There are certain things I love to do. I love to organize, to decorate, and to bake desserts. I love to entertain and spend quality time with my family. I love to dream big and see those dreams come to reality. I also love leading the ladies ministry of our church. It excites me to work with ladies and observe as they blossom in their leadership abilities, or in their faithfulness to God.
What do you love to do? Think about it. Make a list of things that you love to do. Think of how it makes you feel when you talk about these things. Then, list things in your local church that you love to do. Do you get the same feeling of excitement when you think about or talk about those things?
A large portion of loving what I do on a daily basis is ladies ministries. Putting a plan on paper and then putting it into action is an intricate part of being able to love what you do. No one loves to feel tired, behind schedule, and lost in the plan. The most unorganized person can appreciate organization; however, the most organized person cannot function within an unorganized structure. When ladies feel a part of a plan, and understand their role in the plan you will enjoy working alongside them and they will enjoy your leadership.
Here are seven suggestions as you organize your ladies ministry:
1. Develop a Philosophy of Ministry
It is important to establish a philosophy of ministry that works for your local church. Moving ladies from outer, to middle, to inner core is a part of this philosophy and a perfect example of philosophy. Define leadership and then lead accordingly. Choosing leadership over management of people will help you to love working with people; thus, loving what you do on a daily basis. It is important to manage events, and to lead ladies.
Listen as you lead. James 1:19 reminds me of this truth, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Ladies respond well to leadership when their thoughts have been heard. Your leadership is strongest when you gather the opinion of those on your team, not taking the credit for yourself, but instead, it being a team effort.
2. Remember the Power of Influence
Never underestimate the power of influence. Everyone has influence on someone. There are several ways to influence another person. One way is to pray for them. Add a name to your prayer journal and a specific need for that person. Keep adding names until you have a journal full of people. Remember that names on paper represent people with problems whether physical or spiritual.
Another way to have influence on someone is to take your time to get to know them. Invite a lady to lunch. Get to know her one on one. Always have room in your life for a new friend. The ministry is all about people and you will be more loving and patient as you personally get to know them and individually pray for them.
3. Have a Purpose for Events
Have a purpose in mind for every event, Bible study, newsletter, email, or function. Some events are simply for food, fun, and fellowship. Bible studies are for spiritual growth and building friendships. Building leadership in ladies, as well as, planning a well balanced event is the purpose of using a team.
4. Remember that People Are Important
In John 4:3–29 Jesus gives us the perfect example of the power of influence on people. John 4:4 says, “And he must needs go through Samaria.” Why? Because there was one lady who was a nobody to the people in her city, but she was a somebody to God! I am important, you are important, and the lady that you should influence is important. All people are important to God! In your ladies ministry, are you placing importance on people?
5. Plan for Success
When you have planning meetings for an event or study, don’t have just another meeting. Plan for success. Think through what you will say and how to say it. Make a yearly calendar of ladies events. Put them all on your church calendar if your church has one. Reserve the church facilities according to the policy of your church. Host a team meeting to delegate responsibilities, and then allow those team members to work within their area. Be thematic and work at making each event better. Try not to change the date of an event. Consistently doing what you say you will do adds stability to your ministry.
6. Develop Policies and Procedures
Develop policies and procedures as you move forward in your ladies ministry. Have a budget and stick with it as much as possible. Set a price for meals, Bible studies, and such. Have each ministry turn in a report to you each year stating numbers and facts. Develop a procedure for reimbursements. Following the policies and procedures that you set in place will help you to establish leadership and to enjoy working with the ladies.
7. Rotate Purposefully
Rotating certain responsibilities is a plus to any ladies ministry team. A person can get burned out on doing the same responsibilities. It is difficult to develop new thoughts year after year if the new thoughts are in the same area. Rotation also prevents territorialism, which is a huge enemy of any ladies ministry.
These seven suggestions can help your ladies ministry no matter its size. I love what I do and I want you to love it too!
