Women’s Ministry Q&A
The following question as posed to a panel of women’s ministry leaders. Here’s their response.
Question: In our church we have a number of separate women’s Bible study groups that are almost their own ministry. How can we unite and work together given the fact that we are generationally and culturally different?
Answer: I faced this in one church I attended, and the more I discovered about these groups, the more astonished I was at how they were not supporting the church, gossiped (a lot), and were more about socializing than Bible study. After a lot of prayer, I realized I had to confront the groups. Where they happy? No. But the other women in the church were. I basically re-organized the entire structure. I provided a lot of leadership training opportunities, and then restarted all the groups. It ended up being a blessing, and an eye opener for me!
Consider these four steps as you strive to bring and sustain unity within your women’s ministry.
1. Have required women’s ministry leaders’ meetings.
If the leaders do not attend, then they’re no longer going to get to use church’s resources or be advertised as being part of the women’s ministry.
2. Stress the critical importance of team, and everyone supporting the overall ministry.
3. Be intentional about doing team building exercises when you meet.
4. Share and celebrate together what’s happening in all of your small groups.
If nothing is being transformed, it might make them think about why they are a group. And if transformation is happening, they will be more supportive of each other as they celebrate and pray together about what God is doing.
What would you do if you were facing this situation in your church?
