Iron Rose Sister Ministries

“Opposites on the same page” described my relationship with one of my friends. We learned from each other about the different ways to see the world, to express ourselves, to relate to others, and so much more. When it came to how we dressed, what we enjoyed doing, even how spicy we liked our food (or not), we could not have been more dissimilar. Opposites, really.

But when it came to the important matters, the spiritual matters, the foundational truths on which we based our decisions and our lives, we agreed. The influence of having learned to see things from a different perspective remains.

Through that relationship, and countless others, I have learned about myself, about others, and about God—especially how BIG God is. Additionally, can you imagine how much I have learned about God and how He loves His people through relationships with women from other countries, backgrounds, cultures, languages, and families?

At least once a week, my dad reflects to one of the members of our family, “It’s a shame all we speak is English.” The “opposites” relationship I mentioned above was another North American, an English-speaker who grew up in the same town I did. Yet those things we had in common did not mean that we automatically understood each other. We had to learn to listen, to hear from a different perspective, to communicate... and we both spoke English!

Starting with the simplest of words, a smile, and a wave can go a long way to building a bridge and establishing a relationship.

Hello. Hola.
Love. Amor.
Jesus. Jesús.

One of Satan’s lies is that we have nothing in common with someone of a different culture or language. The accuser distorts the blessing of our uniqueness and seeks to create division.

Christ came to destroy the barriers, to unite Jews and Gentiles, Latinos and Gringos... And one opportunity to build those bridges is through small group women’s Bible studies!

I don’t have the time or space to share all of the names and faces of those who have done this and been blessed by it in places like Denver, Colorado; Tampa, Florida; Houston, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Searcy, Arkansas; Wichita, Kansas... and many more!

Women from the specific aforementioned groups have taken advantage of the fact that all of Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ small group Bible study materials are available in both English and Spanish! Check it out! Be a bridge. Listen to another’s perspective. Learn from others’ experience and relationships with God.

If we can help you start a bilingual small group Bible study, please let us know!
And if you have been a part of one in the past, please share the blessings, challenges, and God stories from that experience!

Meet Erica Peck, our Ministry Assistant!

Erica, tell us a little about yourself and your family.
I have had the privilege of working with IRSM for two and a half years, and have had the incredible blessing of learning and growing spiritually and professionally through knowing Michelle and being a part of the Iron Rose Sister Ministries team. When I’m not doing ministry responsibilities, you can find me enjoying good coffee with my husband of almost 9 years, and at home playing with my 3 year-old and 7 year-old sons, making up adventures, reading and teaching them to bake. We enjoy supporting local activities and things like camping and going to parks. I have also enjoyed having a home daycare for 6 years now, which occupies several days of my week.

How did you come to be a part of the Iron Rose Sister Ministries Team?
A mutual friend of Michelle and I actually saw that she was looking for an assistant, and knew that I had been looking for a way to use my ability to speak Spanish to bless others, and recommended that I talk to Michelle. We ended up having a great first conversation, and I was able to start volunteering with the ministry, and, after a few months, it turned into a job with more formal hours! It has been an incredible growing experience and a huge blessing for my family and I to be a part of something as wonderful as IRSM.

What has been your experience with an IRSM Small Group?
I first participated in a pilot study group for Who Has the Last Word? There were just a handful of us participating—the size you really want a small group to be for everyone to be able to feel comfortable sharing. The group consisted of women from different ages and in different stages of life, and that too, helped our dynamic of sharing and being able to bring various perspectives to the group. We all grew so much throughout the study, in our personal lives, closer to God, and of course our relationships with each other. All the things it’s meant to be!
The second study I participated in was Called to Listen. It was a slightly larger group than the first, but still small enough to where everyone had a chance to participate and share perspectives about the material and of course prayer requests and thanksgivings. I thoroughly enjoyed this study too, because for me, the lessons on different ways we are called to listen to God was presented in such a practical, and easy-to-incorporate-way into a daily routine.

What do small groups mean to you now?
Thinking about small groups now doesn’t make me nervous or hesitant anymore. I think of both of the studies I was in and a smile comes to my face. The laughter, and the tears we shared together in those groups have changed me for the better, and I look forward to being a part of another small group soon. I know it’s a safe place where I can go and be myself and really share what’s on my heart, and I appreciate that the other women in the group share of themselves as well, for that truly is the way we come to know one another and be known.

How have you seen others be blessed through small groups (ones you have been a part of or things you’ve heard from other Iron Rose Sisters across the Americas)?
I have seen women grow spiritually, and in relationship with each other, through these small groups. When we started a study as strangers, we were soon meeting together, hugging, sharing freely and expressing concerns happening in our personal lives. Other women have also commented how much the small groups and the studies themselves have “made them stop and think differently,” and how “it’s the highlight of their week to come to small group.” For some women, it’s the only place they can come and share at that deeper level.

Is there anything else you would like to share from your experience?
I’ve been a part of other small groups, from different churches, mission trips, and other groups, but I’ve got to say that the way these small group studies are laid out, they really make you dig deep in a good way—discovering more about God, about yourself, and ask questions in such a way that the theme of each chapter is easy to discuss with the ladies you are meeting with each week, and that is why so much growth happens. If you have been teetering on the edge of whether or not you want to participate in, or start your own small group study with one of these books, I strongly encourage you to do so. It will only bless you.

Erica, Thanks for sharing your story and your experiences!

We invite our readers to respond to Erica through this blog. And we would also love for you to have a similar experience with small groups! For more information about our books and resources, please contact us. We would love to help!

#IronRoseSisters #smallgroups #community #friends

I don’t know what I don’t know. And if I don’t know it, then I don’t have a way to recognize what I don’t know until someone teaches me.

As a teenager, I thought I knew it all. One time, my dad responded, “Oh, that’s right. I forgot you were a teenager and so you know everything.” He was being sarcastic, but I didn’t hear his sarcasm at the time. I thought that he finally was recognizing my vast amount of knowledge. (Okay, now who is the sarcastic one?!)

As we get older, we learn that we don’t know it all and that we cannot know it all. At times, we even wish we didn’t know what we know.

However, something that we can always appreciate knowing and learning more about is the perspective of others. I don’t know what I don’t know until someone teaches me.

I like to say that there is more than one way to burn a piece of toast. No two countries nor any two families function in the same way. God’s greatness is affirmed through diversity. And we learn more about who He is when we learn and appreciate others’ perspectives.

If I ask ten women of different ages, education levels, cultures, and families to read the same Bible verse, would they all have the same observations and reactions? Of course not!

For example: Let’s consider Luke 8:22-25.
22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.
24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

A woman who grew up on the coast would be able to describe the storms that can come up over the waters.
The exhausted mom of young children can appreciate Jesus’ fatigue and that He had the opportunity to take a nap.
The young woman struggling with her faith will recognize that she is not the only one who has struggled with faith.
And the woman who is facing a horrible emotional storm in her life will leave with the hope that God does have the power to calm the storm in her.

Until we listen to others and appreciate the diversity in small groups, we will not be able to recognize God’s greatness to be all things to all people at all times.

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #diversity #Bible 

The Common Threads cannot even be considered outside the context of community—whether between two people or twenty, we need others to encourage us to bloom and grow, to gently and lovingly point out our thorns, and to serve as iron sharpening iron for each other.

Thank you to those who have been true Iron Rose Sisters in my life! You are the inspiration for all God has called me to through this ministry and that push me to continue to model those relationships to others across the Americas.

My closest Iron Rose Sisters are those with whom I have been in a small group. We have prayed together, studied the Bible together, learned from one another’s perspectives and shared in life and fellowship—often accompanied by some excellent food or at least a cup of coffee.

In the context of small groups, we have an opportunity to participate in authentic, genuine relationships that deepen our relationships with God and one another. IRSM prays that we can equip you in those relationships, especially in your local churches and small groups.

Many women have used our books for personal Bible study, but you will receive the greatest benefit from these resources in the context of small groups. At the end of each chapter, we include the Common Threads as a way of making each of the lessons very personal and practical, in addition to serving as a form of spiritual journaling when you add the date to your entry.

Don’t forget to share the Common Threads with a Christian sister today and thank her for being an Iron Rose Sister in your life.

Since the Common Threads are on the back of our new bookmarks, please let us know if we can provide you with a stack of bookmarks to use in your local small group!

We also love to get pictures of you with your small group!

May we each grow to be more authentic in our relationships with God and one another. May we remove the thorns of doubt that small groups are for us. And may we invite others to serve as iron sharpening iron in our lives, digging deeper into the Word together as the Holy Spirit guides us.

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #commonthreads #ironsharpeningiron

A discussion of Jesus modeling small groups is often centered on a discussion of His 12 apostles, or even about the three men with whom He shared a more intimate relationship (Peter, James, and John). But what of the women who surrounded Him, financially supported Him, and listened to His words?

Who do you think possibly prepared or provided food for the men as they traveled with Jesus? The twelve apostles had left everything, their professions, their families, and their sources of income, to follow Jesus. Yet they were not the only ones that followed and learned from the Rabbi (Teacher).

“Soon afterward he 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.” (Luke 8:1-3)

We do not know exactly how much of the three years of Jesus’ ministry on earth the women traveled with Jesus and the apostles. These women were not groupies, they were disciples. Some had been healed, their lives transformed. Others were prominent women, even from Herod’s household, who took great risks to be associated with such a controversial individual.

We know, from Jesus’ admonition to Martha, while teaching Mary in their home, that Jesus valued women and taught them as many Rabbis would not (Luke 10:38-42).

These same women remembered His words, were the first to know of His resurrection and informed the apostles about it (Luke 24:1-11).

This small group of women had an integral place in Jesus’ time here on earth. They modeled the priorities for small groups today.
• Follow the Messiah
• Learn from the Rabbi
• Share stories of His healing in our lives
• Proclaim His resurrection
• Surround and support other kingdom workers

What is your small group focused on?

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #Rabbi #Bible

Driving north on Highway 1, also known as Pacific Coast Highway, my friend Mandy asked what I was most enjoying along the drive. Of course, the Pacific Ocean is beautiful, but I was also really enjoying all the flowers in bloom. She responded that she had never paid attention to the flowers, but looked more in the shops along the road. “It’s funny how we all see different things when we’re looking in the same place.” She continued, “Before having my oldest daughter, I would’ve never thought to look for mermaids, but that’s what she told her younger sister to look for during a recent trip we made along this same highway.”

Looking for mermaids. We all see things differently.

I encourage you to look for mermaids today, to see something through someone else’s eyes and appreciate the value of their perspective—one of the many blessings of small groups.

There is greater value as part of a whole than as an individual.

Or as Aristotle put it, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

But I think the best is how Solomon expressed this wisdom, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

#IronRoseSisterMinistries #smallgroups #community #mermaids

Gathered in the kitchen, the six Cuban women have read a Bible verse, shared prayer requests, and a cup of coffee. They came from different backgrounds of faith and church experiences. Yet for most of them, Christian or not, this was the first time they had been empowered as women to spend time in God’s Word and in His presence, growing together as women.

Always tentative about sharing her story, the Christian sister came to value the safe environment with other Christian sisters—Iron Rose Sisters—encouraging her in her walk with God and strengthening their relationships with one another. For the first time, she could share the deeper burdens on her heart and realize she was not alone.

Entrapped by a limited understanding of who Jesus was and the example He left while walking the earth in human flesh, one woman wrestled with guilt and struggled to break free from her misconceptions. She had been limiting Jesus and limiting herself until she met with a small group to discuss the Human AND Holy aspects of the One who sacrificially gave it all up to show us how to live and invited us to dwell in His love. Since then, she has used those same resources, Bible verses, and new understanding, to equip, empower, and encourage other women through other small groups, in their own personal journeys.

What is your small group story?
What successes can we celebrate of what God has facilitated in a small group context?

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #MichelleJGoff 

The apostles were an eclectic group of 12. My sisters and I are a diverse group of four. Who do you have among your group of Christian sisters? Do you have a lot of things in common, or are you a unique group?
A rose bush does not have all of its roses budding at the same time. Part of the beauty of the bush is the bud barely blooming next to the full-bodied rose in full bloom.
Which rose are you in your community? In our Christian community, there are people of different ages, stages, and walks of life. And therein lies the beauty.
Another beautiful facet of a diverse community is that we can grow and learn from one another.
The small groups with whom I have participated, and through which I have been blessed the most, are the ones that have a diverse group of women gathering together to deepen their relationships with God and with one another. I like to call them Iron Rose Sisters.

What is an Iron Rose Sister?
An Iron Rose Sister is a Christian sister who serves as iron sharpening iron (Prov. 27:17), encouraging and inspiring others to be as beautiful as a rose in spite of a few thorns.
So, in answer to the question of WHO for small groups? The answer is anyone! We grow most when we are stretched out of our comfort zones, and when we hear the perspectives of others. We are blessed when we are given the opportunity to bless others.
Find a group of women and start a small group today!

The WHAT of Small Groups
WHAT is a small group? A group of people (women in our case) whose purpose is to meet together for encouragement, Bible study and prayer.
In order to allow for depth of discussion and opportunity to share, it is ideal for the group to be made up of no more than eight women.
Yet, it can be as few as two. When it is a small group of two, it can also be known as a mentoring relationship.

The apostles were an eclectic group of 12. My sisters and I are a diverse group of four. Who do you have among your group of Christian sisters? Do you have a lot of things in common, or are you a unique group?
A rose bush does not have all of its roses budding at the same time. Part of the beauty of the bush is the bud barely blooming next to the full-bodied rose in full bloom.
Which rose are you in your community? In our Christian community, there are people of different ages, stages, and walks of life. And therein lies the beauty.
Another beautiful facet of a diverse community is that we can grow and learn from one another.
The small groups with whom I have participated, and through which I have been blessed the most, are the ones that have a diverse group of women gathering together to deepen their relationships with God and with one another. I like to call them Iron Rose Sisters.

What is an Iron Rose Sister?
An Iron Rose Sister is a Christian sister who serves as iron sharpening iron (Prov. 27:17), encouraging and inspiring others to be as beautiful as a rose in spite of a few thorns.
So, in answer to the question of WHO for small groups? The answer is anyone! We grow most when we are stretched out of our comfort zones, and when we hear the perspectives of others. We are blessed when we are given the opportunity to bless others.
Find a group of women and start a small group today!

The WHAT of Small Groups
WHAT is a small group? A group of people (women in our case) whose purpose is to meet together for encouragement, Bible study and prayer.
In order to allow for depth of discussion and opportunity to share, it is ideal for the group to be made up of no more than eight women.
Yet, it can be as few as two. When it is a small group of two, it can also be known as a mentoring relationship.

One night, in a small-group Bible study, I shared a lesson with Hispanic sisters at a church in Houston. The class was about truth and lies and contained some of the same material that would later be included in Who Has the Last Word?.

The class was well received and at the end, I asked each of the ladies to partner with the woman next to her and share a lie of Satan she personally battles. They were also instructed to find a verse in the Bible that spoke a truth to cut through that lie, just like in the Lie/Truth Chart. It was beautiful to see them sharing and flipping through their Bibles.

As they were finishing up, two women excitedly asked me to come over and talk with them. They just had to share with me that they battle the exact same lie: that they don't have time to read their Bibles! They were able to encourage each other mutually in the truth and promises of Scripture. Phone numbers were exchanged so that they could continue to encourage each other during the week. Before I walked away, they read me the verse that gave them so much hope and joy—the truth that cut through Satan's lie and gave God the last word in their lives:

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Josh. 1:7-8)

God gave Joshua a beautiful reminder for the third time in that chapter, “Be strong and very courageous.” May God continue to bless each of us with encouraging reminders, as He did for those two ladies that evening. And may He continue to use Iron Rose Sister Ministries to equip, inspire, and empower women in their relationship with God and others.

My question for you today: Would those ladies have been impacted as greatly from that verse and convicted in the lie if they had been doing it alone?

Last month, we looked at lies and truth through the book Who Has the Last Word? Yet the greater value of that study comes in the context of small groups.

This month, as many prepare for their fall Bible studies, we will look at small groups: the blessings, the challenges, and the biblical support for how to do them well.

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #community #truth

Special thanks to Tim Davis, Connections Minister at Downtown Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, for sharing and inspiring many facets of the following post.

Consider the following definition: Small Groups are intentional gatherings of parts of the body that meet regularly for the purpose of partnering in God’s mission.

Breaking this down, we see that a Small Group:
• Is an intentional gathering. There is a purpose to the gatherings. As Iron Rose Sisters, our primary purpose is to connect to God and one another more deeply, as well as to serve as iron sharpening iron, encouraging one another to be as beautiful as a rose, in spite of the thorns. This is accomplished primarily through Bible study discussion and prayer.
• Is a subset of the body. It is its own church family—Iron Rose Sisters—that is part of the larger church family and, of course, the kingdom. Small Groups are the intimate, personal gatherings of the large group.
• Meets regularly. A small group has a regular meeting time and schedule. The group knows when to expect the next gathering.
• For the purpose of partnering in God’s mission. Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ mission is a part of God’s greater mission. IRSM exists to equip, encourage, and empower women in their relationships with God and one another—the mission of multiplication and mentoring. This mission is realized in Small Groups, but also extends beyond the scope of the Small Group gatherings for the transformation of lives in the image and example of the Son.

Iron Rose Sister Ministries equips women with the tools to fulfill this definition of Small Groups. We truly believe that Small Groups are where deeper relationships with God and with one another can be best facilitated.

Small Group gatherings are not to the exclusion of one-on-one time with God nor other gatherings with women that accomplish other purposes. In fact, those other fellowship times and constant personal communication with God will enrich the Small Group time when gathering with your Iron Rose Sisters.

We would love to hear how Small Groups, as defined above, have been a blessing in your life! Which aspect of the definition do you think is most important? Intentionality, a subset of the body, meets regularly, or for the purpose of partnering in God’s mission.

If you have not had the blessing of participating in a Small Group like this in the past, we would like to encourage, equip, and empower you to start your own group of Iron Rose Sisters! There are four different Bible study books available and other resources for getting started, on our website.

#IronRoseSister #smallgroup #Godsmission #smallgroupBIGDIFFERENCE #notalone

The church is a community that extends beyond borders, languages, cultures, and time. I have had the blessing of getting to know members of the community of believers across the U.S. and from many countries across the world. Whether African or Chinese, Hispanic or Indian, Kazak or Russian, Canadian or Southern, the community in Christ is one.

One thing we all have in common is the desire for relationship—for a deeper sense of community. We long for community with our Creator and with His creation—other people with whom we can relate and share our lives.

Grandmas and college students alike want to know what it truly means to be in relationship with God and one another—what it means to be community, family, and the church to each other.

My Chinese friends bring a new perspective to the concept of family and community. In the Chinese culture and language, you are known by your family name first, then your individual name. Your personal identity is secondary to your place in the family. Your identity depends on your family. Therefore, in Chinese, my name would be Goff Michelle rather than Michelle Goff, and all of us with the name Goff would share the same name and reputation. My dad, mom, sisters and I would all be called “Goff” and then someone might clarify which Goff they wanted to speak with. But it wouldn’t matter with whom they spoke because we would be of one mind, one voice, one spirit. Individualism is not highly regarded as in other cultures you may be more familiar with.

Reminds me of Paul’s reminder in Philippians 2:1-4...

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Is our role in family, community, church, or small group more important than our individual identity and the self-centered priority we often focus on?

Which is more important:
To be right or to be kind?
To understand or be understood?
To listen or to be heard?
To deny self or focus on self?

Today, I encourage you to find community through a small group, women who become like family, with whom you can be authentic, encouraged and accountable. You can remind each other and live out those priorities as the family of Christ, Iron Rose Sisters.

It is my prayer and one of the goals of Iron Rose Sister Ministries, that we might be that community to each other—a church family spanning two languages and two continents. I pray that we may be iron sharpening iron to one another and that we might encourage and inspire each other to be as beautiful as a rose in spite of a few thorns—all in the context of community.

Are you living up to the family name?

#IronRoseSister #smallgroups #family #community