When Women Pray & When Women Stay: Why Ministry to Women Still Matters

Coffee Table Chats with Cathy Blalock & Donna Platt

It’s hard to capture the legacy of women like Cathy and Donna in a few short videos—but when they speak, you hear decades of faithfulness, friendship, and fire for God’s Word woven into every word.

In this special edition of Coffee Table Chats, these two long-faithful leaders share why women’s ministry isn’t just a nice addition to church life—it’s essential. Through tears, laughter, and powerful stories, they reflect on two foundations of ministry that last: presence and prayer.

🎥 Episode 3: “Is Women’s Ministry Vital?”

This conversation begins with a bold truth: women’s ministry is not optional—it’s vital. While the Church may sometimes overlook women, Scripture—and Jesus Himself—tell a different story.

One of the most moving moments comes when Cathy shares how she came to faith. As a teenager, she was ready to walk away from the church. What brought her back? Jesus' deep, personal love for women. Not performance. Not perfection. Just presence.

“Come as you are. Even if you don’t have a Bible. Even if you don’t know where to find Jesus. Come—and He’ll meet you there.”

She recalled the women of the Bible—Mary Magdalene, the woman with the issue of blood, the Samaritan woman at the well—and how Jesus honored, healed, and empowered each one. That same invitation is open to us today.

“Women are a crucial part of the Church. A crucial part of the whole story—Old Testament to Revelation.”

The conversation reminds us: Jesus didn’t just include women—He entrusted them with His message. And He still does.

🎥 Episode 2: “Prayer Is the Foundation”

In this quieter but equally powerful conversation, Cathy and Donna reflect on how every Bible study, every talk, and every act of ministry must begin in prayer. Otherwise, it’s just information.

“When the Spirit speaks, it opens up God’s Word.”

“Unless you pray about it, it doesn’t come. But it does come after you pray.”

They talk about the discipline of removing ego, laying down insecurity or pride, and listening for the Lord’s voice.

“It’s not your message—it’s His.”

“I always pray that God will take the ‘I’ out … because it’s all about Him.”

Their words remind us that faithful ministry isn’t flashy. It’s rooted, surrendered, and Spirit-led. And over time, that kind of quiet consistency changes lives.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever wondered whether your faithfulness matters, or if your voice has a place in God’s work—these Coffee Table Chats are for you.

Women’s ministry isn’t about programs. It’s about presence. It’s about showing up, opening the Word, praying first, and trusting God to do the rest. And through women like Cathy and Donna, we’re reminded that Jesus sees, values, and empowers women to take part in His story.

This October, we’ll gather for the CBA Women’s Conference, where conversations like this come to life. We’ll worship, pray, laugh, and be reminded that God still meets us where we are—and still sends us out with purpose.

💗 Learn more + register today at www.cbawomen.org/conference