A friend recently arrived for a graduation party and confidently walked into the family’s home. She greeted several unfamiliar faces, made a plate of food, and only realized her mistake when the homeowner kindly informed her she was in the wrong house. She was mortified.

The realization that you don’t belong somewhere can be devastating. Sadly, many women feel similarly when it comes to the local church. As Jen Oshman shares in her latest article, there’s a concerning trend of women increasingly leaving church, often because they feel disconnected or out of place. But the gospel invites us to draw near to God and find belonging among his people. Jesus “assigned women the dignity, value, and worth they’re due as God’s image-bearers,” and the church today has the opportunity to reflect those same truths so it continues to be a place women feel they belong. Read the article for practical ways to cultivate this kind of atmosphere.