A dangerous woman
delves deeply into the truth of who she is, grounds herself daily in the
healing and empowering love of God and radically engages with the needs of the
world.Dangerous women cross lines of
age, race and culture raising money, thinking creatively, taking risks,
reinventing their lives, following their God-given dreams.
Dangerous
women; world changing women.Thats what
I want to be
(We can be) women who acknowledge our power
to change and grow and be radically alive for God... healers of wounds and
righters of wrongsweeping with those who weep and speaking for those who
cannot speak for themselvescherishing children, embracing the elderly and
empowering the poor;praying deeply and
teaching wiselystrong and gentle leaders.
May
we shine like stars in a darkened generation.May we overflow with goodness in the name of God and by the power of
Jesus.And in that name, and by that
power, may we change the world.Dear God,
please make us dangerous women.'Nice Girls Don't Change the World by
Lynne Hybels
This is our destiny, as empowered women of God, as Women's Ministries International; to change our world!
After
a great deal of inner struggle, prayer and counsel, I consented and was
installed as Women's Ministries International (WMI) President at the
WMI General Session in July 2007. It is an honor to serve together with
the WMI Board and women nationally and internationally to fulfill God's
Great Plan and Purpose for WMI, Women Ministering Internationally!
The women who traveled this road before us were strong, courageous
women and brought us to where we are today; we honor them and thank
them for their service.
Joshua
1:1-9 relates God's instructions to Joshua to "Arise every place on
which your foot treads, I have given you." "No man will be able to
stand before you all the days of your life," "I will not fail you or
forsake you," "be strong and courageous," "be careful to do according
to all the law so that you may have success," "do not tremble or be
dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
With
these promises, I am committed to following the Lord's direction,
listening carefully to His Voice, obeying quickly and allowing Him to
direct our paths as He gives us His freshness and power.
Let's
ARISE and unite together! Allow God to speak to your heart and bring
you His Plan and method into your focus; be open to thinking outside
the box and inside the heart of God to fulfill His Will through WMI.
Our God is ever fresh, ever new and our challenge is to keep step with
Him, united in Him!
ARISE
and unite together to double our local WMI's by next GC; we already
have new groups organizing. Your International WMI Board is in the
process of updating the Handbook, Start-Up Kit and brochures.
There
IS a fresh wind of God blowing, as Bishop Kendall spoke of at GC, and
it's blowing through WMI, bringing renewed vision, hope, courage, faith
and commitment to do our part in reaching women and children around the
world. Is it too much to ask the Lord to give us the women of the FMCNA
for WMI? Will you join me in setting a goal of "Every FM woman, a WMI
woman?!" Wouldn't this please the Lord as we unite together as a mighty
band to see the needs of women and children abroad alleviated as WMI
provides for them what is not provided in any other way! Wouldn't the
Lord be pleased as women around the globe unite in developing leaders
and encouraging women to be all they can be in the Lord and in their
world!
Arise
and unite together in prayer for God to do, "great and mighty things,"
as He said He would do if we would "Call on Him" in Jeremiah 33:3.
After the GS, the newly installed WMI officers, the out-going officers
and some of the past presidents met with me; we discussed various
challenges that face WMI; it was a terrific meeting with the Lord's
encouragement, hope, power and direction evident. Twenty-two ladies
committed to praying everyday for 1) me, 2) for WMI's Board and 3) for
success in fulfilling God's plan and purpose for WMI.
Those
prayers are effective and God is working. I am asking you to
prayerfully consider joining this group, as we bring WMI to the Lord
and listen for His direction. Let me know by return email if you want
to be a part of this dynamic group that I am corresponding with on a
regular basis. As William Carey, that great missionary to India
proclaimed, "Ask great things of God; expect great things of God."
United together in prayer! Arise
and unite together in giving! During our meeting after the GS, several
women committed to sending up to $100 a month through December to
alleviate the financial duress that WMI is now facing. Will you
prayerfully consider joining us in this sacrificial action? God is at
work and He will see us through; He will bring victory and blessing as
we continue to obey Him and follow His directive. I'm convinced the He
wants to do something He's never done before as we follow His
leadership. Remember what He did for Joshua and the children of Israel
when they faced impossible odds, were incredibly outnumbered but went
forward in obedience, refusing to fear, tremble or be discouraged?! He
wants to work miracles again, for WMI!
There still seems to be some confusion regarding the channels through which WMI monies can be received. On our website is the Memo dated Aug. 2, 2007, from Gary Kilgore, CFO of FMWM that explains that churches and conferences that give missions money through WMI, receive 100% UMC credit on their total giving. Churches and conferences can still give to missions through WMI and the missionaries receive the money within a few days. United together in giving!
Arise and unite together in broadcasting the good news that TODAY, WMI is an effective, viable force of dedicated, committed women, intent on praying, listening and following the Lord's commands to see the needs of others supplied. You faithfully give for women and children to Antigua's sewing centers, Burundi's re-entry aid, Chile's Widow's son tuition, Costa Rica's medical intervention, Greece's Bulgarian women's outreach, Haiti's teacher training, Hope Africa University and many more from India to Africa to Venezuela.
These are needs that were would not have been cared for EXCEPT FOR WMI. Thank God for WMI; Thank God for YOU! Let's unite to see the total amount needed for our Special Projects, raised!
Perhaps
you know of foundations or sponsors you could speak to who could join
WMI's outreach; let God prompt your heart and mind as He speaks to you
about what He wants.
There are so many opportunities: 1.
Give a friend or relative who seems to have everything, a "Special
Gift" in which they receive a beautiful notice of your gift, stating
the special project that received the donation and your name as the
giver; 2.
Make a "Memorial Gift" to a surviving spouse or family; they receive a
card stating that you have given a memorial gift to WMI in memory of
that loved one; 3. Make a gift to WMI "In Honor of" someone that has faithfully served; they receive an acknowledgment of your gift; 4.
Contact Tim Burkhart or Chris Tabacer at the FM Foundation about an IRA
roll-over at age 70, specifying WMI to receive a gift. 5. May is Month Of Missions, begin planning now to honor the special women in your life and in your church by donating a gift in their honor; 6.
September is WMI Awareness Month, specifically targeting the 2nd Sunday
of Sept., to celebrate WMI let's do it up BIG TIME in every church, on
every conference!
United together in broadcasting the good news!
Arise and unite together in being a WMI $35 Platinum Member! Thirty-five dollars annually, comes to 67 cents A WEEK! Surely we can set aside less than a dollar a week in order to be a WMI Platinum member! Or sacrifice less than a $1 a week. A
resolution passed at GS and GC states that $25 of the $35 will go
toward WMI's Special Projects, $5 goes to the working fund and $5 to
the General Session fund. Ladies, THAT's exciting! Built into
membership is the gift of giving toward our special projects!
Did
you know that WMI has not increased its dues in over 20 years? Can you
believe that???!!! I mean, how can you keep up like that??? General
Session did bring a change in the Standard dues, raising them from $6
to $9. Gold membership remains at $15 and Platinum remains at $35. No
where in the world can you make such an impact for so little monetary
investment. Let's unite to be Platinum Members!
In
closing I refer again to Lynne Hybel's book, Nice Girls Don't Change
the World; in the last chapter she talks about Dangerous Women: A
dangerous woman delves deeply into the truth of who she is, grounds
herself daily in the healing and empowering love of God and radically
engages with the needs of the world.
"Dangerous
women are college students and empty-nesters, young moms and
grandmothers, women crossing lines of age, race and culture; women
mentoring one another and sharpening skills; women volunteering time,
raising money, thinking creatively, taking risks, reinventing their
lives, following their God-given dreams.
Dangerous women; world changing women. That's what I want to be and that's what I hope you will be. All of us. Together.
May we be dangerous women. May we be women who acknowledge our power to
change and grow and be radically alive for God. May we be healers of
wounds and righters of wrongs.
May
we weep with those who weep and speak for those who cannot speak for
themselves. May we cherish children, embrace the elderly and empower
the poor. May we pray deeply and teach wisely. May we be strong and
gentle leaders.
May
we never hesitate to let passion push us, conviction compel us and
righteous anger energize us. May we strike fear into all that is unjust
and evil in the world. May we dismantle abusive systems and silence
lies with truth.
May
we shine like stars in a darkened generation. May we overflow with
goodness in the name of God and by the power of Jesus. And in that
name, and by that power, may we change the world. Dear God, Please make
us dangerous women.
