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Why do pastor’s wives and women’s disciplers need support?
The work of a pastor’s wife or a women’s discipler can be very lonely and isolating. Often from a different area of the country, she has moved to New England where the climate is spiritually cold along with chilly winters. At New England Urban Church Planting, part of our mission is to be a family supporting one another through the hard work of planting churches among the underserved in our cities.
What kinds of things do I do?
The process for a pastor’s wife or women’s discipler starts with forming a relationship before she moves here. This is done by meeting over a video call on a regular basis. Through this time, we begin to know each other, beginning with causal conversation, Bible study, and praying together. One resource we use is “The Gospel Centered Life” where the goal is to see Christ as bigger in our own lives, always be aware of our own sin, and bring it to the cross where we have been forgiven and freed as He pours out his grace on us.
Our meetings together have been mutually encouraging so that by the time she moves here, through God’s grace, we already have a relationship as sisters in Christ. The goal is for us to continue to grow together in Him as we can now meet in person.
In one instance, we meet regularly in person to catch up on what’s been going on in her community, to pray for her specific requests, and then spend some time in the Word together. Our relationship has included times where we come over to do laundry, share a meal, or just hang out if she needs some down time and rest. Our home is always open to her. We’ve also provided support with helping her move and with other needs or challenges that have come up in her community.
In another relationship we meet regularly in her home. She has smaller children and meeting in her home works best for her. It’s been a joy to get to know and support each other on a deep level of friendship along with Bible study and praying for one another.
My goal is to form a relationship as sisters in Christ that supports and encourages each woman that is a part of our team. Our prayer is that each woman involved in ministry with us can be sustained in Christ for the long haul through all the joys and challenges of ministry in the inner city.
As Director of Coaching and Care, it has been a joy to form these relationships and to come alongside each woman God brings here to love, support, and encourage her with the unique gifts God has given her.
