Equipping women

New ministry aims to encourage and foster community

Foraging means seeking out and gathering. And there is new ministry ready to do just that — in pink.

Forage Gathering, a startup women’s ministry founded by Elisha Dudley, a former associate director for the Office of Student Leadership (OSL), launched in February.

“Our goal is to gather women,” Kelsey Baker, the communications director for Forage Gathering and a current associate director for OSL, said. “We’re extending our arms. So, we’re foraging. We are foraging for women to grow closer to Christ … and to know how Jesus impacts their lives.”

According to Baker, this effort flowed naturally out of the knowledge and wisdom that the Forage team has received throughout their years in ministry. At a women’s conference a few years ago, Dudley realized that many women there were turning to Liberty’s ministry leaders for insight.

“Where does the country send (young people) to become world changers?” Baker said. “(They send them to) Liberty University. And (OSL) are the leaders of the leaders, … meaning we’ve had a lot of training to be able to reach this generation, because we do it every day.”

So when it came to starting a ministry designed to equip women with practical, biblical knowledge, it felt like a natural fit for the Forage leaders.

“Our mission … is to gather women in an inviting space, which, right now, is our website, and eventually we hope to do actual gatherings, to foster authentic community, … and to pursue a deeper understanding of Christ,” Baker said. “It’s a place where women can go and just receive practical truth in all different areas.”

On the ministry’s pink, black and white website, its bloggers plan to address issues that are relevant to women. Forage’s target age group is 18 to 30, but the Forage team plans to share advice that is practical for all ages, according to Baker.

“I think what sets (Forage) apart from some other things that people are doing is (that our goals) are very practical,” Baker said. “You will (find information) that (is) based in truth as well as (being fun), because that’s a huge thing we enjoy in our friend group — having fun.”

More than just having fun and sharing advice, Baker emphasized the importance of doing those things within community. The Forage team wants to come alongside women in life’s everyday ups and downs, according to Baker.

Through weekly blog posts, Forage leaders want to tackle issues they view as problem areas for women in the church, like comparing and competing with each other and making poor relationship decisions.

“(Forage) is so practical and so real-life, so authentic, that we’re just going to say, ‘(These issues) are real, and this is how … we can take steps as a global community to make this better, ’” Baker said.

With topics ranging from interviews with Christian artists to advice on self esteem and last-minute decorating tips, readers can expect weekly updates on the group’s website, foragegathering.com.

Goins-Phillips is the opinion editor.