Ministries to Follow: Recs & Lists

By Elizabeth Prata

Ladies, as a New Year approaches, you might be thinking you’d like to change up who you follow for women’s ministries. Or maybe the Spirit grew you in discernment and you’ve abandoned some less solid ministries but aren’t sure who to turn to next. I can recommend these ministries of women by women, though you’re certainly NOT restricted to women only! I do encourage women to follow solid men too.

I personally follow WWUTT.com (Pastor Gabe Hughes at When We Understand the Text, DB Harrison and Virgil Walker at the Just Thinking Podcast, and anything from The Master’s University or The Master’s Seminary. There are so many other male-led podcasts I can recommend too, Reagan Rose at Redeeming Productivity, the guys at Ligonier and Ligonier Connect, Chris Hohnholz and Rich Story at Voice of Reason radio, Nathaniel Jolly and Ekkie Tepsupornchai at Truth be Known podcast, Andrew Rappaport’s Striving for Eternity, and so many others.

If you’re looking for solid discernment ministries, there are several I trust. Chris Rosebrough-the Pirate Christian, Justin Peters Ministries, and Steve Kozar at the Messed Up Church. I also enjoy videos from the BTWN guy Tim Hurd, and Polite Leader Alan Hunter.

Here are some ladies’ podcasts I think you may enjoy:

The Women’s Hope podcast, with Dr. Shelbi Cullen and Kimberly Cummings. “Join Dr. Shelbi Cullen and Kimberly Cummings as they bring hope and encouragement through 25 years of combined experience in biblical discipleship and counseling as ACBC counselors.” 

Susan J. Heck With the Master. “Susan is a certified counselor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (biblicalcounseling.com) since 2003.  She is also the author of With the Master Bible study series for ladies and many books. She has memorized the entire New Testament along with two books from the Old Testament!”

Martha Peace. “…Received training and certification from ACBC, which stands for Association of Certified Biblical Counselors. Martha teaches counseling classes and counsels in her church’s Certified Counselor Training Center. She has also written many books, most notably “The Excellent Wife.” She is a noted church and conference speaker, too.

Amy Spreeman and Michelle Lesley “A Word Fitly Spoken“. Each of these women have separate ongoing ministries in the form of blogs, Bible studies, and other written material, links to which are inside the podcast link on their About page. Michelle has a long-standing blog of discipleship and discernment issues, has written Sunday School curriculum for publishers, and has authored a book, in addition to traveling for speaking engagements. Amy also has much written material on topics of discernment and discipleship and also founded Naomi’s Table Bible Studies for women, and participates in speaking engagements.

Brooke Bartz, founder of the free online annual conference, Open Hearts in A Closed World Women’s Online Conference, Brooke has authored “Chronic Love: Trusting God while suffering with a Chronic Illness” and the Christian teen book “Godly Ever After (Fiona’s Faith, 1)”

These women are solid.

What I look for in a podcast, either from men or women, is a serious podcast that takes on biblical concepts unafraid and unapologetic, in love and gentleness. If the podcast discusses cultural issues, do they do so in a tone of charity, yet being solidly informed?

I think too many podcasts from ladies send too much of the podcast time giggling, horsing around, and talking of inane things. It is insulting to me, to think that of a 40 minute podcast I’ve got 20 minutes to waste. I don’t. I have limited time and increasingly as I age, with limited mental energy to devote. My ‘think time’ has shrunk! If you’re a younger woman, you only have so much time before the baby wakes up, the dinner has to be cooked, the husband arrives home, etc. If I want to indulge in a mental break or some inanity I’ll watch Green Acres or a few kitten hijinks videos. Spending half your podcast time in personal conversations with each other, swapping in-jokes, and larking about, is self-indulgent! It also displays a lack of control and women who teach are supposed to display control. Titus 2:5, 7 says older women are supposed to teach the younger to “be sensible…dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach,” yet they themselves are not sensible or self-controlled. Ugh.

Secondly, I also think it lowers the credibility of a woman’s podcast to spend time with giggling and tomfoolery, and then turn to the word of God to share eternal concepts. A podcast to me, IMO, is kind of like a pulpit. If you’re going to relate biblical concepts to people, do so with gravitas and a commitment to the One who authored it, in seriousness and earnestness.

So look for podcasts from women who are sensible, self-controlled, dignified in speech, true to the word, and talk about Jesus more than themselves.

I know we are all crunched for time most days, and every minute is precious. If you don’t listen to many podcasts (or sermons, teaching series, audio books, hymns, or Bible studies) I ask you to consider doing so. In the in-between times, like when folding laundry, doing errands in the car, or over a quick lunch, we can fill our mind with Bible-based, edifying material. Even 5 or 10 minutes’ worth will be edifying. 10 minutes 6X a week is an hour. An hour a week is 4 hours a month, and that adds up to 48 hours a year of “extra” edifying material. After all, our mind is how the Spirit transforms us, through the Bible’s good word and through discussions over the Bible’s concepts and doctrines.

Happy New Year ladies!