Blessed Alliance Board

I rarely say yes to being on boards as I often find them boring. However, the members of our board defy boring. Here's how we roll. Debbie Dunn, our board chair hosts a dinner/board meeting in her home. Buddy, her husband, and Steve, my husband, do the cooking, serving, and cleaning up. How many board meetings have you been a part of where the HUSBANDS of the chair and president cook, serve, and clean up the meal? The blessed alliance is present at our board meetings. The dessert is even served by the men! On a fancy plate! I forgot to mention that before we started our meal we had a wine tasting. Pete Wells, whose daughter getting married in June, wanted our board members to vote on the best three wine options for the wedding. If my memory serves me, the bottle on the far right won.Linda, who is a strong bible student and also Pete's wife, has written our salon on Submission. She has challenged Pete to reconsider the Bible's stance on women. After Pete did due diligence, his view shifted on women in the Church. Pete and Linda's marriage models the blessed alliance. Pete serves on our board with a burning passion to reshape our view of women and our view of men. He is burdened by how men in the conservative church are being choked by the biblical manhood teaching.After meeting Debbie, it doesn't take long to realize that we need her to be a part of The Marcella Project.We need her wisdom, leadership, and administration skills. But I need her geekiness. She is a student of the Word. She loves to think and talk theologically. Me, too! She also brings it down to its impact on family, friends, life choices, and faith community - just like me. Having a geek friend on the board is water to my soul. Another board member is Ray, a national leader in the Vineyard movement and my life coach. Ray is soft-spoken, constantly working to state things in positive uplifting ways. He challenges me to face my gifting for what it is, not to make it smaller or less. He makes me reckon with what God has given me. He says things like "brilliance/exceptional," and I blush. In all my years in ministry, I have never had a man mentor me. I have never had a male grab me and say that I am gifted and then offer to help me get where God wants me to go. Ray demonstrates how the blessed alliance lives out in ministry. On behalf of us sisters, I want to say something profound happens when our brothers come alongside and ennoble women. This past weekend at the Summit several decisions had to be made, and I was getting confused by all the input of voices. Slowly Ray walked up and softly said,"Jackie, don't forgot you are the President. You have to make the decision." Men like Ray, Pete, Buddy, and Steve are sliding over and making room for their sisters at the table. They are showing us what happens in the Kingdom when we live as the blessed alliance."When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required." Luke 12:48 NLTThese men and women remind me God has given me much. And he's expecting much. I get excited and scared by that truth, but mostly I'm humbled. Very humbled.