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I just finished reading The Church Called Tov, by @scotmcknight and @laurambarringer. The book starts with a plea to avoid a toxic church culture marked by narcissistic leadership, power maintained through fear, and various types of abuse. Instead… (1/9)
…the authors propose a Tov culture. Tov is Hebrew for “good,” and a Tov culture is marked by empathy, grace, people first, truth-telling, goodness, service, and christlikeness. It’s a super compelling vision for church culture. In particular… (2/9)
…I was struck by the empathy chapter, and their ideas for empowering women. They write, “a church called Tov will empower women (and others) in their giftedness and encourage those gifts to flourish within the body of Christ and in the world.” 5 ways to do this: (3/9)
First, know and tell the stories of biblical women. Is your church preaching and teaching on women such as Deborah, Huldah, Priscilla, or are your sermons only about biblical men? It's time to balance the ledger! Need a place to start? Here: https://www.faithward.org/women-of-the-bible-study-series/ (4/9)
Second, know the names and stories of women in church history. The authors tell the story of Mary McLeod Bethune, a women well worth knowing. Which other stories can you tell? There are plenty of books out there, but I've always loved this one: https://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Church-Ruth-Tucker/dp/0310457416/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=daughters+of+the+church&qid=1611713045&sr=8-1 (5/9)
Third, how about the women in your local church’s history? Who are the women that laid down their lives to create the faith community that you call home? How can you curate those stories and honor those women by telling them as a part of your church experience? (6/9)
Fourth, “a Tov church culture nurtures women as agents of God’s redemptive work in the world.” Which women are doing the work in your faith community right now, and how can you platform and profile their good work? (7/9)
Fifth, “intentionally promote the contributions of women on the church’s webpage and on the platform during services.” Representation matters, so please make sure there is alignment between your value and practice, at every level and in every context. (8/9)
These five ideas caught my attention, but the whole of The Church Called Tov is worth your while. Find it here: https://www.tyndale.com/p/a-church-called-tov/9781496446008
