Our mini-series on How to Build Your Women’s Ministry Team continues today as we take a look at the positions on your Women’s Ministry Leadership Team.
I don’t know your situation. You may be a new church plant just trying to get a women’s ministry team together. You may be in a large church with a well-established team. You may have a group of women on your team, but none with specific roles or responsibilities. You may be praying God will allow you to revive the women’s ministry that is no more in your church.
No matter what your situation, I’m going to share a variety of ideas you may want to commit to prayer.
You know your situation and you know the guidelines your church has placed on your ministry. (Not that God can’t change your situation. Let’s work with what you have now, trusting God with the rest.)
All that being said, you need a clear leader or co-leaders with duties clearly divided. I’ve done both – each has pros and cons. Ideally this is the woman God has called and given a vision for the Women’s Ministry in your church. And we all know someone needs to set the agenda for each meeting and keep the group on task!
To determine what positions you may want or need filled on your women’s ministry team, let’s take a look at the 4 Pillars of Women’s Ministry. (You may want to read the entire post and the hop back here.)
1. Study –This is crucial. If you do nothing else, give your women regular opportunities to study God’s Word. In both churches I served, the Education Pastor oversaw the Women’s Bible study offerings. And in both cases they encouraged our input and transitioned over most of the responsibilities after a period of time and training.
2. Service – God calls us to serve others. In doing so we are given opportunities to grow and share His love for others. We sometimes forget that fellowship happens automatically when we are serving. Your church may have a separate mission’s ministry or WMU. Talk to your pastor to make sure you are not stepping on anyone’s toes. Service groups might include knitting prayer shawls, food pantry, clothes closet, meals, visiting the homebound, etc. Things can get gray really quickly – keep your eyes on what is specifically women’s ministry and support them by having a team member responsible for offering support and prayer.
3. Support – Women need safe places where they can find Biblically-sound support. You may feel this is best offered through small group Bible studies and/or small groups in your church (that already exist). It could also encompass MOPS, Griefshare, Divorce Care, single moms groups, or a mentoring program. You may want a representative from each group to serve on your Women’s Ministry Team or you may want one woman to be the point person for your support groups and then they would report to the team.
4. Social – Socializing with other women in our church and community gives us an opportunity to develop relationships and encourage one another. You might have several groups that fall under this umbrella – book club, fitness group, outdoor ministry, Bunko, scrapbooking, etc. Because the focus is fellowship and building relationships and the sheer number of these groups you may have, I don’t think you need a representative from each group serving on your team. One point person can touch base with each group leader on regular basis and can share updates and prayer requests.
Depending on how duties are divided in your church you may not need all four pillars covered.
In addition to the Bible Study, Missions, Support Groups, and Social Groups, you may want to consider adding these additional positions:
- Childcare
- Decorations
- Encouragement
- Food
- Hospitality
- Mentoring
- Music & Worship
- New Member/Visitor/Welcome
- Prayer
- Publicity
- Registration
- Retreat/Conference
- Secretary
- Treasurer
If you’re feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, I want you to know my first team had just 3 of us for quite a while – in a church with about 900 members.
You don’t have to have a big team for God to use you to encourage, love, and reach the women in your church and community.
Ask God to show you any holes in your team.
Ask Him to prioritize the positions on your wish list.
Ask Him to help you see activities or groups that are lacking support and/or direction.
Whether or not they actually fill a position on your leadership team, I feel strongly that every part of your women’s ministry should have representation on your board. Each group needs prayer support and most will need a small amount of budget support. Practically speaking, calendar planning is much easier when you know what everyone else is doing.
You know best what your women’s ministry team’s needs are.
This is not about control. It’s about encouraging an atmosphere of working together, not working in isolation. It’s about supporting one another. If everyone on the team knows your MOPS program is in dire need of extra childcare helpers then together you can work to spread the word. Maybe the women in your daytime Bible study would be able to help?
Please, please talk with your Pastor before you add or expand any roles on your team. We are all part of the body, but sometimes aren’t aware of what other body parts are already doing!
We’ll talk soon about how to fill these positions, but next up I’m going to share sample job descriptions with you and give you a peak at what I wanted our Women’s Ministry Team/Board to look like.
Your turn to share: What positions do you have or wish you had on your Women’s Ministry Leadership Team?
Other posts in this series include:
How to Build a Women’s Ministry Team
Women’s Ministry Team Job Descriptions – Part 1
Women’s Ministry Team Job Descriptions – Part 2
How to Recruit Women’s Ministry Team Members
How to Ask Women to Serve on Your Leadership Team
Hello, I have been asked to the position of Event Coordinator in the women’s ministry at our church. I am fairly new at the church and hardly know the women at the church. There is a Director of women’s ministry, who also has a right-hand person to be the liason between she and I. I find that to be alienating me from having direct contact with her to know what her ideas and plans are for the ministry. How should I address this to her?
Carla, I would suggest asking if she is available for coffee. Remind her that you’re new in the church. Let her know you’d like to get to know her better and would love for her to share her vision for the women’s ministry. Hopefully, she’ll respond positively to your invitation and your time together will provide some of the connection you are lacking. Praying for wisdom for you!
I have been praying that God will reveal to me how I can best serve in my small congregation. Just today, my pastor called me into a meeting and asked if I would consider starting a women’s ministry. He asked me to pray about it and let him know how God directs me within the next few weeks.
I truly believe that this site, coupled with sincere prayer will lead me in the direction God wants me to go. I am so looking forward to this journey.
Ann, how exciting!! Praying the Lord directs your steps and prepares the hearts of the women in your church. Please let me know if I can help in any way. <3
Hie,am very happy to come across a woman like you.I am starting a women’s ministry soon.I have been looking for a mentor all along and I thank God that I have found 1 now.May God bless you
hi Cyndee, I recently heard this call from God and I am planning for a launch in September. As the leader, God specifically told me to ask another individual to help me and my team is just the two of us. So far women are receptive to the idea even the Men’s Ministry are happy about it. I would like to know how do I make a job discription for my Assistant Team Lead. I read over the job description for the leader but I would like to create an assistant role discription any suggestions? Also, with any work done for God there are attacks and thus far, there is a woman discouraging women from joining the groupso far she has been successful with getting one woman off the tteam who was enthusiastic before.
Michelle, that is a great question! Part of your assistant’s roles/responsibilities probably depends upon whether or not she is training to take over your role in the future – if so, you’d want to slowly add more responsibilities and tasks. If not, consider what would be most helpful to you. What can you delegate and what tasks do you want to focus on? What are her gifts and strengths? What holes do you need her to fill – short-term o long-term? Will she lead meetings in your absence? Could she oversee publicity? You may want to meet her for coffee and discuss what she feels most comfortable with. Praying God will give you discern and wisdom and that He will protect those He calls to serve alongside you!
I have enjoyed your website. You have shared your heart and passion about women. I want to continue reading and hearing from you. I enjoy speaking to women and I have formed a women group at my place of work and they seem to be anxious about it.
Sue
Susan, thank you for your note and words of encouragement! <3 So excited to hear you are reaching out at your place of work. May God abundantly bless your efforts and may He soften and prepare the hearts of the women who will attend.
Thank you for this information. I’ve never led Women’s Ministry. These are some great ideas to get me started
You’re welcome, Tammra. Praying God will direct your steps and raise up women to serve alongside you.
Have started a women’s ministry group in June. I have only tonight ran across Cyndee’s website and the posts of Gina on Pinterest. I am getting very excited for the next women’s night we have, so much I want to implement. Thanks to both of you.
Nevelyn, so thankful God sent you here! Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with. Praying God will direct your steps!
Great tips here, Cyndee! I especially like the wise words for keeping your pastor or minister you report to in the loop.
Thanks Gina! Let’s chalk that up to “lessons learned the hard way.” 😉