Guidelines for Starting a Women's Ministry
A women's ministry is fairly simple to start. Your church will need a women's ministry director to organize activities and events. This position is typically a volunteer position and can be held by more than one person. Once the director is chosen, there are some specific steps to start the ministry.
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Set Up a Schedule
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The new women's ministry director should work closely with church leaders to plan a schedule for the women. First, plan a regular time for the women to meet. Some churches women's groups meet once a week and others less often. Next, add special events, such as women's conferences, retreats, special outings and mission and outreach work. The schedule should be planned at least three months out, but ideally for the year. If the women in the church know when events are coming up, they can plan accordingly.
Gather Your Lists
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You will need a list of the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mails of the women who are members of your church. This will give you several ways to stay in touch with the women in your group. Collect contact information from any regular visitors. These are people who attend church services but may not have joined the church yet.
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Initial Contact
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Write a letter introducing yourself to the women of the church, even if most of them already know you, and include a copy of the calendar you created for the coming months. Include information for the women to contact you -- your address, e-mail and telephone number.
First Meeting
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Utilize your first meeting to get additional ideas from the women about their needs. How can your women's ministry best serve them? Do they need hard-hitting Bible studies? Would they rather have a series of informal fellowship meetings? Do they want to have dinner at the meetings and have everyone bring a dish to share? Perhaps they would rather pitch in a few dollars each and order pizza. This is also a good time to remind them of your next big event or outing and get volunteers to help with planning.
The Ministry of the Women's Ministry
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Most women's ministries serve others. Decide how your women's group will reach out to the local community. There are many different things your group of women might try, such as gathering and distributing food to needy families, sewing blankets for low-income babies, collecting toys for Christmas, going on mission trips, or serving at a homeless shelter.
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References
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