Trends and Future of Women’s Ministry Part 3

This is the third post in a series (read part 1 and part 2) from an on line interview with Judy Patterson at WomensMinistry.Net, which is Jennifer Rothschild’s leadership web site. It is a fabulous resource for women’s ministry leaders.

I will continue writing posts in this series (taken from my interview with Judy) that I hope will be helpful to you as women’s leaders.

Renewing your Focus for Women’s Ministry

In the midst of change and challenge, we must keep our focus on Christ and our purpose for ministering to and with women. Can you write out your women’s ministry purpose statement? Does it support and fall directly in line with your church purpose statement? If not, meet with your team to discuss this.

Other things to think about as you consider the focus:

It’s all about relationships when you’re ministering to all kinds of women in different life stages. Who are you missing? Where will you go to reach her? Here are some questions to think through.
Make sure you are challenging women to go deeper than just pat answers from the Bible. Deal with tough issues. You don’t have to know all the answers, but be willing to help women find those answers together.
Include hands on application that makes a difference in their lives, the lives of those around them, and their world. Women are hungry for purposeful ministry events.
Share life stories to show what Christ, the Bible, and the church mean to you. Women want to see how actions and convictions intersect in real life.
Be aware of the Four Essential Elements of Young Adult Ministry (though all four of these will relate to women of all ages)… community, connection, depth, and responsibility. You can read more on those here.
Events must have purpose, depth, and community. Not just fun and fluff.
Be sure you are encouraging women to authentically share their own life experiences as you model doing the same thing.