One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
Lydia is regarded as the first documented Christian convert in Europe and foundational to the establishment and flourishing of the church in Philippi. She was successful in business and finances as the purple cloth she sold was rare and expensive to produce. Her entire household followed her in baptism. Inviting Paul and his coworkers to stay implies she is empowered to make decisions impacting her household and that she had a home large enough to shelter her unexpected guests and servants in enough to attend them. Her home became a center for Christian worship in Philippi and her generosity empowered Paul’s ministry.
Lydia is just one example of women in the Bible using their resources, intellect, and influence to lead and make space for people to encounter the truth and love of Jesus.
For more on Lydia, see:
The Businesswoman Lydia, from Theology of Work.
Empowering Lessons from the Life of Lydia
American journalist and social activist Dorothy Day was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 8, 1897. If Day were on our YFC team today, she might be a City Life leader, as she spent much of her life in urban settings aligning her life with the Gospel through meeting the needs and advocating for the impoverished and the oppressed.
She fought the perceived limitations of women in journalism, refusing to write on subjects like housekeeping tips and focusing on women’s and social concerns. In the 1930’s, Day cofounded the Catholic Workers Movement, a pacifist movement that combines direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action on their behalf. She also cofounded the Catholic Worker newspaper in 1933 which provided a platform for activists to call for social change.
Dorothy Day died in 1980. In 2015 in an address before the United States Congress, Pope Francis included her in a list of four exemplary Americans (including Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr.) who “built a better future.” He said, “Her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints.”
For more on Dorothy Day’s life and work, visit any one of the links below:
- A brief biography from the Dorothy Day Guild
- Dorothy Day Wikipedia entry
- Explore the Wisdom of Dorothy Day from catholicworker.org
And finally, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the amazing women we have on staff here at Tacoma YFC!
Every role here at Tacoma YFC is ministry, whether that’s building relationships with young people, equipping and empowering volunteers, planning clubs, pairing youth with mentors, caring for giving partner relationships, supporting staff through administrative tasks, managing communications, or stewarding finances. The opportunity to engage in God’s story through 3Story relationships is everywhere and we couldn’t be more grateful for these women on our team!
- Natasha Hall – Parent Life Site Leader
- Ericka Wallace – Spanaway Campus Life Site Leader
- Suzanne Pock – Operations Director
- Lori Osborn – Development Assistant
- Yvette Roa – Development and Administrative Coordinator
- Heide Maschhoff – Orting Campus Life Coordinator
- SaraBeth Wadsworth – Campus Life Military Site Leader
- Erin Randle – Marketing and Communications Manager
- Raylene Swanger – One80 Mentorship Program Coordinator
For more information on any of the ministries mentioned above or to get involved, click below!
