February 2014

Soul Care, Part 1

An interview with Executive Director for Engage International, Mindy Caliguire

At Gifted for Leadership, we're all about encouraging women to understand that God has gifted many of us specifically for leadership and that if we have that gift it's not really our choice whether or not we use it; it's just a matter of where and how and whether we put it to good use. How has God called you to use the leadership gifts he has given you?

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People’s Voices Matter

An interview with Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber

She was called into ministry in a comedy club. When Nadia Bolz-Weber, working as a comic, lost a friend to suicide, her community demanded, "Well, you'll do the funeral, right?" They'd identified her as "the religious one." Nadia describes the experience of delivering his eulogy: "I looked out at this room of hundreds of people—comics, academics, queers—I realized that I felt ...

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How I Rediscovered Joy

I was so busy serving, I lost sight of God.

When I became a Christian, the biggest thing that changed about me was my self-centeredness. Before becoming a Christian, I mistakenly thought I was an extrovert because I befriended people who I thought would be useful to me or who made me feel good about myself. After I became a Christian, I realized I was an introvert. My attitude toward people changed when I understood ...

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Why I Didn’t Write an Article about Health

…or did I?

When I was first invited to write an article for Gifted for Leadership on the topic of "health," my initial reaction was hesitation.

It's not that I don't love the topic. I have long been a strong proponent of intentionality in the areas of physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational health. These areas are all interrelated. God has created us as whole persons. When one ...

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Mental Illness and the Church

How many lives will be lost before we change?

I'm hidden under blankets in a bedroom of the parsonage next door to the church my husband pastors. My limbs are cinder blocks. My gut, a pool of quicksand. I hear a muffled voice. "Mom? It's time for dinner. Mom?"

I roll onto my back and squint my eyes up at Zoya, ten years old, the easiest baby for me, the one who still crawls up in my lap and rests her head on my breast ...

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When Family Pressures Threaten Your Ministry

It took a crisis in our home to make me stop and wake me up to reality

"Does your family demonstrate a spirit of peace?" I heard the preacher say. "No!" I yelled inside myself. Little did anyone know, our family was in a state of crisis. Our oldest son's behavior was getting worse every day; he was finally diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, and depression; and our three-year-old was picking up on our older son's negative behavior ...

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Building–and Maintaining–the Temple

Leading and serving should not come at the cost of our own health and well-being

When Solomon decided to build a temple for Yahweh, it took seven years to complete the task. And no wonder. It was both enormous and ornate. 1 Kings 6:34-35 reads, "There were two folding doors of cypress wood…decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers—all overlaid evenly with gold." The specificity and care that went into planning and constructing the ...

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How the Church Can Support Emotional Health

If you can’t find healing in the Body of Christ, where can you find it?
How the Church Can Support Emotional Health

Lisa is going through a divorce and she's afraid to tell her fellow church members. She is slipping deeper and deeper into depression, with no one to talk to. John has lost his job and he's having an emotional breakdown. He's questioning his worth as a man since he can't provide for his family. Sarah is in an abusive relationship and she has developed low self-esteem. ...

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