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Women's Ministry: What Does the Future Hold?

Tomorrow, I will be participating in the Synergy Leadership Summit for Women at Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, WI. A time has been set aside for current leaders where we will discuss the future of women’s ministries, reaching emerging generations of women, and tending to our own souls in the midst of ministry. I have my own perspectives and stats on these matters but would love to hear from you so that I can take some of your thoughts with me to the meetings.

I believe considering the future of women's ministries is to be considered as part of the ministry of the church, not in isolation and not something totally other. As a matter of making disciples, teaching all that Jesus taught, our focus should begin with Scripture and take into account the needs of women in our world today. This goes hand in hand with reaching emerging generations of women.

Where women's ministry could use change is in its relationship to the leadership of the church. Many pastors and church boards have abdicated their responsibility, allowing the women's ministry to have their fun events and outings, without the expectation that something more substantial can and should occur. Bringing pastors on board not only to support this ministry, but also recognize the importance of it in light of our existing cultural landscape is essential to the future of women's ministry.

Comments

Sarah, I agree that churches need active, vital women's ministries and that church leadership has responsibility for this and for its being substantial.

One thing that came to my attention anew today is that there is a lot of "conservative" material out there for women that is popular, even supported by many churches, but that contains great error. These errors have and will cause trouble for a great many women and their families, leading them astray. It would be great if women's ministries (or churches) took it upon themselves to examine and refute these materials.

Have a great conference!

Posted by: Bonnie at October 3, 2007 3:59 PM

I'm troubled by the focus of many women's ministries too. Your final paragraph in this post sums the situation up well.

A little commercial: I wrote a short post, "Should a Christian Woman Think?" on this topic too, and you might glean a few ideas for your conference here. Godspeed!

Blessings, e-Mom

Posted by: e-Mom at October 3, 2007 4:05 PM

The danger my church is trying to avoid is making women's ministry an entity unto itself, even if it is for spiritual edification. The aim is to develop women's ministry to meet the aims and vision of the church as a whole, as a piece of a larger puzzle.

*Letitia*

Posted by: Letitia at October 4, 2007 2:19 AM

In my experience, "women's ministries" tends to be shallow, one-dimensional "fluff-puff." Where do thinking Christian women go today to have meaningful discussions and relationships beyond fru-fru, fridge magnets, and that infamous, overworked icon, the "Proverbs 31" woman?

Like Bonnie, I've found lots of "conservative" material out there that's popular (and easily digested), but based on error or sloppy hermeneutics. This is always troubling. Why aren't more women's ministries more discerning and selective? Why does "women's ministries" so often translate into that which is shallow to the point of silly, irrelevant and drop-dead boring?

Posted by: kikero at October 8, 2007 2:49 PM
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