What…you might say! Ladies, since it’s not our ministry, only God knows how long we will be leading as we are now. He also knows who will come behind us and take the mantle.  He also knows we cannot and should not do ministry alone.

Who came before you to lead you? How long have you been in leadership? Did you even expect to be in the place of leadership you are in today?  Who trained you and who are you training?

Remember the first thing Jesus did once He began His earthly ministry? He gathered around him a group of 12 very unlikely men to disciple, train, and leave the ministry in the hands of after the crucifixion. He knew He would not be in that place for a long time and prepared for the future of the ministry once he was gone.

I have seen ministries with women die once a leader left. That should never happen. If we build teams of spirit-led godly leaders and trust them with responsibility, the ministry will grow. I am also aware of a ministry led by a director who had a heart attack just prior to a major event. She was able to come back part of the day during the event and I asked her how it all fell into place without her. She said her team didn’t even miss her. They took over and the event went so smoothly. She had trained them well. That is a mark of a great leader.

So, who are you pouring into who could take over if you moved to another city, or if the Lord took you home. That’s not morbid, that’s reality.

We also have to make sure that as the younger women come along, we are willing to let go of doing it “our way” and hand off well so that “future generations will know the Lord.” (Ps. 78:1-6)  Read more about the younger generations here.

Let’s pray for God to direct us to teachable women who in turn want to lead others to
lead others…..

Women Reaching Women

Ok, I know, you are tired of hearing that. But if you have been in ministry longer than a few months, you know that if you want to finish the race well, you will have to learn how to adjust daily, to the changing issues, needs, and times!

In this third of our life lessons for leaders we see that vibrancy and freshness of ministry depends on our not getting in to a ministry rut! Because it worked once does not mean it will work again. It might, but if it loses effectiveness there is always room to ask God what will make it more successful in terms of reaching and discipling women. Perhaps it only needs a tweak, perhaps it needs a complete overhaul, but if we are not flexible we won’t be willing to even ask God the question.

I have always loved the analogy of a rigid tree that does not bend. When the tornado comes it snaps.  If it’s flexible and bends with the wind, it is much less likely to break.

According to Branda Polk, in Five Stretches to Improve Your Flexibility,  “flexibility is defined as full range of motion around a joint.”  What happens when you exert physical effort and you do not have flexibility in your joints and muscles? Pain, tears, and other injuries. You have to exercise those body parts to keep them flexible. And you have to add new movements and exercises outside the comfort zone to improve the flexibility.

My pastor David Landrith, Long Hollow Baptist Church, Hendersonville TN said this as our 2008 women’s leadership forum: Do not lack flexibility. "God delights in pushing us out of our comfort zones so we learn to trust Him and be flexible," Landrith said. "The real challenge is to maintain the posture of ‘God, you tell us where to go and we will follow you.’" Click here to read the entire article.

What bends you out of shape the fastest?  A staff member booking something on top of the women’s event you scheduled on that date months ago? Take a look at the issues. Have you booked a speaker and paid a deposit? If so, then perhaps you need to sit and have an honest discussion with the staff person. If not, maybe you need to take a look purpose of each event. What is the potential reach of each one? Is one for a smaller target while the other would reach the entire church and possibly those in the community? Be willing to give it to God and let Him direct your heart and your efforts. He might even want you and your team to assist in the church-wide event in some way.

Awwww, you say, but our team spent time and effort on planning this. Here is a quick little assessment of your “flexibility quotient”.


Ask God what He says, and go with His, not your plan. Hard, yes, blessed, yes!  Remember that motto, if it hinders, don’t!  If fighting this battle would cause more harm than good, you know the answer. Only God can direct you, but as you truly seek Him and His will, He will certainly do that.

Women Reaching Women
 

Now that we’ve covered preliminaries and what NOT to do, let’s get into lesson one.  Sharon Betters wrote this in an online article, Women’s leaders “see it [women’s ministry] as a program that is one layer of the church, rather than vital ingredient that is marbleized into the whole community, an ingredient that is critical to the peace and prosperity of a local church and denomination.”  

As some churches move toward a more simple structure and ministries are called to support an overall purpose that umbrella’s the whole church, the ministries with women must more and more be willing to find creative ways of ministering to and with women in all aspects of the church, not just the “programs” assigned to the women’s ministry.

We must ask the question, where are the women in our church, and how can we as women’s leaders be a resource to those groups and leaders who are ministering to women. For instance, the church may have mostly co-ed small groups rather than segmented by male and female. As a women’s leader, can you make yourself available to those small group leaders in case they have a need in their group for someone to come alongside and minister to or disciple a woman? Can you provide helpful tools, information and resources to those leaders who want to help the women in their group? Perhaps you, or other leaders are willing to be “on call” as needed throughout the church to help women.

Continually watch for places you can offer assistance to other ministries in the church. Be willing to ask, “Is there some way our women’s leaders could assist with this event, outreach, or small group activity?”  

One church lost their Shoe Box ministry leader. No one seemed able or willing to head it up until the women’s ministry leader offered to assist. No one thought of asking her so she just volunteered. These leaders made a huge impact on the lives that were touched not only by those receiving the shoe boxes, but also by those who wanted to continue to be a part of this vital ministry.

Making the ministry with women available to needs outside their specific assignments shows they care more about the Kingdom than their program. If the goal is to help women know and grow in Christ, and help them find a place to serve in the Kingdom, then why limit that only to what is on your women’s ministry calendar?  I have seen a number of times the title change in the church from women’s ministry director to women’s resource director.  That means that this area of ministry has gained enough credibility that when there is a need regarding women, or where a women’s leadership would be beneficial, people know where to turn and who to ask.

As we see the bigger picture of ministry throughout the church, the community, and the Kingdom, we have the joy of interlocking with and supporting other ministries within the local church and those in their community.

See other helpful resources such as Women Reaching Women.

In the previous post, we talked about asking the right ministry questions and preparing ourselves spiritually for ministry. Now let’s consider the “what not” to do in ministry. As lead in a ministry area, we often learn more by our mistakes than we do our successes. Stop and just list a few of your own lessons from failure that impacted your life and ministry.

OK, I know this is taking the “negative” stance, but just go with me here.

1. Do NOT hide the vision. If God had called you to a ministry position, He must have given you a vision of how your investment can impact the Kingdom. Know what it is, write it down and read it regularly, then share it every opportunity you can as you relate to women.

2. Do NOT work alone.  Always ask God to raise up those who also grasp the vision of reaching and discipling women for Christ…those who will work along side you to accomplish that vision.

3. Do NOT focus the ministry only on one program or personality. If you do, what happens when that personality is not longer a part of the ministry? What happens if all your efforts are in one way of doing ministry, one program, and that program isn’t reaching the majority of women? Seek what God wants for each area of ministry with women and be flexible enough to be able to switch and change as He leads.

4. Do NOT focus on program rather than people. If we are all about the “program” then we are not watching and connecting with women to even know what their needs are and what is going on in their lives. If we fail to connect personally with women, we will not have effective ministry with women, even if all the “program” pieces are in place! For those of us who are task oriented, we have to be intentional in building relationships and surround ourselves with relational leaders to balance the tasks.

What other do NOTs can you think of that God has taught you? Please share them here. Watch for more “life lessons” posts coming soon. 

Further reading, Women Reaching Women.

As a leader, do you ever stop to think back over your life to those most profound life-changing lessons you have learned? I was once asked to speak on the topic, Top 10 Tips for Leaders. I began processing the things I felt were most important. The list eventually grew beyond 10 and became a chapter in our revised edition of the women’s ministry leadership book, Women Reaching Women.

But the lessons have not stopped there!  They continue daily. Right now, God has asked me to pray daily for Him to “break my heart for what breaks His” as the song says. And especially to pray for a heart for evangelism. I am not sure right now what He is going to teach me this year as I pursue that, but I am alert and watching!

This will be the first in a series for a new category, Life Lessons for Leaders. My prayer is that these lessons will help you as you lead women, and that you will begin to think about your own lessons and how to use those in ministry.

Before I actually begin with lesson one, let’s think about what it takes to lead well. Our own spiritual development is absolutely foundational to our leadership, and its effectiveness.  Sometimes I need to just ask myself a few questions, such as...Am I spending time in the Word daily? (2 Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 4:12)  Am I submitting to God’s authority? (Psalm 143:8)  Am I bathing everything in prayer? (Eph 6:18)  Am I becoming more like Him daily?(1 Peter 2:2-3, 2 Thessalonians 1:3)  My answers to these questions tell me the importance I put into my walk, especially as I lead other women.

Next I need to make sure I have a battle plan.  I must understand God and His power, and recognize and understand who the enemy is and what He desires to do as I follow Christ all while leading others to do the same. Here are some great scriptures to study in preparation for ministry: 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, Ephesians 6:11,14. Any leader who thinks she is immune to falling is a prime target for Satan. Just study Beth Moore’s  When Godly People Do Ungodly Things. She shares examples of leaders who never planned to fall but found themselves at the bottom of a filthy pit. Our influence as leaders can do so much to help OR harm the work of Christ.  We must be prepared and aware of our foe and examine each thought, use our Sword, flee the enemy, and ask God’s help as we put on His armor.

Temptation begins in the mind so guard it carefully (Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 4:8-9). I love Rick Warren’s quote from The Purpose Driven Life, “Every temptation is an opportunity to do good. On the path to spiritual maturity, even temptation becomes a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block when you realize it’s just as much an occasion to do the right thing as to do the wrong thing. God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing circumstances in which you are tempted to express the exact opposite quality. Character development always involves a choice. And temptation provides that opportunity.”

So, choose to pursue holiness as you lead women to pursue holiness. Be set apart and transparent with our own struggles, yet proclaim God’s faithfulness. We must be consecrated. (1 Peter 1:13-16, 2 Timothy 2:21).

Now, as we gear up, put on the armor and watch for God’s work in our lives, the next post in this series will talk about what God has taught me NOT to do in ministry!

Please share your life lessons with us so we can learn from you!