Following is a guest post by Felicity Dale, author of the new book "The Black Swan Effect." Whether we are talking about reproducing churches in our own region or engaging in missions throughout the world, it is vital that women are championed and take their place at the forefront of God's Kingdom work. Felicity has been doing this for years and this book represents the pinnacle of that effort.
Does our traditional view of the Scriptures about women overlook something powerful? Could the role of women be crucial to the church’s future? Are we on the edge of a new era in missions history?
The role of a woman in leadership is often a lonely one. A few years ago, a group of women, all with apostolic or prophetic calling, began meeting via conference call for peer fellowship. As the months went by, a frequent topic of conversation was the role of women in the church and why they are so often marginalized. They longed to change the status quo, but recognized that if they tried to make a difference, they would be perceived as feminists with an agenda. As they sought the Lord, he showed them that they should find men to stand with them. That way, both men and women would be more likely to listen. When the idea came for a book, several of these men agreed to contribute chapters.
The Black Swan Effect presents a vision for what can happen as men and women work together in the Kingdom of God. The authors, including people involved in the house church world like Neil Cole, Katie Driver and Frank Viola, encourage men to champion women as equal co-laborers and partners in the harvest. They give women permission and inspiration to follow the Lord—to reach their own full potential and encourage others to fulfill God’s call. The Black Swan Effect equips both men and women to bring a Scriptural and positive contribution to the increasingly crucial conversation on gender in the church.
The Black Swan Effect will:
- Bring a male perspective to the fore on the value of women and working alongside them in ministry
- Go deeper in understanding certain troublesome scriptures • Offer insight into the status of women/girls worldwide
- Show personal examples of the challenges women face in leadership/ministry
- Feed your hope on God’s original intent for women
- Edify and equip those who want to champion the whole body of Christ
The Black Swan Effect will not:
- Be helpful if you are looking for feminist ammunition against men.
- Encourage an unrighteous response on this critical kingdom issue.
- Let you off the hook if you are using gender as a rationale for not engaging at your fullest leadership gifting and capacity.
- Excuse you if you are using gender to sidebar the females in your life from their fullest expression of God’s calling.
Change is coming to the body of Christ. Let’s get ready!
