The Easiest Invite We Ever Extended

June 6, 2023 | The Palmer House | University District

When we sent a text to women who serve in various ministry roles inviting them to gather for a time of prayer and testimony, their response was immediate, eager, and with a resounding ‘yes!’ “Thank you so much for thinking of me,” one woman wrote. “It’s been on my heart to connect in spaces like this too but I haven’t known what to do about it, so this feels like an answer to prayer!”

As women began trickling in at 7:00 a.m. on a Thursday morning, we could feel the sense of expectation in the room. For some, it was time for reunion. For others, it was an opportunity to make new friends. We were filled with joy as we watched women make introductions, grab a name tag, a cup of coffee and linger over pastries.

The room was filled with women who care deeply about the city and have said ‘yes’ to stewarding the kingdom from college students, to moms, to church congregations, to women’s ministries, schools, and other faith-based ministries throughout the Greater Seattle area. 

Just a few of the organizations represented were The Journey, Sea, and Reach Church, as well as ministries like The MomCo, InterVarsity, and Providence Heights.

Love —The Most Excellent Way

We opened the morning with 1 Corinthians 12, which addresses the body of Christ and how we serve Him through our individual gifts. After talking about the importance and beauty of knowing what role we play in the body and how all the parts work together in unison, the chapter ends with these words, “And yet I will show you the most excellent way.” Which leads into 1 Corinthians 13, a chapter all about love. We believe Paul is saying it is essential to know our role and understand the strategy in how all the parts work together; however, beyond that, ‘the most excellent way’ is through love.

People in ministry are not exempt from the pain of comparison or the lies of inadequacy, and that’s something we wanted to address in a very intentional way during our time together. One of our passions at Live Salted is to recognize ways we can champion each other’s work and truly feel together as we create spaces for others to experience and know Jesus deeper. 

The morning kicked off with casting vision for unity, referencing a passage from Peter Greer and Chris Horst’s book, Rooting for Rivals.

One attendee shared her thoughts with the whole room, “It’s not about competition. So, as you are working in different ministries and different pairings, what a witness it is to the broader community and what an encouragement to know that there are indeed lovely Christian women out there young and old reaching the city. It’s wonderfully positive.”

Breaking into small groups, we invited God to tell us what He wanted us to know, then shared our personal responses with each other. After a few of these breakout sessions, we reconvened as a community for a shared time of prayer and testimony.

Vanessa, a ministry leader at a local church, shared a compelling image she saw during our final prayer. It was one of unity as she watched, in her mind’s eye, the Lord going beneath the water’s surface tying together all the nets the various fishers (the ladies in the room) had cast. It was this idea of the Lord knitting together the work of various ministries together so that the net could be cast even further. So beautiful.

We were so encouraged by the response to our first women in ministry event, we’re planning the next one for September!

We can’t wait to see how God continues to heal reputations, perceptions, and relationships as we move together in unity and love to serve the Greater Seattle area.

If you’re interested in joining or learning more about the event, you can find more information below.