Not Just Another Christmas Tea

Over the last few years, leaders in ministry (including myself) have renounced the traditional Women’s Tea.

Female leaders, tired of being stereotyped, and wanting to be recognized for their leadership capabilities outside of parties and teas, have labeling Women’s Teas outdated and out of touch with society.

But what is really so bad about a Women’s Tea?

The early church is the leading example of Christians who met on a regular basis to share a meal, prayer, and fellowship. Isn’t this what a Women’s Tea is really about?

A Women’s Tea is less about the stereotypical frills and treats, and more about the connection that women make with each other and with God. It is not about the bells and whistles, but the opportunities for authentic relationship, conversion, forgiveness, love, acceptance, and transformation.

Women were made for connection. They were made to give and receive love. Women were made to belong too something bigger than themselves. Being loved and feeling that they have worth, are all birth-rights of a woman, given by our Holy God.

Researcher, Andrew Shatte teaches about the power of connection in his 2010 Tedx Talk. Andrew’s research proves that the resilience to thrive in life is found in the ability to connect with something greater than ourselves. A connection to people outside our homes, a connection to our communities, our nation, to God, and our greater purpose.

With the overwhelming availability to stay connected with others 24/7 through the use of: cell phones, Facebook, email, Twitter, and more…one would think that we as individuals would be living at our fullest potential in life. But this simply isn’t the case.

People are more depressed and isolated than ever before.

In fact, the Center for Disease Control reports that women are the largest demographic effected by depression. A women can spend her entire day connecting with others by social media and never scratch the surface of true vulnerability, personal transformation, or the building of trusting relationships. These characteristics of human growth, happen in-person not on the screen of a phone or computer.

In the book, Daring Greatly, author Brene’ Brown Ph.d. states:

“The willingness to show up, changes us.”

If we lose sight of the importance of community, we can say goodbye to our faith, our values, our spirituality, and our pursuit of meaning and purpose.

Our purpose is to connect with God and with others. Our purpose is relationship. With the Christmas season upon us, I can’t think of a better way to engage women in relationship than to host a Christmas Tea, a gathering filled with intention and purpose. Whether you invite two people or twenty, your life and the lives of your guest will be richer.

As I write this article, God reminds me of the words of Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

God writes these words to us because He wants us to shine our light into a world of darkness. When we live a life of courage in community, we leave behind a world of shame, fear, rejection, pride, loneliness, and depression and the world sees the community of Christ alive and full of love and purpose.