When I first heard that mom jeans were making a comeback, I admit I had a little panic attack. Memories filled my mind of my young mom days in the 1980s when I had a skinny waist from running after toddlers. Now, this grandmother will not be doing mom jeans! But the women’s minister in me quickly recovered and began thinking of other things from the mom jean decade that could be updated to reach today’s moms.
What were some of the women’s ministry events that worked in years past? Here are a few:
1. Mom Groups
Small groups of moms of all ages, studying the Bible together, and building a foundation for doing life. Childcare was available and the groups met for short chunks of time.
2. Informal Gatherings
Fun events for moms and their children. Sunday afternoon picnics for families, play dates at the park, brown bag lunch gatherings, and book clubs were great for encouraging moms.
3. How-To’s
Workshops and classes on parenting, marriage, finances, and learning to study the Bible on my own were things I craved.
4. Retreats and Events
Opportunities for moms to get away (on a budget!) and be spiritually refreshed and renewed.
The problems faced by moms may have changed, but the needs of moms have not. Moms need advice, encouragement, and guidance. They need to grow spiritually and become equipped in parenting skills. They need to build relationships with other moms; motherhood is easier with the support of others.
So how do we as women’s ministry leaders meet these needs in 2015?
- Be available. Make time in the schedule to encourage moms.
- Stay in touch. Whether through social media or face-to-face, investing time in the moms in your ministry is essential.
- Listen. Listen to them. Don’t just talk or tell them how to be moms.
- Pray. Pray for moms and with moms. Encourage others to pray for moms.
- Plan events efficiently. Keep them short, preferably during times when families are already at church.
Mom Event Idea
One of the things we’re doing in our women’s ministry is an event called “Jesus and Jeans,” related to the book, All I Need Is Jesus and a Great Pair of Jeans. For our event, we have enlisted Buckle (a nationwide retail store) to bring a variety of jeans and do fittings. Their specialty is finding the best type of jeans for every body shape (so many possibilities for spiritual application there!).
Decorations are minimal: jeans and T-shirts from Purchased, our local ministry to the sex trade industry, hung around the room and on the tables. Food is “jeans friendly” with a yogurt bar. After the food and fittings, a mom will share her story of how Jesus was her survival when her child died.
Whether we are into mom jeans or not, we can minister to moms by trying a variety of options to reach the most moms. In everything we offer, we need to stay focused on offering Jesus above all else. After all, that’s what moms need most — Jesus and great jeans.
Dr. Deb Douglas is the minister to women at First Baptist Church, Bossier City, La., and a Lifeway Ministry Multiplier, launched her first women’s Bible study at the age of 20. Her passion is encouraging and equipping women to serve. She is also a freelance writer and contributed to Transformed Lives: Taking Women’s Ministry to the Next Level, Revised & Expanded. Deb graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters of Arts of Christian Education/Women’s Ministry and a Doctor of Education in Ministry degree. She is the wife of Paul, mom of Jared and Katie, mother-in-law to Emily and Jacob, and grandmother to Caroline.