Sometimes it feels like "mom world" is another planet. A nursing shield? An all-terrain stroller? Funny-shaped food? It seems easier to build friendships with women in our season of life, but the gospel gives us a bigger picture of community. In this episode, Emily and Laura interview Elizabeth Woodson about building flourishing friendships with women in other seasons of life—particularly singles. Elizabeth is a Bible teacher who writes, teaches, and helps to develop leaders at The Village Church and serves as the Director of Resources for the Sparrow Conference. Christian moms and singles can have the most important thing in common: our faith in Christ. So press in a little deeper with a woman in a different season and enjoy God's gift of community.

VIEW TRANSCRIPT MENTIONED ON THE SHOW:

• Elizabeth Woodson's website

• Elizabeth on Instagram & Twitter

• The Village Church

• Sparrow Conference 2019

RELATED ARTICLES, RESOURCES, AND CONTENT:

Related R|M resources:

• "God's Grace Beyond our 'Mom Tribes,'" - Abby Hummel, Risen Motherhood

• "The Gospel Comes with a House Key," - Rosaria Butterfield, Risen Motherhood

• "When We're Offended: The Cost of Being a Peacemaker," - Lauren Weir, Risen Motherhood

• "Members, Not Measures: A Call to Own One Another's Joys and Sorrows," Abbey Wedgeworth, Risen Motherhood

• "Moms Make Peace Through Christ," - Emily Jensen, Risen Motherhood

• Ep. 38, Friendship & Motherhood - Risen Motherhood

• Ep. 43, Serving Others Right Where You're At - Risen Motherhood

• Ep. 55, Hospitality in the Little Years - Risen Motherhood

• Ep. 65, Finding Your Tribe: Momma, Who is Your Primary Community? - Risen Motherhood

Around the internet:

• Messy Beautiful Friendships: Finding and Nurturing Deep and Lasting Relationships, - Christine Hoover

• Life Together, - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community, - Brett McCracken

• "6 Costs of Real Friendship," - Jen Thorn, Christianity Today

• "Loneliness, Friendship, and the Goodness of God," - Melissa Kruger, TGC

• "Woman Enough for Friendship," - Jasmine Holmes, Fathom Magazine

• Ep. 17, By Faith with Christine Hoover: On Friendships for Moms with Emily & Laura - By Faith

RM APPLY QUESTIONS

It's great to have a close group of mom friends, but God also designed Christian community to include a variety of ages, experiences, and gifts. Women in different seasons of life can have flourishing friendships if we're willing to find common interests, have honest conversations, and build on our shared love of Christ. We're made to be in community and to encourage our sisters-in-Christ, and that happens across every season of life.

1. Do you have friendships with women who are in different seasons of life than you? If so, how can you further invest in these friendships? If not, can you think of any women who share similar interests with you in other areas? Consider inviting one of them to join you for coffee, bread baking, running, etc.

2. There are common threads in all our lives. We all experience pain, loss, and difficulty; and we all experience joy, thankfulness, and hope. The gospel meets us where we are in our different situations and enables us to mourn and rejoice with one another. How is a shared love of Christ the foundation for friendship? How does it connect you to other sisters-in-Christ who may be experiencing different life events than you?

3. Moms and singles can be tempted to run away from hard relationships, but God calls us to consider one another as more important than ourselves. What would it look like to approach a difficult friend with grace? How can you find out how to love that person well?

4. If we want to be true friends, we have to open up our lives to others—which means opening our homes too. What are your expectations for the "right conditions" to be hospitable? Are these biblical requirements or heart idols? How can you open up space this week to invite a single woman over?

5. All women are told to have spiritual children in the faith regardless of our life seasons. We're to steward the information God gives us by pouring into a younger sister-in-Christ. Is discipleship a regular part of your life? How can you make time for it and who might you "do life" with?

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