What the Church Needs to Know About the Unique Ways Women Lead | Shawna Songer Gaines

What the Church Needs to Know About the Unique Ways Women Lead | Shawna Songer Gaines

What does it mean to lean fully into embodied church leadership as a woman? In this episode of Hear Women, host Tara Beth Leach sits down with pastor, writer, and leader Shawna Songer Gaines for an honest exchange about the realities of women’s leadership, the power of self-attentiveness, and the deep links between the body, motherhood, and ministry. Through youth pastoring, chaplaincy, co-pastoring, and serving as a lead pastor, Gaines reveals how her journey has been marked by encouragement, transitions, setbacks, and the need to listen both to others and her own embodied self. The episode moves through vivid moments of ministry stress, early labor, and the formative power of motherhood, exploring how embodied self-awareness can transform our practice and experience of leadership. While offering wisdom for young leaders learning to find their voice, Gaines shares how she came to see pastoring through the fresh lens of midwifery, uncovering a more nurturing, humble, and relational model.  Whether you’re a seasoned pastor, emerging leader, young mom, or someone hoping to create a more welcoming church, this conversation will equip you to more fully celebrate the gifts women bring to the church and reflect on what the church most needs to change about its approach to women in leadership. This episode highlights the following themes: * The importance of self-awareness and embodiment in Christian leadership * How motherhood and crisis reshape the way women lead * Why embracing newness strengthens the church Links from this episode: * Learn more about Shawna Songer Gaines [https://www.ivpress.com/shawna-songer-gaines?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Read Shawna Songer Gaines’ book, The Pastor as Midwife [https://www.ivpress.com/the-pastor-as-midwife?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Discover more about Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene [https://www.trevecca.church/] * Learn more about Michaele LaVigne [https://www.nts.edu/michaele-lavigne-named-director-of-spiritual-formation-initiative/]  * Learn more about Stephanie Lobdell [https://www.stephanielobdell.com/]  * Learn more about Gabby Rodriguez at Trinity Church of the Nazarene [https://tcnokc.com/home] * Read the transcript here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z8uaR18HwVkP40HJ5ohR9ptqqy2gYD05/view?usp=drive_link] * Learn more about Hear Women [https://www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Learn more about your hosts, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young [https://www.ivpress.com/dorina-lazo-gilmore-young?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], Nijay Gupta [https://www.ivpress.com/nijay-k-gupta?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], and Tara Beth Leach [https://www.ivpress.com/tara-beth-leach?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Read Redeemer [https://www.ivpress.com/redeemer?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young * Read Tell Her Story [https://www.ivpress.com/tell-her-story?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Nijay Gupta * Read Emboldened [https://www.ivpress.com/emboldened?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Tara Beth Leach SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com [https://ivpress.com/?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] and use the code IVPHEAR40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode. Interested in ordering The Pastor as Midwife for your team or organization? Contact Rainer at rerani@ivpress.com [rerani@ivpress.com] for more information and exclusive group discounts. Or email specialmarkets@ivpress.com [specialmarkets@ivpress.com] for bulk orders. SPONSOR | Hear Women is sponsored by Northern Seminary, where thousands of women have been equipped to serve as pastors, practitioners, church planters, and ministry leaders across the globe. Explore your calling and visit seminary.edu [https://www.seminary.edu/?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] to learn more. Credits: ✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton ✅ Research Assistants: Abby Lee and Jazmin Rose ✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne ✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard ✅ Theme Song: "Organica" by Artax Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. As an Amazon Affiliate, this channel earns commissions from qualifying purchases when you use the links above. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

What the Church Needs to Know About Women Who Take Risks of Faith in Business | Jessica Honegger

What would our entrepreneurship look like if we were willing to step out in courage, creativity, and community? In this episode of Hear Women, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young sits down with Jessica Honegger, the founder of Noonday Collection [https://noondaycollection.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoocFbqOfLWKhP32vNoixzPTz3Z0NCJXOZ3pzGAdKfTUdic4ucxG] and the author of Imperfect Courage [https://www.jessicahonegger.com/book], for an authentic conversation about risk, calling, and the powerful ripple effects of advocacy. From opening her home for a fundraising party to building the world’s largest fair trade jewelry brand, Honegger traces the steps of faith that shaped both her company and her family. Honegger opens up about the gifts and costs of leading as a woman, choosing courage over comfort, and the joy and challenges of raising children amid running a business. She also shares why cultivating an honest, encouraging, and committed community is essential to both sustaining a life of service for the long haul and to fight against comparison and envy as a businesswoman. Discover how Honegger’s business journey has been richly formative on a spiritual level, and why she believes that generous women investing in one another can transform whole communities. Listen now to discover a vision for how the church can better support and learn from women entrepreneurs. This episode highlights the following themes: * Why faith and risk are inseparable for women entrepreneurs * The role of vulnerability, community, and family in enduring leadership * How the church can encourage women not just to start, but to grow and invest Links from this episode: * Discover more about Jessica Honegger [https://www.jessicahonegger.com/] and Noonday Collection [https://noondaycollection.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoocFbqOfLWKhP32vNoixzPTz3Z0NCJXOZ3pzGAdKfTUdic4ucxG] * Read Jessica Honegger’s book, Imperfect Courage [https://www.jessicahonegger.com/book] * Read Joanna Meyer’s book, Women, Work and Calling [https://www.ivpress.com/women-work-and-calling?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Learn more about Liz Bohannon [https://www.lizbohannon.co/] * Read the transcript here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V-jUBPjtNgpbfL4bng2VfugAnec4dHCK/view?usp=drive_link] * Learn more about Hear Women [https://www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Learn more about your hosts, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young [https://www.ivpress.com/dorina-lazo-gilmore-young?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], Nijay Gupta [https://www.ivpress.com/nijay-k-gupta?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], and Tara Beth Leach [https://www.ivpress.com/tara-beth-leach?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Read Redeemer [https://www.ivpress.com/redeemer?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young * Read Tell Her Story [https://www.ivpress.com/tell-her-story?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Nijay Gupta * Read Emboldened [https://www.ivpress.com/emboldened?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Tara Beth Leach SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com [https://ivpress.com/?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] and use the code IVPHEAR40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode. SPONSOR | Hear Women is sponsored by Northern Seminary, where thousands of women have been equipped to serve as pastors, practitioners, church planters, and ministry leaders across the globe. Explore your calling and visit seminary.edu [https://www.seminary.edu/?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] to learn more. Credits: ✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton ✅ Research Assistants: Abby Lee and Jazmin Rose ✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne ✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard ✅ Theme Song: "Organica" by Artax Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

What the Church Needs to Know About Single Mothering and Fostering | Jamie Lam

How can the church truly support and uplift single mothers, as well as children and families navigating the foster system? What if our often limited understanding of family holds us back from doing so?  This episode of Hear Women welcomes single mom, ministry leader, and foster/adoptive parent Jamie Lam for a disarmingly honest conversation with Tara Beth Leach about single motherhood and what it really means to cultivate family in the body of Christ. Through Lam’s story of fostering and adopting children, serving families in the fostering and adoption community, and mentoring young adults, she unveils how God’s call to love and welcome those in need empowers us to confront and break through our personal and cultural assumptions. This conversation explores Lam’s call to become a single foster and adoptive mom, as well as the challenges, joys, and surprises she has encountered as she continues to build her family. Her story of courage, hospitality, and openness to God’s leading shows us how the church can be a village that welcomes children, supports single parents, and reimagines what family can truly look like in God’s kingdom.  Whether you are a single mom, considering foster care or adoption, longing to become a parent, or know someone on this journey, this episode calls all of us to see, celebrate, and support single mothers for the good of every child, family, and the whole church. This episode highlights the following themes: * The courage and calling of single mothers in the church * Real challenges and gifts of fostering and adoption as a single woman * The importance of rethinking family beyond the nuclear mold Links from this episode: * Learn more about Jamie Lam [https://give.cru.org/0551103] and keep up with her through her ministry updates [https://www.ministryupdates.org/jamie_lam] * Check out Households of Faith [https://www.ivpress.com/households-of-faith?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Emily Hunter McGowin for a fresh vision of family in the kingdom of God * Discover more about Foster the City [https://fosterthecity.org/] * Read the transcript here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N-SqpVn69vpp79yqC0oKk_EG9otziFK6/view?usp=drive_link] * Learn more about Hear Women [https://www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Learn more about your hosts, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young [https://www.ivpress.com/dorina-lazo-gilmore-young?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], Nijay Gupta [https://www.ivpress.com/nijay-k-gupta?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], and Tara Beth Leach [https://www.ivpress.com/tara-beth-leach?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Read Redeemer [https://www.ivpress.com/redeemer?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young * Read Tell Her Story [https://www.ivpress.com/tell-her-story?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Nijay Gupta * Read Emboldened [https://www.ivpress.com/emboldened?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Tara Beth Leach SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com [https://ivpress.com/?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] and use the code IVPHEAR40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode. SPONSOR | Hear Women is sponsored by Northern Seminary, where thousands of women have been equipped to serve as pastors, practitioners, church planters, and ministry leaders across the globe. Explore your calling and visit seminary.edu [https://www.seminary.edu/?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] to learn more. Credits: ✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton ✅ Research Assistants: Abby Lee and Jazmin Rose ✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne ✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard ✅ Theme Song: "Organica" by Artax Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

What the Church Needs to Know About Serving in Hard Places | Lina AbuJamra

What does it really look like to follow Jesus when life brings deep pain, war and suffering persist, and the church itself causes harm? And how do we continue to serve others in need as we ourselves heal? In this episode of Hear Women, host Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young welcomes ER doctor, Bible teacher, and humanitarian Lina AbuJamra for an honest, hope-filled conversation about the power of service, leadership, and mercy amid suffering. From her childhood in war-torn Lebanon to her frontline work in emergency rooms and refugee aid, AbuJamra shares how both her family and faith have shaped her life of service and boldness—and why she refuses to shy away from hard places or difficult truths. Together, Gilmore-Young and AbuJamra dig into the deeper meaning of mercy, challenge common narratives about “successful” Christian living, and address the longstanding wounds many women carry from ministry and church life. Along the way, they offer honest wisdom and encouragement for women who feel sidelined, overlooked, or are still healing from their experiences in the church. This episode offers a vision of the church where real pain is acknowledged, tangible needs are met, and women experience healing by being seen and valued as whole persons. This episode highlights the following themes: * The lifelong impact of serving others * Mercy as stepping into another’s pain and spreading hope * What the church needs to change if women are to be seen, heard, and fully empowered Links from this episode: * Learn more about Lina AbuJamra [https://www.ivpress.com/lina-abujamra?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] and Living With Power Ministries [https://www.livingwithpower.org/] * Check out Lina AbuJamra’s newest book, All Your Life [https://www.ivpress.com/all-your-life?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Check out Thrive: The Single Life as God Intended [https://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Single-Life-God-Intended/dp/0802407145/] and the rest of Lina AbuJamra’s books [https://www.livingwithpower.org/books/] * Check out Awaken Delight [https://www.ivpress.com/awaken-delight?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Stephanie Rousselle [https://www.ivpress.com/stephanie-rousselle] * Read the transcript here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hOxdMZeRz8S272AUM6LLY2srOSiBZ-2n/view?usp=drive_link] * Learn more about Hear Women [https://www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Learn more about your hosts, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young [https://www.ivpress.com/dorina-lazo-gilmore-young?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], Nijay Gupta [https://www.ivpress.com/nijay-k-gupta?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], and Tara Beth Leach [https://www.ivpress.com/tara-beth-leach?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Read Redeemer [https://www.ivpress.com/redeemer?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young * Read Tell Her Story [https://www.ivpress.com/tell-her-story?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Nijay Gupta * Read Emboldened [https://www.ivpress.com/emboldened?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Tara Beth Leach SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com [https://ivpress.com/?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] and use the code IVPHEAR40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode. SPONSOR | Hear Women is sponsored by Northern Seminary, where thousands of women have been equipped to serve as pastors, practitioners, church planters, and ministry leaders across the globe. Explore your calling and visit seminary.edu [https://www.seminary.edu/?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] to learn more. Credits: ✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton ✅ Research Assistants: Abby Lee and Jazmin Rose ✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne ✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard ✅ Theme Song: "Organica" by Artax Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]

What the Church Needs to Know About (Peri) Menopause | Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young & Tara Beth Leach

Why is the church still reluctant to discuss a topic that half its community will experience? In this episode of Hear Women, hosts Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young and Tara Beth Leach take the microphone together for an honest, personal conversation about perimenopause and menopause: the symptoms, the grief, and the questions women are quietly carrying. From night sweats and sleepless nights to the deeper question of what it even means to be a woman on the other side of fertility, Dorina and Tara Beth share what they've experienced and what they're still learning. Together, they also bring Scripture into the conversation, from Mary's posture of curiosity to Anna's devoted witness in the temple, and they ask what it would look like for women to embrace what this unique season truly holds. They also name the ways the church's emphasis on the nuclear family can send unintended messages to women who are single, childless, or post-menopausal—and what some helpful correctives might look like. More than anything, this episode is an invitation to ask not "what's wrong with me?" but "what's happening in me?" and to find community, laughter, and grace in a season that too often goes unnamed. Whether you're in the thick of perimenopause/menopause/postmenopause or supporting someone who is, or if you are just ready to have a conversation the church rarely starts—this episode is for you. This episode highlights the following themes: * The real, physical, and emotional weight of menopause—and why women are finally talking about it * What Scripture says about women, aging, and worth beyond reproduction * How the church can create space for women in midlife to be seen, supported, and still lead Links from this episode: * Read Weathering Change [https://www.ivpress.com/weathering-change?utm_campaign=show_notes&utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Courtney Ellis * Learn more about The ‘Pause Life [https://thepauselife.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoovEgmtqGhzv1Jq0xVjxhXCZf9YxmsSChr8r0SwZFp3j7yc0_F7] from Dr. Mary Claire Haver * Learn more about Dawn Jackson [https://www.dawnjacksoncoaching.com/] * Check of the Our Time to Rise in Midlife [https://theopendoorsisterhood.com/category/the-open-door-podcast/] podcast * Read the transcript here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-xojuiiNR8hXDBcJGjKPbwBj47DAwWnE/view?usp=drive_link] * Learn more about Hear Women [https://www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Learn more about your hosts, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young [https://www.ivpress.com/dorina-lazo-gilmore-young?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], Nijay Gupta [https://www.ivpress.com/nijay-k-gupta?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25], and Tara Beth Leach [https://www.ivpress.com/tara-beth-leach?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] * Read Redeemer [https://www.ivpress.com/redeemer?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young * Read Tell Her Story [https://www.ivpress.com/tell-her-story?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Nijay Gupta * Read Emboldened [https://www.ivpress.com/emboldened?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] by Tara Beth Leach SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com [http://ivpress.com] and use the code IVPHEAR40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode. SPONSOR | Hear Women is sponsored by Northern Seminary, where thousands of women have been equipped to serve as pastors, practitioners, church planters, and ministry leaders across the globe. Explore your calling and visit seminary.edu [https://www.seminary.edu/?utm_medium=ivp_hw&utm_source=ivpod25] to learn more. Credits: ✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton ✅ Research Assistants: Abby Lee and Jazmin Rose ✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts [https://honestpodcasts.com/] ✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne ✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard ✅ Theme Song: "Organica" by Artax Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands]