She Has Done a Good Thing

Mennonite Women Leaders Tell Their Stories

edited by Mary Swartley & Rhoda Keener

These questions are also available to be downloaded as a Word document or as a PDF file.

See also She Has Done a Good Thing in the MPN online catalog.

These questions are intended for discussion after most of the book has been read. They require reflection upon the entire collection of stories.

1. Identify the Biblical references that were instrumental in helping women find their way into leadership.

What other spiritual resources helped to build significant bridges to leadership?

2. Notice the frequent references to prayer. At what stages in life did these become watershed experiences for these women?

How were the prayers answered?
What impact did this have upon their life vocation?

3. Read the Mark 14:3-8 story about The Anointing at Bethany. What kind of precious ointment do we carry in our alabaster jars?

How do we discern our precious gifts?
What does it mean to pour our gifts out for Jesus? Or do we usually just dispense small drops in safe places? Why?

Reflect upon the different paths that these women chose--some went into higher education, others did not. What kinds of church programs contributed to preparation for leadership?

What were some of the risks they took? How did they cope with the risks? What were the challenges they experienced?
In what ways did these women experience the glass ceiling? How did they deal with the glass ceiling?

5. What can we learn about change in the church from these stories? Who were the encouragers?

Are there still areas in church life that are closed to women or other groups? How might these experiences help us to make the path to change less painful?
Who or what were the "inhibitors" that made the change most difficult? Are there experiences that help us to know how best to work together when we disagree?

6. What are the implications for men and women in the church today? What are the benefits of having women as companions in leading the church, or are there new problems for men and women in light of this change?

How do we bring balance to leadership in the church?
Can we look into the future and see the implication for our sons and daughters, and granddaughters and grandsons?

7. What is the most inspiring part of these stories? What is the most troubling part? How did the hardships contribute to the development of leadership potential?

8. Name other themes you find that are common to many of the stories.

9. Do you find interesting contrasts in the stories or the path these writers took? For example, Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus and Bertha Harder are both in their mid-eighties. Look at their stories, side by side, and think about the differences.

10. Are there follow-up questions you would like to ask of these writers? What would you like to know more about?

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