{"id":3339,"date":"2015-01-06T10:00:45","date_gmt":"2015-01-06T15:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/?p=3339"},"modified":"2017-03-01T14:37:17","modified_gmt":"2017-03-01T19:37:17","slug":"the-first-thing-you-must-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/the-first-thing-you-must-do\/","title":{"rendered":"The First Thing You Must Do in Your Women’s Ministry This Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Sunday morning in church God put an exclamation point on something\u00a0He\u2019s been wanting me to challenge other women\u2019s ministry leaders with.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say I\u2019m sorry if I step on your toes, but I\u2019m really not. I hope I do. It\u2019s that important. Will it make it better if I say I’m doing it in love?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This challenge is painfully real for me and my family as our recent move has us hunting (again) for a new church home.<\/p>\n

You would be shocked by the lack of welcome we have received as we have visited churches. I cannot tell you how many times we\u2019ve visited churches, both small and large, and not a single person has welcomed us<\/strong>. And we don\u2019t scoot in late. In smaller churches it hurts even more because you know they know you aren\u2019t a regular.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0pastor nailed it on Sunday when he said there are people that feel like they are on the outside looking in<\/strong>. Our family has been stuck there for the last year.<\/p>\n

Ya\u2019all, there are women in your church who feel like they are on the outside looking in<\/strong>. And it\u2019s not just the new girl<\/a>. There are women who have been attending your church for YEARS that are lonely and feel disconnected.<\/p>\n

\"On<\/a><\/p>\n

It would break your heart to know the depths to which they just want someone to acknowledge them. To invite them to an event. To spend a few minutes getting to know them.<\/p>\n

Ladies, you and your team must be intentional on Sundays (and other church days) to build relationships and seek out new faces.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

So how do we go about building relationships and seeking out new faces?<\/em><\/p>\n

Ask God to give you eyes to see the faces of folks you don\u2019t know on Sunday mornings.<\/strong> If your church is too big to distinguish long-time attendees from guests say, \u201cI don\u2019t believe we\u2019ve met before.\u201d<\/p>\n

At one church we visited a guy chatted with us for just a minute in the elevator. Rather than awkward silence, he made us feel welcome. You wouldn\u2019t believe the impact small talk can have.<\/p>\n

\"We<\/a><\/p>\n

Beyond being a welcoming church community, why is this so important?<\/em><\/p>\n

People want their presence to matter. <\/strong>And it does! But sometimes we forget to show it.<\/p>\n

Women are more likely to come<\/strong> to your events and activities and connect with other women if they\u2019ll know someone. It is hard, really hard, to go to a women\u2019s ministry event knowing no one. I\u2019ve done it and it was hard for me!<\/p>\n

The more women you know, the easier it will be to fill openings on your Women\u2019s Ministry Leadership Team and volunteer spots for your event. Not only will you have a sense if they are the right woman for that particular position, but you\u2019ll have a foundation on which to build.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s my challenge \u2013 to you and your team \u2013 every single Sunday for the next year I want you to make an effort to build relationships.<\/strong><\/p>\n