If you have read the book Simple Church by Dr. Thom Rainer and Dr. Eric Geiger, you may have been challenged to see how you might apply the principles to your ministry with women. Some who read the book think it means the church has to stop all but one or two ministries. That’s not the message. The main message is that we simplify the way we do ministry as a whole so that we don’t have “ministry schizophrenia”! Dr. Rainer shares that “simple means clear” and simple church is all about discipleship.
Perhaps as you have become so busy in your women’s ministry that you would LOVE to simplify! Where do you start?
According to the book Simple Church, “A simple church is a congregation designed around a straight forward and strategic process that moves people through the stages of spiritual growth.” (Simple Church, p. 60) If that is what we are looking for in our ministry with women, then perhaps we need to embrace this idea:
Process: CLARITY MOVEMENT ALIGNMENT FOCUS
“The leadership and the church are clear about the process (clarity) and are committed to executing it. The process flows logically (movement). The process is implemented in each area of the church (alignment). The church abandons everything that is not in the process (focus).” (Simple Church, p. 67-68)
Together as a team of women’s leaders:
1. Pray and ask God for clarification as you seek to simplify the ministry.
2. Restate clearly and often (or write for the first time) your purpose statement (why your ministry to women exists) which fits under the umbrella of the purpose of your church. It may just mean you need to clarify the purpose for women. This can also become your process statement if for instance yours is something like this: Reach women for Christ, Help women grow in Christ, Lead women to serve Christ.
3. Evaluate each ministry you currently oversee for women.
-What supports your purpose and what does not?
-Where are you seeing the most transformation in women’s lives?
-Where are you seeing the least transformation in women’s lives?
-Perhaps you need to meet individual ministry leader teams to have them discuss what is
working and what is not so they come to their own conclusions about the effectiveness of the ministry.
4. Eliminate what does not fit your purpose. You may have to do this slowly. Start with creating a dissatisfaction with the status quo and sharing the vision of reaching and growing more women for Christ. This is where you are aligning each ministry under your purpose and making sure it fits. Focus is important here because sometimes good things must be eliminated for the better things.
5. Continue to pray and ask God to direct you each step of the way as you lead women into deeper walks with Christ.
Help women see the process of moving from one place in their spiritual maturity to the next level. Expect change in women’s lives and challenge women to be transformed.
What do you need to do to simplify and focus your women’s ministry?
Resources:
Simple Church
