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If the shoe fits, make it a Bible study
Wives of ministers face various challenges
Recognizing this, two ministers’ wives have written a Bible study aimed specifically at women like themselves.
In Our Shoes, written by Jennifer Landrith and Rachel Lovingood and published by LifeWay Christian Resources, began as a Bible study for the staff wives at Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., where Landrith’s husband, David, is senior pastor, and Lovingood’s husband, Jeff, is student pastor.
"When we got into it, we decided if this were good for our ministers’ wives, it’d be good for other ministers’ wives, too," Lovingood said. "We want to encourage wives with the Word. We want it to be empowering, real and relevant."
Both women were conference leaders at the Between Us Ministers’ Wives equipping event hosted by LifeWay’s women’s events area March 12-13 in Nashville, Tenn. The event preceded a Beth Moore Living Proof Live event for ministers’ wives.
Landrith said as they began looking at what resources were available for ministers’ wives, they found the pool to be lacking.
"Too many of them just said what to do," she said. "But not many of them said anything about how to live as a minister’s wife. We obviously wanted to use the Bible as our foundation for the book, but as we began working, we decided the need was for a Bible study, not a book of advice."
One of the first issues Landrith and Lovingood tackle in the Bible study is the "calling" on the life of a minister’s wife.
"Some people don’t really like the word ‘calling,’" Landrith said. "We tend to think about calling in terms of how our husbands decided on their particular jobs. But the word ‘calling’ applies to all believers."
Landrith and Lovingood said for their purposes, they categorized a minister’s wife’s calling into four descriptions:
1. A specific calling – The woman felt a clear, distinct call to ministry.
2. A general calling – The woman felt called to serve but didn’t know specifically in what capacity.
3. An unexpected calling – The woman was surprised by the call to ministry.
4. An impersonal calling – The woman saw the calling to ministry as her husband’s job that doesn’t apply to her.
"How she views her calling is going to influence how she views her role," Lovingood said.
The women also address a list of "hot topic" questions, such as the financial strain that can come with serving in ministry, developing friendships with other women in the church, and balancing home life and church participation.
In its eight chapters, In Our Shoes addresses the blessings and influence that are unique to a minister’s wife. In addition to the Bible study material, it provides helpful information on everything from buying deacon gifts to cooking for unexpected company.
It also gives suggestions on connecting with other ministers’ wives by means such as hosting a monthly party for the staff wives in the church, planning a denominational or associational dinner, forming an online community, creating a ministers’ wives book club or holding a community-wide interdenominational picnic or tea.
Whether a minister’s wife sees her shoe of choice as a strappy sandal, a solid running shoe, a sturdy flat or a high-top combat boot, she needs to find the style that is most comfortable and appropriate to her life. The same applies to her life as the wife of a minister.
"One size – or even one style – of shoe doesn’t fit everyone," Landrith said.
Access the In Our Shoes blog at http://inourshoesthestudy.wordpress.com/.
