Breaking Ground
Who has been the most influential woman in your life? Why?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Why, where we’re diving into questions submitted by the E3 community. This week’s question was: “How can E3 support & encourage women as leaders within the Church? How can women interpret the Bible’s more patriarchal texts in a way that honors Scripture &, simultaneously, grounds them within their original contexts?”
Begin by having the women in your group share their experience in the Church. What has being a woman in the Church been like for you? Have you ever been treated differently from men in the Church? If so, how & what impact did this have on you?
For the whole group, how have you seen women treated in the Church when it comes to pastoral ministry & leadership? Have these experiences been different from their male counterparts? If so, what impact did that have on the women in these positions?
There are many complicated Scriptures about women that are grounded in the patriarchal worldview of the Ancient World (that is, they were written within & reflect their surrounding culture, in which men were entrenched atop its power hierarchies). This reality, in turn, raises a critical interpretive question about whether God is endorsing these cultural realities or, instead, if the texts are simply reflecting the world in which they were written (a tension we also wrestle with ancient social realities like slavery, dietary restrictions, violence, etc).
How can women interact with these texts in a way that both honors Scripture & keeps them grounded within their original historical contexts? How has wrestling with such texts or questions shaped you & your reading of the Bible?
Despite this larger patriarchal worldview, the Scriptures also contain many examples of God turning upside-down these ancient expectations. For example, we see this with women like Deborah, who led Israel; Lydia, who founded & led the Church in Philippi; with Jesus, who treated female disciples as equals to male ones; & more.
What do you think these figures & stories reveal about God & how we should think about this issue? How should it shape how we interpet & apply these texts today?
Historically & presently, Element3 Church has supported the full inclusion of women in leadership & pastoral ministry.
Why do you think E3 has chosen to do this? Why is it important that we continue to empower female leaders & pastors within our community? How can we continue to empower women in our church today & moving forward?
Getting Out of the Hole
Take time each week to reflect upon the Sunday sermon.
- What were you taught growing up about the role of women in church & ministry? How did this impact you & the women in your life?
- What do you think a healthy vision of women & leadership looks like within the Church? Why?
- Why is it important for E3 to platform, empower, & encourage women as leaders within our community? How can you help us do so in this next season?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
Centered Set Church by Mark D. Baker
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
TheBibleProject.com
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, September 6th: Join us next week as we continue answering YOUR questions in our Why series!
* Please see mye3.org for details.