Our vision for Exodus Women begins with our belief that women have gifts, and the church needs them.
We want to be faithful stewards of those gifts. Our vision statement describes how we aim to do that.
Exodus Women exists to discover, develop and deploy the gifts of women for the mission of Jesus through Exodus Church.
Discover.
First, we want to discover women and their gifts. We want to make sure that women are connected relationally, that they know they are seen and valued and cared for — by Jesus, and in his church.
Then, as women become connected to one another and grow in their knowledge of Christ’s love, they will have gifts to share. We want to discover these gifts because we believe women are not just helpful to the work of the church, but essential. God doesn’t give any gifts to his church that aren’t necessary. The church needs women to bring their gifts so that the body can build itself up in love.
Develop.
We want to encourage and disciple women so they can share their gifts.
We don’t want to merely create another set of roles for women to “plug into.” We want women to be able to develop their own unique gifts. We want to create a culture of intentional investment in women as individuals, where they are learning how to steward their gifts and encouraged to share their gifts for the sake of the body.
Deploy.
We want to see women sharing their gifts, pouring out their gifts in love, in their homes and families, in their community groups, in Exodus as a church family, and also out into their neighborhoods and our community — investing their gifts in the mission of Christ’s kingdom. This is because we believe women’s ministry is not just ministry to women in the church, but it is ministry by women for the church.
There are so many ways we can see that happen at Exodus. As we move forward, let’s remember that Mary’s story of ministry began with a woman who had come to know Jesus and his love for her.
As she broke the jar and poured out the perfume, it was an overflow of the extravagant love she had received from Jesus himself. It was a gift, and Jesus called Mary’s gift beautiful.
This is what I hope we can see at Exodus. That working together, each of us — men and women — bringing our gifts, Christ will be seen and honored, and his church, his body, will be made beautiful.