PWOC International Blog

For over a year, I’ve been involved in something that will change the course of the PWOC ministry. Is changing the face of ministry as we know it.

It is an idea that we have a target group. A demographic. An actual person that we’re ministering to. And we’ve named her.

So these are some of the words that I shared with the PWOC local leaders in the Southeast Region on Friday night…

First of all, I read for them, Psalm 32. Read it. I read it in the ESV. I let them know they need to be right with God first. To know His love and forgiveness. Then to be sure their PWOCs are environments of that same forgiveness (thinking of the Lord’s Prayer….), to be places of deliverance for those in need…

And then I started asking the questions….and the meddlin’ began….

I want to introduce someone to you.

She’s about 23 or 24. Maybe you’ve seen her in the commissary or at the neighborhood playground.

Comes from a decent family – but very likely came from a broken home. Did well enough in high school to graduate and married soon after. She’s spent much of her (short) married life apart from her spouse. But not so much time apart. After all, they do have two kids. (I can say this. We have five…)

She finds herself alone sometimes and wonders what she’s doing on this base without him.

She has some friends, but everyone’s so focused on their own problems to really be concerned about hers.

She’s up late at night, probably surfing the net or collecting jewelry, farm animals or vegetables on Facebook games….or just trying to connect….trying to see if there’s anyone out there who might listen….

Her name is Megan.

Megan wants to know something.

She wants to know if what you say about this Jesus is real.

She wants to see it work.

She wants authenticity and simplicity yet is highly technical and receives her news and interaction with others online.

She wants to know if it’s worth it to bring her kids to a childcare room with people she doesn’t know.

She wants to know if it’s worth it to come to a building and drop off her kids and go to have coffee and muffins. Coffee and muffins? Really? She can do that at home.

Is it worth it to sit through a class on parenting or marriage or finances or deployment or worship (what was that one again?) or some guy named Matthew who writes about obscure ideas like being salt and light?

Yes, it is worth it! It’s worth it that she come to PWOC and find refreshment for her soul. It is worth it for us to pour into her life the very life of Jesus. It is our responsibility and privilege to SHINE the light of Christ. For Megan.

Here’s our challenge as leaders.

How important is it to you that she comes to your PWOC?

How important is it that she hears the Gospel of Christ?

That she sees real relationships? That she be loved unconditionally?

Please let your PWOCs be about reaching out to the unchurched.

Snacks and childcare do bring people in some people — and that is important.

But Megan’s generation wants real answers without the gimmicks.

What they really need is Jesus, even though they may not know that at the time.

Putting a face and a name on a generation of unchurched, hurting women has the potential to change the course of our Bible studies, our leadership training, our visual graphics and types of publicity, our purpose for “doing church.” I pray that this description of Megan will spread like wildfire – that it will cast vision in PWOC International and cause us to be intentional about ministering to those for whom Christ died.

(More questions or comments? Email me at communications@pwoc.org.)