Here are a few of my favorite ideas, tips, tricks and books from 20 years as a Director of Women’s Ministry.
Small Group Welcome Survey Example
Learning some basic information when new small groups start can save misunderstanding later. Asking participants to answer a few basic questions the first day can help leaders structure the time to better meet the needs of a group. Here’s an example “Small Group Welcome” survey.
Small Group Ground Rules Sample
When starting new small groups, it’s helpful to establish expectations up front with a clear set of ground rules. Here’s a sample we’ve developed over 25 years of ministry.
Ministry Preparation Checklist
July is the time to start preparing for your fall Bible study. Are you overwhelmed by the details or don’t know where to start? Assuming your study starts in September, here’s my summer ministry preparation checklist.
Women’s Ministry Evaluation Sample
It’s always helpful to get feedback from your students at the end of a Bible study year. But evaluations can be a problem. If they are too short, your leaders don’t gain any useful information. If they are too long, few students will not fill them out. Here’s an example we’ve used at Wednesday in the Word that seems to find the right balance.
Basic Retreat Planning
Church women’s retreats offer one of the best opportunities of the church for women to step away from their daily responsibilities, rest and connect with other women in the church and spend some concentrated time learning more about the Lord. While retreats require a lot of planning, they are worth it in the long run.
How to handle too many announcements
Runaway announcements seems to be a particular problem of running a women’s ministry. How do you handle it? What kind of limits should you put in place? After 25 years, in women’s ministry, here’s the policy I’ve found best.
Making the most of registration forms
Registration is a chance to collect valuable information about your participants that can help you build small groups, evaluate the success of your program and plan for the future. Here are some questions you might want to include on your registration forms.
Women’s Ministry Survey Example
As a ministry leader, you often do surveys. But what questions should ask? Which questions solicit the best input? After 30 years in ministry — and countless surveys! — these are the questions I’ve found most helpful.
3 Women’s Retreat Sample Schedules
Planning a retreat means managing lots of details from logistics to decorations. Often the schedule gets overlooked or slapped together at the last minute. As a speaker, here are some sample schedules that I’ve seen work well for weekend retreats.
45+ Sample Icebreakers
Tired of the same old icebreakers? Are you using the same 3 interesting facts about yourself at every gathering? Here are some sample icebreakers to kick start your thinking.
7 Things to Remember When You Invite an Event Speaker
Here’s advice from an expert on how not to burn out your retreat speaker.
Criteria for evaluating a ministry
How do you know when a ministry is working? Numbers do not always reflect an accurate picture. These questions will help.
7 Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Leaders
Failed CEOs shared these 7 habits. What about leaders in the church?
Divine Secrets of the Yahweh Sisterhood
Becoming a believer is in some ways like becoming a Ya-Ya. When you become a believer, not only do you gain a vertical relationship with God, you gain a horizontal relationship with other believers.
