There are many challenges facing Women's Ministries today, but as I talk with leaders, there is one that seems to be common to every church size and denomination. That challenge is meeting the needs of ALL of the women in their church body.

It is difficult to be "all things to all people" and keep your focus. But we can make a concerted effort to know the needs of our women and aim our ministry in that direction. As Women's Ministry leaders we need to closely examine our ministry to see if we are offering a variety of studies and activities that resonate with women in different walks of life. Some questions to ask yourself:

Are you ministering to women of different ages, different life styles, and different places of spiritual maturity?

Have you considered the needs of the stay-at-home mom and the working mom?

Are you reaching out to young women and the elderly?

Have you thought about how your events appeal to single women?

The women in our church communities are diverse, and it is vital that we make every effort to connect with each of them.

First, let's look at the basics. A women's ministry cannot be truly effective unless it is:

If your heart and your plans are there... good job! The next step is to put that into action.

The backbone of every Women's Ministry should be its Bible studies. You cannot go wrong getting women into the Word! Offer a variety of subjects, difficulty levels, and meeting times to accommodate your women. Even a small church can offer "beginner" and "advanced" studies.

Finally, we all know the standard events that fit into the women's ministry... retreats, teas, fashion shows, luncheons, Ladies Night Out, etc. But do the themes and content of those events stay focused in one area, one age group, or one social group? Do we seek variety in how we present these activities? Let's take a minute to step outside the box and look at some activities that may stretch our definition of women's ministry.

Outside the Box:

Activities - Sports Groups (volleyball, softball, etc), Weekly Walking and Prayer Time, Moms and Kids Outings (trips to the park, zoo, museums, etc.), Art/Painting Group, Hiking Trip, Bowling Team, Golf Lessons or Team, Rock Climbing, Gardening, etc.

Serving - Neighborhood Clean-up, Partnering with Nonprofits (Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, etc.), Community Education Classes (offering workshops that are free to people in the community and sponsored by the church), etc.

Practical Workshops - Computer 101, How to do a Bible Word Study, How to Change the Oil in Your Car, How to Fast, CPR Training, Juggling Family and a Career, Introduction to Art and the Masters, Planning a Menu and Shopping, Downsizing - Do We Really Need all this Stuff?, How to Write a Great Thank You Note, Getting Organized, Starting a Home Based Business, etc.

Small Groups - Book Club, Accountability, Working Women, Support Groups for those in need (rape, child abuse, addictive behavior, etc.), Discussion Group that change topics each month (Topic ideas - Faith and our Culture, Living in a Post- Modern Society, Our Freedom in Christ, What is Your World View, Telling Your Story, etc)

Some of you are probably up to your elbows in these ideas already. If so, I applaud you! Whatever the size or maturity of your women's ministry, I encourage you to prayerfully examine how you are meeting the needs of your women.

I know you girls, once you get thinking about this; you will come up with a million amazing and creative ideas of your own. I would love to hear how you are meeting the needs of the multi-faceted women in your church.

In Him... Robyne Beaubien, Editor

I'm so excited to tell you about the launch of our Fresh Grounded Faith Conferences!

These Kingdom-minded, regional events encourage women to connect with each other and God. Our desire is to warm your heart, and awaken your spirit through great Bible study, incredible worship, and off-the-charts laughter.

The Waco, Texas Fresh Grounded Faith with Jennifer Rothschild will feature wonderful friend and funny woman Anita Renfroe (there's a reason she's received 4 million YouTube visits for her TotalMomsense performance). We'll also have incredible worship by former Women of Faith worship leader Shelley Jennings.

Visit www.FreshBrewedFaithConference.com

 

This is a great idea for a Ladies Christmas Party. Each woman is asked to bring a toy from a provided list to replenish the church's preschool or nursery department.

Invitations/Posters: Really play this theme up and shape your invitations like Christmas trees. Remember to use the same style tree on all your posters also. You can also find a silhouette of a tree with presents underneath and use that. Be creative!

Decorations: Sticking with the tree theme, center pieces for each table can be small Christmas trees with small toys under them (these trees can also act as door prizes). Collect all the toys the ladies bring under a full sized Christmas tree to mimic the table decor.

Colors can be whatever you want, but stick with a couple and be consistent. If you use red and silver, use it on your invitations, decorations and favors.

Program: You can sing carols and have special music. Consider a fun skit for something different. Base the devotion on "The Legend of the Three Trees."

Favors: Carry the theme all the way through to the end! Favors can be small wooden cut-out trees with red and silver ribbons. Or if you have a scrapbooker in your midst, ask them to make beautiful silver and red bookmarks for everyone.

Jennifer's Self Talk, Soul Talk Book Blog. Check out this interactive website and learn more about Jennifer's newest book!

Take a minute to visit these recent sponsors...

• Come and see Ancient Treasures of the Holy Land now at The Shops at Willow Bend - Plano, Texas.
• There Is A Season, an 11-week, video-based Bible study by Laurie Cole

With Christmas fast approaching, we thought it would be fun to share some of our "favorite things" with you!

This week, our favorite thing is My Utmost for His Highest, a classic devotional by Oswald Chambers.

This devotional was first published in 1935 and is one of the best selling devotionals today. There are 365 daily readings that take doctrinal truths and make them practical and intensely personal. It is really all about this man's struggle to live out his faith in a real and meaningful way. He challenges us to stop looking at life circumstances through our eyes and use a "God filter."

A great gift for someone you love, there are copies available in leather covers; with places to journal; and also specifically for teenagers.

Java with Jennifer is an informal monthly ministry update specifically for friends who want to keep up-to-date on what is happening with Jennifer Rothschild's ministry of writing, speaking, and singing.

Obviously, because you are receiving this eNewsletter, you are signed up for the Jennifer's "weekly" WomensMinistry.NET eNewsletter. However, if you want to get up close, and personal with Jennifer, just click on the Update Profile link at the bottom of this email, and select the Java with Jennifer interest group when asked to update your profile.

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