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Eight Simple Rules to a Great Women's Ministry

Since many of you have contacted me about "How TO' begin a women ministry at your church here are Eight Simple Rules to help you begin. Step one is...

1. Prayer
At the start of any new project or ministry begin with prayer. God's word says when you seek me with all of your heart you will find me. Ask the Lord to direct you as you begin this ministry, and to direct your steps. Also ask God to show you other ladies who also have a heart for women and would be willing to donate their time and talents to build this ministry. That leads to step number two which is

2. People
When Jesus began his earthly ministry one of the first things he did was to select his team (the disciples). I recommend that you start with four or five women, who are spiritually mature, have varied skills, and a desire to help women grow spiritually. Seek women that are not over committed to other ministries and are willing to focus their energy on this ministry. As with any ministry you must understand your

3. Purpose
Defining your purpose is what your ministry is all about. While the men Jesus chose were all unique and gifted in different areas, they had a common objective -to build the kingdom of God. Therefore it is essential that you and your team define and understand the purpose of your ministry. The best way to do that is to identify the needs of women in your church and then decide how to best meet those needs.

Based on what I have experienced the greatest need for women is to be evangelized and discipled. This can be accomplished by providing out reach opportunities and weekly bible studies just for women. In addition to all the wonderful in-depth studies there is a great need in our church families to address many of the social concerns. Almost every church member I know has either been touched by, divorce, addiction, homosexuality, or abuse. There are wonderful bible studies that are biblically based that address these issues. Some women ministries now provide recovery programs and support groups if they have the dedicated and qualified leaders to facilitate them. (This may not be something you can offer in the beginning but maybe someday.

The second need is that women need other women. God created us to be social and being with Christian women- is biblical. The way to fulfill this purpose is to provide social events where women can be together. Please see below ideas on events. Once you have determined the purpose of your ministry-make

4. Plans
Plan how to minister  and reach women for Christ. Start small! Try not to over plan and make promises that you cannot keep. Often we want to meet every need, and we spread ourselves too thin. To begin select the areas that will get your ministry established. Over time you can build and grow your ministry. To keep everyone on target put your plans on …

5. Paper
In order to stay focused and to accomplish goals put everything on paper. If you are blessed with a detail-oriented person on your team have her keep notes. Perhaps she can design a handbook for the ministry team to keep your leadership advised of policies and information. Realizing how important communication is design a flyer or handouts that has your purpose, mission statement, activities, and programs that your women ministry provides. For just a few dollars you can make beautiful brochures or cards to get the word out about your ministry. Also if your church has a web site be sure an include information about your women's ministry. Now that you have prayed, have your people, know your purpose and have it on paper-it is time to

6. Prepare
I can't over emphasize the importance of being organized and prepared for this unique ministry. Ministering to the women in your church and community is a high calling and big responsibility. To reach out and meet the needs of these women you will need to prepare. There are some wonderful materials available to assist you. Why not invest some time into workshops and reading material that has helped women's ministry across the nation? Chris Adams of Lifeway Christian Resource has several books that are excellent. Lifeway also offers several workshops and seminars on women ministry. Also Jennifer Rothschild at www.womensministry.com has a weekly newsletter that offers tips and ideas.
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7. Present
Your hard work to the people it was designed for-- the ladies of your church and community. I would recommend a kick off event. Perhaps a dinner or dessert event where every one feels comfortable As the leader you will want to present your people (your ministry team) your plans, and your purpose for this ministry. If you are not a speaker have someone on your team share a 10-minute inspirational talk on the importance and strength of women being together. Everything about this event should be exciting and upbeat. Everyone should feel welcomed.

Also provide a handout with all the dates, and locations of upcoming events. Make sure to get every ones name, phone number and email address. Even if you have to offer a door prize to get this information, it's worth it. One more very important issue, it wouldn't be women ministry if you didn't provide a

8. Personal Touch
From the kick off you will have many names, divide them among your team and do follow up calls reminding them of upcoming events. Also this is a great opportunity to invite prayer request. A personal touch can be so meaningful and it will help you to know the women in your church on a more personal level. Keep conversations brief and resist the temptation to gossip.

Finally, remember that prayer is vital to the success of any ministry. Seek God with each detail and you can be confident that he will guide you. I wish you the best. Email me and let me know if the resources help and how you are doing.

Events for Women's Ministry
"A Holiday For Her" Christmas event- different women of the church host a table and decorate it with their own decorations china and place settings. The table hostess also invites guest to sit at her table. This should be a special event, invite a speaker outside of your church who can share her testimony (great for an out reach) Men of the church serve the meal) encourage your women to get dress up in their favorite Christmas attire. Tickets for this event are usually around $10.00. This is an event that must be marketed in advance. However if you have your hostesses in place in plenty of time then they will invite guest.

Girl's Night Out: Invite a humorous speaker to share her testimony and serve dinner-keep the cost affordable. Or this can also be a game night that includes fun games and activities. Decoration should be fun and feminine. Many of the paper and party stores have products that are designed especially for this theme.

Soup for the Soul: Have women bring different kinds of soups, crackers and breads
Select several women in your own church to share their testimonies (5 to 10 minutes
This is also a good event for January and to begin the New Year. You can share the upcoming events and bible studies planned. Also if you desire to do secret sisters this is a good time to begin.

Mugs and Muffins While dinner events and luncheons are wonderful, once a year your ladies might enjoy a Saturday morning brunch. Have ladies bring a coffee mug that they can give away. Serve muffins, and all kinds of sweets. This is an excellent time for you to discuss ministry projects for your ladies to get involved with.

Friendship and Mother Daughter Banquet-to celebrate motherhood and inspire the younger generation, it is good to offer a special event where younger girls can come to a banquet with Christian women. Since so many families are separated by distance, and some women in the church do not have a daughter consider including all women, not just mothers and daughters. (Please see article on how to have a great mother/daughter banquet.

Fall or Spring Retreat: At least once a year plan a weekend or overnight retreat where your women can get away with Christian women and God's word. Also it is good to attend a national women's conference. Beth Moore, Anne Graham Lotz, Precept Ministries, Women of Faith, or Joyce Meyer all have excellent conferences.

Article written by:
Frankie D. Sherman

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