You don’t have to be a trained Women’s Ministry leader. You don’t have to be a certain age or have a certain amount of experience. And if, perhaps, you’re a little nervous about public speaking, no worries there either.
Precious sister, if God has given you a heart to reach the women in your church and community, you can do it.
How do I know? Two reasons:
- Because of God’s promise: “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it (1 Thess. 5:24 KJV).” Those God calls He also equips.
- Because for the past 25+ years, I have spoken at hundreds of effective women’s ministry events led by women young and old, experienced and inexperienced, intro and extroverted, and these women had only one thing in common: a God-given heart to reach women for Christ.
Are you a woman like that? If so, then please let me share:
5 Ways God Can Use YOU to Reach Women for Christ
1) Organize a Women’s Retreat. The best ones are simple, relaxed, and allow women time alone with God, time in God’s Word, and provide some much-needed fun and fellowship with other women. Oh, and good food is always a plus, too.
Just a couple of weekends ago, I spoke at a women’s retreat for Grace Community Church in Visalia, California. Led and organized by Christine DeHaan, it had all of the elements of an ahhh-just-right retreat.
The women had plenty of time to laugh, share, and get to know each other.
And lots of fun activities to help them bond together in groups.
That’s Christine in the striped shirt. A fantastic group of women served and led the retreat with her, which reminds me of another reason why you really can reach women: godly, gifted, like-hearted women will come alongside and help you.
2) Plan an Annual Women’s Banquet or Brunch. This is hands-down one of the most effective ways to reach women outside your church. Women who would never attend a Bible study or retreat will attend a banquet or brunch.
Usually held in the spring around Mother’s Day or in the fall around Thanksgiving and Christmas, these two-hour events include a delicious meal, friendly table hostesses, inspirational music, and a message (that should always include the gospel). Door prizes, fashion shows, and photo booths are fun additions, too.
Mims Baptist Church in Conroe, Texas hosts an annual Ladies Spring Banquet. I was privileged to be their speaker recently, and not only did I meet some wonderful new women . . .
. . . I also enjoyed a sweet reunion with Alice Petty a faithful, former member of my church who moved to Conroe many years ago.
Led by Kim Pate (pictured at right — and that’s her sweet daughter standing next to her) . . .
. . .and a host of women who decorated the tables and served as hostesses, the men of Mims Baptist also did their part by graciously serving the meal to each table.
Reach the women in your church and — more importantly — outside your church for Christ. Plan an annual banquet or brunch.
3) Plan a Saturday Morning Mini-Conference. Busy and broke. Two reasons why many women cannot attend a two or three-day retreat. Enter the mini-conference!
In three short hours – from 9-noon – you can organize a women’s ministry outreach that includes two sessions with music, practical, Bible-based teaching, and a coffee/light snack break.
That’s exactly the kind of outreach First Baptist Church of Jacksboro, Texas recently hosted.
And they went all out by providing a beautiful luncheon at the conclusion of the mini-conference for those who could stay.
Even if you’re a busy woman with six kids like Linda Bennett (pictured above), God can use you to reach and minister to other busy women at a mini-conference.
4) Organize a Girls Lock-in. What girl doesn’t love a slumber party?! It’s The Perfect Outreach for teens and tweens!
And as you can see, if you plan a lock-in, they will come! So be prepared. Enlist moms, women, and college-age girls to pitch in and help throughout the evening. Plan and prepare some fun activities (mani/pedi and craft stations, games, karaoke, movie, etc.), and provide plenty of food and snacks. But most importantly, be sure to Titus 2 – reach and teach those girls God’s Word.
Last Friday night, I had a blast with the 6-12th grade girls at Lutheran South Christian Academy in Houston at their lock-in.
And just look at ‘em. These girls are so loving the lock-in!
Florencia Straub (pictured left) helped organize the lock-in and invited me to come speak. And since many of the Lutheran South girls are about to begin my Beauty by The Book for Teens Bible study in their Bible classes, I was overjoyed to meet them.
Teenagers. Do not be afraid of them. Let God use you reach them with His love at a lock-in!
5) Plan a Mother-Daughter Event. But don’t just invite mothers and daughters, be sure to include grandmothers, aunts, nieces, etc., too. More than just a female-bonding experience, mother-daughter events bring generations of women together to celebrate and strengthen relationships. It’s a beautiful thing!
And as a matter of fact, I just spoke at a great Mother-Daughter Luncheon at Arcadia First Baptist Church in Santa Fe, Texas, my hometown. And look who I met . . .
. . . a little princess!
And a couple of senior princesses, too! Tiaras were optional, but since the theme was “I am a Princess: My Father is the King of Kings,” there were lots of blingy tiaras.
But the thing I most enjoy seeing at events like these is this:
Moms, daughters, and women of all ages and generations gathering together for some rare and priceless time together.
Peggy Anderson (pictured left) and her team planned and led the event that reached over 200 women in our small community. What sweet fellowship we enjoyed and what wonderful memories we all made together that day!
Mother-Daughter events (or Mothers & Others as some churches call them) are a beautiful way for you to reach women from every generation.
25+ years ago, I never dreamed that God would call me to women’s ministry. I was 28 (far too young I thought), untrained (there was no Women’s Ministry training back them), and I was (and still am) an introvert. But God gave me a heart to reach women. And He has patiently, faithfully equipped and trained me through the years.
Precious sister, what about you? Has God has given you a heart to reach women? If so, then I exhort you to give up your excuses and give in to Him. God can use you in spite you.
And I know that firsthand.
Your sister,
How are you and your church reaching women for Christ? Share what’s worked for you!
P. S. Need a speaker for your women’s ministry event? I’d sure love to come! Click here for more info.
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School’s out and the kids are home for the summer, so I’m re-running a very popular post from last summer’s Ask Laurie series. Discover the #1 thing I learned as the mother of three sons, and the #1 thing I wish I’d done differently. And trust me, this will apply to you girl mamas and grandmamas, too. So c’mon! Join me on the porch for Front Porch Friday: The Boy Mama, Girl Mama, Grandmama, kids-are-home-for-the-ENTIRE-summer edition!
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Emily Ryan
Jan Hart
Laurie Cole
Priority Ministries
