I have a soft spot for moms and mommy groups.
The encouragement and community I found in my mom group as a young mom were truly lifesaving.
When our oldest was three weeks old, we were the very first family to move into a brand new neighborhood. It was an extremely isolating and hard experience. At home with a newborn that constantly nursed and rarely napped, I was desperate to connect with other moms. I still thank God for the mommy group I found when Nick was four months old.
I’ve never forgotten the power of mommy friendships. The support of that community helped me to become a more confident mom. Playdates and field trips began to fill my calendar. I was part of a community, and it was life-giving to my soul.
Moms, young moms especially, can be a challenge for women’s ministry leaders to reach. They are often so busy with family obligations that they are unable to attend many women’s ministry events and activities.
To engage moms in women’s ministry, we need to take the initiative and reach out.
I’ve got 8 specific ideas that you can use to encourage and support the moms in your church and community no matter their age or stage. I pray that as you read through them, God will highlight the ideas that your team should make a matter of prayer.
8 Ways to Encourage and Support Moms
1. Offer a monthly or bi-monthly moms group.
Create a community for moms that offers biblical support and encouragement. Bring in speakers that can share practical advice on navigating through the challenges of motherhood. Enlist seasoned moms to serve as mentors. Continue community through playdates and mom’s night out activities. Mom groups can also be a great outreach into your community and a bridge into the women’s ministry. Survey your moms to find out if a daytime and/or evening moms group is needed.
2. Send notecards of encouragement.
Affiliate links follow.
A note of encouragement would make a momma’s day! Your team could bless several moms by jotting a few quick notes before the start of your next women’s ministry meeting.
DaySpring’s new line of Hey Momma greeting cards will make it easy for you! From sweet and sentimental to funny and fanciful, there are 20 different cards to choose from. You can check out the line of Hey Momma cards here. The cape with sparkles and you’re doing beautifully cards are two of my favorites! I’ve picked out several special moms to drop a card in the mail to this week.
Celebrate the hard work and efforts of the moms in your church. Encourage a mom who’s in a hard season. Let them they have not been forgotten.
Written words can bring refreshment to a dry and thirsty soul.
3. Offer free childcare whenever possible.
It’s not just the single moms that may need childcare to attend a women’s ministry meeting or event; dads aren’t always able or available. Homeschooling moms need childcare to be able to attend daytime activities too. Include childcare expenses in your budget if you can, collect donations if needed.
4. Offer workshop topics that support moms.
Offering workshops at a retreat or conference allows women to customize an event to best suit their personal needs. While we must take care to balance options so women in all ages and stages are addressed, targeting specific seasons of life can provide much-needed support. Discipline, homeschooling, teaching children to read the Bible, dating, and praying for your children are just a few topics that could be covered.
5. Celebrate new arrivals.
Your church size and culture will determine the level of outreach given to new moms. Diaper baby showers, meals, or cards may be the responsibility of the women’s ministry team. Take great care to ensure every new mom is supported equally. Be sure to include adoptive and foster moms too.
6. Grieve over losses.
Miscarriages, unsuccessful adoptions, SIDS, childhood illnesses, and other tragedies require sensitive and compassionate acknowledgment from your women’s ministry team. Prayerfully plan to be available to minister to these mommas on a long-term basis.
7. Encourage moms to mentor moms.
Whether or not you have a mentoring program in place, encouraging older moms to mentor younger moms can be a beautiful way for the body of Christ to support one another. Advice and support from a seasoned mom can help a new mom keep her eyes focused on Christ and fulfills the commands found in Titus 2.
8. Support moms of older children too.
Our boys are now 17 and 20. Navigating these launching years has proved to be emotional and challenging. No one seems to talk about the transitions a mom and a marriage experience as children leave the nest. Find ways you can support those moms as they learn to trust God as their children become adults. Consider workshops and meet-ups specifically for empty nesters. Reach beyond those empty nest years too – mother-in-laws and grandmas also need support and encouragement.
Ministering to moms can impact an entire family and the generations that follow.
Supporting and encouraging moms should not be our only ministry, but it should be a part of our ministry.
I’d love to know, what does your women’s ministry team do to support and encourage moms?
Disclaimer: DaySpring provided a packet of Hey Momma cards for my review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
You may also want to read:
Encouragement Idea: Blessing Bags
Childcare Solutions for Women’s Ministry
No More Notecard Stress
Mentoring Programs and Resources
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