Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June/97

Contributor - Babette Moerman

Title - Gold, Silver and Costly Stones"

Topic - "And Precious Silver" - Excellence In Women's Ministry

Restoring Women's Ministries in the Reformed Church of Canada

This article (Part One of Two) was originally a special message shared by Babette Moerman at the annual RCWM Spring conference of Classis Ontario. She has kindly agreed to share it through this column. We look forward to Part Two in the August/97 issue of The Pioneer.

RCWM Past

The RCWM (Reformed Church Women's Ministries) has been a large and important ministry within the Reformed Church for many years. In the early days, most Reformed women joined the Ladies Guild (Vrouwen Vereniging). Women came together to grow in their faith and relationship with Christ. Many charter members of the first RCWM groups here in Canada were immigrants from Holland. We can thank God for their godly lives and their for demonstration of faith and perseverance, living testimonies of women who trusted and depended on God in the midst of struggle, trial, or hardship.

RCWM Today

Presently, the RCWM is smaller in number. Leaders of various RCWM groups report the following:

* "Our numbers have definitely dropped over the years.'

* "We can't seem to get the younger women involved. They just don't seem interested."

* "We need some kind of new program to revitalize, change, and re new things."

Yes, there is a general consensus of discouragement, frustration, and concern about the future of RCWM! So where do we go from here? Is there still a place for RCWM within the church? Will it still exist 10,15, or 20 years from now? Leaders are wrestling with these very questions. One step taken has been to introduce the 'CAPS' program, which is essentially a visitation to every church asking women for feedback and response on Women's Ministries. The leaders in the Reformed Church in America want to hear from you how women can be ministered to more effectively.

Without being overly pessimistic, it is important to be honest and realistic about these concerns. Nevertheless, we are convinced that there is a definite, vital place for Women's Ministries within our churches and an equally great need for Women's Ministries to be restored in our Reformed Churches in Canada.

RCWM Future

As we look to the future of RCWM, there is a need for transformation. Only God can transform. The cost of transformation is change, and change (as we all know!) is not easy, popular, or readily accepted. The Classic response to change is 'well, we've always done it like this before. Why should we change?" But when God transforms us He brings about necessary change in our lives and it's for our own good. We shouldn't fight, rebel against, or resist what He needs to do. Who are we to stand in God's way? We need to be fully open and receptive to allow God to lead and direct our ministries to women.

"Gold, Silver, and Costly Stones" is the theme of this article, arising from I Corinthians 3-5-15. Please take a few moments to study this passage:

1 Corinthians 3:5-15

5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 10 By the grace God has given me,I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (NIV)

From these important verses, we can draw many lessons that apply to our Women's Ministries:

Growth Only Comes From God

Paul and Apollos didn't bring about growth. Rather, they were servants of Christ-obedient to the work that God called them to do. God causes growth, not us! We need to be humbled and realize that we aren't the ones who accomplish growth or great things, only God! We can never cause growth in Women's Ministries - only God can. Our own pride is such a hindrance that it blocks any ministry from moving ahead. Our boasting must only be in our Lord and what He has done, doing, and will do, not in what we have done, we are doing, and we will do.

In the RCWM, we need to be careful that we don't become proud about our past and boast in our founders and charter members, basking in their accomplishments in 'the glory years.' This is a temptation that we can so easily fall into. Hanging on with pride to the past, reveling in what was done, and wishing for it to be re-done can keep us from moving ahead. In the Bible we read about people who remembered and remued the past, but it always centred on glory and praise to God, proclaiming His mighty acts and deeds. As we look upon the past of RCWM, lets be thankful to God for His many blessings and not take pride in what we might call 'our accomplishments." Growth only comes from God.

We Can Work Together In God's Field

We need to see Women's Ministries as God's field-one He wants to see yielding productive crops. We can unite and work together as fellow workers in God's beautiful field of Women's Ministries. We have been given one purpose-to serve our Father together. We need each other. In Christ, we have all been given one or more spiritual gifts to use to bring glory to God. We need to identify and practice using our gifts in and through Women's ministries, with God assigning the tasks and bringing the growth. Some of us are planters, some are waterers, some are harvesters in God's field. Some are encouragers, others disciplers, intercessors, teachers, leaders, servants, hostesses, and many more. There is no room for observers on the sidelines or spectators in the crowd.

As we work together serving God in the field of Women's Ministries, we are fellow workers regardless of our ages. God doesn't categorize us according to our age or background. God desires to see women of all ages worshipping, serving, ministering, and fellowshipping together as united sisters in Christ.

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