Help Wanted

UPDATE:  Thank you all so much for the wonderful response!  I’ve received many private emails as well as the comments here and I’m just overwhelmed at the number of you who are willing to contribute. 

So what now?  I will be in contact over the next few days with those of you who were interested in working with the blogroll.  I never dreamed I would have to choose just one because I didn’t know if I’d get any interest.  Most likely I will be asking a couple of you to work together so that the job doesn’t become too overwhelming.  As for the article submissions, I’m working on creating submission guidelines.  Those will be posted very soon so you can begin sending in your pieces. 

Again, I’m floored.  Thank you girls so much. 

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You wouldn’t know it from the superfluous content but this little website is important to me.  It’s the delight of connecting with this wonderfully organic, eclectic, flat-out interesting community of women (lay people and ministry wives alike) I’ve met here as well as the outlet for thoughts that no one in my house cares about that keeps me from turning out the lights and declaring the party over.

With that said, I have big dreams about expanding the types of resources this site could provide.  In case you haven’t figured it out, I love God’s Church.  Large or small, city or country, traditional or transitioning – the Bride is beautiful to me.  If I had to pinpoint my particular calling it would be in strengthening her female leaders and membership.  I also feel God has confirmed in many ways that I am an unglamorous, trench PW.  I connect best with ministry wives who are still running their husbands bulletins on Sunday morning and re-arranging the tables and chairs in the fellowship hall for whatever class might be meeting there next because they’ve not yet raised enough money to build a Life Center.  (Can you tell we just did that today?) 

There are two areas for which I am particularly burdened at this point:  Community and Encouragement.  I’m going to pitch a couple of ideas out here and if I hear nothing but crickets chirping, then I’ll know that I’ve asked too much of you. 

1.  The Married to the Ministry Blogroll:   This thing has gotten huge.  There are broken links.  There are lots of new requests that I’ve not been able to add for lack of time.  There are blogs that no longer exist that need purging.  But most importantly there are many women who email me regularly to tell me how much they love this resource and how they’ve connected with other PW’s at just the right time to meet their need for cameraderie.  You girls know how important that is.   

What do I need?:  Someone who would consider this a ministry to become the administrator of that blog roll, keep it updated, welcome new members and  come up with creative ways to feature blogs so we can pull you girls off that list and get your site seen. 

2.  Encouragement:   Once upon a time there was a girl who wrote ministry/church-related articles.  That girl was me.  That girl is operating at stroke level but consistently worries that she should be doing more to encourage the many women who visit here looking for assurance that God wasn’t ticked off at them when He called their hubbies to serve the Body or those who are jaded with Christianity because church people disappointed them by being human. 

What do I need?  Article submissions that address relevant issues to life in ministry or church in general.  I would particularly love to hear from you girls on the other side of the pulpit.  I’m a strong advocate of building relationships between ministers and lay people so I would love to see writings relevant to both audiences.

The other day I made my boys help me clean out the flower beds.  Sam said, “Let me guess, my reward will be the satisfaction of knowing I helped make our house look nice.”  Smart kid.  I told you that because I can offer no other reward than the satisfaction of knowing you are making The House look nice.  Not my house though – His.  So, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  I’d love even more to hear if you are interested.  You can email me privately at thepreacherswife1 AT gmail DOT com to learn more.   

Thanks for listening!