Arizona - Lift Off
I’m writing from the airport in Phoenix, Arizona here in the U.S. I was in Arizona with a group of women from across the U.S. who want to take their gift of speaking to the next level. Danielle Strickland, a total powerhouse preacher, spearheaded this Women’s Speaker’s Collective. Her vision? A Boot Camp to equip and encourage female preachers. She’s been a preacher for over twenty years.
I was there for two reasons:
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To take my own speaking to the next level and
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To teach and coach other women
Having this time to hone the craft of speaking, to discuss the pitfalls of what’s become the Christian Speaking “industry” (Lord, help us), to figure out this whole thing with loads of advice and hands-on experience, was a trip.
Now post Arizona Boot Camp, I’m sitting at the airport and I should be on a high. But truth is, I’m not. I’m conflicted and a bit sad.
There are some reasons for that:
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Plenty of women still feel so small and scared in forums like this. They shared their stories. They shared their fears. Some still stayed noticeably quiet. And yet, they were there.
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There’s still a lot of weird “woman” stuff, like comparison and competition, which makes me sad for us all. Danielle shared it may not be as much of an innate female thing as much as it is a systemic social issue that sets us up. (I wondered why? Only so much time, men, room, space, etc. to go around, perhaps?)
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Here we are in 2019 and we’re still having the conversations about how to navigate our places as female preachers.
Stuff like this still gets in the way of allowing us all to soar.
So for every woman who still struggles for lift-off:
“I constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness, and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him…” ~(2 Thes. 1:11,12)
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thes. 3:5)
Gotta go.
I’m about to take off.
Nancy
I’m real because God is so real.
CALLING
As a woman, what hinders you from lift-off? As a man, if there’s a woman in your life - daughter, sister, wife - who’s held back, what do you think may be grounding her?
