Equip Women

About one in 54 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States, as of 2020. One in 54 families is living with and loving someone who has ASD. One in 54 kids has tried—and often failed—to attend a kids ministry program because of sensory overload issues. One in 54 moms has put her head down in defeat and cried in the dark night over a behavior that her loved one exhibits. Today's special-needs families need friends to come alongside them in their lifelong, often lonely, journey of raising someone with ASD.

Today’s society presents a challenge to public speakers. We live in a blur of fast-pace, in-your-face media distractions; no wonder the average adult attention span is only thirty seconds or less. But don't let this frighten you off the stage. The good news is that people are craving honesty, personal connection, and take-home value. If God has called you to bring a message to women, you don’t have to change who you are to do it. You simply need to rely on the Holy Spirit and master a few important techniques.

If we are to see women continue to grow in their knowledge of the Lord, our ministry must be as multidimensional as the women are. The goal of this unit is to explore the stages of a woman’s life: physically, mentally, emotionally, personally, and spiritually.

Do you sometimes think to yourself that there must be more to leadership than what you are experiencing? The truth is that many of us have a lot of knowledge and experience under our belts, but we sense something is missing when it comes to imparting that knowledge to others. Ruth Haley Barton, in her book "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership," uses examples from the life of Moses to illustrate how crucial it is to lead not from your intellect, but from the life of Christ in you.

In this unit, we will explore the challenge of managing conflict. We will consider some general issues regarding conflict—why it’s difficult and what causes its intrusion into our efforts. We’ll also consider the common stages of conflict and the goals that can make our efforts to resolve issues worthwhile. Finally, we’ll review steps for managing conflict and some practical ideas for creating an environment that doesn’t allow unhealthy conflict to flourish.

The truth of our life is that God knows us. We were created uniquely and intentionally, with talents and strengths that can empower us to faithfully live out our purpose. By understanding and developing our personal strengths, we can actually be the kind of people we are meant to be: people who serve others and who act on the God-given opportunities around us every day.