{"id":8556,"date":"2017-10-24T10:00:57","date_gmt":"2017-10-24T14:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/?p=8556"},"modified":"2020-08-25T15:56:05","modified_gmt":"2020-08-25T19:56:05","slug":"should-you-cancel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/should-you-cancel\/","title":{"rendered":"Should you cancel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Your sign-ups are lagging.<\/p>\n

Last week only 2 women attended.<\/p>\n

The retreat\u2019s a month out, but you\u2019re less than half full.<\/p>\n

Should you cancel?<\/h4>\n

While I would never want to be a poor steward of church funds, I\u2019m of the mind that you should do everything possible not to cancel.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m assuming you prayed about this event before ever putting it on your church calendar. Right?<\/p>\n

God knew in advance who would and would not show up.<\/p>\n

Our job is to be obedient and to carry out the tasks He\u2019s given us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know this can be difficult when the numbers on paper are causing us to panic.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind:<\/h5>\n
    \n
  1. Women are notoriously slow<\/strong> to sign up for events. Keep working every publicity angle and trust the numbers will come.<\/li>\n
  2. Sometimes God is calling you or your team to have faith and trust Him<\/strong> with the outcome.<\/li>\n
  3. It\u2019s not about the numbers<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n
  4. Turn your panic into prayers. Maybe your team needs to be on your knees praying<\/a><\/strong> for women to register.<\/li>\n
  5. There are women who can\u2019t wait<\/strong>!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    After one of our moves, I signed up to attend an After the Boxes are Unpacked<\/a>\u00a0(affiliate link) book club for women who were new to the area. I couldn\u2019t wait for our first meeting! I was struggling and I knew these women would understand. But instead of sympathetic hugs I got the call that there wasn\u2019t enough interest. I wouldn\u2019t have cared if it was just three of us. I was absolutely crushed! I was so lonely and desperate to connect.<\/em> I took the snub personally and let my husband know that was one church we wouldn’t be visiting.<\/p>\n

    I was so encouraged by the responses of leaders on on Facebook<\/a> that shared about the divine appointments<\/strong> and sweet times of prayer and encouragemen<\/strong>t they had when only one or two women showed up. Don\u2019t miss those moments!<\/p>\n

    Embrace the opportunity God has given you.<\/h5>\n

    Show those one or two women that they are valuable and they are loved<\/strong>. God brought them there for you to love.<\/p>\n

    So is it ever okay to cancel?<\/h5>\n

    In certain circumstances, yes!<\/p>\n

    You should always cancel an event if:<\/h4>\n
      \n
    1. Your Pastor asks you to.<\/strong> Kindly ask questions if necessary, but submit to authority (see Hebrews 13:17<\/a>).<\/li>\n
    2. The weather makes travel dangerous.<\/strong> Make sure your women know how you\u2019ll communicate any weather related cancellations.<\/li>\n
    3. Continuing with the event would be a financial burden to the church. <\/strong>Be certain you gather\u00a0input from the Pastoral staff and Church Treasurer before making this call yourself. There may be funds you are unaware of or grace may be extended and a budget shortfall allowed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      But what if there’s a sentiment among the team, or even within yourself, that you should cancel and it’s not an issue of authority, weather, or finances?<\/p>\n

      How do you discern God’s direction from voices that whisper words of discouragement?<\/h4>\n
        \n
      1. Pray and listen.<\/strong> Don\u2019t skip this step! God is not surprised by this.<\/li>\n
      2. Seek wise counsel<\/strong> \u2013 including your Pastor, but also a mentor. Be open to input.<\/li>\n
      3. Gather input from your women\u2019s ministry team<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      4. Examine the pro\u2019s and con\u2019s<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      5. Proceed where there is unity and peace<\/strong> on the decision.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        If you have to cancel, you want to take great care in handling the cancellation or it could reflect badly on your ministry.<\/p>\n

        How to handle cancellations:<\/h4>\n
          \n
        1. Quickly confer with your team<\/strong> and enlist their help in communicating the cancellation.<\/li>\n
        2. Use every communication means possible<\/strong> to spread the word \u2013 phone, text, email, Facebook, website, etc. Hang on a sign on the church doors if at all possible.<\/li>\n
        3. Refund any money if you can.<\/strong> If you cannot issue refunds, make sure you state that on your registration form.<\/li>\n
        4. Cancel promptly, but not too early.<\/strong> Here in the South predictions and actual snowfall can vary widely. A forecast a week out would never be a reason to cancel.<\/li>\n
        5. Consider rescheduling.<\/strong> Depending upon the type of event and the anticipated attendance, you may wish to reschedule.<\/li>\n
        6. Frequently communicate your weather cancellation plan<\/strong> if cancellations are common in the area where you live. One Bible study group I attended had the policy that if the city schools were closed we would not meet. They always followed up with a reminder when we did have to cancel, but at least it wasn\u2019t a surprise.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          But what if your speaker cancels? What do you do?<\/h5>\n