Women's Ministry

Portico's women are continuing in our purposeful application of spiritual disciplines with book groups. There are four books from which to choose, each corresponding to the four spiritual disciplines around which we structured our retreat. The spiritual disciplines are: Sabbath, Bible study, prayer, and worship. The books that go along with each of these are as follows:

Crazy Busy, by Kevin DeYoung (Sabbath) 
I'm too busy. Most of us have probably used that excuse before. With warmth, humor, and honesty, DeYoung explains why a life of constant chaos is far from what God intends, and helps you strike a balance between doing nothing and doing everything. Discover the restful cure you've been too busy to find!

Women of the Word, by Jen Wilkin (Bible Study) 
Women of the Word will help all who read it to find their way deeper into the word of God without having to be seminary educated, a genius, or even an especially good student. —Kathy Keller We all know it's important to study God's word. But sometimes it's hard to know where to start. What's more, a lack of time, emotionally driven approaches, and past frustrations can erode our resolve to keep growing in our knowledge of Scripture. How can we, as Christian women, keep our focus and sustain our passion when reading the Bible? Women of the Word has helped countless women with a clear and concise plan they can use every time they open their Bible.

Prayer that Works, by Jill Briscoe (Prayer) [PLEASE ORDER THIS BOOK THROUGH ME at [email protected]]
Through studying the lives of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17-19 and parts of 2 Kings), readers will be challenged to pray bold prayers rather than settle for meek prayers not offered in deep faith. Readers will learn to cultivate their prayer lives, surrender to God's timing, and plan and persist when prayers seem to go unanswered.

Awe, by Paul David Tripp (Worship) 
Humans love to be amazed. Whether we're beholding a beautiful work of art, the birth of a baby, or the Grand Canyon, it seems we're "hard-wired" for awe. In this thought-provoking book, Paul David Tripp shows you how to kindle an ever-growing passion for God's glory that will ultimately shape everything you choose, think, desire, say, and do!

So . . . how do you get involved in one of these book groups? First, choose the spiritual discipline upon which you wish to focus for the next quarter (Sabbath, Bible study, prayer, or worship). Next, fill out this form! Finally, get your book. I will email you soon with details about your group (start date, time of meetings, place of meetings, etc…)

Please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. I'm so excited about this next step in our discipleship journey!

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Scripture is the very Word of God, sacred, true, perfect, and powerful. It is also one of the primary ways in which God, through His Holy Spirit, speaks to us in the present age. In 2021, the women of Portico are meeting God and each other in His Word daily. On Friday, January 1st, a special Bible reading group for the women of Portico began. Using the YouVersion Bible app, we are reading the entire Bible, chronologically, through the CSB (Christian Standard Bible) translation. Although we may not currently be able to meet in person to study God’s Word, this technology is enabling us to continue to be in community together, encouraging one another and offering support and accountability as we seek God in His Word every day. 

It's not too late to join! Jump in and start where we are. It's never too late to develop the habit of reading God's Word every day. If you would like to be a part of this Bible reading group, download the YouVersion Bible app on your phone, tablet, or computer (you will probably want to use your phone or tablet). Then, click this button to join the “Portico Women in the Word 2021” group:

Each day, you will navigate to the “Plans” section on the app where the passages for that day’s reading will be listed. (Once you click on the first reading passage listed, look at the top of the page to make sure that “CSB” is the translation indicated. If it is not CSB, click on whatever translation is listed to access the list of available translations and choose CSB.) After you finish reading the passages for that day, there will be an opportunity to respond to what you have read in a section entitled “Talk It Over.” If you wish, you can type in a response, question, or encouragement under this section. This will be seen by the group who can then respond to you. In this way we will be able to talk through each day’s readings.

There are several useful functions within the app that may be of interest to you. First, there is an audio component which allows you to listen as the Word is read for you. There are also videos produced by The Bible Project for each book of the Bible which can help with your overall understanding of the individual books. If you like to highlight specific verses or passages as you read, there is also a function that allows you to do that.

Our goal is to complete the plan and therefore have read the Bible in its entirety by the end of the year. This should mean that you will have spent about twenty minutes or more in the Bible every day. However, the most important thing may be that you develop the habit of opening the Bible and reading at least one verse per day. (For example, on the homepage for the YouVersion app there is a verse of the day which can be read in just a few seconds.) The main point is to read God’s Word every single day!

If any of this seems confusing or if you just need someone to walk you through the process of getting the app and joining the group, I am happy to help you! Please email me at [email protected] and we will go from there. I cannot wait to join you in God’s Word in 2021!

Email [email protected] with any questions.