Wanda Lee’s book, Live the Call, challenges women to understand, embrace, and live their individual callings as followers of Christ. Through Bible study, inspiring examples, and Wanda’s own testimony, it takes readers on an journey of discovery with real people ministering in real situations. It has been translated into Spanish: Vive el Llamado.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Listen and learn via a podcast series

"Real Women, Real Leaders: The Podcast Series" from American Baptist Women’s Ministries promotes leadership development through new episodes every two weeks. These include Patricia Stratton’s practical advice on spiritual disciplines and  Sandra Hasenauer's study of "Leadership Acts" from the book of Acts. Persons can subscribe to "Real Women, Real Leaders" on iTunes, or listen to episodes.

Try a book discussion group for leaders

For the past few months, the national board of American Baptist  Women’s Ministries national board members been learning about women’s ministry leadership. To guide their discussion, they have been reading Connecting Women: A Relational Guide for Leaders in Women’s Ministries by Linda Lesniewski (Baker:2007). It addresses the needs of women in all walks and stages of life, and encourages Christian women to become involved in leadership. The author is women's minister at Green Acres Baptist Church in Texas where she leads a ministry that reaches over 3,000 women.

BOOKS THAT HELP WOMEN GROW

Looking for a good book that will lead women in your church deeper into Scripture and develop their spiritual life? Here are some of the books NABWU’s member organizations are recommending this year:

MEET THE QUEEN OF SHEBA: MORE DRAMATIC PORTRAITS OF BIBLICAL WOMEN: Rosanne Gartner has written a series of first-person testimonies of women of the Old and New Testaments. Each one tells her own story in a way that allows readers to become intimately familiar with her soul, circumstances, and responses to God. Perfect for women’s programs and discussion groups, this book was one of the four May-June 2009 selections of SheReads, a book club for women sponsored by American Baptist Women’s Ministries. Check out the latest selections.

BIG BUTS OF THE BIBLE: THE BOOK OF EXCEPTIONAL EXCEPTIONS: Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec chose this book by one of their own women, Jan Thomas. It sheds new light on familiar BIble stories, and shows “the amazing power of Scripture's many circumstance-changing, mind-changing, reality-changing, life-changing buts."

HAVING A MARY HEART IN A MARTHA WORLD; FINDING INTIMACY WITH GOD IN THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE: The Atlantic Baptist Women’s Reading Course includes Joanna Weaver’s fresh approach to the familiar Bible story. Joanna shows how all Marys and Marthas can draw closer to Christ, deepen their devotion, strengthen their service, and do both with less stress and greater joy.

WHEN THE HEART WAITS: SPIRITUAL DIRECTION FOR LIFE’S SACRED QUESTIONS: Women in Focus (Canadian Baptists of Western Canada) highly recommends this book by Sue Monk Kidd  for women who long to dig deeper into their spiritual journey. Women in Focus also recommends  KNIT TOGETHER: DISCOVER GOD’S PATTERNS IN YOUR LIFE. Author Debbie Macomber explains how we  are created for purpose, dreams, risk, success, laughter, balance, and more! And look for the Bible studies  posted on the Women in Focus website.

Discover the mission heritage of the Karen refugees now arriving in North America from Burma/Myanmar:

BLESS GOD AND TAKE COURAGE: THE JUDSON HISTORY AND LEGACY: Rosalie Hall Hunt tells the gripping and poignant story of pioneer American Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson, his three amazingly gifted wives, and the church they planted in Burma (Judson Press:2005).