GUIDELINES ON HOW TO BEGIN

To lay the foundation for a women's ministry, the first step is to develop a women's team of from three to seven (depending on the size of your congregation, probably shouldn't exceed 10) ministry-oriented women to lay the groundwork for a women's ministry. The team should work under the authority of the pastor. (See "Women's Advisory Team Guidelines" below.)

This group would include spiritually mature women whose judgment the pastor trusts.

The pastor and the coordinator (may or may not be the pastor's wife) should choose the advisory team members on the basis of character, ability and leadership. The term of office should be at least one year to allow opportunity for more women to serve and to allow women to rotate out without feeling guilty about it.

To be sure all the needs of the women in the church are met, it's important that the team be balanced and include a wide range of experience and age. It should include an organizer with a lot of drive and energy, who is able to initiate projects, delegate to others and monitor the progress of each project. The team should also include an outgoing personable woman who knows the women in the church, a good listener who works hard to maintain personal relationships and a quality-controller who will work out the details and maintain high standards in the program.

The pastor should select a director/coordinator (see "How to Choose a Women's Ministry Director/Coordinator") for the advisory team. This woman should be an organizer who has the time to devote to the women's program. She should be considered a member of the pastor's staff.

The responsibility of the women's ministry advisory team coordinator would be to communicate with the pastor or with other church leaders he might designate. The pastor should identify who his liaison with the women's ministry coordinator will be. She will also be a representative of the local church in the community, as she interfaces with other women's ministry directors from other churches.

A secretary and a treasurer should be selected.

One of the first items on the agenda is to determine the women's ministry's fields of service, for example, evangelism, new-believer follow-up, service to the body. A good way to do this is with a survey of all the women in the local congregation (see sample survey form).

Another question to be answered: Will the women's program be funded through church funds, fund-raisers or fees built in for each project?

The women's ministry program works with local church leadership, and the fields of service will complement the overall philosophy of ministry as determined by the church as a whole. Any project the women begin will fit within the guidelines established by the local congregation's philosophy of ministry.

(Source: Women's Ministry Handbook, Carol Porter and Mike Hamel, general editors)