Jennifer Rothschild's
FREE Women's Ministry e-Newsletter
...your source for women's ministry news,
events, resources and people

Issue #26 Wednesday, December 1, 1999
http://www.womensministry.net

ideas@womensministry.net

IN THIS ISSUE
1. From Jennifer Rothschild
2. Winners Announced
3. Call for Input: Top Ten List
4. wmQ & A: Know of Any Resources on the Basic How To’s?
5. wmTip: 7 Steps to Achieve Effective Volunteer Support
6. Upcoming wmEvents: 11 Events in Dec-Jan
7. wmParent Tip: Different Prayers for Different Kids
8. What Works for Us: Kid’s Holiday Craft Night
9. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information
10. Miss an Issue?

1. FROM JENNIFER

Chris Adams, Women’s Ministry Specialist for Lifeway
Christian Resources, and contributing writer for
WomensMinistry.Net recently sent me this thoughtful
piece on the Spiritual Life of a Leader.  The sentiments
reverberate through my soul, and I want to highlight her
piece in my column today.

 

From Chris:
As a women’s ministry leader, we quite often focus more
on the methods and “how to’s” of ministry and forget the
most important aspect of our leadership development: our
own walk with Christ. In our learning process and busy-ness
our primary focus must always be our own spiritual growth.
Why is that so essential? Because how can we expect the
women in our ministry to grow and be spiritually transformed
if we are not also growing? We must model that ongoing
personal walk with Christ in our daily lives. When we do
that the leadership we provide will be out of the overflow
of our relationship with Him rather than what WE have
planned and implemented. We must be accountable for the
same things we desire to see happen in the lives of women
in our church and community. Always let your first leadership
skill development be in the area of growing daily in Christ
through personal time alone with Him in prayer and Bible
study as well as continually practicing His presence each
minute of the day. How else can we know where God is at
work and asking us to join Him in ministry? Remember, it
is not OUR ministry, it is HIS!

Amen. For His Glory,

Jennifer Rothschild, Publisher
http://www.womensministry.net/JR
email: publisher@womensministry.net

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******************AD**********************
Jennifer Rothschild Holiday Christmas Sale.
Visit http://www.womensministry.net/JR
Shop safely, online. Send a gift of music.
Order by Dec 15 for guaranteed delivery.
********************************************

2. WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to Carissa Ulrich of Minnesota and Sherry
Seagraves for being drawn as winners of Jennifer
Rothschild’s In Concert album. Thanks to everyone who
submitted one of the 80 plus Theme Ideas! You can see the
compilation at http://www.womensministry.net/themes.htm

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*************ADD GOOD STUFF**************
If you have a job announcement or ministry opportunity
you want to share with women across the county
register it at http://www.womensministry.net/jobs
********************************************

3. Call for Input: Your Top Ten
Here’s another great opportunity to win a FREE tape from
WomensMinistry.Net. If you’ll send us your input, we might
draw your name for Jennifer Rothschild’s popular seminar on
tape: Come and Worship: A Journey from the Outer Courts to the
Holy of Holies.

Do this: Send us your Top Ten list related to Women’s Ministries.
Almost anyone can write Top Ten list. Here are some ideas:
Top Ten Ways to Publicize your Women’s Ministry Event
Top Ten Ways to Decorate Banquet Tables for WM Events
Top Ten Recommended Bible Studies for Women
Top Ten Lessons about Starting a Local Women’s Ministry
Top Ten Ways to Lead a Small Group Women’s Bible Study
Top Ten Ways to Reach Out to Pre-Christian Women
Top Ten Ways to Manage Family and Ministry
Top Ten Ways to Find More Time in Your Day
Top Ten Topics You’d Like to Learn More About (as it relates to WM)
Top Ten Ways to Avoid Conflict when Working with Your Team
Top Ten Reasons Women’s Ministry Programs Fail

Sample Top Ten List below:

Top Ten Tips for Writing Top Ten Lists

Follow the guidelines below to develop a Top Ten List.
Share what you've learned with other women across the
globe who have an interest in women's ministries.

1. Generate your Top Ten List by brainstorming first.

Take a moment and scratch down in bullet form lessons you’ve
learned, tips you’ve always wanted to share, etc. Don’t think about
the clarifying point until after you’ve jotted your bullet points. Now
expand on each bullet point, collapse some bullet points into others,
organize them 1 being most important and 10 being least important,
then clarify each point with as few words a possible.
Brevity is the soul of wit.

2. Don't use ALL CAPS when writing your Top Ten List.

Writing in ALL CAPS shouts at us. Use ALL CAPS only
occassionally to highlight a word or two.

3. Make a Top Ten List with 5 or more points.

If you can’t think of ten points, consider listing your top five, six, or more.
Number them one through ten - one typically is the most important,
ten is the least important. When points are equally important,
number them any way.

4. Provide a sub-point the clarifies your main point.

Use illustrations or description to clarify your main point. No more
than two or three sentences. Again don’t shout with all caps when
clarifying your point.

5. Avoid quotation marks, bolding and other unique formatting.

When submitting by email, or on the web, the bolding, underlines,
script, and other characters often get stripped away, or show up
as “ugly” code. Make it simple. All caps on occasion, and popular
font styles like Times Roman or Arial.

6. Provide enough information.

For example, if you are going to recommend your top five, or ten,
bible studies for women, provide a brief description of each, and or,
author and publisher. This helps other’s track down the resource.

7. Proof read your Top Ten List for spelling and grammar.

Credibility is enhanced when quality is evident.

8. Submit your Top Ten by email or at our website.

Your top ten list has a better chance of getting published if you
submit it on our web site at http://www.womensministry.net/topten  .
Otherwise, submit it by simply sending your top ten list by email
to ideas@womensministry.net. Sending it be email may be appropriate when you have already typed it in a word processor and you simply want to cut and paste.

9. Provide contact information.

Some like anonymity, some want exposure. We recommend you
enhance your exposure by providing contact information like this:
Submitted by Jane Robolo, Atlanta, GA, jrobo@aol.com  

10. Remember your audience.

Remember to relate your top ten list to women’s ministry leaders,
teams, speakers, musicians, and other gifted communicators. These are
our primary audiences.

Submitted by P. Rothschild, Springfield, MO publisher@womensministry.net

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4. wmQandA: ANY RESOURCES ON THE BASIC HOW TO’S?

Betty from Wilmington asks: I have thought for some time that
a "how to" course would be beneficial to offer our ladies. There are
many women who don't know how to do banking, read a map, go
out of town by themselves, fill up their gas tank, etc. Does any one
know of such a course? I know there are many women who would
benefit from such a course. Many women are left (for whatever reason)
without a clue as to how to do many things. If anyone knows of a course
of study or book that addresses these concerns, if so send your
response to Betty at comments@womensministry.net.

Do you have a question? Send your question
to comments@womensministry.net.

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5. wmTIP: 7 STEPS TO ACHIEVE EFFECTIVE
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

Here are seven essential steps to help make your women's
ministry volunteer program a long-term success.

1. Define why you need volunteers
Every volunteer program must begin with an
understanding of why your organization wants or needs
volunteer support. At the preliminary stage, it is
essential to establish desired outcomes for volunteer
involvement. Establishing these outcome objectives
early in the process will help to guide the
types of volunteers that you recruit, and the way that you
manage them once they have come on board.

2. Design valuable volunteer opportunities
By designing valuable assignments you provide
volunteers with challenge and motivation for continued
success. Lay out the responsibilities of each job.
Plan training and support programs to facilitate volunteer
learning and development, and ensure that volunteers
are aware of goals and outcome objectives for their
involvement.

3. Recruit carefully
When you've designed your volunteer opportunities,
target the appropriate audiences to recruit those who
are truly interested in the project. Be honest about the
workload and time commitment involved in the project.
Above all, ask for help but don't plead-you want
volunteers who want to be there.

4. Screen, interview and place cautiously
Screening and interviewing potential volunteers facilitates
their commitment to the organization or to the project
at hand. It shows potential volunteers that you take
both the project and their time seriously. Screening
also gives you an opportunity to match qualifications
and skills with your needs of your volunteers. An
interview is also the best time to define availability and
schedule activities that fit both the organization and the
volunteers.

5. Bring them on board with training
Comprehensive orientation and volunteer training
programs give volunteers a feeling of belonging and
status. It shows that your organization values them
enough to make an investment in them and, again,
helps to reinforce their commitment to the cause.

6. Recognize. Recognize. Recognize.
Recognition programs show that your organization values
volunteer support. They also provide a motivation for
continuing commitment from your volunteers. Don't
forget to recognize volunteers publicly when newspaper
or other media opportunities arise or when it's time to
write the annual report again.

7. Follow-up effectively
Effective follow-up provides feedback to volunteers and
staff and opportunities to improve service to both. With
a careful plan, and continual volunteer communication
and training, it should be easy to evaluate your success
and improve your program with time.

Based on a presentation at the 1997 Annual CCAE
Conference by Diane Morrison, Vice President of Patient
Programs at Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton, NB.


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********BE PART OF THE SOLUTION**************
Don't forget to tell us you "what worked" (or didn't work) at your recent
women's event and/or leadership meeting. Submit your brief tip,
idea, or lesson learned to ideas@womensministry.net
*********************************************************

6. 11 UPCOMING WOMENS MINISTRY EVENTS (DEC-JAN)

FRI, DEC 03, 1999 - SAT, DEC 04, 1999
Beth Moore
Times Square Church
New York, NY
PH: (800)254-2022

MON, DEC 06, 1999
Sallie Hernandez
Faith Christian Center Fellowship
Kernersville, NC
Ph - (336)992-0950

FRI, DEC 10, 1999 - SUN, DEC 12, 1999
Lakeside Christian Church
Lakeside Park, KY
Ph: (606)341-1160

SAT, DEC 11, 1999
Pamela Stephens
Canyon Church
Mission Viejo, CA
Ph: (949)587-8600

MON, DEC 13, 1999
Jennifer Rothschild
Northside Community Church
Rocky Mount, NC
Ph: N. Miles (252)459-7818

WED, DEC 15, 1999
Beth Moore
Christmas Banquet-FBC
Houston, TX
PH: (800)254-2022

MON, DEC 20, 1999
Pamela Stephens
Mothers of Preschoolers
Temecula, CA
Ph: (909)676-2746

MON, JAN 03, 2000
Sallie Hernandez
Faith Christian Center Fellowship
Kernersville, NC
Ph - (336)992-0950

WED, JAN 19, 2000 - FRI, JAN 21, 2000
Bozeman, Jeanine / Rivers, Loretta
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
New Orleans, LA
Ph. - (504)286-3588

JANUARY 22, 2000
Brenda Nixon
John Knox Presbyterian Church
Kansas City, MO
Ph: (816) 942-3637

FRI, JAN 28, 2000 - SAT, JAN 29, 2000
Women of Faith Conference
Cincinnati, OH
Ph: (1)888-49-FAITH

See more events and more information
on each event, or to submit your Event
information, go to
http://www.womensministry.net/Events

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7. wmPARENT TIP: Different Prayers for Different Kids

Want to keep your children excited about talking to God?
Then become aware of the ways God has wired each of
them uniquely, and flex with their individual styles. Each
person in your family may connect with God differently, and
kids innately love variety. Get out of the ruts and try
something new. For example, you could use a visual aid
such as a globe the children spin and then put their hand on
a country and pray for all the kids their age in that foreign
nation, or you could make a Prayer Grab Bag filled with
photos or memorabilia of people.

Change locations; pray while driving or taking a walk.
Create a prayer placemat covered with photos to encourage
intercession during meal times.

If your children feel that praying aloud is awkward, hold
hands and pray silently, then end by having someone read
a verse from a Psalm aloud. Or have each person write
down two prayer requests on an index card; exchange lists
in the morning, then pray for each other during the day.

You can also connect children's interests and prayer: sports-
oriented children can thank God after a win and pray for a
good attitude when they lose. Musical kids can sing their
prayers and artistic children can draw the things they want to
say to God. Verbal kids often enjoy praying Korean-style,
where everyone prays aloud at the same time.

Give your children room and grace to be who God created
them to be. Encourage them to try different styles of prayer
and watch them take off!

Adapted from Cheri's new book When Families Pray: 40
Devotions to Build, Strengthen & Bond (Multnomah, 1999)
Copyright 1999 Cheri Fuller
Visit Cheri at www.cherifuller.com
Email: cheri@cander.net

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8. WHAT WORKS FOR US: KIDS’ HOLIDAY CRAFT NIGHT
Our thanks goes to Catherine Passmore, of Clarkston MI
for this What Works Ideas:

We have been trying to find ways to involve young girls and teens in
Women's Ministry and have come up with two ideas. This fall we have a "Kids
Holiday Craft Night" where the women bring their daughters to the meeting. We
teach them to make three crafts - one for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas and
one for New Years. Then we send the mom home with a booklet of other easy
craft ideas. It lets the mom and girls have some together time, and
introduces the girls to our Women's Ministry. In the winter we have a "Winter Warm-up"
which is essentially an old-fashioned sleepover at the church. The girls in the
youth group are invited and asked to participate in the planning.
This gives them the chance to practice leadership and a time of Christian
fellowship with the women in our church. Both programs are well-liked
by the women and children.

Submit "What Worked" for you to:
ideas@womensministry.net

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