Essential Guide To Defining Your Vision For Women’s Ministry

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Ministry to women in our churches can contribute to the Congregation’s spiritual well-being. In many of our congregations, women comprise over 50% of the membership (Statista.com). Therefore, ministering to and with other women is vital. How do we, as leaders, ensure that we are:

1. Following Biblical mandates
2. Serving the women of our Congregation effectively
3. Reaching the women of our community with the Gospel and love of Jesus? 

Defining your vision for women’s ministry that aligns with the mission and vision of your congregation is a fundamental aspect of beginning or even restarting the ministry for women in your fellowship.

What Does It Mean To Have A Vision For Women’s Ministry?

Most churches (and secular organizations) have written mission statements. Once the leadership identifies the Church’s mission, a vision statement assists the leadership, membership, and outsiders in understanding how the mission will be accomplished. Often, the terms mission statement and vision statement are used interchangeably. However, there are key differences between the two. Having an understanding of those differences is beneficial to leaders of all experience levels. 

Mission Statements

A mission statement succinctly declares why the church/congregation/fellowship exists. In two or three sentences, we declare our purpose to the world and why we seek to fulfill that purpose. Our mission statement is our foundation. I found a few examples of mission statements online by searching for “Church mission statements.” 

• “At First Baptist of Covington, our mission is to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ” (FBC Covington Georgia)
• “Making God’s presence real by sharing Christ’s Life-changing love (Trinity Episcopal Church)”
• “To glorify God by growing in Jesus, serving Jesus, and sharing Jesus with the world, through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Crestview Church of Christ)”

I purposefully chose websites of churches I am not affiliated with to use as illustrations. These are three examples to help build your understanding of how a mission statement shares the purposes of your Church with members and others.

Vision Statements

A vision statement shares the Congregation’s goals and demonstrates how we will accomplish our mission. A shared vision guides our work as the Body of Christ to carry out His purpose in gathering us as a congregation with specific talents and gifts to minister to a defined mission field.

• “As we carry out our mission, we seek to be a church that is rooted, reaching, and replicating” (FBC Covington, GA)
• “Broad outreach is grounded in and responsive to our midtown neighborhood, building on current Homeless (Lord of the Streets, LOTS) and Young Urban Adult (Houston Community College) ministries, where Christ is brought to a hurting world.” (Trinity Episcopal Church)
• “Our mission reveals the transcendent importance of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. God, the Father, is to be continually praised and relied upon for the strength to live lives of growth and service (I Peter 4:11). God, the Son, is both our example and inspiration as we live servant lives compelled by his love (Philippians 2:5-8; II Corinthians 5:14)…”(Crestview Church of Christ)

Defining a vision that aligns with the Church’s mission and vision serves as both a guardrail and a launching pad for all ministry to women in your church and community. We can serve women in many ways, most of which are beneficial and good. However, by establishing a vision for the women’s ministry, we can be laser-focused on choosing the best opportunities that also help accomplish the mission of the entire Congregation. 

10 Essential Elements Of Defining Your Vision For Ministry To Women 

Ministry to women in our congregation helps meet many perceived needs of the women we serve. A healthy and thriving ministry to women provides scaffolding for building relationships. Women can gain theological and Biblical knowledge, ask questions in a setting of trust, learn to use their gifts and talents to serve the Lord, be discipled, and effectively share the Gospel with others within the framework of Women’s Ministry.

However, a healthy Women’s Ministry does not exist within a silo. We are a part of the Body of Christ and must function as such. Although 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 refers to individuals functioning as part of the corporate Body, the principle applies to various ministries functioning together as a congregation as well.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.

But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 NIV

Please pause and read 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 in your preferred Bible translation now, and ask God to prepare your heart so you can hear all He has for you in our discussion of the 10 essential elements of defining your vision for women’s ministry within the framework of your congregation.

1. Seek God

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 33:11 NIV

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 32:8 NIV

The first step in defining the vision for women’s ministry in your church must be to seek the LORD. If your church has had a women’s ministry for years and you need a reset, or if this is the first formal ministry to women your church has offered, seek the LORD. Set aside a time that you dedicate to the LORD, whether it is next Saturday or perhaps you choose a longer time frame. In the time you have devoted to seeking His will for the women’s ministry, I encourage you to pray, meditate on Scripture, and perhaps even fast. When we seek His will, He is faithful to answer.

2. Seek To Align With The Church’s Mission And Vision Statements

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Paul specifically spoke about how individuals use their spiritual gifts and talents to glorify God. Yet, we can also see the application to all of the ministries of the church acting in concert to fulfill their mission in a specific mission field. The phrase “but in all of them and in everyone, it is the same God at work” alludes to our responsibility to work together for His glory.

3. Seek Input From Church Leadership

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

Hebrews 13:11 NIV

Our church leadership has a Biblical mandate to shepherd the flock they oversee wisely. Meet with your leadership (pastors, deacons, elders, advisory boards) in whatever form your church has designated. As leaders, they can offer insight into the church’s mission and vision and be a resource to you. They may also help guide you in practical matters associated with a ministry opportunity. For example, if you were considering meeting once a month in the city park, they could be a resource for whom to call and check if a permit is needed or if there are rules about setting up a tent. I encourage you to seek out the combined wisdom of your church leadership.

4. Seek Input From Other Ministries Within The Church

Those who lead other ministries within the church may be a gold mine of great ideas! I know it may feel counter-intuitive, but meet with leadership from the youth and children ministry, the missions committee, and the hospitality committee – anyone who interacts with women in your church and community. Ask if they have noticed any overlap between their area and ministry to women. Seek to understand how the vision for ministry to women in your congregation can embrace the needs or areas of opportunity they mention. Remember, women’s ministry does not exist in a silo but touches many areas of our church.

5. Seek Out Others To Help Brainstorm

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

Psalm 11:14 NIV

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Proverbs 15:22 NIV

Consider gathering a group of women from all the different age groups and life stages to help you think about what an effective ministry to women’s ministry looks like for your Congregation. Be sure to include those who are in leadership and those who are not. Here is a link to a podcast that will be an excellent resource for Planning Parties.

6. Seek Clarity Through Evaluating The Past

If your church has an active ministry to women, look at what worked before! There may be clues to the needs of your community and how to minister to women hidden within successful programs from the past. Don’t be afraid to embrace those clues and incorporate them into the vision for your women’s ministry. By the same token, don’t continue an activity or outreach “just because we did before.” The needs of the women of your Church and community may have changed. There is a place for traditions, but seek to clarify if the tradition works well with the current reality. Craft a vision for ministry that considers the needs and preferences of the women you desire to serve.

7. Seek To Be Concise

When you clearly articulate the vision for the women’s ministry, others are able and willing to help support that vision. Work to be able to summarize the vision in two sentences or less. A vision that can be shared in written format and verbally during announcements before the service allows you to share the vision with the church body frequently. Also, a brief statement aligning with the church’s mission and ministry vision will garner support from the congregation.

8. Seek Ways To Communicate The Vision

Do you have a flyer for the women’s ministry? Include your vision statement. Does your church have a website? Share the vision for the women’s ministry prominently. I know of one women’s ministry leader who has the vision statement printed on her calling cards (business cards), and she hands them out when she invites women to events. Ask to include the vision for the women’s ministry on any printed material for your church. Become an expert at finding ways to share the vision for women’s ministry!

9. Seek To Evaluate Ministry Opportunity Through The Lens Of Your Vision 

Once you have defined the vision for women’s ministry, you have an effective tool to evaluate how you minister to women. Are you considering hosting a tea party? Review with the leadership team how the tea party might align with the vision for women’s ministry. Do you have the opportunity to partner with a community group? Great! Consider how the opportunity helps you meet the vision. Defining the vision for women’s ministry allows you to distinguish between “good” opportunities and those that will support the mission and vision of the church. The distinction allows a concentration on ministry opportunities that produce fruit and bring glory to God in the mission field He gave your church.

10. Seek To Live Out The Vision

A concise and clearly articulated vision is the first step to building an effective ministry to women for your church. Now, confidently pursue ministry opportunities that meet the perceived needs and shared desires of the women you hope to reach. Choose Bible studies, events, and ministry opportunities that align with the vision. From this powerful platform, you can concentrate on fulfilling the Great Commission in your community.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

Challenges To Expect When You Start

I hope you are encouraged. Defining and crafting a vision for women’s ministry can feel challenging, especially if your Church doesn’t currently have a ministry to women. But remember that in most Congregations worldwide, 54% and 64% of all members are women. Know that ministering to women can affect families and communities; it is worth the effort to work to define the vision of how the Church can reach and effectively minister to women.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, start with prayer! Then, use the resources God has provided- church leadership, other women, and those who serve on different committees. Align with the mission and vision of the Church and resist the urge to act as a “Lone Ranger.” The goal is for all ministries to have a vision that supports the mission of the Church.

Take Some Time To Reflect

As you have read this article, what ideas resonated with you? Did you identify elements missing in your Church’s vision for women’s ministry? Perhaps, you felt a conviction that the current vision for women’s ministry leads you to serve in a silo, separate from all the other ministries of your Church. Be encouraged! Identifying these areas invites you to draw close to God and hear all He has for you. I pray you will be open to the exciting ways God wants to enlarge and clarify your vision for women’s ministry.

Serving alongside you!

Read More:

5 Tips For Effectively Equipping Women’s Ministry Leaders

7 Effective Ways To Start Building A Women’s Ministry Team

9 Meaningful Tips To Strengthen Your Women’s Ministry