly is the Sexual and Women’s Health Nurse in a correctional centre’s Health Centre, a role she has held for the past 5 years. With many women arriving in prison from highly traumatic circumstances, Holly’s first task is building trust.
“There’s a real art and skill in being deliberate in creating an environment for vulnerability to happen and doing it quickly,” she says.
Joining ACOM in 2007 with a background in Spiritual Mentoring and Masters in Mystics; Sue Whiteley located, through her pioneering spiritual mentoring program, a spring of spiritual enrichment that has now become a mighty river nourishing our network.
“If I know God has given me something to say, I can be really confident to give that word. I am at the frontier, not because I know where I’m going, but because God is saying, ‘Come on!’ and I say, ‘Okay, let’s go.’”
Kristyn Crossfield and Deborah Tin are committed to pursuing social change but are equally aware that they are playing a long game with outcomes that are not always visible. In expressing what sustains her efforts, Deborah says,
“It’s the love of God in me – He loves me, and I know. But also, the Lord has not come back yet, but He has given us time – and so a patient God like this gives us patience! The Spirit is in us, so we have the fruit of the Spirit.”
Sharing how they bring their whole, authentic selves to the workplace, Rebecca Lee and Raewyn Williams observe how their faith outworks itself through grace in navigating difficult decisions and conversations.
Despite never seeing herself as a leader, Linda Salem took on a leadership role in the children’s ministry at Kingsford Church of Christ; also visiting the local public school to lead Special Religious Education (SRE) classes each week. With this background, she was well-equipped to move into SRE when her church began engaging in more outreach.
Sharing her initial feelings of doubt, Linda says,
“I thought I couldn’t do it – it’s a big thing to look after children in the spiritual realm. But I remember distinctly asking the Lord for the gift to be able to teach children, and He gave it to me.”
In this season, our network of churches of Christ has made it a priority to recover the voices and value of women. One of the first fruits of this intention, is the formation of a creative cohort of twelve women known as Belly & Bones. For a year this cohort has shared stories, engaged in creative journeys and walked together through layers of healing and empowerment.
Check out the journey of the BnB cohort, and their first publication: Taste and See.
Website: edenwaters.com.au
Website: hopesviewretreat.org
Website: meredithharmer.com
Webpage: redhill.org.au/women-preaching
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