Editor’s Note: We’re hearing more and more about our volunteers influencing younger women as they journey through life and learn to engage their peers with the Gospel. Some of you may want to do something like this but don’t know where to start. We’ve asked Jessica Leep Fick to provide some encouragement on this topic. Jessica, Stonecroft’s Evangelism Resources Director, helps create new resources for reaching women – especially young women – with the Gospel. In the following article, Jessica writes primarily on investing in younger women, but her message applies to any volunteer interested in connecting with those outside her regular social circles.
I was in a book club with some church friends a few years ago. My grandmother, who was an avid reader, had heard about the book we were reading – Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert – and decided to read it for herself. While the women in my book club had one opinion about the author and her choices, Grandma had an entirely different one.
My book club admired the author for the brave choices she made and envied her global adventures, yet my grandma pointed out how selfish she was and what little regard she had for others. I wouldn’t have considered a perspective other than that of my peers until my grandmother shared her thoughts. My grandma connected with me through our shared love of reading. My experience was richer because of her perspective – very different than the perspective of my friends.
Our culture has shifted dramatically. With families living farther apart, many people seem more interested in their smartphones than each other and it’s easy to stay in a bubble with people your own age who are much like you.
When we talk about the younger generation known as millennials, some people seem to think they are like a giant living in the hills – strange, unapproachable, and a little scary. The truth is that millennials – or any women younger than you – want the same thing: someone to invest in them and show interest in their lives.
Psalm 145:4 (ESV) says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” The beauty of Stonecroft is that it’s an intergenerational ministry. It provides a way for your generation to invest in the future of Stonecroft and in the lives of women just like you. Stonecroft will introduce future generations of women to Jesus through new outreaches and hubs (local Stonecroft “affiliates” by which young women receive Stonecroft training and share the Gospel with their peers). And the testimony of God’s faithfulness will continue because of your prayers and investment in the younger generation.
You may feel insecure and wonder what you might have to offer younger women or if they’ll want to spend time with you. Focus on your similarities. Your perspective, life experience, and knowledge are gifts to wisely steward and invest in the next generation. Will there be moments that may be a little awkward or confusing? Yes. Welcome to the church. Life is hard. We as a younger generation of women need your prayers, support, and encouragement. We may do things differently or do things you don’t understand. (I don’t understand why fidget spinners are popular either!) But we need each other.
Here are a few ways to invest in the next generation:
- Take time to get to know younger women: Find out what they are interested in, what they struggle with, and how they want to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
- Learn from younger women: Be curious. Find out what drives their passion to minister, to invest in others, or to share Jesus. You’ll likely learn a lot about them and how to connect with them if you ask.
- Go where they are or invite them in. I wish an older woman would invite me to spend time with her. Simply talking and growing a relationship is a scarce but precious gift these days. Invite some women to your home for dessert and coffee. Host an intergenerational group for a roundtable discussion about different issues, or read a book together like my grandmother and I did. It doesn’t have to be a formal or structured plan. Just spend time together.
Leadership is often “caught,” not “taught.” What will women “catch” from you about living the Christian life, sharing Jesus, and investing in other women? More than you realize! Your stories alone of God’s faithfulness are a gift to a younger generation.
Jessica Leep Fick
Evangelism Resources Director