Presbyterian Women (PW) is an organisation for women within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI). There have been women’s organisations within PCI for over 130 years. PW incorporates the former Presbyterian Women’s Association and the former Young Women’s Groups with a total membership of around 14,000 within 500 groups. PW Groups are envisaged as women’s fellowships in which women are encouraged to become Christians and to become Christ-like. In addition to supporting mission at home and overseas, each group is to seek ways of actively reaching women in its own area for Christ.
Motto: Living for Jesus
Logo: The circle around the cross represents women whose lives are centred on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mission Statement and Aims:
Presbyterian Women encourages women to become disciples of Christ.
Presbyterian Women aims to highlight the need for:
1. Love and unity
2. Obedience to God
3. Christian living and spiritual maturity
4. Service using gifts, time and money
5. Local and global mission
PW Groups
Many congregations have a group to provide fellowship and encourage women of all ages to become disciples of Christ as they seek to fulfil the aims of PW. Each PW Group plans its own programme of meetings and events. Groups support the work of PW prayerfully and financially. Personal giving is usually found to be the most successful means of raising money, either through gift envelopes or mission boxes. All proceeds from these are allocated to the Mission Fund for Home and Overseas. Mission boxes are available from the PW Office. |
PW LINK
Living... Inspiring... Nurturing... for the Kingdom
Each PW LINK brings together members of PW at Presbytery level. It seeks to equip, enthuse and empower women to serve Christ. A PW LINK organises events for women at Presbytery level and acts as a link between the PW Central Committee and PW Groups in churches, facilitating the circulation of information and ideas to strengthen and equip each group.
PW Forum
The PW Forum allows the work of PW to be considered in an atmosphere of worship. It brings together representatives from each PW LINK and seeks to motivate, educate and support those planning and running LINK meetings and events. The PW Forum normally meets twice each year. The September Forum aims to enthuse members at the beginning of a new session and the February Forum gives advance notice of the following year’s theme.
PW Central Committee
This is the decision-making body of PW. It seeks to encourage prayer and fellowship, promote spiritual growth and educate regarding mission at home and overseas. The members of this committee represent each LINK and they serve on the Mission Overseas, Mission in Ireland and Social Witness Boards of PCI. The committee also elects three Office Bearers: President, Home Vice-President and Overseas Vice-President. The PW Central Committee allocates grants from the Mission Fund for Home and Overseas to support the work of missionaries and deaconesses. Each year a different theme is chosen and each PW Group is provided with a resource pack with suggested programmes and ideas to use. Some recent themes have been Come and See, Servants of the King, Rooted in Christ and Going for Gold.
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