Women of Faith in Culture

Sometime during my graduate studies while listening to a bioethics lecture, I was struck by an intense desire to pursue ministry to women. My educational objectives, until this moment in time, had been motivated by a passion to teach theology at the undergraduate level. I was intent on teaching young people, especially those entering into ministry, to reflect theologically on the contemporary issues facing church and culture. But in what seemed to be a split-second shift, all that had changed. I heard the call to work with women in the Christian community in a similar way—it was a God moment.

Ministry to women is not something I would have pursued on my own, hence my God moment. While I had always enjoyed the general activities of women’s ministry, the event-driven nature of it seemed to have a level of primacy that neglected other important aspects of the ministry. When Bible study did happen, it was often accompanied by an attitude of pragmatism. If there was no immediate practical application from a study, or if it required women to dig deeper into the Word for context and meaning, then there was resistance. From my experiences, thinking theologically was not a part of women’s ministry, and the story of Mary of Bethany became the vision for my own life, a woman remembered throughout church history for sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from her Lord. I wanted that for myself! From that day when I heard the professor express his concern for the church in terms of grappling with contemporary issues, my own vision for women sprung forth. Today, my focus is on teaching women how to bring the Scriptures to bear on all areas of their life, in whatever sphere of influence God has placed them.

For several years, I have been active in ministry to women in the church, equipping them on a range of topics including women’s ministry and leadership, worldview and theology, and bioethics topics, especially those related to reproductive technologies. Occasionally, I have been heard on radio programs including MBN's Prime Time America and quoted in Today's Christian Woman. As an associate fellow with The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, I serve as a consultant on women's issues, responding to those specific bioethics issues that impact woman’s lives. I am a member of Grace Evangelical Free Church in Walworth WI and with my husband and 3 boys, reside in Harvard, IL.

M.A. Christian Thought, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 2005
B.A. Christian Ministry, Trinity International University, 2002

Women of Faith in Culture
Sarah Flashing, Executive Director
1005 Yellowstone Lane
Harvard, IL 60033

sarahflashing@gmail.com ▪ www.womenfaithculture.org