Women and the Church

Watch these thought-provoking videos and learn more about what people think of the role of women in the Bible, in the Church, in leadership, in marriage and more.

Favourite Women of the Bible

Discussion Questions on ‘Favorite Women of the Bible’

Read about the women chosen in the video.

Abigail – 1 Samuel 25
Zelophehad’s five daughters – Numbers 27: 1-11
Ruth – see the Book of Ruth, especially Ch 1 and 3
Esther – see her book, especially Ch 4,5 and 7
Mary – Luke Ch 1: 26-56

All of the women are tenacious (firm, persistent, purposeful). How can you see that quality demonstrated in each passage? Do you see yourself as tenacious?
All of the women dare to speak up. Track what they say and how they say it. What impact do they have?
Can you describe a time when God has inspired you to speak up? What happened?
Who would you choose as your favourite woman/women?

Jesus and Women

Discussion Questions on ‘Jesus and Women’

The video touches on five different stories in the gospels:
Jesus is anointed with tears and perfume by the woman Luke Ch 7:36-50
The women who supported Jesus Luke Ch 8: 1-3
The Samaritan woman John Ch 4
Jesus’s mother John 19: 25-27
Woman caught in adultery John 8: 1-11

Which perspective on women did you like most in these interviews? Why?
Did anything surprise you?
In your experience, does the Church follow Jesus’s example in the way it treats and values women?

Valuing Women

Discussion Questions on ‘Valuing Women’

What are some issues/barriers raised in the video faced by women in the church that might discourage them from knowing their true worth?

For women: Have you ever felt limited by your culture or the church’s expectations?
Can you say now that you are of ‘enormous value’?
How have you gained that confidence?

Feminism

Discussion Questions on ‘Feminism’

During the video, you will hear people say:
“God’s heart is for equality, regardless of gender.”
“We need to understand God’s imprint on our life – women and men”
“There are off the wall examples of feminist ideas – feminists can be abrasive”
“The idea of feminism can be complicated for Christians by the debate around abortion”
“The ‘feminist’ label can be difficult.”

Which of these points do you affirm? Do you find any of the statements difficult to accept? Should Christians be feminists? Are you?

Equality in Marriage

Discussion Questions on ‘Equality in Marriage’

What words leap out at you from what you saw on the video?

How could those words become tools for making good and equal decisions?

Words like ‘mutual’ and ‘co-operative’ sum up the discussion but there was also talk of conflict. Is conflict bad?

Gender and Leadership

Discussion Questions on ‘Gender and Leadership’

Both men being interviewed said it is important that men be willing for women to lead and to encourage women leaders. Why did they stress this?

Do you think women lead differently to men? Is this positive or negative?

Do you ever get ‘frazzled’ by your roles in the home, community, church or work? What could God be saying about that?

Love and Submission

Discussion Questions on ‘Love and Submission’

A vital point for discussion and understanding behind views on love and submission is that we need to take scripture as our authority and we need to take context into account.
How do you understand Ephesians Ch 5 v22 in the light of that point?
How should we look at verses like I Corinthians Ch 11 v6? (it talks of a woman covering her head)

Tricky Bible Passages

Discussion Questions on ‘Tricky Bible Passages’

There are 2 aspects of ‘headship’ covered here (from a term that appears in I Corinthians 11:3) – in the family and in the church
Look at what Steve says about Ephesians 5: 21 and 22
What does he say about submission and headship in the family?

Look at what Steve says about I Timothy 2: 12-15
How can we see these verses as radical for women and men in the early church?