content for ministry wives and women in ministry. through Practical Shepherding Women’s Ministry we want to write helpful content that helps you navigate the challenges of leadership in the church.

Bethel Webb Bethel Webb

Nurturing Your Soul: How to Spiritually Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife in Busy Times

By: Tessa McGilbra

The smell of freshly made popcorn hung in the air. It was family movie night. As we got ready to settle in, I couldn’t stop thinking about just one more thing I needed to do. If I just finish up this last task, then I could finally relax. It had been like this for a while. Balancing life as a wife, wearing mom and work hats, and being a pastor’s wife didn’t leave much time to spare. Between getting our son ready for senior year, planning ministry events, meeting work deadlines, and supporting women in the church, my to-do list seemed to have a life of its own. I had gotten so comfortable being in do mode that I didn’t realize I had slipped into the trap of busyness.

Read More
Bethel Webb Bethel Webb

What to do with Criticism?

By: Dr. Bethel Webb

“You’re too loud.”
“You’re too quiet.”
“Why doesn’t your wife work?”
“Why does your wife work?”
“Your kids are so noisy—can’t you keep them in line?”
“Your kids are too quiet—are they okay?”

If you're a ministry wife, chances are you've heard contradictory comments like these more times than you can count. One moment, you’re too much. The next, not enough. It’s like trying to walk a tightrope in heels, during a storm, while juggling flaming opinions.

Read More
Bethel Webb Bethel Webb

On Being a Storyteller

By Sarah Beth Sandel

I have always loved stories. 

I come from a long line of readers, storytellers, poets, and musicians who craft fables out of foibles, legends out of family adventures. Stories have shaped my worldview and my inner life. Some of my earliest memories include being curled up on the couch with my paperback Little House in the Big Woods or Anne of Green Gables, fully sinking into the delight and tragedy and triumph of the Ingalls family and that “red-headed snippet”, Anne Shirley. I am a firm believer that nearly every epic tale in book or film is ultimately derivative of the Greatest Story ever told: something made, something lost; something found, something redeemed, something renewed. 

Read More