Women’s Ministry and CFC

They’d start taking Bible study, they’d start bringing their families, and, and over time we have watched that grow and grow and grow, like you said, and, and it’s been amazing. Yeah. That sounds amazing. Yeah. God’s been really working through that ministry. And then, um, when John Stone came, they really incorporated marriage, you know, conferences and, and parenting conferences and tried to.

Engage the, um, the husbands too. Mm-hmm. , you know, and Mary Beth and them would do moms and dad night and try to also engage them and, and get them involved. And, and we’re seeing more and more families come now. Good. It, it started there, so That’s, that’s amazing. Yeah. So I was just gonna ask about the families because, um, encouragement alone.

Yeah. Um, Fellowship in Christ that encourages just that facet by itself as transformative. Mm-hmm. , and you add these other elements of biblical studies. Yeah. And Christ Christ’s principles, things like that. What are some of the effects without getting into, you know, specifics, uh, in terms of names and things like that?

Well, what are some of the changes you see in the family because of mothers who have gone through this, this class? I think. Well, I’ve just seen them feel better about themselves, for one. Yeah. And, and feel, um, I’ve seen them feel crushed because they, and I felt it myself, realize some of the things I’d done wrong when I went through the class a couple times with her, or, you know, uh, um, and, and so that was hard.

But I also was encouraged and excited about the things I learned to be a better parent, to be a better wife to be. And so I think that’s encouraging for them because they’re given tools and they’re told that they’re doing a good job and they’re encouraged and they’re loved through it, and they’re, and there’s something powerful about hearing that you’re not the only one struggl.

Yes. And when you sit in a group of 10 or 12 women in a circle and you share your heart and, and you find out she’s struggling with the same things, I’m struggling with that. That’s a huge burden off of you and Right. And some of them had never heard about the Lord. And so they hear about the Lord for the first time.

And to really know that they’re loved and to understand that message is, mm-hmm. is powerful. We started a small Bible study. I think it was maybe the second year. And some of these gals, they just, they had never, we sat in a back porch of, uh, Heather’s house. So it was a few years in. And, um, they had never picked up a Bible.

They had never, you know, they wanted to know things like, what’s the Trinity and what’s the Holy Spirit? And it was, um, so amazing to just sit there and be able to pour into them. And so, It, it really is this, this the sweetest ministry. Yeah. That sounds fantastic. It sounds like right from the book of Acts.

Yeah. Where there’s just this authentic community, which is one of the things that’s shared. Yeah. Not just spoken, but actually implemented here. No, it is. Yeah. And yeah, and Mary Beth. Not only feeds into the moms, but she feeds into her Titus and they, um, do a Bible study together. They do a lot to pour into each other and to mentor them and, and, um, and vice versa.

So I think that’s a, yeah, pretty powerful. Yeah, absolutely. You’re, you’re, investing in others. Mm-hmm. . But there’s also someone who’s discipling you, investing into you. Right. Yeah. Right. That’s phenomenal. I mean, that’s, that’s Jesus model of discipleship. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So I, yeah. How, how has this changed you, uh, if I may, being a part of this and being a servant leader, seeing God work?

Well, it’s funny because, I was the least likely person to probably be a women’s ministry director, and that’s a whole nother conversation someday. But you know, in my life I still go, Lord, I just, me . And, um, I was pretty shy. In fact when they said something about me, um, being the chair of the women’s tea that we used to do here.

I said, as long as I don’t have to get up and speak . And now here you are on a podcast, . And, uh, well, and I get up and speak almost, you know, every other Tuesday it seems like. But, um, so I, you know, I, and I didn’t feel very equipped and so, um, it’s been a journey watching God mm-hmm grow me and. You know, mentor to me and just like I’m watching other women grow in their spiritual walk and their journey, I’m right there with them.

Mm-hmm. and some of the ladies, you know, said how you’ve come so far as far as being able to get up and speak and, and just my, um, growth on being a better leader. Mm-hmm. . So I’ve learned, I’ve learned a lot in the Lord. Yeah. I mean, I learned right away when I was speaking, um, that it was him, it was so not me.

Mm-hmm. and that became very clear and I was a communication major and interpersonal communication. I had public speaking and I was terrible . And there, when I just finally turned it all over to him and I got. The first time I just went, oh my gosh, that was all him. That’s so cool. And I know that every week.

So that’s so much. Um, so, such a more, now I’m tongue twisted , that that experience is so much more rewarding than the feeling, which. isn’t true. But the feeling like I did it on my own strength and my own wisdom, no, there’s no fruit in that. No. But when you know that you were a vessel and God worked through you, yeah.

That’s a life changer. Yeah, it is powerful cuz I, I, I mean I’ve seen it the other way, . Yes. And it was painful for the people listening to me and it was painful for me trying to speak and so I, it was very clear that was him and it’s been him. Carrying me through ministry. Really All along. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I’m the least likely.

So, , well, there’s something that, uh, a phrase I heard years ago that keeps coming to mind, that God doesn’t, uh, call the qualified, he qual, he qualifies the called. Yeah, no, that’s exactly probably this. I used to say, yeah. , you know, Moses and I’m like, I can’t speak very well and you know, you don’t want me . Um, so yeah, I, I, yeah.

There’s something about just being in awe. Yeah. You know, you, you, you’re just less self-conscious and suddenly it’s just flowing through you. Yeah. That creativity that he gave you. Nah, it’s been amazing cuz I have done a lot of different jobs in. , you know, almost 60 years on this earth. And I, I see where God took everything I’d ever done.

And I used that in this job. I mean, there’s so many facets to women’s ministry and he take, took all those things that I had done and then I see how they get used to help somebody or, um, you know, especially some of the rockier times, Scott’s allowed me to, you know, use that experience to help other people.

Yeah. You know, it’s. Yeah. Quite a journey. Yeah. And it’s especially powerful personally. Yeah. When your story is redeemed and some of those parts, those parts that you look back and you recognize they were not good decisions. Right. They were mistakes. And then you, you learn from that and you grow and suddenly you’re investing in someone else who Yeah.

Is going through exactly those same, yeah. Challenges. Yeah. And you can tell. look em dead in the eye and say, I know how you feel. And that resonates because you’re not just speaking facts, right, or information. It’s truth and love. You truly understand. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that’s, it sounds like that’s what is resonating.

in the ministry. Yeah. So when I was, um, early on here, I took a, a Celebrate Recovery class and I had been married before and I had gone through a divorce and nobody ever expects to have that happen and Sure. And I was no different. And, and so I just, it became clear that I was really. Struggling with some things.

And so I took the class and I remember that person. I was like, I don’t think I need to be here. And, and then she said, well just come a few more times. And after that I realized God had me exactly where he wanted me to be. Mm-hmm. and I, it was a year long class and then the next year, um, helped co-lead it, uh, a second time and I, and life changing.

And I said, everybody needs to go through that because of, you know, we all have hurts, hangups, and habits and, and. Powerful, and that was very, life changing too. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And there’s, there’s something that in, uh, in my younger days, I totally downplayed things like fellowship and prayer and, and something that I’ve been learning is just being able to talk with God and hear his voice.

Yeah. You know, because he does address those things. He, he doesn’t, um, downplay our sin. No. But when we recognize there’s no shame or condemnation in him addressing those things, and especially as a dad, I’m learning this now cause I have two young children and there’s a lot of times where it’s like, No son or daughter.

I’m, I’m not mad. This is just something that, because I love you, needs to be corrected. Right. Um, but it’s, it’s not an attack on your character. Yeah. Discipline and love. Right. And then you’re able to, again, coming back to sharing someone else can see that you’ve weathered this storm. Your trust in the Lord is deepened.

Right. Your relationship is flourishing and the fruit is evident. Yeah. And so it helps, uh, my. Insights or observations. It helps them with a little bit of borrowed faith. Yeah. They can see someone else. I, I made those same choices. I’m living with the same consequences. They put their trust in the Lord and they’re where I would like to be.

Right. You know, it’s a beautiful thing. That’s true. Yeah. That’s true. Well, Debbie, it’s been so great talking with you and I can’t wait for the next. Where we get to learn more about you and what you’re doing and uh, it sounds like we gotta get Mary Beth on, on the interview as well. I think that’s a great idea.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Well, thank you so much. It’s great having you and, um, we’ll look forward to the next time. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Catalina Foothills Church podcast. Rest remind and reflect. I hope this blesses you, and we’ll look forward to chatting next week.

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