Desperately Seeking Input
Does your husband serve in some form of ministry? Looking to connect with others walking your same road? Then listen up because you may be interested in something brewing around here.
I’ve been praying since the end of last year on how to expand the resources available on this site. The M2M Blogroll has continued to grow and it occurred to me that you girls need to have the opportunity to introduce yourselves and share your own experience with the rest of us.
Would you like that? Seriously. I’m asking because I really don’t know. I’m game but considering I’m usually the first to climb to the end of a thin limb, that’s not always a good thing.
Here’s the gist of what I’m thinking:
1. I will designate one day per week as a ‘Get to Know You’ Day. Except I’ll try to come up with a snappier title than that.
2. I will ask for submissions from you and will post them on a first come/first serve basis. I’ll come up with guidelines as far as what to include, word limit, etc.
3. I know there are many difficulties associated with a life in ministry and while I don’t mean to minimize those, I would like for this particular feature to remain positive in focus. I’ve got something else in mind to deal with the hard stuff.
I get many, many emails from ministry wives in crisis and I want you to know I am honored that you would ask my input and invite me to pray with you. As much as I consider this a privilege the time has come for me to admit I can’t do this alone any longer. I know I’m not giving your emails the response they deserve because of the volume of them. SO, again, in praying how to handle this I feel God has led me to create a Prayer/Wise Counsel Support Team made up of, who else, ministry wives with whom I can share these requests – with your permission of course. The idea is for you to contact us, allow all of us to pray for you, but then be willing for one of the women to offer a personal, individual reply.
In addition to that, I would REALLY love to host regularly scheduled, themed chat sessions where we can talk about all aspects of ministry. I crave real-time interaction and think this would be a great way for us to build one another up!
Okay, now that I’ve purged I would love to hear what you have to say. Obviously I welcome any suggestions and feedback on how to make sure these intentions of mine are done with excellence. I’d rather not do anything if it can’t be done well. I certainly don’t want any craziness or lack of organization on my part to end up hurting more than helping.
So, let me have it! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts…
I think it would great! Being a new Pastor’s Wife myself, I would love to interact with other Ministry Wives!
Yes, I think this would be a good idea, too. I’m a pastor’s wife and read on here often but I’ve never posted. I’m excited!
What about elder’s wives?
Lisa, I think this would be a wonderful idea. I am the wife to a minister of the Gospel at three United Methodist Churches in Northern Missouri. This is our first pastorate and we could not have asked for a better one. My DH has been a pastor for 3 years. At first I was very nervous to become a pastor’s wife. I am a very out-spoken person and just didn’t fit the PW mold. It took me many hours in prayer and God finally telling me the very wise advice of this… “Jeannie you are first and foremost Richard’s wife…then you are a pastor’s wife.” That helped me out so much. I think interaction with other PW would be a great idea. I also like the getting to know you idea. I have 2 blogs. One I don’t write in as often as I would like, http://heavenlyramblings.wordpress.com , and the other one I write in daily because it is used for an online Bible study that I started for the women of our parish and it has grown into about 60 readers daily. http://seekinghiswill.wordpress.com
Looking forward to what you come up with on your blog.
I think they are both great ideas! I am in! Oh, thanks for stopping by….your prayers are greatly appreciated…
I would love to hear more about your readers and PW’s from across the world. It would be great to read their blogs and connect with those in similar situations to us.
I think its a good idea also to have that prayer and individual support for the pastors wives emailing you. I dont know of any other online service that provides that support, but thats a lot for you to organise. I’ll pray that other wise women will join you on that panel and make it their own too.
Of course I will support you 100% and would love to share and encourage others, but I am only a baby ministry wife ;) my hubby has been a pastor for 1 year.
I look forward to what God will do through you this year!
I think this is a great idea also! The only wish that I had when my husband announced his call into the ministry was that some dear saint of God would have came to me and gave me some kind of counsel on what to expect.
I am 100% for investing in the lives of any woman’s life to help her ministry be better.
I am also 100% interested in anything that I can glean from someone else too!
Blessings!
What a great resource this is to encourage one another day after day…. Thank you Lord for connecting believers in such amazing ways!
Lisa, your heart for the Lord and your gift of writing is a constant blessing! Thank you for investing your time to encourage so many!
Love to you friend.
A fellow Pastor’s Wife,
Julie
I think this could be a good idea. I’m with you about not starting something if it can’t be kept up and done well.
I have been in ministry with my husband for all of our 23 years of marriage. We pastor a great church and are incredibly blessed, but I know many in ministry that are not so fortunate. I have had an area wide pastor’s wives ministry in the past that included monthly gatherings and a conference, but I had to let that go when life circumstances were such that I couldn’t continue to organize and run the group with the time/prayer it truly needed. I still keep in touch with that original group of PW’s even though many have moved away. I have tried to think of ways to support PW’s and perhaps this is an avenue to fill that need because we could all work together so that it isn’t too much for any single woman.
Praying wisdom for you.
I’ll all for this idea! I’d also love to be on your blogroll! I’ll email you (don’t know why I haven’t done it before). But, yes we pastor wives need to continue to support and uplift each other. If you need any assistance, let me know. Thanks, Shane
Lisa – what a great idea and you are a blessing to think about “going beyond” with your M2M blog roll. Count me in and let me know if I may help in any way.
Jan
I love the idea, i’m praying for you!
Much Love and Prayers,
Amy
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I would love for us to meet in Nashville, any of the blogging ministry wives for that matter. Lets arrange that!
Wooh-hoo sounds great.
I wonder if creating a community on Facebook (we can have a private group there) would work for this.
Also, is anyone attending LPL in Nashville for Ministry Wives? We should meet up!
Lisa, I am new at the pastor’s wife role too. I hear lots of challenges of the role but I am certain there are blessing of it too, right? Maybe we could post some of those. I may not know what I am getting myself into, or what God is getting my husband and I into, but I would love the chance to interact with others in a positive and counseling sort of way. An encouragement site of sorts. I am also sure that there are probably lots of resources out there for pastor’s and wives and churches and if you have been a PW for very long you probalby know alot of them that could be shared to help the growing church. I am excited to see what happens next.
I’m for it! I’ve been in the ministry for 34 years… There were no classses on how to be a pastor’s wife… Boy could I have used it!! We are in a unique stage of ministry right now… My husband will begin a 6 months sabatical in March. We need resources, prayer, and encouragement as we, especially my husband, renews, refreshs, and revives his heart for the ministry. It will be difficult since he also works as a full time High school teacher too… So he will still be working…
On my end… I wonder how many pastor’s wives have chronic health problems that have kept them away from the ministry for a time… disabled… It is hard on the pastor and the church when the wife cannot be involved due to health reasons… but at the same time we need support too….
I enjoy our blog very much… Thank you for your ministry…
Lisa: I think that you have some great ideas. Would you have to have a blog to be a part? If not I would love to be a part in some way. Thanks Kim B. in AZ
Lisa,
What a wonderful idea! I would love to be part of your support team in any way.
Also, my blog address has changed from glenandcorasykesfamily.blogspot.com to http://sdpastorshome.blogspot.com/
Cora
This is a wonderful idea, Lisa.
I am a pastor’s wife and although I am blessed at this time to be in the most fabulous church, there have been times that it hasn’t been so.
In His Grip,
Beth
Hi Lisa,
Great idea! My husband has been Senior pastor for the last 11 years (we were faithful in the small things for 15 years – our ministry together was: "whatever needs to be done do it – great training for a senior pastor!) and it's been a real blessing but I certainly understand the ups & downs. I'm so excited about the Minister's Wives conference, this will be the FIRST time I've been to anything for minister's wives and I'm ready!!
Embracing God's Grace,
Natalie
Your Prayer/Wise Counsel Support Team is a great idea and I would be honored to be on it. We’ve been in ministry for 10 years and as I’m trying to positively support another pastor’s wife, I would love to do it for a few others.
My chronic illness keeps me home and I spend more time praying, writing notes of encouragement, etc. as a ministry outlet. So, this is just up my ally.
These ideas all sound awesome! I have received some sweet comments from M2M blogroll women, I would love to interact in real time. Plus there’s so much wisdom I could glean from women who have been there, done that!
This a wonderful idea
I would love to be a part of this. I have been feeling more and more “left out” of the pw community where I live. Seems like there is too much competition. lol
Sounds great to me!! We have been in ministry for 3 years. I have a great support network, but I am always up for connecting with more people!!
Thanks for pioneering this!
I think this is a great idea! My husband was recently ‘let go’ from his position (2 mths ago) and it was horrible and UGLY. It would be so nice to find someone to talk to and maybe even understand some of what I’m going through! The wounds are still so very fresh! And it’s hard for a lay person to understand.
this sounds great! Love the ideas :)
I would enjoy something like this very much. The Facebook idea sounds interesting if it could be private. The only blog I have is a private blog for a church Bible study – that could be another option.