Growing into the Ministry

Welcome to my new blog, Growing into the Ministry!

So you’ve heard of people “going into the ministry” -- but what happens after that? I'd like to shift the focus to “growing into the ministry” - continuing your spiritual formation and pursuing excellence as you enter and experience Christian service. I want to read and hear stories of faithful women and men who have followed the call of God into ministry, and despite the many challenges, are learning to flourish. This is not just for professional clergy, but for all disciples of Jesus who want to see the Kingdom of God transform the world: "on earth as it is in heaven."

Who am I? I'm Virginia Knowles, fifty-something home schooling single mother of 10 mostly adult children. In an unexpected turn of events, I am fulfilling a lifelong dream: I'm most of the way through my MA in Ministry at Asbury Theological Seminary. This summer I'm doing an intensive internship for my Mentored Ministry class. The coronavirus crisis is making it a challenge to fulfill the required hours in an already short semester, so I'm turning to virtual ministry as an alternative. This is just one piece of it. I've got a lot up my sleeve... Wait - I'm not wearing sleeves in this picture. Better luck with the next one.

But here's the thing. This is not just about hours. It's about growth. It's about leaning into God, as well as learning from others. 

So this here is my online home for resources related to "growing into the ministry." I'm also starting a podcast of the same name, and this is one of my places to park those episodes in an accessible place. I hope this will serve as an inspiration to you!

This blog and podcast will also serve my Empowering Christian Women ministry which has a Facebook page (same name) and a large private Facebook group called The Goals Gathering. This particularly serves the needs of women who have experienced crisis in the form of family or religious abuse, both of which are disempowering. However, I think there will be plenty of material here for other women too.

Cheers!

Say a prayer for me!

Trusting God for big and small things,

Virginia Knowles