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“There is not a cookie-cutter approach to women’s ministry!”
Are you a women’s ministry leader or have a desire to see a thriving ministry for the women of your church?
There is nothing more powerful than women coming together around the name of Jesus – but we need to rethink women’s ministry in order to reach the hearts of women today. And no one knows their hearts better than the God who loves them so much. The Holy Spirit wants to help us shape a ministry that changes women’s lives.
Nobody understands this better than my friend, Cyndee Ownbey. She has devoted much of her life to ministering to women through her popular website, Women’s Ministry Toolbox, and has recently published a book called, Rethinking Women’s Ministry: Biblical, Practical Tools for Cultivating a Flourishing Community. Women long for connection and friends to grow beside and God wants to use the church to cultivate those relationships with each other and with Him.
In this episode, Cyndee walks us through the challenges and joys of women’s ministry today and how we can keep it both current and purposeful.
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Important Takeaways from Show
- We have to prayerfully seek out God’s heart and His desire for the women of our area
- Consider the unique demographic you are trying to reach
- Survey the women of your church and community to discover what their needs and availability are
- Incorporating all of the generations takes intentionality
- Find ways to create a mentoring culture between generations
- Take time to consider how your ministry affects women in all different stages of life
- Intentional icebreakers are a great way to create connection
- Use assigned seating at events or find ways to encourage ladies to engage with those they don’t already know
- Don’t try to do it alone; We are stronger with a team
- When we do everything ourselves, we rob others of the opportunity to use their gifts and experience personal growth and joy
- Stop and pray before you jump into any opportunity
- When creating a team:
- Start with prayer
- Get advice from leadership
- Search for people with specific gifts to fill specific roles
- Invite them to prayerfully consider the opportunity
- Use social media as a tool to engage your women outside of the church
- Honor people where they are and help them navigate forward
- Take small steps toward changing the culture
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4:11-12
Links from Show
Rethinking Women’s Ministry: Biblical, Practical Tools for Cultivating a Flourishing Community
Connect with Cindee Ownbey
Website | Facebook | Pinterest| Instagram
Connect with Joanna
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter
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I’d love to hear from you… What spoke most to you from Cindee’s interview?
