Book Review: Defending The Faith: Apologetics In Women's Ministry by Mary Jo Sharp

I just finished reading this book and It has definitely made my favorites list. I want to encourage everyone who works in or leads a women's ministry to get their hands on this book.

Many women can carry on endless conversations on fashion, tv shows,  make up and things of trivial matters, yet when pressed on more important, deep issues of the faith many become quiet, or even dismissive.

We say God is the most important part of our lives but in reality there is a huge disconnect in our daily living.
Mary Jo explains this disconnection in the mind of women: "I (know) I am a fallen being who is prone to corruption, yet I believe I am usually right in all my thoughts and reasonings."  because of this thought process , "women are not generally ones who meticulously investigate how we know something we believe is true and who love discovering truth."

In Matthew 22:37 we are commanded to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  Women usually excel at the heart and soul level yet completely neglect loving the Lord with all their mind.

When our feelings change (and we women know too well how often that happens) we need a firm foundation in our beliefs so that we will not waiver.  As C.s Lewis puts it, " Faith is holding on to what your reason has already accepted in spite of your changing mood."

This is why apologetics is so vital  (for all christians) but especially in womens ministries. Women have the most influence over the next generation, so we need to not only live out the gospel daily but need to be able to articulate to our kids why Christianity is true above all other beliefs.

In this book Mary Jo goes over top reasons why women shy away from engaging non Christians in conversations about God including "a lack of confidence in what she believes,  a lack of knowledge , or lack of commitment to the truth, and putting too much burden on herself to have all the answers." Mary Jo than gives practical tools on how to start tackling these objections and how to start engaging your church and womens ministries in apologetics.

Here are a few points from the book that Mary Jo elaborates on through the chapters which every leader needs to consider pertaining to womens ministry.

"-We need to take an honest look at womens ministries and ask how or if they are effectively making disciples of all nations.
-Get back to the basics of hard doctrinal truths.
-Get women to analyze their lives to know whether they actually believe what they claim.
-Train them how to stand their intellectual ground and even advance against worldly pretensions.
-Take them out into the community to do good works and to spread the good news.
-Take some risky opportunities to testify to the most important event in human history: the resurrection of  Jesus Christ."

Even though this book is focused on engaging womens ministries in apologetics,  im sure even leaders of mens ministries can glean some Insight in introducing mens groups to learn apologetics.

so what are you waiting for..... go get this book, read it and make sure leaders In your church get a copy too.

blessings
-Vilmaris

Resources for Teaching Kids (& Adults) Apologetics

A very easy to understand tool for learning apologetics is Truth Made Easy

you can youtube "Apologetics made easy" to view their videos. I like them because they use many visuals and illustrations, which helps me in remembering important information
(based off the book "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist"). 

Reasonable Faith resources for parents
Ratiochristi.org/boosters
Stand to Reason parent-resources

These are a few resources I got from a video by Doug Potter:
Teaching Children Apologetics

 As I find more resources I'll add them to this page. 

Looking Well to My Household: Teaching Kids Apologetics

Im so happy to be back blogging,  the last 2 weeks have been pretty eventful for us. I was sick with food poisoning one week all while preparing for my daughters first birthday, then my mom in law came to town and we have been at the beach for a few days stay-cation. Now its time to get back into our routine and prepare for the future.

I wanted to share a verse that keeps popping up into my head that I want to focus on this year:

Proverbs 31:27 ESV

She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

when I read this verse it makes me wonder how can I "look well" to the ways of my household?  what can I change or improve upon? 

The first way that I immediately think of and is something that is constantly on my mind is how to raise my daughter in the Lords ways. Now that she is a year old and growing fast,  I want to learn how to instill in her a love for God and an understanding of the Gospel.  I also want her to know what she believes in and why she believes it. This is where christian apologetics comes in.

looking well to the ways of my household includes giving my child a firm foundation in Christianity so that when she is challenged she will be able to stand firm In the faith and not be tossed to and fro as waves in the sea.

Did you know that about  70% of Christian youth leave the church after high school?

This percentage is way too high for my comfort level.  I do believe that many parents and especially moms have not been looking well to their households in this area.  We have sent our kids to Sunday school once a week thinking that is all they need and will be able to stand firm when reaching adulthood and college. Sadly this is not true.

Moms.... dads..... your children need you to give them that firm foundation to accurately and logically understand the Gospel/Christianity.

How can we do this? By introducing apologetics as early as we can to our kids.

As I said my daughter is only a year old, so my experience In teaching children apologetics is virtually non existent. So to help me "look well" to the ways of my household in this specific area I will be hosting a small discussion group at the end of the month tackling the topic of engaging kids in Apologetics .  So I am basically on the hunt for resources to share with other moms providing age appropriate activities and lessons regarding apologetics.

so far this is a really good youtube video I found that breaks up by age/grade level how to introduce apologetics and what the child can understand at each age:

Teaching Children Christian Apologetics

If you have any ideas, suggestions, videos, sermons, websites regarding teaching children apologetics please comment below. I will greatly appreciate any information you can send my way.

Have a great 4 of July weekend everyone

P.s. there is more id like to share about prov 31:27 but I will leave that for another post :)

Thoughts on Women and Apologetics by Robin Wilson

Guest post by Robin Wilson
Check out her blog:
http://thelogicalchristians.blogspot.com/

Why do you think many woman tend to stay away from apologetics in the local church?

Many women tend to by nature want to be peace makers and get uncomfortable by the debate like discussion groups. Men are very different than women in they way the talk with one another, they can have lively debates and not take things personally, yet often women get "hurt" if they are not agreed with. Women that grew up with brothers, work in all male environments, or hang out more with Dad will survive in that atmosphere and enjoy this exchange. Some women may feel also that in a church setting they need to be more "silent" than the men. Some do not feel comfortable with their Bible and apologetics knowledge and are insecure.

How can you draw women out?

If you change the format a bit this can help..... divide the women and men in two groups separate from each other. Discuss the topic with all women let them flesh it out together, have at least one person with the most knowledge teach the group, then after a period of discussion join the men and have the last half of the get together with both men and women on the same topic. If you find that they are still silent, take note of good points made by certain women in the all woman group and ask them to share their thoughts in the mixed group. This will give them confidence to speak, esp. if they are asked to share a good point they have in the mixed group.

Often you have to remember that in society strong willed out spoken women get negative feedback, but not so for men. I was the Tom boy growing up, have a brother, was a Daddy's girl, worked in a hospital with many male doctors with strong personalities and it was survival of the fittest. I had to fish or cut bait. My Dad was a very good strong influence on me. He told me I was smart, and could do anything I wanted. He taught me that it was me and God in this world that I needed no one else...... He made me an independent woman not afraid to change a car tire, work on machines, do plumbing, go to college, play baseball and softball, and be confident in who I was as a person. Not all women have that. So you may need to work with your sisters in Christ that are not as confident.

If you missed it:
Why 1peter 3:15 is not just for the men..women and apologetics

Equilibrium Podcast & Reformed bloggers link up #12

Check out my hubby's (Luther Conigliaro) and Dr. Wayne Guidas new podcast:
http://www.equilibriumpodcast.org

Equilibrium Podcast   Exploring topics at the intersection of Phiolosophy, Science, Religion and Apologetics

First podcast includes an interview with blogger Daniel Mann

WHY 1 PETER 3:15 is NOT JUST FOR THE MEN: Women and Apologetics

1 Peter 3:15 "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,"

Ladies this verse is not just for the men in our lives it is for us also. We need to stop living like apologetics (defense of the Christian Faith) and correct theology has no place in our lives. If anything we need to be continually learning and growing in the faith in order to teach and equip the next generation.  I say this because most women I have come in contact with have no care to learn apologetics, theology and sound doctrine. They are content living in the realm of "feelings", what "feels" right and their "personal relationship" with Christ. Discussions on deeper issues of the faith tend to stay in the man circles while the ladies quietly stand to the side.


Women have a unique opportunity to share the gospel in places men cannot go. For example apologist Mary Sharp shares:
"Muslim women are often prohibited from dialogue with men outside their family or mosque. "Christian apologetics," Sharp explained, "will need women skilled in Islamic apologetics to speak with Muslim women, to go where Christian men cannot."

Not only is that one great reason why Women need to at least learn basic apologetics but another reason is that relativism (the notion that no belief is right or wrong:your truth is your truth,my truth is my truth) is being given to our kids left and right. Christian mothers need to be able to properly articulate the christian faith and why Christ is the ONLY way THE truth and THE life.(John 14:6)


Below is a part of a  Q&A by Lee Strobel and Mary sharp on the topic of women and apologetics. (for full article click HERE.)



• Why has there traditionally been a shortage of women in the field of apologetics?

I don’t have any statistical research on why women are not as publicly involved with apologetics. However, from my interaction with women at conferences, I have found a few repeating thoughts on the issue:

1) They’ve never been introduced to the field of apologetics before and/or they are not sure of its relevance to their life. Women in the church need to understand the importance of apologetics and its potential impact. I’ve found that once women’s groups are aptly introduced to the subject, they have some of the most impassioned responses to the material. It’s not so much of a lack of desire as a lack of proper introduction.

2) One reason that shocked me was the concern women shared with me of appearing to be unintelligent. I’ve heard women say they don’t want to come across as the one who asks the “stupid question.” They feel like they should know more of the content of their faith at this point in their spiritual life, and so they don’t want fellow church members to know that they really don’t have answers yet.

3) Women have told me that their churches are not a safe place to discuss their doubts. So those who have potential for great learning in apologetics may have no outlet within their church family to explore and learn about their questions.

4) As for why we don’t see women in leadership in apologetics: As with any issue, there are many reasons that contribute. Instead of tackling all of them, I will focus on a couple personal reasons with which I’ve struggled.

First, there is the issue of putting yourself in a position where people are going to heavily criticize and attack your character and ideas. To publicly defend the faith, you have to be prepared for slander and character defamation. You have to find a way to handle these attacks that is not an all-consuming fire. You especially cannot allow apologetics discussions to beat your family down.  Finding a balance can pose a bit of a hurdle to women in leadership.

Second, women must be encouraged within the church to develop their minds and to know theology and doctrine. There must be an educational environment in the church that encourages great thinkers and develops doctrinally sound Christians to inspire greater numbers of apologists, in general, which would include Christian women.

I have found that once women are introduced to apologetics and they see the amazing transformative power of building a solid foundation for belief in God, they are excited and want to study more. I have found this to be true regardless of age, race, marital status, work commitments, or family commitments.

• Do you see more and more women getting into apologetics ministry? What can we do to attract more women into the field?

I do see more and more women getting into apologetics ministry! We can encourage women to get involved in apologetics by encouraging great thinkers in the church, in general. To attract more women, we need to be purposeful about encouraging and including women in discussions of theology and philosophy.

• I know you recently videotaped an apologetics course aimed at female audiences. Do women tend to gravitate toward different apologetic interests than men?

I did recently film a video-based apologetics course with LifeWay Christian Resources entitled, “Why Do You Believe That: A Faith Conversation.” I think the interest in apologetics is reflective of the time and culture in which we live.  We currently have more access to bad information than ever before. As C. S. Lewis stated, “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.”

I haven’t noticed gravitation toward certain topics. Women’s interests seem to be as diverse as the field of topics. I have found that, just like men, individual women seem drawn to a particular argument or style of apologetics. However, women, as a ministry group, haven’t been aptly introduced to apologetics through women’s studies.  So, I think we have yet to see if there is a draw to one or another field of study. The one area of particular interest I have noticed from my speaking engagements is how to have better conversations with people who do not believe in God or in Jesus Christ.

I will make one suggestion. With the recent interest of women in books like Twilight, I think there is opportunity to tap into the idea of romance. The ultimate romance is a love affair with God, the lover of our soul. If we can somehow weave a Chesterton-type call to the romance of orthodoxy into our apologetic arguments—perhaps through the argument from desire or from objective beauty—I think we will catch some attention.