Slipping into their sandals and donning vibrantly
hued scarves, they dash into the streets and
head to the church. It’s time for the Women’s
Fellowship meeting.
As each woman arrives, Renu Pinak greets them
with a smile. Renu is the wife of missionary Prasan
Pinak, and she’s every bit as involved in ministry as he
is. Her days are long as she balances her work at home
with her God-given calling to minister to a group that
makes up nearly half of India’s population—women.
And a key way that Renu touches the lives of these
precious souls is through the Saturday morning
Women’s Fellowship meetings.
GROWING TWO WAYS
Renu opens the meeting with prayer, and the
enthusiastic chatter changes to ringing melodies of
praise to the Savior. After the women sing several
worship songs, Renu shares an encouraging
devotional from God’s Word. On this particular day,
she explains the importance of humility in the
Christian life. The women soak up every word as
Renu reads Scripture verses that illuminate the simple
yet profound concept she is teaching.
At the close of the Bible study, Renu takes time
to pray for specific needs. The women feel comfort in
the fact that she truly cares about their problems—
and that their Savior can answer in a mighty way.
They also ask questions about the message and about
their faith. As they find fresh, biblical perspective on
issues with which they struggle, their individual walks
with the Lord are deepened.
Most, if not all, of these women are first-generation Christians. These weekly gatherings help
meet their greatest spiritual needs—to be grounded in
God’s Word, to learn to serve in their local church
and to be able to share the Gospel with others.
Now it’s time to get their fingers dirty, and the
women break into two groups. Some of the ladies
grab pens and paper for literacy class; others move
into the middle of the room where a sewing machine
stands waiting.
Renu, being one of only a few women who grew
up with education and opportunity, is especially
equipped to teach the ladies how to read and write.
She patiently goes over handwriting techniques and
helps each woman with her letters. On the other side
of the room, the rustle of paper is heard; women are
folding, cutting and shaping yesterday’s news into
valuable patterns for sewing projects. They also use
the newspaper for “fabric” while learning.
The ink from the pens and the smudges from the
newspaper don’t bother the women; these are marks
of accomplishment and of newfound hope. These
vital skills will take them to new levels of strength
and ability, enabling them to find employment and to
help support their families—and to climb above their
desolate place in society.
A VICIOUS CYCLE ENDS
It wasn’t long ago that these bright and capable
women weren’t able to do many of the things they
accomplished at this meeting—reading, writing or
sewing. And they definitely couldn’t delve deep into
Scripture on their own. They were trapped in a
seemingly never-ending cycle of poverty and despair
caused by the dark and heavy burden of their
traditional religions.
About Women’s
Fellowship Groups
The Women’s Fellowship was established
in 2005 with the goal of helping women in
each local congregation grow spiritually,
equipping them for missions and assisting
them in personal and social development.
It is part of Gospel for Asia’s Women’s
Ministry, which also supplies Bible
college training for the growing number
of women called to ministry (as well as
missionaries’ wives).
As they learn how to share the
Gospel, ladies will often form teams and
reach out to their communities.
In addition to Bible studies and prayer
meetings, women gather for classes
in literacy, sewing, health and hygiene,
and handicrafts.
These women also raise funds to
support missionary work by making
handicrafts, growing produce and even
drying cow dung patties for fuel to sell.
