The purpose of the H.I.S. Ministry is to grow in intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through daily study and application of the Scriptures, prayer, and building relationships through intergenerational fellowship.

Characteristics

Full of faith:

Trusts in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and trusts God to accomplish the work that He has called her to do.

Dependent upon God:

Know that her strength and guidance comes through the Holy Spirit and through prayer as she seeks God in daily prayer.

Compassionate:

Reaches out in love to the women God has called her to oversee.

Transparent:

Not afraid to be transparent and allow her life to be an example to others.

Sincere:

Serves God first and foremost and is intent upon pleasing Him above all others.

Humble:

Listens to others with sincere interest in what the other person is trying to communicate. She answers thoughtfully, giving advice only when prompted by God.

Principles

Seek solutions from Scripture:

Encourage members to look to the Bible rather than to you for answers. Point them to the Lord as the Wonderful Counselor.

Practice confidentiality:

Stress the importance of trust among the members of your group. Women need to feel confident that what they share won’t leave the group.

Promote an atmosphere of safety and acceptance:

 
• Provide a warm, supportive atmosphere in the group to set the tone for honest and open sharing.
 
• Help the women feel safe to share anything without fear of being judged, ridiculed or discounted.
 
• Be accepting of each member, especially the non-Christian. Accepting participants does not necessarily mean that you agree with their values or choices. You can love a person without agreeing with that person. If a participant shares something that makes her feel vulnerable or ashamed, say something like: “I know your sharing took a lot of courage. I admire you for being willing to share it.”
 
• Be truly appreciative of each member’s contribution.
 
• Emphasize that only members who wish to respond should do so. No one is required to share. Let them know that you will never call on them, even to read.
 

Maintain flexibility:

Your goal is that lives are changed. In order to do that, you must balance needs and Scripture. You do want to cover the lesson, focusing on how the Bible relates to their lives; however, when a group member expresses a deep need, be willing to stop and listen. Don’t leave a woman hanging when she has just shared from her heart. Be sensitive! You may need to take a few moments to pray for her. Do it yourself, and pray kingdom prayers!

Kingdom Prayers:

Help focus your prayers and those of the women in your group to the bigger issues of the kingdom, knowing the coming of the kingdom is the will of God for the women in your group and their families--Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Study the prayers of the New Testament and see how they involved kingdom issues: character-building in those who have suffered, the glory of God in the midst of persecution, and the knowledge of Jesus in the world.

Examples of kingdom prayers:

• Mt. 6:33-34: Pray for ____ to seek first God’s kingdom in her life. (If there are monetary or physical needs involved, this is a condition necessary for God’s promise to supply to kick in.).
 
• Jas. 1:2-4, 12: Pray for God to use this difficulty to produce endurance, completion, and blessing.
 
• Jas. 1:17-18; 4:3: Pray for ___ to trust that God gives good gifts, realizing that His gifts are better than those she wants.
 
• Eph. 1:17-21: Pray for God to give _____ wisdom and the revelation of Him in the midst of this time.
 
• Eph. 4:1-3: Pray for _____ to walk worthy and to show forth these qualities to others with whom she is having difficulty.
 
• Col. 1:9-12: Pray for God to fill _____ with the knowledge of His will that she may walk worthy.
• Col. 3:1-4: Pray that God will give _____ the grace to set her mind on the things above rather than the circumstances.
 
• Rom. 8:28-29: Pray that _____ will trust that God is at work in the midst of these difficulties for her good, not for her destruction. Pray that God will use this time to mold her more into the image of Jesus.

For more information please click here and send us a brief email telling us your name, telephone number, best time to call you and an email address. We will contact you and ensure your entry into the Rockbridge family begins.