What the Church Needs to Know About Serving in Hard Places | Lina AbuJamra
What does it really look like to follow Jesus when life brings deep pain, war, and suffering persist, and the church itself causes harm? And how do we continue to serve others in need as we ourselves heal?
In this episode of Hear Women, host Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young welcomes ER doctor, Bible teacher, and humanitarian Lina AbuJamra for an honest, hope-filled conversation about the power of service, leadership, and mercy amid suffering. From her childhood in war-torn Lebanon to her frontline work in emergency rooms and refugee aid, AbuJamra shares how both her family and faith have shaped her life of service and boldness—and why she refuses to shy away from hard places or difficult truths.
Together, Gilmore-Young and AbuJamra dig into the deeper meaning of mercy, challenge common narratives about “successful” Christian living, and address the longstanding wounds many women carry from ministry and church life. Along the way, they offer honest wisdom and encouragement for women who feel sidelined, overlooked, or are still healing from their experiences in the church.
This episode offers a vision of the church where real pain is acknowledged, tangible needs are met, and women experience healing by being seen and valued as whole persons.
This episode highlights the following themes:
✅ The lifelong impact of serving others
✅ Mercy as stepping into another’s pain and spreading hope
✅ What the church needs to change if women are to be seen, heard, and fully empowered
Links from this episode:
✅ Learn more about Lina AbuJamra (www.ivpress.com/lina-abujamra) and Living With Power Ministries (www.livingwithpower.org/)
✅ Check out Lina AbuJamra’s newest book, All Your Life (www.ivpress.com/all-your-life)
✅ Check out Thrive: The Single Life as God Intended (www.amazon.com/Thrive-Single-Life-God-Intended/dp/0802407145/) and the rest of Lina AbuJamra’s books (www.livingwithpower.org/books/)
✅ Check out Awaken Delight (www.ivpress.com/awaken-delight) by Stephanie Rousselle
✅ Read the transcript here (drive.google.com/file/d/1hOxdMZeRz8S272AUM6LLY2srOSiBZ-2n/view)
✅ Learn more about Hear Women (www.ivpress.com/hear-women-podcast)
✅ Learn more about your hosts, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young (www.ivpress.com/dorina-lazo-gilmore-young), Nijay Gupta (www.ivpress.com/nijay-k-gupta), and Tara Beth Leach (www.ivpress.com/tara-beth-leach)
✅ Read Redeemer (www.ivpress.com/redeemer) by Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young
✅ Read Tell Her Story (www.ivpress.com/tell-her-story) by Nijay Gupta
✅ Read Emboldened (www.ivpress.com/emboldened) by Tara Beth Leach
SPECIAL OFFER | Visit ivpress.com (ivpress.com/) and use the code IVPHEAR40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode.
SPONSOR | Hear Women is sponsored by Northern Seminary, where thousands of women have been equipped to serve as pastors, practitioners, church planters, and ministry leaders across the globe. Explore your calling and visit seminary.edu (www.seminary.edu/) to learn more.
Credits:
✅ Producers: Christine Pelliccio Melo, Helen Lee, and Travis Albritton
✅ Research Assistants: Abby Lee and Jazmin Rose
✅ Sound Engineering: Honest Podcasts (honestpodcasts.com/)
✅ Social Media Manager: Makayla Payne
✅ Podcast Art: Kate Lillard
✅ Theme Song: "Organica" by Artax
==== Time Stamps ====
00:00 – Introduction
02:03 – About Lina AbuJamra
05:10 – Leadership as Service and the Gift of Mercy
09:09 – Living With Power
12:59 – What Real Christian Living Looks Like
21:07 – Ministry Wounds, Healing, and Why Pain Comes Back
27:00 – How the Church Misses and Mislabels Women
30:22 – Scarcity vs. Abundance and Celebrating Women’s Voices
36:35 – Final Words of Hope for the Overlooked and Wounded
Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
