the table

Showing up for others is one of the most powerful things you can do.

–Naomi Evans, Being An Ally

for $50/month you can provide a companion on the journey through spiritual direction or discernment.

Take a seat at the table.

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We believe that when women flourish, we all flourish.

The Table is a community of monthly partners whose sustainable support enables pathways for creation, connection, and commissioning for women.

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Read Rachelle's Story

As a leader in education, Rachelle is seasoned in developing others. But when she encountered WOW!’s offerings of spiritual direction and silent retreats, she found a space where she could take off her many hats and just be herself. “WOW! is like my third space,” she says. “It’s not home, it’s not church, it’s not work. There is no part of me that I can’t bring into that space and there are so few spaces like that.” That WOW! is a set-apart space that is “aligned with how people are designed and with what women need” is critical for Rachelle. It is a place that deeply nourishes the whole person led by women who are as strong as they are tender. “To me, it’s like the basic human necessities: food, shelter, water, fire, all of those things encapsulated in one experience. Because the women who are there– they offer that kind of protection. The shelter from the world; fire is warmth; food is content; water is the presence of God. The holy spirit just covers all of those things.” The “level of transparency” that this safe and brave atmosphere brings, as well as the “ongoing touchpoints” of regular staff check-ins, provide the sense of belonging necessary for deep learning and transformation. WOW!’s holistic approach to spiritual formation was revitalizing for Rachelle, introducing “sound spiritual practices” that were not only fresh but replicable, that “because of their newness and freshness they bring a whole level of revelation… Not just intellectual exercises, but they have you tap into your artistic side or creative side, using different skills or giftings, and because of that, I think they’re really rich.”

One of the most unique and powerful things about WOW! for Rachelle is that it is led by women of color. Many other spaces have felt “not as engaging to me because my perspective is not included,” says Rachelle. But “that’s what I’ve always loved about WOW!; it’s super inclusive.” And it’s an inclusivity that is deeply informed by an honest reckoning with systemic injustice. “It’s difficult to find spiritual spaces that love Jesus and honor the Bible but can still maintain a critical consciousness about Church, the world,” she says. “It’s difficult to do that, but WOW! does that.” And in a world where women face so many barriers, WOW! is “one of the very few spaces that exist for women” where we can navigate the unique challenges facing us – a project that can be “incredibly complex, but I feel like they do it so well. I want people to experience that, and I don’t want any of that lost.”

Make Room for Wonder EOY Campaign (Website) (2)

Read Krystin's Story

When Krystin Bruan found WOW!, she was in a place of burnout. The culture of ministry had “shattered my relationship of church and faith” and had led her to a process of “deconstructing and decolonizing,” even before those terms had entered into the popular lexicon. She accepted Erika’s invitation to go on a silent retreat and then later to seminars to hear Rev. Grace teach. The warm embrace of a community of women was a balm, “a healing haven of aunties” that was an antidote to the critical church attitudes she had experienced. This “surrogate space” allowed her to heal and even to invite her mother to a silent retreat. “It was a place I know we could both be really honest and encounter God in a way that was familiar to both of us,” she said. The Catholic sisters leading the retreat resonated with Krystin’s mother’s Catholic background, and Krystin’s mom was able to relate to other Asian mothers who were facilitating. Cradled in gentle practices of spiritual formation, these elements fostered a place for Krystin and her mom to seek God both individually and together. “When I think of WOW! I think of it as an intergenerational space,” said Krystin. It is a community that allows one to form “strong pathways for restoration” by recreating bonds within a safe community.

With the help of WOW!, Krystin also gained the confidence and support to reimagine her role in ministry. She was given opportunities to flex her teaching muscles by teaching a seminar every year. She mentored two young women and was mentored by Ajung Sojwal. Finally, she served as the Chair of the WOW! Board of Directors for four years. In contrast to dominant-culture spaces where women of color are chronically overlooked and second-guessed, Krystin “got to lead as an Asian American woman and away from the patriarchal white gaze.” A generous donor sent her and some WOW! staff to the CBE (Christians for Biblical Equality) conference, where “it was inspiring to witness so many Asian women leading.” Afterward, she sought out wisdom from the women in the WOW! network, and, following their counsel, applied to Fuller Theological Seminary and was accepted. “Had it not been for the WOW! umbrella, I would not have gone to seminary,” says Krystin. “I wouldn’t be in seminary without the gentle encouragement and sisters of WOW! who cultivated opportunities to explore my calling.”

Read Liz's Story

Liz is part of a legacy of ministers: “I was a minister’s kid, fifth generation on my Mom’s side. I loved seeing churches grow and blossom.” But when she turned down medical school to go into full-time campus ministry, she found that not all ministry environments fully celebrate women in leadership. Even though her ministry was flourishing, she “hit a wall because people didn’t know what to do with a woman in ministry” and found herself often “relegated to the kitchen,” her options limited, and opportunities for advancement nonexistent. “There was no pathway for women in the ministry that I was in to continue to receive mentorship,” she said. These betrayals, from the Church to which she’d given so much of her life, cut deep. “All of that hurt,” she said. “My love for Jesus never faltered, but my love for the Church felt like it was dying. I felt like I was turning into a pillar of salt; I felt like my heart was turning to stone.”

It was as this “raw ball of energy and sadness and grief” that Liz met Krystin Bruan, who invited her to an online WOW! silent retreat. The experience was revelatory. “I could not believe that I had found a place to just be able to rest and sit and talk to Jesus,” she said. More WOW! retreats followed, and she recalls the peace and Christlike beauty modeled by the leaders. “It was comforting and empowering, to see these women out here doing it,” she said. And the out-of-the-box activities gently invited her to create for its own sake. “Just to be myself and create – I found that really beautiful,” she said. Later, she officially joined the WOW! mentorship program, where Krystin mentored her for a year. Through her relationships with Krystin and the other women of WOW!, Liz was able to heal. “I had been so jaded,” she said. “But these women brought so much compassion and tenderness. I sincerely feel like it is a miracle that I found them. I love to say I am someone who had church hurt and I healed.” Now, she is once again active in church spaces. “I am able to serve in my church and do that from a place of health,” she said. “I feel like I have so much more hope for the Church, I have so much more love. It’s almost like my innocence has been restored.”

Make Room for Wonder EOY Campaign (Website) (6)

Read Milly's Story

Like so many women in ministry leadership, Milly Silencio looked around and saw so few who looked like her leading in church spaces. But when she said yes to the invitation to attend a WOW! seminar, she felt seen and heard in a way she hadn’t before. Thus started a journey of companionship with WOW! through many of life’s junctures. That first night, Milly recalls “hearing an account of a biblical woman and having fellowship time in this wonderful cozy room in Chinatown, with other sisters discerning their own stories and seasons.” In that room, she met a sister who gave her an encouraging word that “led me to say yes to pastoral ministry.” As she stepped out in this call, Milly received spiritual direction from Erika Lee, who prayed with her and offered the deep care that Milly needed in these early stages. Later, when launching into a season of church planting, WOW! gave her scholarships to participate in silent retreats, where she had the space to simply rest and receive. “In those silent retreats, God spoke to me so dearly and precious and closely,” she reflects. “It was so lovely to see them pray by my side and follow up with me… I saw their intentionality and care.” In this community of “fellow sisters journeying together” and “wonderful sisterly love,” she found a place in which you could show up as your full self and be fully accepted. “They really usher in a brave space that’s really pure to come in however we are, no judgment… No matter where we are in our pilgrimage, something I’m learning from WOW! is that we can all come to the table… We don’t need to become. We already are.”

The sense of belonging she found at WOW! provided an anchor for Milly in the often unpredictable – and typically “male-dominated” – world of church planting. WOW! not only affirmed women’s identity as “God’s daughters”, but “empowered you because that’s part of Gods’ story.” And when the church plant she was a part of closed down, WOW! walked with her through this season of grief as “a witness and a presence… just listening… affirming my call, who I am in God, giving me that constant bravery I needed to still show up and still be at the table.” WOW! also encouraged her in her season of singleness, affirming that “whoever I say yes to is gonna have to say yes to all of this” – that is, her role as a minister. When she started dating Josh, she saw that he was that “fierce advocate of women.” Now, married to a pastor, Josh is that strong ally she had been holding out for. “He loves me and believes in me,” she said. “I’m grateful that WOW! always encouraged me to fight for that.”

The obstacles facing women in ministry are real, and WOW! offers spaces for spiritual practice that renew, recenter, and reveal the beauty of each woman, whatever her station in life. Through the “beautiful contemplative discipleship they bring to the table,” WOW! offers women a sacred space to meet Jesus in a new way and receive the affirmation they need to pursue their callings. “In the hustle and bustle of life, you forget, in small moments of pause, that God is there,” says Milly. “But I’m learning from WOW! these different practices… that all of us can learn that very practically. You don’t have to get a seminary degree to understand it… It’s been very meaningful and really solidified my heart of why I say, ‘Yes’ to ministry as a woman, as a 1.5-gen Latina, trying to bridge together so many different experiences and also being distinct.”

I did the soul care cohort when I was unemployed… It was amazing I could have a free resource when I didn’t have the means. WOW! subsidized the silent retreat cost too. They knew I was just starting off with my business; I had just figured out how to launch an LLC. Once I had the means to give, I thought, Why would I not give to the organization that gave so much to me? I just knew I wanted to invest in WOW! because of how WOW! invested in me when I really needed it.

Grace Choi, Table Member

I understand “giving where you’re fed.” I felt WOW! was worth it, I was getting enough meat from this. I wanted to put money behind it because I wanted to see more. I want to experience more. I give because I’m fed.

Eva Eckles, Table Member

What keeps me coming back to WOW! is that I learned that God really speaks. Not just through the Bible, not just through [other] people, but he speaks to us directly. It made God more personal to me.

Kymare Hutchinson, Table Member

What I love about WOW! is that it loves people, it serves people, and it brings people closer to Jesus. And it does all of that in a very graceful way, full of grace.

Bruce Feffer, Table Member

This organization has been an integral part of my faith journey. WOW! was initially introduced to me through my sister in Christ and coworker, Belly Hom. She is a childhood friend of the founder, Rev. Grace May. After observing Grace’s zest for teaching women in ministry, my curiosity was piqued.

WOW! has been a good fit since I consider myself as a lifetime student of the Bible. They encourage and motivate women (and men) to mature in Christ through Bible study. Participation in the Women of the Bible classes has been especially useful in gaining knowledge of our biblical sheroes. These lively discourses are usually followed by a Q&A and break out groups to further engage in lively discussions. This has awakened a desire in me to do personal research and learn more. I have learned historic information, which only enhances previous knowledge of Bible passages.

Lastly, WOW! is a multicultural organization that offers people an environment to invest in godly friendships. I view myself as a supporter and cheerleader for WOW! and the work they continue to do.

Caroline Telfer, Table Member

WOW! helps people connect with God and with one another. We want to build something that really has that community feel, where God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are central to the community as a whole.

There are a lot of things to consider along the way. And it takes a collective group, a collective community, not just one person or thing. It’s every person here and beyond. We all play a part. And that’s what I get excited about.

Don Choi, Table Member