As National President, I am fortunate to have opportunities to step out of my ABC circle and attend ecumenical events. Last week I attended the Massachusetts Council of Churches Annual Meeting and yesterdayI had the pleasure of attending the board meeting of the MA/RI Church Women United. At these events I had the opportunity to share the work of American Baptist Women's Ministries.
If you know me well, you know one of the first words out of my mouth was the issue of Human Trafficking. It was good to hear what other women's ministries were advocating and human trafficking has been an issue that many of them have been involved in also. It was exciting for our circles to connect and discussions of how we possibly might join our circles together to enlarge it so we could make a greater difference in the fight against human trafficking. Can you imagine the possibilities?
This week I also started reading the book, "Half the Sky" by Nicholas Kristoff . It is about the oppression of women and how women around the world are uneducated, abused, raped and trafficked. The stories shared are of oppressed women who have risen out of their situation and have assisted other women in their circles in providing education and economic opportunities so that they may become empowered. What if we enlarged our circles to connect across the waters to assist circles of oppressed women? Christ has given us so much. We need to use the gifts he has given us to support and empower women who are oppressed. We need to show the love of Christ to them by giving them the opportunity for an education and skills for economic independence. I ask that you pray for God to show us how to connect our cirlces and make a difference to women around the world.
As Christian women, could we be destined to touch the lives of women and girls half way around the world who we have yet to meet? With Christ, the possibilities are endless - just like a circle!
Until we connect again, let us continue to be Women.... Destined for God's Purpose.
Barbara
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Bless God and Take Courage
I just finished reading the book, "Bless God and Take Courage, The Judson History and Legacy" by Rosalie Hall Hunt. What an inspiring and empowering story of our first Baptist missionaries. Although we always seem to focus on Adoniram Judson, after reading this book it is quite clear the important role Ann, Sarah and Emily (the 3 wives of Adoniram Judson) had in brining Christianity to Burma. All different but all had a strong faith and were willing to use the gifts that God had given each of them. They were all Women, Destined for God's Purpose......
These are the women whose shoulders we stand upon. We need to share their story, sing their song so that their legacy will not be forgotten. They were women of discipline and determination who suffered loss, endured hardships and yet had joy in their hearts to share the love of God with the Burmese people.
What can we learn from them? As Women Destined for God'sPurpose they followed their heart and their faith and it was their faith that sustained them through the good and the bad. "Bless God and Take Courage". As we follow the pathways that God leads us on our faith journey, we need to remember to Bless God along the way for good and the bad and to Take Courage as we step out in faith to new opportunities and new challenges. The pathway we take may not be the way we envision or their may be detours along the way but as I have learned, it is a part of the journey. It is not always easy to remember to "Take Courage" when we are in the midst of a detour or land in a pothole but that is when God surrounds us with his loving arms to guide us on our way.
So, as we step out tomorrow, another day on our journey as Christian women, let us remember our sisters Ann Hasseltine, Sarah Boardman and Emily Chubbuck who left us a legacy of determination and faith and they traveled the pathway to being Women, Destined for God's Purpose.
Until we connect again, Bless God and Take Courage
Barbara
These are the women whose shoulders we stand upon. We need to share their story, sing their song so that their legacy will not be forgotten. They were women of discipline and determination who suffered loss, endured hardships and yet had joy in their hearts to share the love of God with the Burmese people.
What can we learn from them? As Women Destined for God'sPurpose they followed their heart and their faith and it was their faith that sustained them through the good and the bad. "Bless God and Take Courage". As we follow the pathways that God leads us on our faith journey, we need to remember to Bless God along the way for good and the bad and to Take Courage as we step out in faith to new opportunities and new challenges. The pathway we take may not be the way we envision or their may be detours along the way but as I have learned, it is a part of the journey. It is not always easy to remember to "Take Courage" when we are in the midst of a detour or land in a pothole but that is when God surrounds us with his loving arms to guide us on our way.
So, as we step out tomorrow, another day on our journey as Christian women, let us remember our sisters Ann Hasseltine, Sarah Boardman and Emily Chubbuck who left us a legacy of determination and faith and they traveled the pathway to being Women, Destined for God's Purpose.
Until we connect again, Bless God and Take Courage
Barbara
Saturday, January 16, 2010
All Hands In!
"All Hands In" is a phrase my daughter Carrie came up with one day in the car when we were discussing what to name a possible future ministry in human trafficking that we would start. She explained that to end "Human Trafficking" everyone must lend a hand in order to be successful. After reading and watching the media for the last several days on the recent earthquake in Haiti, the phrase "All Hands In" is exactly what is needed now more than ever
to bring assistance to everyone in Haiti.
When AB Women's Ministries sent out the word that Church World Service needed Hygiene and Baby Kits - women have stepped into action. I belong to a small American Baptist Church and I immediately shared this with our Pastor and Moderator. We put a plan into action that not only
would we ask our congregation to collect the items needed, we would open this to our community and others to invite them to become involved. We have sent out emails, facebook postings, updated our website and have placed an article that will appear in our local newspaper next week. Already the response has been amazing and we have barely just begun. Collection sites and drop-offs have been put into place. Volunteers from the community have asked if they can collect items and bring them to us and teenagers have asked if they can assist in assemblying the kits and packing them.
I know that our world is filled with good but somehow we never get to see ourselves at our best. It is only the bad that comes to media attention. Why does it take a natural disaster and so much devistation to bring out the good in people?
Matthew 35:25 states, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in." As Christian women, we need to follow this message every day of our lives as Christ has taught us. Maybe the rest of the world will catch on that giving to others is much better than receiving. I have come to learn and experience that by giving out of love, God blesses me with so much more than I ever gave.
As we continue on our pathway seeking God's purpose, let us place "All Hands In" to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Let us continue to keep them in our prayers. Let us keep our hands moving in service to God and bring glory to him with giving and loving hands.
Until we connect again, let us continue down the pathway together as Women.... Destined for God's Purpose.
Blessings,
Barbara
to bring assistance to everyone in Haiti.
When AB Women's Ministries sent out the word that Church World Service needed Hygiene and Baby Kits - women have stepped into action. I belong to a small American Baptist Church and I immediately shared this with our Pastor and Moderator. We put a plan into action that not only
would we ask our congregation to collect the items needed, we would open this to our community and others to invite them to become involved. We have sent out emails, facebook postings, updated our website and have placed an article that will appear in our local newspaper next week. Already the response has been amazing and we have barely just begun. Collection sites and drop-offs have been put into place. Volunteers from the community have asked if they can collect items and bring them to us and teenagers have asked if they can assist in assemblying the kits and packing them.
I know that our world is filled with good but somehow we never get to see ourselves at our best. It is only the bad that comes to media attention. Why does it take a natural disaster and so much devistation to bring out the good in people?
Matthew 35:25 states, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in." As Christian women, we need to follow this message every day of our lives as Christ has taught us. Maybe the rest of the world will catch on that giving to others is much better than receiving. I have come to learn and experience that by giving out of love, God blesses me with so much more than I ever gave.
As we continue on our pathway seeking God's purpose, let us place "All Hands In" to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Let us continue to keep them in our prayers. Let us keep our hands moving in service to God and bring glory to him with giving and loving hands.
Until we connect again, let us continue down the pathway together as Women.... Destined for God's Purpose.
Blessings,
Barbara
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