Coordinators Connection — Enriching Resources for Women

WOMEN MINISTRIES' JOB DESCRIPTION

Equipping and Encouraging women to be active in ministries of compassion and justice, especially to women and children in places of need.

1. Equipping resources – keeping a catalog of current ideas and active ministries.

2. Encouraging, by potentially tapping some undesignated funds to allow scholarships each year for churches initiating specific compassion ministries.

3. Promoting Compassion and Justice Ministries through high visibility in Women Ministries' literature.

4. Encouraging and promoting short term cross-cultural opportunities for awareness of need, both locally and globally.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” -I John 3:17, 18

 LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRY

1. Challenge each church to create a WM task force for addressing poverty.

This group can be as small as 2 -3 women.

2. Encourage the task force to begin with prayer and Bible study. Equip them with study materials.

3. Begin to assess needs and services in their own community. Assess resources within their congregation. Help them find and connect with existing services they need.

4. The local church task force will begin raising awareness in their congregation. Ideas may come from the national committee for such activities.

5. Partnerships between churches may be helpful:

-churches in wealthier community partner with a church in area with poverty.

-churches partner with ethnic congregation to help serve immigrant/refuge population.

-churches participate in mission-trip type ministry. (EX. Doing VBS in a church, so local members are free to minister to children and families who attend)

6. The task force should explore hidden pockets of poverty and need. Areas to explore might include the aged, homeless, single mothers and children. They should become aware of school needs, homeless shelters, city missions and prisons.

7. Challenge the local church to create a two-year service plan and present it to congregation.

GLOBAL MINISTRY

1. The local task force will continue to meet for Bible study and prayer.

2. Continue with local ministry to the poor in their own community, but begin challenging people to become informed about global poverty.

3. The local church task force will sponsor at least one local and one international project that church members can participate in.

4. The task force will sponsor an adult education class on world poverty. The class should seek to examine the total picture and implications of providing health care, food, agricultural assistance and business assistance. They should learn to see the complications of political systems and explore ways of influencing change.

5. Many organizations are already working with the poor worldwide and would welcome local church participation. They may be a good resource for speakers. (EX. Covenant World Relief , Covenant World Missions, World Vision, World Concern, etc.)

FUTURE VISION

1. National committee will help local churches in self-assessment.

2. National committee will encourage the discouraged to try different approaches. They will encourage those who are doing well to continue, and look for ways to expand their ministry.

3. The National committee will continue to update program materials as well as facilitating networking opportunities.

4. The National committee will plan celebratory symposiums where churches can share what they have been doing. They may invite knowledgeable, inspirational speakers who will challenge participants to take what they have learned and assess where they can go in the future.

“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” -Galatians 6:9

Back to top