Whether your church is launching a women’s ministry or has a rich history of ministry to women, you can cultivate a thriving ministry.
By Marissa Postell Sullivan
According to the State of Ministry to Women report from Lifeway Research, having an organized ministry to women benefits not only the women in the church but also the church as a whole. But for churches that don’t already have a women’s ministry, knowing how to get started can be challenging. And many with an organized ministry to women can take steps to better equip their women’s ministry leaders and support ministry to women in and through the church.
In her book A Short Guide to Women’s Ministry, long-time director of women’s ministry, Nora Allison, helps pastors and women’s ministry leaders navigate ministry to women—whether in a church launching a women’s ministry for the first time or a church with a rich history of ministry to women. Allison calls leaders to develop relationships that help women build community and grow in their walk with God. Here’s a look at a recent conversation with Allison on how pastors can champion ministry to women in their congregations.
Why is it good for the church if women are part of an organized ministry to women?
Nora Allison: I think it’s vital because women make up at least half the church. And as image bearers, they need to be discipled; they need to be trained. They’re going to give advice and input to lots of other people in the church. And it will either be theologically-sound, good, God-honoring advice and input or not. So, it’s important they are trained in theology, in knowing how to study their Bibles, and in knowing how to glean the truth from their Bibles about who God is and who He made them to be. It’s a disservice to the whole church if we’re not making sure all its members are built up and encouraged.
In your book, you say there are two starting places for building a ministry to women: where you are and where you want to go. Why do these starting places that may sound conflicting go hand-in-hand?
We have to know what the purpose is of women’s ministry, of discipling people—where we want to take them. We need to know what God’s goal is for all of us—that we would know Him well, that we would become like Him, that we would be good ambassadors for Him, that we would spread His fame. And we need to make sure everybody knows that’s what we’re aiming for.
But if we don’t realize where our starting point is, we can falsely adopt all sorts of programs and classes. And sometimes that’s not where God wants us to start, because that’s not the people He has at our church. The programs that worked somewhere else might not be the particular needs of your church, or it might not be the gifting He has in your church that He wants to use to build the ministry. We need to know where we need to go. But we also need to know where we’re starting—what our resources are, who we’re dealing with, and the particular needs of that church.
“The programs that worked somewhere else might not be the particular needs of your church, or it might not be the gifting He has in your church that He wants to use to build the ministry.” — Nora Allison Share on XWhat advice would you give a pastor looking for someone to lead an organized ministry to women in the church?
God always looks at character. You have to find a woman who’s walking with the Lord in a way that’s a model for the other women in the church. They can look up to her and see not that she’s perfect and certainly not that she’s sinless but that she goes to the Lord. She’s dependent on Him for all her needs. She goes to Him and readily confesses and realizes when she falls short.
Then, it comes down to gifting and calling. And it’s a matter of the pastor’s discernment in speaking to women and trying to see if God might be calling them to take a leadership role. Pray and take some time to get to know some of the women. See who other women in the church are responding to, who they look up to. Then approach that woman and see if she would be interested in taking on that role. Sometimes, especially if it’s new, it’s good to see if there’s a woman or two who might want to work together. But ultimately, you need someone who’s in charge.
What other practical tips do you have for pastors looking to start a ministry to women in their churches?
It’s important he sees the ministry as a vital ministry to the church—that it’s not sidelined. The pastor should work with the women’s ministry leader to bring that ministry under the umbrella of the church. So, he would constantly communicate what the vision is for the church and how this ministry fits into that vision. Too often, there will be some passion on the part of women but not buy-in from the pastors or elders. So, it’s like a two-ring circus going on.
Since some of women’s needs and where they’re going is a little different, it’s important to have a women’s ministry. But it needs to be incorporated into the big picture of the church. Schedule meetings and reports with the women’s ministry leader to see how things are progressing and how the church’s leadership can serve the women’s ministry as well. A women’s ministry director should be at the staff meetings if at all possible. She should be invited and welcome. I invited myself when I was volunteering. I was going to be a part to know where we’re going, to be a part of the vision, and to be able to represent women.
“A women's ministry director should be at the staff meetings if at all possible. She should be invited and welcome.” — Nora Allison Share on XWhat ideas do you have for collaborating with a women’s ministry director who can’t attend regular staff meetings?
If she can’t go to the scheduled staff meeting, she should meet with a staff member. She should have someone she reports to. It should be clear to her who she’s responsible to, and she should meet regularly with that person. This allows them to talk about where they’re going, what struggles she might be having, and what upcoming things are happening. This way, if she’s not in the staff meeting, she can at least be represented by someone else.
And if possible, if there are announcements during the service, she should be the one to give them for the women’s events or courses, because she can best communicate her heart for women’s ministry and what the event or course would be about.
How can churches provide training for those leading women’s ministry?
There are a lot of things women can do to be trained online. Online training resources should be made available and encouraged for the women’s director and any other women interested. Wherever there are gaps in her training, it’s the role of the pastor and the elders to help fill that. We want to build people up to be more and more like Christ. That entails helping them know how to study the Bible and pray, helping them know theology and doctrine and how to communicate that, and helping them counsel people better.
There are so many conferences, books, schools, and online classes. I don’t think we have an excuse for not being able to provide that sort of thing for women. If we have any kind of discipleship training for men, we should also have it for women.
What do you wish more pastors understood about ministry to women?
As image bearers and co-laborers, we need to recognize that women are an essential part of the church. And as such, their shoulders need to be tapped to use their gifts, abilities, and influence in the church.
“We need to recognize that women are an essential part of the church. And as such, their shoulders need to be tapped to use their gifts, abilities, and influence in the church.” — Nora Allison Share on XThey need to realize all kinds of training—and especially theological training—is a necessity for women, not just men. It can’t be an afterthought. Pastors need to do all they can to make sure women are built up to feel comfortable in leadership roles and are challenged to grow into greater responsibility in their churches.
Too often, we have thought of women’s ministry as programs or social events to get the women together, and that’s not what women’s ministry’s about at all. It’s about helping people see where God wants them to be and get there. It’s about discipleship of our women. We’re not trying to build strong ministry programs for women. We’re trying to build strong women who can minister to other women. Programs can be useful, but they’re only a means. The key is focusing on the women and then using various means to disciple them and build them up.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
