What is the purpose of a women’s ministry?
Soup kitchens, ladies’ luncheons, parenting classes and charity fairs all serve good causes, but they are not the reason we have a distinctive discipleship of women in the local church. Not only is it important to have an intentional, deliberate approach to female discipleship, it is necessary for a healthy church community.
Why have a women’s ministry? In his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul includes instructions on proper church conduct. After describing the qualifications for elders, Paul instructs Titus on what to teach older men and “likewise” to teach older women so that older women can teach younger women (Titus 2:1-5).
God created men and women differently. While I’m sure that shocking truth did not just dawn on you, a wise church pays attention to the distinctive needs and temptations of men and women. We recognize that some of those lessons are best learned and applied in single-sex groups. Having a deliberate, biblically-based, women’s ministry allows us to effectively address the different needs of women.
Women’s ministries exists to serve and minister to women of all ages
- by teaching the Word of God
- providing fellowship, evangelism and discipleship,
- with the purpose of encouraging a deeper walk with Jesus Christ
- as well as equipping women for ministry.
The goal of women’s ministry is not to keep women busy with fun, fellowship or service opportunities, but to help women grow in faith.
Within that mission, Women’s Ministries strives to teach women to live and serve by balancing the educational and relational components on our programs. If a ministry is purely educational, it is academic and cold. If a ministry is solely relational, it is anemic and will collapse under the storms of life. Just as a good team needs both offense and defense, biblical discipleship teaches the content of the covenant within the context of covenantal relationships.
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