Rise Above Loneliness: Finding Strength in a Women’s Ministry

In recent decades, women have seen a striking rise in opportunity and almost every area of life. Yet many women still feel alone.
Eighty percent of new mothers feel lonely.
Most girls under thirteen feel lonely.
More than half of women leaders feel lonely.

I just really believe that as women, we really need a village. I am so grateful for the strong women God has put in my life. They’ve helped me rise above my challenges at every stage of my life.

I grew up as a Navy brat and we literally moved like every two years. And so I learned very quickly how to be social. But what happened was I didn’t know how. And I actually decided not to build close relationships.

One of the best things about finding God was finding real friendships, close friendships, women who knew everything about me and they still wanted to be my friend. These were the friends that help me through every stage of my life in my first few years of marriage. Those women, my friends, they taught me so much about what it meant to be married. That has saved me more than once over the last thirty years of my marriage, and my husband is very grateful for that.

You know, with every new stage of life brought something new. New fears, new insecurities, definitely new mom guilt, but also new opportunities. I’ve been able to rise to these opportunities because of God and my friends.

In Ephesians 4:16, the Bible says, from him the whole body grows fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part. The body builds itself up in love time and time again.

My life has been held together by friends who have literally been a supporting ligament holding me and my family together with truth and compassion.

Every stage, every season, every difficulty, every celebration has been fuller because of this friend village that God has given me. I don’t think we’re meant to handle life on our own. God wants everyone to have friends like these and to be part of a village for others too.

At Bay Area Christian Church, we believe in a strong women’s ministry. We don’t compete with each other. We learn from each other. We celebrate each other because it’s the best way to be able to grow and become who you’re supposed to be, who God wants you to be. And it doesn’t matter where you’re from or how you grew up, how old you are, what socioeconomic background you have. We can all learn from each other’s perspectives and each other’s cultures and each other’s challenges, and help us become everything God wants us to be.

You know, like I said earlier, women are really lonely. No matter what you’re doing or how successful you are. I’ve really learned personally, and I’ve seen it in so many other people’s lives. It’s those villages break down the walls of fear. And a past hurts. And they teach us how to trust. They teach us how to be honest and how to be confident.

We have what’s called Girl’s night out events that happen in April, and we also have Pumpkin Spice Nights that are just for women. Not to mention throughout the year we have women’s Let’s Talk nights. These are moments. These are times that these villages, these women, these friendships come together to learn how to be vulnerable and to be accepted and be loved. The thing that makes that most powerful is how we help each other be close to God. These events are amazing, but the truth is, is us learning how to help each other have a relationship with God. That’s what brings the power behind it.

When we learn to walk with God, what he does is he brings in a village. He brings in women into our lives that helps us help each other rise above whatever challenge we face and help us to become who we’re meant to be.