A Ministry Worth Modeling
One of the greatest needs in women’s ministry today is how to help the hurting woman. Whether it’s a job loss, a terminal illness, divorce, prodigal children, or the death of a loved one, we as leaders often feel at a loss of how to help.
First Baptist Church of Jackson, Miss., is providing a unique and effective “safe place” for women to share life’s journey, especially when that journey becomes difficult.
Hungry Hearts Ministry was started by the Women’s Enrichment Ministry and has a number of Journey Groups, each with a specific focus on a painful issue.
Using 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 as their biblical basis, each Journey Group gives women of like circumstances an opportunity to come together for fellowship and Bible study.
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"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11, HCSB).
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"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort with we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5, HCSB).
As several women sensed God leading them to provide this ministry, they had no idea who would lead or what issues would need to be addressed. God began stirring the hearts of those who needed a “safe place” and those who needed to be leading these groups. Truly God put together this ministry from the beginning. What has truly been an exciting blessing is seeing women come forward who want to help hurting women and who do not even know Hungry Hearts exists.
But what they are being called to do is exactly what has already begun and the fit is perfect. In fact, in each case God has given a specific Scripture basis for that group and has at times caused these women to wake up in the middle of the night with a passion to minister and mentor women in pain out of their own life experiences. Mentoring is happening naturally as women who have been in their journey for a long time help women who are new in the same journey.
A year ago this ministry began with two groups and today there are five active groups and one on the horizon. Current Journey Groups include:
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Healing Hearts for those who have lost a child.
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Hopeful Hearts for women who have experienced infertility and/or pregnancy loss.
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Heavenly Hearts for the young to middle-aged woman who has lost her husband.
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Heritage Hearts for mothers of children with learning problems.
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Hallowed Hearts encourages, empowers, and equips working women for use as holy vessels, that they may bring glory to God in their workplace, and find balance of work and family without guilt.
Promotion for Hungry Hearts Ministry takes place through church bulletins and women’s ministry publications. God stirs the hearts of women who feel that He wants to use their experience and ultimate healing to minister to and teach women in their particular journey. Then a new group begins.
Notice that the ministry doesn’t start first, then hope for the right leaders to be available. The Hungry Hearts Ministry is advertised and leaders come forward to begin new Journey Groups out of their life experiences and healing, and as a direct call from God. Then that particular Journey Group begins.
Leaders do not do the healing for these hurting women. It happens through the study and “sharing of pain” through various biblical applications. A training video is provided for leaders who are facilitating and leading the groups. Once women with the individual issues of pain learn these are “safe” groups where they can be healed through God’s Word and with sisterly fellowship, they call to find out how to connect.
As leader Beverly Shelton says, “I honestly don’t know when God’s hand has ever been so present in the midst of total reliance and obedience on a call that made little sense at all to us when it came.”
For questions about this ministry contact:
Mary Byrd
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
mkbyrd@fbcj.org
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