I’ve written previously about how much I appreciated the Women’s History Month devotionals published at Bethel from 2000 to 2002 — both as historical sources giving us unique glimpses inside the lives of dozens of Bethel women and as still-valuable resources for spiritual growth.
In fact, from the moment last summer when longtime student life staffer Barb Martin mentioned those devotionals in her oral history interview, my student Ellie Heebsh and I have wondered if maybe we could revive that tradition, both to honor those earlier devotionals and to create another way for all the people of Bethel to learn from the women of Bethel.
So twenty-five years after the first one was published, Ellie and I are happy to announce that there will be a new Bethel Women’s History Month devotional publishing daily this March!
The format will be much the same as the original — each day offering a short reflection on a chosen scripture that (as Barb’s original introduction put it) provides “a glimpse into the lives of women who are currently or have been a part of the Bethel family,” as they “[share] with us moments in their lives when God spoke to them or an insight in the Christian life was gained through Scripture.” The list of writers includes several of the women we interviewed last summer, plus some current students (including Ellie), alumni from recent decades, a variety of staff and faculty, and First Lady Annie Allen. We’ll even reprise one piece from the original 2000 booklet, as a way to underscore the continuity in the project.
The biggest difference is the mode of delivery. Rather than publishing a printed booklet, this devotional will be entirely digital: a free Substack newsletter.
If you haven’t used Substack before, it’s pretty easy:
- Just go to womenofbethel.substack.com on a web browser, or download the Substack app and look up “Bethel Women’s History Month Devotional.”
- Subscribe by entering your email address.
- Then every morning throughout the month of March, Substack will send the newest devotional to your inbox.
Hoping that many of you both subscribe and share this with others who might be interested!
The Women of Bethel 