Release Can Be A Very Powerful Word

I recently visited Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, AR and talked with Linda Slaton, Release Director For Women. I was intrigued by her job title and asked her what her day to day responsibilities looked like. Her answer painted a picture of a job that, frankly, sounded like a lot of fun. Each day she meets with women who are looking for what God has next for them, and she gets the joy of coming alongside as they find the answer. Through identifying, equipping and empowering strategies developed into a process called Women On A Mission, Linda has conversations that help women discover who they are in Christ and what He's called them to do. Then the Releasing begins. She directs them to available existing opportunities to use their calling, or connects them to other resources that can help them create a new one. She follows them throughout the process, lending support, prayer and a listening ear. The result, Linda reports, has been phenomenal. I listened as Diane, told me her story of hearing the Lord whisper the words, 'sew clothes for prisoners'. She had no clue what this meant. After all, didn't prisoners already have uniforms that were provided for them? With Linda's process, support and prayers, she began to unravel the mystery and realize her gifts were desperately needed as women were released from prison with no street clothes to wear as they made the transition back into society. As she investigated, she found a hurting group of women, looking for someone who cared about their very real needs. And it just so happened that she had the calling and gifts to fill them. Release!

Has your church noticed a disconnect between calling and helping women to fully realize it? If you'd like to connect with Linda and find out more about her position and  process, you can email her, lslaton@sbcglobal.net

Sherry Surratt, Director of Women's Initiatives in Leadership

Comments

[djm]

great concept!