Women of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan with Tom Shanklin, Pastor Bob Archiquette and Doug Harder, restaurant owner.

By Tom Shanklin

For the first time in my life, I preached a women’s meeting. It was great!

Women from various churches in and around Iron Mountain, Michigan came with hungry hearts. Pastor Joan Archiquette of the River of God Church in Crystal Falls leads the group, which meets in various places in this colorful and unique part of the world. This time the meeting was held at a restaurant owned by Doug and Emmy Harder near Felch, Michigan.

We had a great time in the word and tremendous liberty. I preached on “Woman, Thou Art Loosed.” I told the women that they are made in the image of God, as it says in Genesis 1. “Be free to be you,” I said. “It’s okay to be a woman. It’s not less than being a man. Be happy about who you are and enjoy it.”

We touched on many subjects related to women in the home, women in the church, women in ministry, but at all points I would say that the Lord gave us great freedom to preach the Word and to minister life to the women, and also to the men that were there. The Spirit brought a tremendous balance to many issues relating to women and their roles in the church and in society. Thank God for godly women, who are finding their inheritance in Christ and reaching into their full potential as children of God.