I answered the call to ministry a little later in life than many and honestly, I felt a bit overwhelmed. While I had great support from my senior pastor, he was male. I quickly I realized that I needed other women on this journey. I applied and was accepted into the 2018 Baptist Women in Ministry Mentoring Cohort.
The retreat that began my mentoring year was both out of my comfort zone and refreshingly comforting. Women came together as strangers, but left as friends. I was surprised at how easily it was for us to identify with one another and how much we had to say. We needed one another.
In the year of required video conferences, Kristen, Anita, Carrie, Katie, and I became a tightly woven blanket of support for one another. Thankfully, we are still conferencing once a month and maintain a never-ending group text. Some of us have even had opportunities to see other members of the group in person. When one of us needs to pour out our feelings, ask the others for advice, or just has something funny to share, the group is our soft place to fall.
I donate monthly to BWIM so that women coming after me can find much needed support as they discern and answer their calling. It is my hope that the girls and young women I minister to will have access to the invaluable resources that BWIM has to offer.—Kim Divelbiss, children’s minister, NorthHaven Church, Norman, Oklahoma
Baptist Women in Ministry currently has 123 individuals, churches, and organizations that give monthly to our work. We would love to have 140 monthly supporters, and we hope to add seventeen more donors to our giving list this week! Small monthly gifts of $10 or $20 or larger monthly gifts of $50 or $75 make a significant difference! Join Kim in being a monthly giver!