KAREN HODGE | CONTRIBUTOR

My family and I prepared for a hike during a recent trip to England. As we got ready, we needed to ensure we had all the equipment necessary for a long journey: the right shoes, plenty of hydration and food, and an accurate trail map.

The first mile of the hike was relatively easy until we came to the edge of Malham Cove. I stared at four hundred steps straight up a three-hundred-foot incline to the white cliffs above me. At this point, I was tempted to turn back since I was only one mile into a five-mile hike. Half of my family was already at the top, and they shouted over the ledge, “The view is worth the effort!” I took my time so as not to trip or fall. I looked over my shoulder, and my kind son-in-law walked behind me. He is an expert hiker, so I urged him to speed up. As I huffed and puffed, he said, “Nobody in our family gets left behind.” Over the next several hours, we saw spectacular views including grand vistas and beautiful waterfalls. I was also thankful that my son-in-law had an “AllTrails” app that helped us see when we were veering off the marked trail. That evening, when we got to the trail’s end, we feasted and reminisced about our walk through the beauty of God’s creation.

A Shared Journey

This fall, PCA Women’s Ministries will embark on a Made for More shared journey that will take us to eight cities around North America. It is our hope that these intergenerational conferences for young women third grade and up will just be the beginning of an ongoing conversation. We will be talking about the things that matter most surrounded by the people that matter most in our lives. We will explore big questions such as who is God, why am I here, what is my purpose, and what is my final destination on this faith journey? We hope that these questions spark conversations that will continue long after the conferences. That is why Ellen Dykas, Paula Miles, and I have written the eight week Made for More: A Shared Journey Bible Study for you to take back home after the conference.

Let’s take a walk together! I would love to personally take this walk with you, but I hope that as you look around, you will see other women God has placed in your life and church community to walk with you. You will need the right equipment and expectations as we embark on a shared journey toward a better understanding of creation design, gospel identity, and intergenerational friendships. Learning and growing together is a pilgrimage—a long journey undertaken for a sacred purpose. Our walk will start at the beginning with God and how He delightfully designed us. This journey will also survey the highs and the lows of persevering through suffering and sanctification. We will finish with hope as we keep our eyes on the end of this journey—Home.

Biblical Content and Colored Pens

As we begin this journey together, we invite you to grab a copy of God’s Word, some colored pens, and an intergenerational group of gospel friends. Spiritual formation and growth happen best in the context of community. You may do this study one-on-one with your mother, grandmother, or spiritual mother. You may gather your youth group gals or women in a small group setting. The Scriptures will be our guidebook for this journey. You will complete a road map to guide you through life. There will be signposts along the way pointing you to the big ideas, key questions, and passages we will study each week. There are even some shorts cuts to keep the study accessible. This trip is walked out in the grace zone! Everyone learns differently (visual, kinesthetic, auditory) and is at different places on this journey towards Home. The content is adaptable, enabling you to go as slowly or as fast as your spiritual legs will carry you.

Walking Each Other Home

I like to think of living our spiritual life on a line that runs from eternity past to eternity future. A definition of leadership that I love to quote is “to go in front of or alongside another person to get them to an intended destination.” The intended destination for a believer is heaven or Home. Look around you. We pray that there are older women or spiritual mothers who are a few steps in front of you. Likely, they have walked a little longer and further than you—chronologically and spiritually. They have wisdom and experiences to share. Look beside you. We pray you have at least one “gospel friend,” another believer, who is walking shoulder-to-shoulder alongside you through the highs and lows of life —a soul-sister, prayer partner, or sounding board with whom you can share and for whom you are the same. And glance behind you. Are there younger women or new believers who are watching you navigate the road before you? What will they learn, and how can you help them along the journey?

Walking has everything to do with where we fix our eyes. The Word of God keeps us from getting lost and marks the path of faithfulness. So, let’s keep our eyes on Him, the founder and perfecter of our faith, and the eternal joy that lies ahead instead of getting distracted by temporal things (Hebrews 12:1-2). Investing in His Word and people is the sacred, holy work of walking each other Home. The Made for More: A Shared Journey was never meant to be walked alone.

We hope you will consider joining us at a Made for More Conference by registering here.

Gather a group and grab your copies of Made for More: A Shared Journey here.