Vineyard Women | Resources

RESOURCES

When any leader is in the process of learning to lead and learning to preach, they face a steep learning curve. As more and more churches give equal speaking opportunity to both men and women, training and resources are needed to build skill and confidence.

Below is our list of resources for women in preaching and the egalitarian church.

PODCASTS

Truth’s Table – Women from the Reform tradition talking about many church issues. We recommend the episode “Why Church?”
SermonSmith – SermonSmith is a bi-monthly conversation dedicated to the craft of sermon preparation. It is a celebration of the rhythms, workflows, tools, and prayers used by those who engage in this sacred art on a regular basis.
The Sermon Studio – A podcast dedicated to the art and craft of preaching.

BOOKS

How I Changed My Mind about Women in Leadership: Compelling Stories from Prominent Evangelicals. This book features a number of autobiographical accounts as to how various persons have come to change their minds about women in leadership.
The Blue Parakeet, Scot McKnight. In The Blue Parakeet, McKnight again touches the hearts and minds of today’s Christians, this time challenging them to rethink how to read the Bible, not just to puzzle it together into some systematic theology but to see it as a Story that we’re summoned to enter and to carry forward in our day. He highlights the women issue.
Men and Women in the Church, Sara Sumner, PhD. Outstanding discussion of her personal journey plus very fair treatment of both sides. Emotional reading at times.
Discovering Biblical Equality: Complementary without Hierarchy, Ronald W. Pierce and Rebecca Merrill Groothuis. Here is a fresh, positive defense of Biblical equality that is scholarly, practical and up-to-date, and also justly and accurately aware of opposing positions. There are over 20 contributing authors, male and female.
10 Lies the Church Tells Women, J Lee Grady. How the Bible has been misused to keep women in spiritual bondage
Junia, the First Woman Apostle, Eldon Jay Epp. New light on women’s leadership from the Romans 16:7 text
The Trinity and Subordinationism, Kevin Giles. The Doctrine of God and the Contemporary Gender debate
Women Leaders and the Church: Three Questions, Linda Belleville A gift-based look at women’s roles throughout the bible, church history, and the present.
Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry, Stanley J. Grenz & Denise Muir Kjesbo. Surprisingly readable, and no hard-line egalitarian. A very helpful analysis of the passages as well as of church history.
Good News for Women: A Biblical Picture of Gender Equality and Women Caught in Conflict: The Culture War Between Traditionalism and Feminism, Rebecca Merrill Groothuis. Two outstanding books by the same author which both support and defend the egalitarian view of marriage and church order. These are clear and logical with a solid Biblical base while still being reader friendly.
Slaves, Women and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis, William Webb. Just what the title says! Worth reading for the other two issues too.
Different But Equal, Derek Morphew. South African Vineyard theologian presents comprehensive look at the issue of role and female leadership.
Journey Back to Eden, Glenn Scorgie. This is a thorough but very simple and readable walk through gender issues in the scriptures from an egalitarian perspective.
Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle’s Vision for Men and Women in Christ, Cynthia Long Westfall. Westfall gives a comprehensive, strong evangelical study on Paul’s and gender with fascinatingly different approaches to some texts, like that Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 11 in favor of women who wish to wear veils in worship, not the usual idea that Corinthian women refused to wear veils.

ARTICLES

The Bible Teaches the Equal Standing of Men and Women by Phil Payne. – An 8 page booklet which lays the biblical foundation for the the equality of men and women.
Women in Leadership: How to Decide What the Bible Teaches? by Rich Nathan

SERMONS

WEBSITES

Junia Project – A volunteer community of women and men advocating for the inclusion of women in leadership in the Christian church.
She Loves Magazine – A global community of Women who Love.

Vineyard USA developed a booklet entitled One In Christ: Men & Women Together In Ministry, that lays out our theological view celebrating women in ministry. Focusing on women in leadership, and on the relationship of men and women working together in ministry, this booklet explains the Vineyard’s approach to celebrating the call of women as leaders in the Body of Christ.