Why does the women’s organization in your congregation exist? The history of women’s service within the church is great. In many cases, women spearheaded mission expansion, education and civil rights, not to mention putting on church dinners and taking food to the sick.

Today, many churches find that the women within their congregations are in as much need of spiritual growth and nurture as those outside the church. Our post-Christian culture makes being a Christian optional at best. In many instances women enter adulthood without any knowledge of Jesus Christ and what it means to have a personal relationship with him. Church families experience divorce and domestic turmoil at a rate similar to non-church families. In the last 20 years, church leaders have found that the people within their congregations are as needy as those outside, and all the while the need outside the church grows more desperate. In light of the cultural changes the church finds herself facing, why does your organization exist and how has its purpose changed over the years? Let's look at two case studies.

Church P
According to their by-laws, the women’s organization in Church P exists for the purpose of Bible study, mission development and service to the members of Church P. Although their monthly circles still meet for study, few of the members prepare ahead of time and most of the time is spent catching up on each others lives. Mission giving has always been an important focus for the women of Church P. In the past ten years, however, due to the age of the members, most of the mission work is done through donations rather than personal involvement.

In the last few years, the older women of the church have begun to complain that the younger women are not carrying their fair share of the load when it comes to church dinners and funeral receptions. When a new pastor recently arrived at Church P, she suggested that the women re-evaluate their programs and determine their mission goals for the next five years. This suggestion caused a great deal of concern among many of the long-time circle members. They enjoyed and found great support in being part of the groups they had participated in for so many years. Although some of the women wanted to change the way things were done, it was decided by a majority that they would continue doing what they had always done until it was no longer possible (because of age or death) for them to continue.

Church R
Church R’s Women’s Ministry Mission Statement reads as follows: As women we seek to know God and make Him known through lives transformed by Christ. We encourage one another in each season of life through the study of God’s word, spiritual growth and fellowship. As Christian women, we recognize our call to reach beyond ourselves by sharing the love of Jesus Christ with those outside our congregation’s

Every program begun by the women of Church R must fall within the parameters of their mission statement. Every three to five years each program is reevaluated to see if it is still functioning for the reason it was developed. Every program within the women’s ministry is encouraged to have some element of mission outreach. For some of the groups this has meant giving money to various mission groups (locally based and around the world), for others it has been a hands-on involvement. Although Church R is not very large, the women are intentional in their ministry.

Scriptural Encouragement: 1 Corinthians 10:31
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved The Apostle Paul says there is only one reason he does what he does, so that they may be saved If the main purpose of your ministry with women is for the high purpose of transformed lives and discipleship through the power of Christ, then the details of how that is done can vary from program to program according to the needs of the various women. The unifying factor in your ministry with women in your congregation must be the high calling of Jesus Christ. Women’s Ministry is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. You have heard the old questions, Are we fishers of women, or are we keepers of the aquarium. The goal of all Women’s Ministry is lives (both inside and outside the church) transformed by Christ and growth in discipleship.