Don’t Set a Vision for Your Women’s Ministry

Several years ago, I took a job as the women’s ministry director at an established church. I walked into a ministry that had gone through years of transition, and I was given an opportunity to learn the culture, get to know the women, and reset what the women’s ministry looked like. I gathered a team of women from all seasons of life who’d been actively involved in the church to form an advisory board, and we worked together to brainstorm and pray about the direction of our ministry.

My initial goal was to create a distinct mission and vision statement. I wanted clarity—something to guide us in deciding what to say yes and no to. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize our statement was already set because the church had a clear mission and vision. The question wasn’t what our mission and vision should be but how we, as a women’s ministry, could uniquely contribute to the church’s direction.

Evaluate an Established Ministry

Aligning a women’s ministry to the church’s mission and vision is easier said than done. So from the start, we prayed. We asked God to reveal his will. We asked for wisdom and insight as he’s the Great Shepherd of the sheep and loves our women more than we ever could. We asked him to show us what to let go of and what to keep. And we kept praying throughout the process.

Then we evaluated our ministry efforts. We considered what was working well and what wasn’t. Who were our women, and what were their needs? What were our strengths, growth opportunities, threats, and challenges as a ministry?

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We offered various events—all good things—but we soon discovered activity didn’t always equal effectiveness. Many of those events were part of the women’s ministry culture and had been done for a long time, but not all were the best use of time and resources because some didn’t clearly connect to our church’s mission.

So we made it our practice—when considering something new and on an annual basis as we evaluated existing efforts—to discuss how each event, study, discipleship group, or initiative helps us accomplish our larger purpose of supporting our church’s mission and vision. Looking at the bigger picture helps us make decisions about what to offer and how to structure each aspect of our ministry.

Align with the Church’s Mission

Whether you’re setting the direction for a new women’s ministry or reevaluating an existing one, here are some questions to help you align your efforts with your church’s direction. Remember as you plan to pray for God to give you wisdom and direction about how to foster that vision and mission in the lives of the women under your care.

• What is your church’s mission statement or vision?
• How would your ministry planning be different if you started with the church’s vision first?
• What unique needs do the women in your church have, and how can your ministry address these needs within the church’s overall vision?
• As you evaluate your current offerings, what aligns with the church’s vision and what doesn’t? Is there anything you need to prayerfully start, stop, or strengthen?
• How could your women’s ministry be stronger by collaborating with other staff members and ministries at your church?

Apply the Mission to Women

While ministry to women involves some unique aspects—the times and places where we equip women, or how we disciple women in their different roles and responsibilities—it isn’t meant to function separately from the rest of the local church.

We’re part of a unified body working toward a common goal. Ultimately, by trusting the Lord’s leadership and simplifying our efforts to align with his purpose for the church, we find freedom—knowing that “from him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Eph. 4:16, NIV).

It’s a gift to not be on our own. We’d be limited if our women’s leadership team were the only ones helping women mature in their faith. Thankfully, the church has pastors and elders along with many members who carry out the mission and vision together. Women’s ministry is a strategic part of the body of Christ, but it’s not the whole. As a women’s ministry director, my role is to help women grow in faith by aligning our ministry with the church’s mission, knowing that discipleship and flourishing happen best within the whole body of Christ.

Jamie Voss (MAM, Covenant Theological Seminary) is the women’s ministry director at Perimeter Church in Atlanta, Georgia. She also serves on the women’s national team for the PCA as their Southeast regional advisor. She has served in vocational ministry for more than 30 years, both in the United States and overseas. Jamie is married to Judson, and they have two children. You can connect with Jamie on her website.