I am so excited to share something with you, but every single time I sit down to write, I struggle to find the words. (I know, that’s totally not me, is it?) I think it’s because this excitement is threatening to boil over and I want to say everything just right. And I know if you’re reading this blog post, you’re probably like I am when I read blog posts and thinking, “Ok, get to the point.”
The problem is, I worry that simply getting to the point won’t do this justice. There is SO MUCH I want to share with you but if I shared it all, it would be one really loooooooong blog post.
You see my problem? I just spent two paragraphs telling you how I don’t want make my blog post too long. Sigh.
Ok here’s the deal. I’m going to get to the point and see where it takes me.
My friend Tiffany and I are starting a home-based, motherhood-topical small group, with the intention of building relationships with other moms and reaching women for Christ.
But what first started as a simple vision to just have an intentional ministry to those in our neighborhood in Pottsville has now grown to a much larger vision. We feel that God is showing us that our group in our neighborhood is to be one of many home-based moms ministries in our city, state, and beyond.
Why do we feel this way?
Because we know we’re not the only moms who have a passion for making a difference. And as Christian moms, we know that salvation through Jesus Christ is the ONLY hope any of us have. Why would we not want to share that? As followers of Jesus, we are commissioned to share that.
We also believe that as moms, we have a unique commonality with other moms. And let’s face it, moms in this day are faced with struggles unlike any mom in any generation before has encountered. We need each other. We need guidance. We need support.
With all that being said, here are some questions you might have:
What is this going to look like? Ideally, each home-based group (and it could be based anywhere really) will have a Seed Group of women who will begin the group. These will be made up of a host, a discussion leader, and supporters. All three roles are critical. Before the group is launched, the Seed Group will be trained in 4 weekly sessions. Our training passage will be Isaiah 58, a chapter God has burdened my heart with for 7 months. (I am now realizing how he wanted me to use it.) After the training, each Seed Group will decide when and where to launch.
What is this group NOT? This is not a believer-centric, believer-served group. Each group exists to reach women with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This group’s mission is to equip believers to intentionally build and develop relationships with other moms that God places in their paths, and prayerfully invite them to the group once it’s launched.
What will be taught in the groups? Each group will have choices, but we recommend keeping the subjects motherhood-centered. We suggest beginning with Six Ways to Keep the Little in Your Girl and Six Ways to Keep the Good In Your Boy by Dannah Gresh. These books are all about motherhood and the unique challenges we face in today’s society and have immense practical, take-home-tonight applications.
If the subject being taught is motherhood, how do you plan to reach women with the Gospel? This is done through the relationships in the group, though personally investing in each woman’s life. The Seed Group will be trained on how to incorporate Jesus in their groups during the Isaiah 58 training. Everything will be in love. Everything will be intentional. But we know that a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit’s drawing. Each Seed Group will follow His lead and watch Him draw women to Himself.
Is this group affiliated with a particular church? Tiffany and I are each members of different churches in our area. Our vision is that women of many local churches will become involved in Seed Groups. Our objective, as women come to know Christ, is to encourage them to get involved in a local church. We see this being a unifying group, unifying women of different Bible-believing churches to the all-encompassing Kingdom work of seeking and saving the lost.
I want to get involved! Where do I start? We will begin the 4-week Isaiah 58 training in October. We plan to do 2 sessions in October and 2 in November. Please come to that, even if you’re not sure you can commit to a Seed Group, or what role you might want to have. During the training, you can prayerfully consider where God may (or may not) be leading you.
What if I’m not local? Shortly after I begin doing the Isaiah 58 training for those locally, I will be posting the lessons on a web site (www.myjourneyoffaith.com), and you can download them. I’d encourage you to get a Seed Group of your own and go through the training together. Please let me know if you’re interested!
If you’re interested in the local training, please contact me as soon as possible. (Again, you’re not committing to anything but just being open to where God may be leading you.) We believe that God has already prepared many of you to get involved in this ministry. And if there are more than Tiffany’s house can hold, we’ll need to arrange another venue.
What if I’m not a mom or my children are grown? Oh, how we need you! First, we need covered in PRAYER! We know we’re embarking on a battle and know the enemy won’t just roll over for us. If you’re willing to be an ongoing prayer partner, please let me know and we will contact you with specific requests. Second, please share this with any mom you know who may be interested in this. I believe there are many moms who I don’t even know who would like to be a part of a Seed Group. Please put them in contact with me. Click here for my email address. Finally, you might even consider praying about being a host for one of these groups.
ONE MORE THING. We need a name! We have a few in mind, but if you’re creative in that area, please consider suggesting some ideas! 🙂
Thank you so much for reading this far. My plans in future posts are to get a little more personal about all the ways God has lead Tiffany and me to this. There have been too many of God’s fingerprints on this for us to deny this is something He is leading. It’s all for His glory! Join us!
I can help with prayer
Thank you, Jo Ann!
I can help with prayer
Thank you, Jo Ann!
Mustard Seed Moms (praying 🙂 )
Thanks, Jennifer!
Mustard Seed Moms (praying 🙂 )
Thanks, Jennifer!