What Is Biblical Womanhood? A Review of A Place for You by Kendra Dahl
- Amber Thiessen
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
As a woman who loves the Lord and genuinely delights in serving His people, I often find myself longing for clarity about how my gifts fit within the life of the church. A Place For You: Reframing Christian Womanhood by Kendra Dahl was a welcome encouragement. Her thoughtful, biblically grounded reflections helped me see my place—and the places of the women around me—with fresh gratitude and courage.
So, let's dig into the details!
What Is Biblical Womanhood? A Review of A Place for You by Kendra Dahl
Content
Content
Purpose of the Book
From the Publisher: A Place for You shares a biblical framework for women's value, purpose, and belonging. Kendra invites women to embrace their dignity and delight that God made them female, persevering in the way of Christ with courage and conviction.
Table of Contents
Part 1: Conviction
Chapter 1: Beckoned | On Knowing Your God and Your Own Mind
Chapter 2: Wanted | On Recognizing Your Value
Chapter 3: Storied | On Being Defined by Mercy
Chapter 4: Commissioned | On Doing Work That Matters
Part 2: Courage
Chapter 5: Vulnerable | On Being the Weaker Vessel
Chapter 6: Quiet | On Finding Your Voice
Chapter 7: Limited | On the Dignity of Being Human (and the Joy of Forming a Village)
Chapter 8: Secondary | On Having a Place
Closing Thoughts | A Letter for My Daughters
Summary
Kendra Dahl opens A Place for You with two aims: to help women form conviction and to instill courage. She wants readers to know God—and to think clearly and confidently as Christian women.
Part One lays the theological groundwork for our value, identity, and purpose. Dahl reminds us that a woman’s worth is not contingent on usefulness, cultural expectations, or performance. It is rooted in creation and redemption: we bear God’s image, and we belong to Christ. That unshakable reality steadies us when we feel overlooked, unnecessary, or “less than.”
She then walks through creation and the fall, reframing conversations around headship, helping, and fruitfulness. Dahl highlights that male headship is about representation and responsibility, not superiority, and that it anticipates redemption rather than diminishing women. She also broadens our vision of fruitfulness and work. God blesses His image-bearers before giving them tasks to do; who we are comes before what we do. Vocation flows from giftedness and God’s mission, not from narrow, gendered scripts. Any calling—paid or unpaid, inside or outside the home—can be faithful and dignified when it’s received as participation in God’s work in the world.
Part Two turns toward courage. Dahl names the tension many women live with: feeling vulnerable, stretched thin, and unsure of where they fit. She speaks to the ache of feeling both “too much” and “not enough,” the pressure to do it all, and the temptation to view womanhood as a liability.
Against both cultural and church narratives that either demand invincibility or diminish women’s agency, Dahl offers the paradox of the Christian life: strength through weakness, glory through suffering. She reframes phrases like “weaker vessel” and “quietness,” not as calls to disappear but as invitations to steward our voices and presence within the body of Christ. She is candid about the misuse of complementarian frameworks and advocates for a vision that holds to male eldership while welcoming women’s theological gifts, leadership in appropriate contexts, and meaningful service.
Finally, she reminds us human limits—emotional, physical, seasonal—are not flaws but God-given boundaries. Receiving these limits with trust frees women from burdened striving and opens space for joy. In community, within the “village” God provides, women live out their callings as integral, indispensable members of Christ’s body.
My Take
I know what it feels like to love the church and still wonder where you fit.
For years, ministry felt like home to me—from serving in youth group and VBS, to Bible camp leadership, to stepping into cross-cultural church planting. Overseas, I served shoulder to shoulder with our team, learning, sharing the gospel, and offering whatever gifts I had. I never questioned whether I had a place.
But coming back to Canada was disorienting. Suddenly, the gifts and experiences that once felt welcomed now felt uncertain. I heard more than once, “that’s not how we do things,” and I found myself shrinking back, unsure of how to show up in a church I genuinely loved. It’s a strange thing to serve with joy for years and then feel like your presence is more confusing than helpful.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the call isn’t to force our way into certain roles but to serve faithfully coram Deo—before the face of God—right where we are. Some seasons feel hidden or slow, but they are not wasted. When we persevere in the quiet work of loving our churches, showing up for people, and stewarding what’s in our hands today, the Lord has a way of opening doors we never could have manufactured. In my own life, opportunities I never imagined emerged simply because one mission leader took the time to affirm the gifts he saw in me. His encouragement was humbling, and it reminded me that God often works through the faithful presence of others to help us step into the work He’s prepared for us. Serving in His presence is never small, and He delights in using it in ways we can’t predict.
That’s why Kendra’s emphasis on courage resonated with me. The courage to keep showing up. The courage to serve with the gifts God has placed in your hands, even when you’re not sure how they’ll be received. The courage to believe that weakness, limits, and small acts of faithfulness are not liabilities but places where Christ meets us.
Her words reminded me that belonging isn’t something we earn by proving ourselves useful. It’s something God has already given. And because God has given it, we can take heart. We can serve in quiet, ordinary ways. We can speak when speaking is needed. We can rest when limits press in. And we can trust that Christ is building His church, even when our path feels foggy.
Maybe you’re unsure of where you fit right now. Maybe you’re tired of navigating expectations or trying to figure out which spaces welcome your gifts. If so, her book is a gentle encouragement: take courage. Your place is secure in Christ, and your faithful presence matters more than you know.
My Recommendation
If you’re confused about your place in the church as a woman, pick this up!
If you’ve felt unseen or struggle with belonging in light of your gifts, you’ll find biblical foundations and encouragement here!
If you want a theologically rich, accessible framework for womanhood that avoids extremes and anchors you in Scripture, this is a solid, thoughtful guide.
Quick Stats
# of Pages: 224
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars
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Scriptures About Courage & Faithful Ministry
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).
I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken (Psalm 16:8).
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23–24).
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–2).
Want More Books?
*A big thanks to Moody Publishers for the comlimentary ebook and the opportunity to post an honest review!
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