2016
Live Your Calling: A 40-Day Devotional for Women Leaders
If you like sneak peeks, we’ve got a big one for you. In the next few weeks, Gifted for Leadership is getting a modern update to better reflect our mission. I’ll post more about the specifics later, but in the meantime, you can get a first look by checking out our brand-new devotional. It includes our new name, logo, and colors, so you can get a peek at the exciting ...
Top 16 Articles of 2016
Every year at this time, we take a look back at the top articles of the year. I always enjoy this task, but this year I’m especially proud. The top articles represent what we’re all about: a diverse group of women leaders talking about important issues that women leaders face in church ministry. You can see that we haven’t shied away from any hard topics—like ...
Overlooked: When Women Are Passed Over for Leadership
In a recent article for the Harvard Business Review, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, CEO of Hogan Assessment Systems and professor of business psychology, looks beyond the familiar theories for why there are not more women in management positions (e.g., lack of capability, lack of interest, and the ubiquitous glass ceiling) in hopes of finding something more essential. His conclusion ...
Making Space for Women Leaders in the Church
Being a woman in ministry has its perks—I take particular delight in surprising people. “Wait, you’re a minister?” they ask. “But you’re so [insert the quality that busted their expectations]!”
I’m an ordained Presbyterian minister, and I come from a tradition and a family where this is relatively unremarkable. Both of my parents ...
The Problem with Self-Esteem
According to author, researcher, and psychology professor Kristin Neff, the self-esteem movement was a bust. The issue with self-esteem, Neff says, isn’t in having it but in seeking it. “The problem is we're constantly comparing ourselves to others. We try to puff ourselves up.” Because boosting our self-esteem is based in comparing ourselves to others, ...
Female Insights into the Christmas Story
Shortly after I started my first job as a pastor, I was given the opportunity to be one of the first women in our church to preach in our Sunday services. To say I was intimidated by the thought of preaching in front of the entire congregation would be an understatement—I was terrified.
After preaching that first fateful Sunday morning, I was pleasantly surprised when ...
Please Don’t Make Me Feel Used
“I don’t know if you’ll be able to help me with this, Cara,” Amalia* said in a voicemail, “But I’d love your insight on something.” There was a pause. Then she asked me to call her back.
I was so grateful when we finally connected. An acquaintance had reached out to her to get to know her better, asking to hang out. Amalia, who is a ...
Did I Hear God Right?
I first stepped on African soil nine years ago. I traveled to Ghana, West Africa, for a short-term mission trip, and my heart was changed forever. After my amazing experience, I longed to be a full-time missionary. When the timing seemed right, I left my career, sold my car, gave away most of my possessions, and moved to Ghana. I loved every second of being a missionary, I ...
5 Essentials to Build Trust in Your Ministry Team
“Trust is the currency of leadership.” This popular axiom is especially true in the highly relational context of church leadership. To be effective in ministry, you need to earn the trust of senior leadership, peers, volunteers, and most importantly, your own team. Yet, trust is not easily obtained. It’s a byproduct of healthy leadership—an intangible ...
How to Teach the Bible So Others Understand
My phone flashed with a text as I began my day. “Hey. Can I come borrow some resources from you?” It was my friend Lisa, and she was preparing to teach a message to a large women’s study. I could tell she was nervous. “I’m teaching on the sovereignty of God and I’m overwhelmed. I’ve read Tozer, Wright, Lewis. Can you recommend anything ...