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Title: 3 Biblical Patterns of Women’s Service | Text: 2 Timothy 2:1–13 | Liturgical Date: Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23 C) | Calendar Date: October 12, 2025 | Location: Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Door County | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson
Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Door County serves Sturgeon Bay and other areas in Northeast Wisconsin.
Address: 316 W Main St, Forestville, WI 54213
Phone: (920) 856-6420
The following transcript was made with the assistance of AI:
TRANSCRIPT
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Today’s epistle lesson from St. Paul to his protégé, Timothy, includes these words: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5). This passage is especially fitting as we reflect on the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) and the vital roles women play in the church. Paul highlights Lois and Eunice as examples of faith who shaped Timothy’s spiritual life. Today, we’ll explore three distinct patterns of service by women in the New Testament and consider how these patterns inspire us today.
This sermon will serve as a teaching moment, examining how God used women to serve His people in the early church and how their examples guide us in our faith and service.
Material and Financial Support for Ministry
One clear pattern in the New Testament is how God used women to provide material and financial support for ministry. In Luke 8:1–3, we read: “Soon afterward [Jesus] went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.” These women—Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and others—supported Jesus and His disciples, enabling their ministry to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
This pattern continues in the early church. In Acts 16, we meet Lydia, a seller of purple goods from Thyatira and a worshiper of God. After hearing Paul’s message, “the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). She and her household were baptized, and she urged Paul and his companions to stay at her home, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay” (Acts 16:15). Lydia’s home became a base for Paul’s ministry, supported by her resources as a successful businesswoman. This is one reason the LWML adopts purple as its color, symbolizing women’s material support for ministry.
In Romans 16:1–2, Paul commends Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, saying, “Welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.” Phoebe likely carried Paul’s letter to the Romans and supported his ministry financially and materially.
I’m reminded of my grandmother, Ruth McGhghy, a pastor’s wife in the LCMS, who served faithfully for decades. At 96, she remains a woman of great faith and service. I recall visiting her in rural Illinois, at a church at the intersection of two gravel roads—far more remote than our St. Peter’s in this town of 430. As a six-year-old, I ran around the sanctuary with my brother until Grandma Ruth gently corrected us, saying, “Don’t run. This is the Lord’s house.” Years later, when I shared that memory with her, we laughed, but I remain thankful for her example. She taught me that even a modest church is where God gives His gifts, a lesson that has stayed with me.
Today, the women of our congregation and the LWML continue this pattern. They ensure the Lord’s Supper is prepared each week, care for the church’s adornments, and support mission work locally and globally. The LWML sends millions of dollars worldwide to advance the gospel, and all are invited to contribute—men included—through offerings like the LWML mite boxes.
Messengers of the Gospel
The second pattern is how God used women as messengers within their communities to share the good news of Christ. We see this with Lydia, who, after her baptism, shared the gospel with her household, leading them to faith. Another example is the Samaritan woman in John 4. After Jesus revealed Himself as the Christ, she “left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’” (John 4:28–29). Her testimony brought many to Jesus.
In Matthew 28:8–10, after the resurrection, women at the empty tomb were commissioned by Jesus Himself: “They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.’” These women were the first to proclaim the resurrection to the apostles.
My grandmother also exemplified this role. By teaching me that the church is God’s house, she pointed me to where I could meet the Lord and receive His blessings. The LWML empowers women today to share the gospel through Bible study, equipping them to tell their families, friends, and communities about Christ’s saving work.
Examples of Faith
Finally, the New Testament presents women as examples of faith. Paul highlighted Lois and Eunice, whose faith shaped Timothy’s own. In Luke 1, we see Mary, who, despite the alarming news that she, a virgin, would bear a child, responded with trust: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Her faith is a model for us all.
I think of my grandmother Ruth, whose faith inspired me. Without her example, I doubt I would be a pastor today. She is my Eunice, and I am her Timothy.
Conclusion: Continuing the Legacy
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us thank God for using women in these distinct patterns of service: providing material and financial support, serving as messengers of the gospel, and standing as examples of faith. My prayer is that the women of St. Peter’s, whether part of the LWML or not, will be inspired to follow these New Testament examples. May you support the church’s mission, share the good news of Christ, and model faith for the next generation, pointing them to Jesus, the Savior of the world.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.