Customer Reviews

What Women Wish Pastors Knew: Understanding the Hopes, Hurts, Needs, and Dreams of Women in the Church

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The subject of this book is a grave problem. As a church employee, I have found that few churches adequately address it. I rate the book highly because it brings to relief that which we have been missing: the aloneness of women. The boomer generation has an _increasingly_ single pop. of women, whether through divorce or widowhood. Then there are those who live like singles due to stringent demands on time and travel for their spouses from the job-and the spouse's church involvement (!) Since _both_ sexes are called upon to be disciples, not one, we must adequately address this area of need.
Althought I value this book, I wish there were more books which dealt this issue within a church context with the seriousness that it demands.

This book mentioned something that reminded me of a model for priorities that I once saw at a church. It said our priorities should be God, family, church, in that order. The reason behind this, I was told, was that we, especially women, tend to confuse God and the church, thinking they are the same. Then, we spend all our time at the church, neglecting our families. While, some believe that on such a list, God and the church should not be separated, because the church was intended to function as a body and is not just a building, it is also an actual building. Women tend to be nurturers and therefore, have sometimes allowed that innate sense of nurturing to become an albatross. The late actress, Lucille Ball, was once credited with saying, "If you want something done, find the busiest person to do it." From reading this book, it almost seems as if that secular mindset has crept its way into the church. Again, this is backwards. Rather than the secular world showing us how to treat the members of our body, it is the secular world that should be looking to the church for guidance. This book is beautifully heartbreaking as you read the stories of these hurting women. If you are a woman who has been hurt, prepare for some of these real stories to evoke emotions in you. This book touches on some deep, deep, deep issues and had far more to offer than I would have originally thought. Even as a woman, I was surprised by the scope of issues covered here. Pastors, please, look past your pulpits and see the hurt. And, definitely follow up the reading of this with What Pastors Wish Church Members Knew.

I heartily recommend George's book to every evangelical pastor. I had to read it as part of a Doctor of Ministry seminar in the area of expository preaching. We read George's book along with David Murrow's "Why Men Hate Going to Church." I feel that George's book has a leg up on Murrow because hers is research based. I did not find this with Murrow.

I am currently doing a DMin project in the area of the listening habits of men and women in the area of preaching. I have referred to George's book again and again as a resource. Her book is easy to read, interesting and applicable. I was actually surprised by some of the things I found out, such as that women like deep, theological preaching. I found this very interesting as an expository preacher in an era of the "joy boys" who delight in 20 minute topical diddies.

Mrs. George even responded to an e-mail I sent her via her husband at Beeson Divinity School. She was gracious and kind enough to answer several questions as an expert in the area of communicating to women.

GET THIS BOOK. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

Ms George reported on a survey she had taken from Christian women about women in the church. I enjoyed reading the different perspectives of the women. I rated it as a 4 because I do think that a lot of what she asked and reported pertained to both men and women so the book should be "What Christians want Their Pastors to Know." The parts of the book that dealt with women were the reason I bought the book and were written well.

The pages of this book are filled with the real reason women in our churches are frustrated; men are disengaged. I have given the book a rating of 1 only due to the fact that Mrs. George accurately reports on what women are saying. I do recommend reading this book as it relates to what women are experiencing. Pastor, the solutions can be found in helping the men of your church find Christ and mature in Him. If our churches truly want to minister to women and children it is imperative to re-engage men. Check out Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow.