by Sharon Ling
Women’s ministry is often understood to involve Bible study, fellowship, and service among women in the church. How this is done varies in a wide range of ways from one church to another. Yet sometimes, there can be a lack of clarity or opportunity in discipleship by women for women, focusing on spiritual growth through mutual learning and encouragement.
Recognising this need, the women’s ministry at my church in Kuching, Sarawak, decided to start women’s discipleship groups in 2023. It is designed for small groups of five to eight women to learn and grow in the faith as they meet monthly, using the book Growing Together by Melissa Kruger. We also wanted to equip women for ministry, particularly in mentoring other women, so that the whole church will keep growing towards maturity.
In facilitating two of these groups, I have had the joy of seeing the women engaging with Scripture and with one another, sharing their lives and praying together. In the process, we also built friendships and grew to know one another better. Here are three things I have learnt about discipleship from facilitating these groups.
1. Discipleship is intentional
In the Great Commission, Jesus commands us to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). We see this worked out in the early church, as the apostles preached the gospel and taught the new believers in the faith (Acts 2:42–47; 5:42). Paul and Barnabas, returning from their first missionary journey, strengthened and encouraged believers in the cities where they had preached the gospel earlier (Acts 14:21–22). More informally, Priscilla and Aquila spent time teaching Apollos more fully about the gospel in their home (Acts 18:24–26).
As these examples show, discipleship is not just about making converts but teaching believers to become mature in the faith, to know and love God more, and live for him daily. This means that discipleship does not happen on its own. It takes intention and effort to teach fellow believers to grow spiritually.
In the church today, this primarily takes the form of preaching the Word from the pulpit every Sunday. Discipleship also takes place through teaching and learning in various contexts, such as small groups, youth meetings and mentoring relationships. In the women’s discipleship groups at my church, we are intentionally providing a space for women to teach and encourage one another.
2. Discipleship is communal
Drawing from Titus 2:3–5, the vision of the women’s ministry at my church is to see women discipling women towards maturity. The women’s discipleship groups are an opportunity for more mature Christians to come alongside younger believers, helping each other grow as disciples of Jesus and spurring one another on in our walk with him. We also take our cue from the book we are using, which describes mentoring as a relationship in which “a younger woman is tethered to a more mature believer for a season so that she might grow firm in her faith and be equipped for ministry.”1
We aim to achieve this not only as the facilitator leads the discussion, but also by encouraging honest sharing and reflections based on each chapter’s content. In this way, everyone learns together as we take turns to share our thoughts and experiences in relation to the topic, including any challenges or struggles we may be facing. We are then able to offer encouragement and pray for one another. And finally, we try to put into practice one thing we have learnt in the session.
In his grace, God has not only helped us to grow, but opened up discipleship opportunities beyond the groups. One of the participants went on to go through the same book one-to-one with two other women. Another expressed interest in studying the book with friends from other churches. And the women from two groups which ended recently are now reading another book together, inviting other women to join as well, so that they can keep learning and growing.
3. Discipleship is multigenerational
The congregation in my church consists of a wide age range, from young children to elderly grandparents. This is reflected in our women’s discipleship groups, which have comprised college students, young professionals, mid-career women, and retirees. The multigenerational relationships that developed were a blessing and resulted in many fruitful conversations. The older women shared their experience in areas such as family, marriage, and career, as well as wisdom from their longer walk with Christ. The younger women also had valuable insights to share, particularly in navigating new challenges like social media. Both older and younger women benefited from the exchange of experiences and perspectives from their respective seasons of life.
Multigenerational relationships are implied in Titus 2:3–5, as older women are instructed to teach younger women. But younger Christians also have much to offer other believers, as Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
It takes effort to cultivate relationships with people much older or younger than us because we tend to gravitate towards those of a similar age to us. But the effort is worth it, offering the potential for learning from wisdom and experiences different from our own.
Pursuing intentional, communal, and multigenerational discipleship among women will result in spiritual growth and maturity. As women become rooted firmly in the faith, they will be equipped to disciple other women and to serve in various ways, even reaching out to those outside the church. Ultimately, this contributes to the wider growth of the church as each part does its work to build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:16).
1. Melissa B. Kruger, Growing Together: Taking Mentoring beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020), 19.↑
Author
Sharon Ling is a journalist with the Malaysian newspaper The Star, based in her hometown of Kuching, Sarawak. Raised in a Christian family, she grew up in BEM Kuching Evangelical Church, where she currently serves as the Women's Ministry deacon. She is also a pianist on the church music team. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, browsing bookstores, and a good cup of coffee.
