Building a Community of Empowerment and Growth

“I am a woman who likes to be around powerful, strong, smart, spiritual women

People who are strong than me in certain area.

Because iron sharpens iron

I need to be around somebody that’s not easily offended

I need to be around somebody that knows how to be, “No-no, check that!”

This quote is a trending sound right now on Instagram reels and to be honest, I have used it not once, but twice because it resonates with me so much! I wish I knew who originally said it! (If you know, comment below).

In a world where everyone is so brave to give their unfiltered opinion online only to get offended when someone else does the same, it’s hard to differentiate who is your real friend and who is just a follower or troll. Then there’s the trend of follow and unfollow. YIKES!

I remember a time when if I wasn’t invited to something, I didn’t know about it. But now, just a quick scroll through social media and I see all the cool or fun events that I didn’t get the invite to. 

So, how do I remain confident, and secure in who I am and not get offended especially as Christian Leader?

Well, often, we have to create it ourselves by pouring into others and CULTIVATING LEADERS. Yes, you read that right, you as the leader have to create and cultivate that faith-based community of women around you. 

You have to till the soil, plant the seed, and then allow time for growth in order to reap a harvest. 

This is what Chat GPT had to say about Cultivating Leaders:

Cultivate: typically refers to the act of nurturing, fostering, or developing a skill, quality, relationship, or aspect of oneself or others. It involves intentional effort and attention directed towards growth and improvement. When applied to leadership, cultivating may involve activities such as mentoring, training, guiding, or providing opportunities for growth and development. Overall, cultivating implies a deliberate and proactive approach to fostering positive change and growth.

I love the thought that it takes deliberate and a proactive approach! We won’t find other women who are strong in their faith and identity by sitting buried behind our computer working. We have to take action! The Bible teaches several ways to cultivate leaders around us so let’s dive into 4 of them real quick. 

1. Mentorship & Discipleship: Throughout the Bible, we see examples of mentorship and discipleship as essential components of leadership development. For instance, Moses mentored Joshua, Elijah mentored Elisha, and Jesus invested in his disciples, teaching and equipping them for leadership roles (Deuteronomy 31:23, 2 Kings 2:1-15, Matthew 4:18-22).

2. Servant Leadership: Jesus modeled servant leadership, teaching his disciples that true greatness comes from serving others (Matthew 20:25-28). Leaders are called to emulate Christ's example by serving those under their care, fostering an environment of humility, compassion, and selflessness.

3. Leadership Development: Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 highlight the diversity of spiritual gifts within the body of Christ. Leaders play a vital role in identifying and nurturing these gifts in others, helping individuals discover their unique talents and abilities and empowering them to use these gifts for the glory of God and the benefit of the community.

4. Faithful Stewardship: In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus teaches the importance of faithful stewardship. Leaders are entrusted with responsibilities and resources, and they are called to manage them wisely, investing in the development of others and maximizing the potential of those they lead.

Cultivating leaders isn’t just something that we do here at Created Woman for you; it’s a way of life that we encourage you to walk out, too. Empowering women is something we should embrace as lifestyle to help change the world around us pointing people back to Jesus for generations upon generations. 

We are to be a community of women leaders who are all called to cultivate leaders through authentic relationships who will be change makers, trailblazers and world-changers pointing people back to Jesus daily. 

So, I leave you with two questions today:

1. How are you cultivating your own leadership skills and personal growth?

2. Who are you cultivating other leaders and building community?

Now, go and be the woman you are created to be!

Heather