Where can I find online communities and support groups for Christian moms?
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[00:00:00] Something I've mentioned a few times as far as importance for Christian moms. Is finding a supportive community to connect with like-minded parents and seek guidance from those who've been through what you're going through. And offer guidance to those who are going through what you've been through. Today we're going to answer an important question in regards to that which is where can i find online communities and support groups for christian moms
Hey friends, it's Katy, host of the Christian Career Mom podcast, founder of Covenant Collections, which is a company on a mission to empower parents to thrive in all things family and life, and author of soon to be released Christian children's book, Happy Are the People. Whether it's your first time listening or you've been here with us before, the Christian Career Mom exists for the working Christian mamas who desire to live purposely, grow spiritually, and create a harmonious balance between their work, life, faith, and [00:01:00] family.
We explore all the ways to tap into our God given wisdom and grace to find fulfillment in all areas of our lives. It's so important to have a supportive community to lean on, and that's exactly what we're here for. So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite drink, find a cozy spot to listen and let's dive in.
As we face the demands of motherhood and balancing careers on top of that, Christian women often find themselves desiring a supportive community that will understand them. There are tons of parenting groups out there and tons of Christian groups too. But all it takes is joining a few to realize they're not all created equally. I've been in Christian groups that make me really sad because there's more judgment and hatefulness than guidance. And I've seen similar reactions and instead of true support, In parenting groups as well. Or they get turned into hubs for spammers to pop into your DMS. It's kind of [00:02:00] similar to trying to make a good friend.
You're not going to have a lasting connection for life with every single person you meet some won't align with you or your values and you'll move on and that's totally fine. But when you have a truly great friend, it's easy to agree. The effort to get them was worth it. Motherhood, despite its often complete lack of ever being alone can be lonely. When we have so many areas, we want to be successful.
Our faith, our families, our careers, and our personal lives. We often neglect the community and social aspect, even though deep down, we never stopped desiring to connect. So today we're going to talk about some practical ways to find places to connect like that online. Now, this doesn't negate the opportunities that we have in person. Like, for example, joining women's Bible studies, book clubs, volunteering for school events. And connecting with people at work. But in the busy-ness it's often easier for [00:03:00] some of us to make time to connect online. And we have access to many more people.
When we tap into online communities. So first, I want to point out the power of online communities. Because these can provide us with advice and friendship, but also a valuable sense of belonging. It's not just connectivity. It's also like having a virtual village. It can be a lifeline. To a supportive network, a place where the collective wisdom of fellow Christian moms becomes a light to others, guiding the way through challenges and celebrating victories together. One of my favorites is Facebook groups. And I'm not just saying this because I have one. I'm saying this because that's the platform.
Most people are on across all the social media networks. And it offers the best ability to connect with some version of privacy. You do have to pay attention to whether or not a group is set as private or as public in order to feel [00:04:00] safe, posting within them, without your friends and friends of friends, seeing it on their newsfeeds. But I've seen women get truly valuable advice and support on their marriages, on their families. And on their journey with God within the privacy of a group. Where people are genuinely committed to their success. And sending genuine prayers up for them and their families. You also have the option to post anonymously in groups on facebook if the request or the need is just so sensitive that you're not comfortable attaching your name to it
You can build true friendships within these groups. And as long as you have an active moderator that removes hateful people and spammers. It remains a really positive and safe space that you just can't find elsewhere on social media, because they're open to everyone. And we've all seen how that goes sometimes. You can share the joys of your days, the frustrations of a challenging day. Advice that you realize that's been truly helpful for you [00:05:00] or questions that you may want other perspectives on.
You can share your vulnerabilities and be a part of a true virtual village. I don't want to recommend any specific groups only because what is the best fit for me may not be the best fit for you. And what's the best fit for one of you. May not be the best fit for another one of you. I will recommend our Facebook group, the Christian parenting community, which I'll link in the description.
And I would love to see you join us there. It's still a fairly small group right now with almost 200 members. So it's a great place to make genuine connections and be a supportive member of a growing community. You can also search any type of keywords under groups and find a few different ones to try out and find a great fit for you. You can go to the comments on our YouTube and suggest groups that have been really great in your experience if you'd like, because that would be really helpful to others who may be searching for the best fit for themselves. Next of course we have social media platforms in general. Some tick-tock [00:06:00] communities of like-minded moms are thriving and they give you a really great place to connect in the comments and follow one another to stay more connected. Instagram can be really good for this as well. I'm not Twitter's biggest fan. But I actually really have been liking threads and I've only seen a lot of support and love there.
I'm sure there's just as much negativity as there is on other platforms, but if you're careful to only engage with the type of content you want to see. The algorithm really delivers. I highly urge you not to comment on things you're disagreeing with or disputing. Because not only does it just put us in a negative head space. But it also will recognize that you engaged with this type of post and keep showing you more of them. The algorithms are extremely smart. So you're going to want to see, you're going to see more of what you want to see as long as you only engage with those things and quickly scroll past the rest. Next we have virtual [00:07:00] Bible studies and prayer groups. These would be probably the greatest way to grow in your faith and connect with people who are looking to do the same thing in the same spaces. They allow you to remove geographical constraints and connect with people from all over. Where you can learn more about scripture, build relationships, spend time in prayer. And build upon your beliefs. Connection and community are important in general, but I personally prefer doing so in ways that connect me with like-minded people as a sort of protection for my Headspace and my peace. There are also podcasts like this one, where you get a chance to go deeper and fuel your state of mind with more than 15 second reels or take talks. These are great for gaining insight. On the challenges and victories of the journey.
It's also a great reminder that you're not alone in your pursuit and fill yourself with the encouragement to press forward. Bonus points because you can turn these on in the car or while you're cleaning the [00:08:00] house while you're getting ready for work, super convenient to fit into our lives. And now that we've talked about online communities, I feel like I have to just take a second to mention online safety while these communities offer unparalleled support, they also open us up to certain risks. You may be interacting with hundreds of absolutely amazing loving, kind, genuine and safe individuals. But that doesn't mean that there aren't bad seeds mixed in waiting for an opportunity to learn too much about you or too much about your children and do whatever people with bad intentions do. It's not worth the risk. So while you're building these relationships and connections, be very mindful of whether or not you allow strangers to follow your personal pages.
If you post personal details, like where you work, where your kids go to school, what park you're at, or your favorite restaurant in town? It's always important to exercise a safe [00:09:00] level of caution and boundaries. I want you all to feel secure sharing and connecting, but just remember to be safe because we don't live in a perfect world. And last, I want to share a few scriptures about the importance of community before we close.
And some of my favorites for that. Our Hebrews 10 verses 24 to 25. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Not giving up, meeting together as summer in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day approaching. Ecclesiastes four versus nine to 10. Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up, but pity, anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Galatians six verses one to two. Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the spirit [00:10:00] should restore that person gently, but watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens.
And in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. These verses represent the importance of sharing and both the good and the bad with others. Being careful to surround ourselves with others who will not lead us into sin, but be there to support them through their burdens and provide support. Pick them up when they fall and having others who are there for us in the same ways, when you felt the absence of a supportive village, you know how important this is?
Everyone says it takes a village, but not how to find and connect with a village. If you don't have one. Or the importance of reaching out and being that village to someone else, even if you already have one for yourself. Embrace the connection and community for how valuable it truly is and you'll quickly see how big of a difference it makes
