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From craft nights to tea parties, and social events to Bible studies, many women’s ministries are busy filling calendars and wondering why they are seeing very little transformation. If your heart is crying out, “Enough already!”, take a step back with me to envision a new women’s ministry culture. Keep reading to learn:
- Why planning your calendar full of events might not be the best use of resources.
- How we can model a bit more after Jesus Christ by changing our focus from the group to the individual.
- Why our hyper-focus on the roles of the wife and mother might be limiting our impact.
Keys To Changing Your Women’s Ministry Culture
Whether you’re one of the younger women in your church and you’re 55 years old, or you are raring to make a difference and you’re not sure how to become a significant part of a women’s ministry team that is already organized with a full calendar, I want to offer you some opportunities for transformation instead of entertainment. We have the chance to use our finite time, energy, and resources to change the planet instead of filling a calendar.
There are needs out there that we could be meeting. There are young women and older women alike who are dealing with broken hearts and are void of support or healthy relationships in their lives. There are women who are lonely or busy and feel so much pressure to succeed. I’m not talking about the one you might label as a misfit, although that’s exactly who Christ Jesus would be drawn to, I’m talking about all women.
The current women’s ministry culture has lost its focus a little bit. I think we need to return to the core of the ministry that transforms, meets needs, and grows us into who God created us to be. Here are some thoughts on how to get back to the core of women’s ministry.
Offering Entertainment Is Not A Good Use Of Our Time
I’m not saying that there’s no place for craft nights and tea parties. I think they can be amazing and have the potential to be beneficial as long as our aim is to build relationships, encourage deeper conversation, and grow in community. They can be really beautiful and fun.
However, if we are going to commit to spending 100+ hours planning, collecting supplies, decorating, and putting on an event, I would want to see an impact, transformation, or life change; otherwise, I don’t really see the point. When you put your women’s ministry program calendar together, is your main goal transformation or to meet the needs of the women around you? God has so much more for us than simply filling a calendar.
Getting Beyond The Fluff
I want to encourage you to move past all of the superficial fluff, and offer a place where women can just exist, and authentically themselves. The desire to have it all together and show up happy all the time is exhausting and very worldly. We should be looking for the best ways to create a safe space, where people can truly come as they are. All it takes is one person who has come to a place of brokenness, and had the courage and perseverance to grow and heal through it all.
Too many churches are filled with so much hiding and masking. I don’t necessarily think it’s an intentional fakeness at all. I think so many of us have been taught that these very real human experiences are shameful and should be hidden, which has left us with so much bondage and unhealth as a whole church. I encourage you to be as genuine and authentic as you can. Trust me, I know it’s scary, but it is so worth it. Can you imagine offering a space for God’s people to show up as they are? The good, the bad, and the ugly. I encourage you to provide space for real conversation and genuine connection.
Does Your Women’s Ministry Culture Have To Center Around Wives And Mothers?
A lot of women’s ministry feels shadowed by this, and it’s not great. I realize that these are typical women’s roles, but I have two issues with them.
1. It leaves people out.
I have been in countless small ministry groups where women are simply sharing their favorite moments and one person after the other is talking about the birth of a child or their idyllic marriage. As I look around the room, as a woman who knows the stories of others in that circle, I want to point out that we’re being so insensitive. So many women struggle or have struggled with stillbirth, abusive marriages, abortions, singleness, widowhood, and infertility. I’m not saying that married women with children should be minimized or not allowed to share their joy, because they should. I just think that we need to widen the story. Be intentional about leading with sensitivity and inclusiveness.
2. It minimizes all that God has called us to be and who He calls us to serve.
As women, we are first disciples. We are individuals who have been created to influence. The roles of mothers and wives are just that, they are roles. They are not who we are. I understand if, for you, being a mom is the epitome of your dreams, but God calls us to so much more than that. It doesn’t lessen anything, but there is more to it.
As a mom and a wife myself, I know these roles are significant. I’m not minimizing that at all. However, I long for a conversation that is bigger and deeper. I want to connect with others who are moving in different circles. I don’t want another study on being a better wife, I want to be a better friend, a better human, and a better influence on the planet for Jesus.
Ministry To Women
There are too many stereotypes around Women’s Ministry culture. I would much rather talk about Ministry To Women. When I think about ministry to women, it leads me to think about needs and ministering to women. In fact, this new women’s ministry culture doesn’t imply a need for a women’s ministry event or a show. Ministry to women is relational, and it’s what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t throw a single event when He was on this planet. He never even put an event on the calendar. Instead, He brought salvation, hope, and purpose. He showed up with gentleness and compassion. He saw and spoke potential.
As we plan events to bring people together, shift your focus from evaluating how many people came, to who shared a need and how we can walk alongside them. Instead of planning a calendar by scrolling through Pinterest, we could start by praying through our list of women and reaching out in conversation. Now, I’m not saying that we can’t do both. We can totally have a fun women’s ministry culture that’s uplifting and filled with flowers, crafts, and tea! However, please don’t throw one out in place of the other.
Read More:
24 Ideas To Renew Your Women’s Ministry
