Making the Church a Safe Place for Hurting Women A conversation with Ann Maree Goudzwaard and Jane Anne Wilson - a podcast by MARKINC Ministries

For too long women, rather than feel safe, women often feel shame in their
local churches, so much so that they will not ask the leadership for help.
The idea of speaking about her personal needs and hurts to any man, let
alone being in a room alone with a group of men fills her with fear. This
conversation with Ann Maree Goudzwaard, Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson
fills us with great hope as we learn about a Shepherdess ministry designed
to not only create a safe place for women in crisis but also act as a
preventative balm. This ministry is a picture of the spiritual mothering
described in Titus 2. Older women are trained to come alongside a hurting
woman, learning how to speak “woman” to the pastoral leadership when the
hurting woman cannot speak for herself. Ann Maree describes the
responsibilities of a Shepherdess and how this ministry changes the
atmosphere of a local church as women – and their friends – discover the
church is a safe place. And the bonus – older women realize they have much
to share from their own life journeys and Scripture.

This conversation acts as salty peanuts – we hope you want more! To satisfy
your craving for more information, check out the following links. Not only
is the book packed with practical information on how to start this ministry
but there are also training videos.

Further episodes of In His Grip

Further podcasts by MARKINC Ministries

Website of MARKINC Ministries