Baptist Women in Ministry currently has 117 individuals, churches, and organizations that give monthly to our work. We would love to have 140 monthly supporters, and this week we hope to add at twenty-three donors to our giving list! Monthly gifts provide dependable income for Mentoring Program! Small monthly gifts of $10 or $20 or larger monthly gifts of $50 or $75 make a significant difference! Read Tambi’s story about how important the Mentoring Program has been for her, and join her in giving monthly to BWIM!
How is this going to work? Is it possible for me–an introvert who doesn’t enjoy talking on the phone, much less chatting via video conference–to benefit from participating in a mentoring group that would be facilitated via digital media? Would I feel intimidated or uncomfortable?
My initial reservations regarding Baptist Women in Ministry’s Mentoring Program were ultimately outweighed by my deep longing to connect with other women who are juggling the myriad of responsibilities and expectations that accompany the associate pastor role in a local church. The experience with my mentoring cohort proved to be immensely rewarding.
Any fears I had evaporated when I met the four other women in my cohort at the three-day retreat at Sacred Heart Monastery, the event that launched our year-long experience. As we shared our call stories, I knew I had found a group that could help me grow spiritually, spur my creativity, and broaden my perspective.
Our monthly conversations via Zoom were reassuring, reminding me that I am not alone on this journey, that my struggles are not unique. As we chatted online, we shared stories, ministry strategies, book suggestions, and prayer requests. I saw God at work in their lives and in their churches, and I reaped the benefits.
I needed this program. I needed this cohort. Thank you, BWIM, for making this experience possible. Thank you, Julie, Anna, Anna, and Meg, for giving of yourselves. I am a better pastor because of you.
I give monthly to BWIM so that other women will have opportunity to be part of the Mentoring Program.
Tambi Swiney (above right) is associate pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee.