Today, we’re going to take a look at renovating your Women’s Ministry Mission statement.
I probably should have made this number 1 on the list, rather than listing them alphabetically.
You need to know what you’re aiming for before you can decide what needs renovation.
Our team in Kentucky went through the process of updating our mission statement over the course of several months.
Here’s a rundown of how we walked through that process:
- We prayed that God would guide our efforts.
- We brainstormed as a team a list of ideas we wanted to include on a dry erase board.
- We looked for repeated ideas, ideas that could be combined, and narrowed down what was most important to convey. You can do this on the dry erase board, but may wish to use a different colored marker.
- We worked to form a sentence that answered “what”, “who”, “why”, and “how”.
- We took that rough draft home and prayed and revised it at our next meeting.
- Once we had our final draft, we submitted it to our pastoral staff for approval.
Your job, as leader, is to make sure the focus is on God and what He wants, not what we (the team, women in our church) want. Be careful the list of “how” isn’t so specific that if God changes your direction your mission statement is impacted. I.E. I would not say “through annual teas, retreats, and mission trips we will….”
A few thoughts for you:
- Your mission statement should align closely with the mission of your specific church.
- Your mission statement should be used as a plumb line off which to base future decisions. All activities, ideas, and events that your ministry produces should fit within the boundaries of your mission statement. You may even need to ask your team, does “x” fit in with our mission statement?
- Spend time in prayer before that meeting and ask God to give you direction specifically about your mission statement.
- Guide your team through questions so that they uncover the answers. What is our goal? Who are we trying to reach? How are we going to reach them? Does this encompass what we do or what we believe God wants us to do?
- Give your team time to pray and meditate on the mission statement before finalizing it. It gives God a chance to speak to their heart and yours.
- Place a copy of that mission statement in everyone’s binder.
- Make your women aware of your mission statement by putting it on your bulletin board, in your programs, on your website and Facebook page, etc. You could even read it at some of your meetings.
I will share with you the mission statements from my former churches in North Carolina and Kentucky. But please don’t copy either one.
God has something specific in mind for your ministry.
Writing a mission statement as a team creates a shared vision and provides an opportunity to listen to God together.
From Kentucky (created in 2012): To glorify God through prayerfully planned activities and events for women in our church and community which promote spiritual growth and lead women to Christ. We seek to serve women, both locally and internationally, with love and grace.
From North Carolina (created in 2008): We prayerfully seek to glorify God by offering events and activities for our church and community that are biblically focused and address the spiritual needs of women, support missions, and promote fellowship, thereby encouraging and strengthening each woman’s relationship with Jesus Christ. Through prayer, God’s word, and the power of the Holy Spirit, we desire to create a fellowship of women that serve others with compassion and love each other with a spirit of grace and forgiveness.
Does your Women’s Ministry have a mission statement? Would you share it with us in the comments?
You may also want to read:
What area of ministry is God asking you to renovate?
Reno Project #1: Excessive Decorations
Reno Project #3: Offerings
Reno Project #4: Updating Your Publicity
Reno Project #5: Technology
Reno Project #6: Providing Better Training
Megan, my heart beats hard for moms groups! It’s where God got me started in women’s ministry. So glad this was helpful for you. Praying God will direct your steps and bring many mamas to your doorstep. Please let me know if I can be of any help!
Cyndee, thank you so much for this valuable resource. I am a young mother living in NC. A group of young mothers at the church are trying to assemble a group for moms. Defining a mission statement is the definition of the group. It can seem overwhelming but you really help make such sense of it all with a great frame of what questions to ask to figure out what God wants the group’s mission to be. Thank you so much. Well Wishes, Megan
Yes, Cindy, we can all use some encouragement!
Cindy McKenzie
January 29, 2018
I believe we need to encourage one another as women, because of all our daily chores we tends to forget about ourselves. God has granted us the ability to be multitaskers, but we gives all and don’t save any for reserve.
Oh Laura, my heart goes out to you… I love your perspective. It reminds me of 2 Corin 1:3-7 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” God bless you!
Wow! I too am caring for my husband with dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. But, I believe that gives me a common bond to share with women who have children. We’re in the same boat, basically; we both need sitters or we have to bring the loved ones with us wherever we go, including to women’s events. But, I’ve learned that obstacles are opportunities in disguise, so we’ll learn how God uses this.
Anna, thank you for mentioning dementia. That should definitely be added to the list. Praying for God to give you the strength you need daily and pockets of rest and restoration…my heart goes out to you…
Just a short note, some senior ladies are struggling with caring for relatives in the grips of dementia and it seems to be a taboo subject. I am caring for my husband and it is difficut.