It was my 14 year old daughter who asked me:
“Why does church need to do something for International Women’s Day?”
Objections come easily: What about men? Why should one group receive special attention? And what does it even have to do with church?
Freedom and confidence
Yet for many of the women in our church the day mattered deeply.
Through their relationships with Jesus, many had experienced a new freedom and confidence to become the people God created them to be.
And it was this experience that which gave them the drive and passion to ask for International Women’s Day to be marked and celebrated in our church.
Jesus and women
This is hardly surprising when we consider how Jesus himself treated women. Again and again in the Gospel stories, he empowered and restored them: the woman at the well, Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany, the woman caught in adultery, and many others.
The women in our congregation wanted to express the freedom and new life they had found in Jesus by organising an act of worship which celebrated the preciousness and value of women in God’s eyes, while also highlighting injustice to women that is an affront to God’s love and goodness.
They also planned a traditional afternoon tea later in the day to celebrate and encourage female solidarity in the church and wider community.
Men stepping aside
The result was one of the most powerful services I have ever attended.
Every aspect of the service was led by women. Our vicar Matthew stepped aside for the morning and we invited a female vicar from another parish to lead us through communion. One woman afterwards commented that the most poignant moment was when Matthew went up first to receive communion from the visiting vicar.
The service created an opportunity for women in our congregation to share testimonies of difficult experiences and injustice. Some spoke in person, others shared on video, and some had their stories read out.
Not heard
They spoke of abuse of many kinds, of not being heard or believed, of the pain they had experienced on behalf of their children, and of gynaecological issues that were not taken seriously.
It was heartbreaking to hear the extent of suffering these women had experienced. The tears and conversations afterwards made it clear that these stories were far from unusual.
Healing
Yet the testimonies did not end with pain. Each woman also spoke of the ways God had brought light into their situation. For some there had already been much healing; for others the journey was still ongoing. One of the women shared:
“I’m still healing. And if I’m being honest, I’m still learning to fully trust God again. Trauma leaves wounds and faith can take time to grow back after it’s been shaken out of you. What I am learning is this: God is patient with our healing (more so than I am with myself). He doesn’t rush and He doesn’t turn away when we’re struggling, even though I may turn away from Him.”
Another woman reflected:
“Though I went through this, I have become stronger, my faith has grown deeper with God, knowing that he was there and supporting me through such a tough time.”
Grace
Others contributed in creative ways. One woman displayed a painting called Fire and Grace, placing a black-and-white image alongside a vibrant colour version. She explained:
“the coloured painting is how God created us to be: full of fire in her soul and grace in her heart… he sees us as we are, not the washed-out watered-down version the world wants us to be.”
Another wrote a poem to encourage other women who were struggling, including these lines:
“The love of God that holds me so tight, and wipes my tears when I cry in the night. I am broken, it’s not easy to see I will be mended…please be patient with me.”
Being believed
Many people spoke afterwards about the impact of the service. One man said:
“I would like to thank the women who came forward for bravely giving their testimonies about the abuse they had experienced from men. Before hearing their stories I did not believe the statistic that 1 in 4 women in the UK had been assaulted. After hearing them I now believe it.”
Later that day the church’s women’s group hosted a traditional afternoon tea, bringing together women from both the church and the wider community. It was a warm time of laughter, sharing, and encouragement – celebrating the joys as well as the struggles of being female.
Why mark International Women’s Day?
So why celebrate, share, embrace International Women’s Day in our churches?
Because the world does not yet reflect the Kingdom reality of women being fully loved, respected, heard and empowered.
Because my 14-year-old daughter is not yet growing up in a world where she will always be treated with the dignity and value that Jesus sees in her.
And because occasions like International Women’s Day can help all of us, men and women together, grow more into the likeness of Christ, as the Holy Spirit shapes us into people who honour one another as God intended.
Valuable and powerful
Our experience shows that marking International Women’s Day in church can be both valuable and powerful. Why not consider how your church might use the day to reflect the promise and example of Jesus in the way he treated women, and in doing so offer a beacon of Christ’s hope and healing to all our sons and daughters?
International Women’s Day is 8th March 2027. Why not suggest this idea now to your church leader so its in the planning for next year?
Anna Heydon is Deputy Community Lead at St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston, Norfolk
Discover more from Grace + Truth
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Grace + Truth 