Sitting in the back row at a national women’s conference in 2008, I eagerly anticipated hearing a powerful message of truth from Pastor John Piper. What I didn’t expect was to have my world upended when he said, “True womanhood is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of His Son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood.”

If you’re hearing this for the first time, you may be as stunned as I was. I urge you to stop and pause to contemplate the glory of God’s design for you before reading further.

At that time, I was a director of women’s ministry who never thought much about womanhood. I certainly didn’t consider myself a feminist, yet I would later learn there were traces of feminist thinking in me.

When the full weight of the glorious meaning of my womanhood sank in, I gained a newfound freedom I had never known. This truth changed everything. It was essential to understand my purpose and calling in life. Why had I never been taught this? Teachers and mentors were MIA. The church had failed me. Even more sobering, I was failing the women in my church by not discipling them in their femininity.

At the True Woman ’08 conference, God spoke clearly to my girl-power heart: Learn this for yourself first, but don’t keep it to yourself. Teach women the beauty of My design.

If you can, picture women’s discipleship as a dartboard. Mine was thriving in the inner and outer rings (prayer, Bible study, community, events) but it missed the bull’s-eye. There was a glaring hole in the center. I came to understand that all of life—from relationships to parenting, work, and home—flows from a core understanding of womanhood.

Since 2008, womanhood—as culture defines it—has become even more convoluted. In the past, the great debate centered on whether women should pursue careers or motherhood. Today, mothers and grandmothers are navigating how to respond to transitioning daughters and non-binary granddaughters. Many young Christian women are not being equipped with God’s truth to discern His ways from the world’s ways. Confusion about gender has only increased.

The world is confused about womanhood—but our churches shouldn’t be.

My purpose in writing is to offer practical ways to fill the hole in your ministry. If you feel hesitant because obstacles stand in your way, this article will help you take steps forward. These four common obstacles—and potential solutions—will guide you in reclaiming this beautiful truth.

Filling the Hole in Women’s Discipleship

#1 “I don’t know enough about true womanhood.”

Become a student. Take a deep dive into God’s creation design in Genesis 1–3. Review the traits of the woman described in Proverbs 31. Then move to New Testament passages such as 1 Corinthians 11:8–9, Ephesians 5:22–32, 1 Peter 3:3–5, 1 Timothy 2:9–15, and Titus 2:3–5. Keep your heart open to learning. Respond humbly as the Holy Spirit guides you. As you learn, apply the principles to your own life.
Read Mary Kassian’s new book, What Is a Woman? The Question Our World Is Afraid to Answer, and explore the accompanying teaching videos.
If you prefer podcasts, this is the ideal time to listen to the Revive Our Hearts podcast. During July, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and Mary Kassian are teaching foundational principles of womanhood in light of today’s culture.
True Woman 101: Divine Design is an intensive eight-week study exploring how man and woman were created as distinct yet complementary image-bearers of God. Dig into this study to learn how true women put Christ and the gospel on display. Read a sample chapter here.
Access the Revive Our Hearts Event Toolkit for video teachings on “Understanding True Womanhood” and “Living Out True Womanhood.”

#2 “My church doesn’t teach biblical manhood and womanhood.”

Pray for a vision for the women of your church. Share your passion for true womanhood with trusted women who will join you in prayer.
Investigate the history of the True Woman Movement.
Immerse yourself in the True Woman Manifesto and its corresponding Scriptures.
Study The Danvers Statement from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
Meet with your pastor or elders to share what you are learning and your burden for the women in your church to understand God’s design. Be prepared to present a thoughtful plan for women’s discipleship and submit resources for leadership approval.
Pray—and keep praying.

#3 “I fear backlash from feminist thinking within the church.”

Ask God for courage to do what is right. It’s tempting to avoid controversy rather than take a stand for truth. God is calling His people to rise up. He is raising up modern-day Deborahs and Esthers who will boldly declare His Word with winsomeness and grace. Will you be one of them?
Prepare yourself for pushback. Many women carry deep wounds in this area. Others have been shaped by false teaching about gender from an early age. Transformation takes time. Remember, the enemy seeks to distort God’s glory through confusion about His design. The stakes are high. There will be opposition. Our call is to faithfully disciple and pray, trusting God to do what only He can do.
Download the What Is a Woman? Leader Guide. In it, Mary Kassian coaches leaders to anticipate and respond to challenges about the content. She equips you to lead with compassion and sensitivity as women wrestle with questions about their femininity.
In group settings, create space for honest conversation, patient processing of truth, and respectful questions or disagreement.

#4 “I don’t have the resources I need to spread the message.”

You’ve come to the right place! You are not alone. God has already provided tools to help you take the next step in your ministry. As you live out what you are learning—imperfectly, but sincerely—others will notice the difference it is making in your life.

Use any of the books, studies, videos, or podcasts mentioned above to introduce biblical womanhood to your leadership team, small group, or Sunday School class. Adapt these tools to your context.
The 30-Day Journey Through the Manifesto is a simple yet effective tool for personal or group use, helping women engage these truths in a practical way.
Share a short video reading of the True Woman Manifesto.
A church conference or retreat using the Revive Our Hearts Event Toolkit is an effective method for introducing true womanhood on a small budget.
Explore additional articles and blog posts on ReviveOurHearts.com.
If you are feeling alone as you swim against a culture that seeks to define womanhood on its own terms, consider attending True Woman ’27: Designed for His Glory, September 30–October 2, 2027. Join with others from around the world who long for God’s glory to cover the earth as the water covers the sea (Hab. 2:14). Better yet, bring a group from your church—either in person or via livestream.

Revive Our Hearts invites you to see your womanhood with fresh eyes of faith. We look forward to hearing testimonies of women who choose countercultural faithfulness, return to what is true, and embrace who God created them to be. Let’s adopt a posture of praise and wonder for the kindness and goodness of God’s plan.

As Mary Kassian reminds us, womanhood isn’t a burden or a problem to be solved. It is a glory—the very design of God for displaying His Son. The world is confused about womanhood, but our churches don’t have to be. Join the True Woman movement and take part in reclaiming God’s beautiful design for women.