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9 Months Of Events Perfect For Community Outreach & Building Friendships
Coming up with new ideas for women’s ministry events can be a challenge! Here are 9 months of event ideas sure to build community and deepen friendships.
These How-To events are great for exploring special interest areas. They are full of learning and fellowship.
The list below was shared by Reno Anderson, pastor’s wife and ministry leader extraordinaire out of Delisle, Saskatchewan, Canada. They are shared by permission from a flyer put out by her women’s ministry team.
Reno is a member of the women’s ministry team at the Delisle Community Chapel. Their women’s ministry team has several leads, all heading up different areas of ministry.
I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with Reno first through the Small Church Ministry website and then more so through our Facebook community: Creative Solutions for Small Churches.
Reno is a spunky world traveler with a motorcycle-riding, pastor husband! Reno is generous with her wisdom and is committed to discipling women through the Huddle Groups she runs at her church.
The “How To” series below is led by another member of the women’s ministry team, Sher Stonehouse. While I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her, her vision and leadership is apparent as you peruse the list below!
I’m looking forward to learning from this women’s ministry team for a lifetime!
What I Love About The Delisle Community Church How-To Events
1. Low-Risk & Low-Cost To Learning New Things
Most women love to learn new things. We are curious and fun creatures! Some watch Cupcake Wars, cooking shows, and DIY galore.
We want to try hobbies we’ve never explored, but several things hold us back from taking the risk:
- Registration costs and high fees of classes
- Fear of failure (and being intimidated by the experts)
- Not knowing who’s going to be there and if we are going to fit in
So, Reno’s 9-month list answers all three concerns.
- Cost is low. Most evenings are only $5 for supplies.
- One night only = low commitment chance to explore something new. There is no expectation of mastery!
- It offers a laid-back girlfriend feel. At a welcoming church. With friendly people. (You can tell by the wording on the flyer, which I included below!)
2. How-To Women’s Ministry Events Are Great For Community Building
It’s so much more natural to talk while we are “doing.” Easy conversation happens when women cook together, craft together, eat together, and learn together.
In addition, shared experiences, like the ones listed here, lead to shared memories and deeper, long-lasting relationships.
If you are looking for events to bring friends to or invite those in the community, there aren’t too many better ideas than the ones you will find below.
This list contains incredible variety. While every event may not appeal to every woman, there is most definitely something for everyone!
At the end of the flyer, after the 9-month How-To series, they mention “Serving Saturdays.” We’ll explore those in more detail in another post.
So, thank you Delisle Community Chapel for sharing your calendar with us!
Looking for a step-by-step to starting or restarting your women’s ministry?
Check out the Women’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
Women’s Ministry How-To Series: A Cooking Class, Self-Defense, Paint Your Core, And More!
September: Around The World Adventure
Is your suitcase always a disaster? Learn how to pack and plan for a trip from people who have traveled to more than 40 countries. Bring a stocking stuffer to pack a box for our missionary in Zambia. Cost: $5 and a stocking stuffer item.
If you read carefully, this is more than a How-To Pack event. With a beautiful link to a global perspective, there’s an opportunity to bless a missionary. And all the while, those of us who are terrible packers, get some help and tips for our next trip.
Whether taking the kids to Disneyland, going to visit the in-laws, or looking forward to your dream trip to Europe, most of us could use some great travel tips!
October: Paint Your Core
Paint a gold mine core – Rachel collects the gold mine cores from Manitoba and will show us how to paint them with our own designs. Cost: $5.
Arts & crafts are always a big hit. I was hooked on this event idea before I ever saw a picture, mostly because I had no idea what a “gold mine core” even is – and it made me want to go even more!
Lesson for the rest of us: Do something different from the norm! Be bold and break out of the one-size-fits-all women’s ministry events. If you run into someone with a peculiar hobby or a unique interest, explore the possibility of making it an event to share!
November: Spa Night
Be pampered by being paired with a friend, and learn how to best take care of yourself. Bring along your favorite lotion, nail polish color, and a towel. Or use our essential oil samples. Cost: $5.
A little self-care ladies? You can’t go wrong!
I love the wording here – “be pampered by being paired with a friend” – which means a fun, casual evening of pampering without the cost of a masseuse, a manicurist, and more.
If you caught the hint above about essential oils, what a great addition to the evening!
Chances are you have someone nearby who has a love for essential oils.
If you do, they are usually thrilled to share their knowledge and experience. Essential oils are incredibly trendy, and yet most women don’t really understand them. Many would love to get some knowledge without the pressure of a purchasing party.
Another great idea!
December: Salad Extravaganza
Tickets $5 each. Dinner at a seniors center with many salads, a speaker, door prizes, and music.
Now you might not have a cool seniors center around, but a Salad Extravaganza? Why not? What a fun option! Throw in some door prizes, music, a fun speaker, and you have a night to remember.
Look for a community group event nearby to piggy-back on, and it’ll save you the extra planning and work!
January: Italian Cooking Night
Learn how to make and eat fresh pesto sauce, pasta, and tiramisu dessert. Cost: $10 including pasta and dessert.
I asked Reno if they paid speakers for these events. She said they have never paid a speaker (yet!). So, as you are making your list of How-To events, just think about the women you know. What are their interests?
Maybe you don’t know anyone who makes tiramisu, but your neighbor cooks a mean stir fry! Enlist her as your cooking instructor.
These types of events do not have to be expensive or led by a professional. Women love to learn from each other, and we all have skills to share.
February: Calligraphy & Card Making
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, make a card with personalized calligraphy using Japanese techniques. Or create a wall hanging with Kanji characters. Cost: $10.
This is for all the arts & crafts ladies … or those who want to be!
A creative twist on card making. Find someone who knows a little calligraphy to share some tips!
I wish I lived in Canada for this one too. I have no idea what Kanji characters are, but just listing them on here with Japanese calligraphy techniques awakens my curiosity and my interest!
A word about art nights: Always approach these evenings as fun and explorative, so no one fears failure. The goal should be happy fellowship and some shared learning, not expert execution!
March: Self-Defense
Want to defend yourself when you are walking to the parking lot at night? Need to feel more confident by yourself? Learn from experts who can show you techniques that work. Cost: $10.
A self-defense class has a broad range of appeal for many age groups.
This workshop as part of a women’s ministry adds great variety. And as an outreach opportunity, it’s priceless. Many women desire self-defense tips, but don’t want to commit to a series of classes or pay the large fees it often costs.
April: Garden Prep
Get your yard and garden ready for planting, and get ideas for designing your yard from a garden architect. Your yard will be an extension of your personality. Cost: $5.
For the green thumbs (as well as the brown thumbs in your group!), let’s launch into spring with an appealing workshop specific to the season.
Considering the season is a great tip for brainstorming ideas for your women’s ministry.
With how busy everyone is these days, why not think about what we are all trying to work on anyway? It’s a way of equipping women for what they are already doing and building new relationships at the same time!
May: Greenhouse Tour And Dinner At Berry Barn
After an afternoon tour of 3 greenhouses, we will gather at Berry Barn restaurant for dinner together. Cost: your dinner and your purchases.
Touring a few greenhouses adds a bit of spunk to a typical “dinner out” event. I can just imagine the ease of conversation as the women sit down at Berry’s Barn.
Instead of the awkward conversation of meeting a few new people and sitting by someone you don’t know well, connection already began while taking the greenhouse tour.
And naturally, our conversations can go from greenhouses to our own gardens, homes, families, and more!
Serving Saturdays: 1st Saturday Of Every Month From 10 am – 3 pm
Meet at Delisle Community Chapel if you are interested in creating (cutting and sewing) reusable pads for international hygiene kits, toques and mitts for inner city and cooking meals for local people in need.
While Serving Saturdays aren’t part of the How-To series, I love that Sher listed this on the flyer. Having a consistent monthly event like this is just another stellar example of offering opportunities to go deeper in relationship and service.
I can’t wait to learn more about the projects that take place on Serving Saturdays. But we will save that for another post!
Do you have some women’s ministry ideas to share? Please leave them in the comments below!
Looking for a step-by-step to starting or restarting your women’s ministry?
Check out the Women’s Ministry Bundle For Small Churches!
To Read More Ideas For Small Churches, Check Out:
Host A Women’s Paint Party At Your Small Church
Wow, there is some really good ideas here. I want to know more about serving saturdays…… Id like to get one started at our church.
Hi Karen! yes, so many fabulous and do-able ideas. Reno Anderson, mentioned in this article, is very active in our facebook group. Are you able to join us there? It’s a great place for more conversation and I know she would love to share more with you! We’ll watch for you! Click here to find us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/CreativeLittleChurch/