The Story of Women of the Bible, Alive!

By Gloria Rink, founder and director

It is difficult for me to believe that I have 36 years experience in religious education. Time goes by so fast. Having taught in both Protestant and Catholic religious education programs, and been a Director of Religious Education for a church in Baltimore, MD, I discovered the power of a story to teach about the love and faithfulness of God in our lives.

In 1998 I began to explore and research the stories of some of the women of the Old and New Testaments. I noticed there were few facts in these stories and very little of the emotions these women had surely felt. I began to craft several stories, to put myself in the place of these women, and ask questions of them. What were they feeling? What made them angry or desperate or lonely? As I wrote, the stories began to unfold. I wanted so much to stay true to the Biblical facts that were there and at the same time to bring each woman alive. After 9 months of critique and many revisions, 8 stories were pronounced complete.

I then invited women I knew and some who were referred to me to join together to form a traveling troupe of storytellers. The women of Women of the Bible, Alive are what make our presentations unique. Each woman, dressed in period costume, brings her own personality to the story she tells. Telling her story like a personal witness, each woman brings her own individual touch. Women of the Bible, Alive has become a ministry to each of our 15 storytellers.

At each presentation, our audience is provided with a program telling of the location in the Bible of each of the stories told. The audience members are encouraged to read the stories in the Bible for themselves. It is our hope that each person who hears our stories will begin to think about their own story of God's glory in their life. We all have a story.

Women of the Bible, Alive now has 18 stories of both Old and New Testament women. We tell 6 stories at an hour presentation. Now in our eleventh season, we have given 336 presentations for both Protestant and Catholic audiences. Our troupe is based in Baltimore, Maryland. We have been given the opportunity to travel to 7 states telling our stories. We look forward to adding to our number of states in the future.

Women of the Bible, Alive is a not for profit organization. At each presentation, we ask for a free will offering or a suggested stipend of between $125.00 - $325.00 to cover our yearly expenses.  

Any profit at the end of each year is donated to charity. In the past 10 years Women of the Bible, Alive has donated over $35,400.00 to charities helping women and children.

God's love for His women yesterday as well as today has not changed. The stories we tell are just as relevant to our lives today as they were 2,000 or 5,000 years ago.

We of Women of the Bible, Alive are always delighted by the many ways God shows His presents and care of this ministry.