P... Women

Prepare Yourself

Spend time with Christ before spending time for Christ.

Prepare to Lead

Now is the time … to be led more by Jesus, to lead more like Jesus, and to lead more to Jesus.

• Pray
• Delegate and share – be a leader in a team
• Be well organised
• Be enthusiastic
• Encourage others to use their gifts
• Have perseverance

Prepare to Communicate

Have a genuine interest and concern for people. We need to love God and love people (1 Corinthians 13). Our hearts need to be right.

Who

• Kirk Session
• Members
• Potential members
• Other church organisations

How

• Kirk Session – request meeting to discuss how to develop women’s ministry and always summit the programme for apporval
• Members - offer friendship and encouragement
• Potential members – show a genuine interest
• Other church organisations – give and receive support as necessary
• Consider inviting someone to give a training session on public speaking
• Make sure everyone can hear – if necessary, have practice sessions using a microphone
• Dress informally
• Be organised and well rehearsed
• Have water available
• Look at people directly and smile
• Be relaxed, feet slightly apart, stand beside table
• Use ‘we’ instead of ‘you’
• Drama - it is essential to prepare and practice sketches if they are to be an effective tool in communicating

Prepare to Invite

• Personal invitation is probably the most effective way to encourage women to attend meetings and events
• Written invitations
• Church announcement
• Announcement sheets
• Posters
• Church newsletter
• Start your own newsletter
• Local press for special events

Email us your ideas and we can display them on our website!

Prepare the Programme

• Review the past year to identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Keep in mind Mission Statement and Aims.
• Use the Resource Pack – provides alternatives to having a speaker.
• Use opportunities provided by Christian calendar - Christmas, Easter.
• Use the talent from your Group where possible.
• Encourage one-off events or outreach events.

Prepare the Room

• Make sure the heating is on.
• Good seating arrangements - ensure there are enough seats out.
• Relaxed seating arrangements - create a friendly atmosphere, for example, set out tables ‘coffee bar’ style, set with cups etc.
• Good ambience – perhaps soft background music so that women don’t feel forced to chat.

Prepare to Welcome

• Have designated ‘welcomers’ who should look out for newcomers, introduce them to others, and try to place them beside someone who is happy to talk. Stress that this is a ministry in itself.
• Committee to act as ‘hostesses’ and come alongside women on their own.
• Welcome latecomers with a smile, and have extra seats for them.

Prepare Openings

• Have different people opening the meetings.
• Welcome and smile – the leader has to be glad to be there – it’s our hearts which affect the atmosphere.
• Aim of the opening devotions is to focus on God and worship Him.
• Opening prayer – adoration.
• Devotional, Bible reading and hymn should all be related.
• Devotional shouldn’t be too long - 3-4 minutes.
• Music – it’s not essential to sing; better not to sing if it’s not done well.

Prepare Business

• Try to keep business to a minimum during meetings – the Committee should try to plan as much as possible in advance.
• Where decisions have to be made, do this quickly - for example, have a show of hands.
• Have prepared sheets for outings etc.
• Draw up rotas for supper, welcoming, opening devotions.
• Make out a list of catering quantities, ideas for suppers, etc.
• Use discretion with regard to Visitors’ Nights – don’t over-burden members, and it’s better to decline invitations on the night your Church has its Bible