As a women’s ministry leader, you’ll consistently see many of the women in your church at least once a week on Sundays. Depending on their involvement in other activities throughout the week, you may see some of them 2-3 times. But what about the other days of the week? How can you stay connected and encourage those you lead to focus on the Lord in the busyness of their daily lives?
Here are a few ideas for reaching out to women between Sundays.
1. Send a text.
This is the go-to form of communication for many today. While at times it’s impersonal and not the best way to communicate, often a text message is a great way to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Did you pray for a specific woman today? Send her a text and let her know. Are you encouraging women to memorize a particular Scripture this week? Send the verse to them and remind them to keep memorizing.
2. Mail a card.
In the age of text messages, Facebook, email, and FaceTime, handwritten notes have fallen to the wayside. Why not bring it back? Send a couple notes every week to different women in your church. Does someone have a birthday coming up? Send her a card. Is a woman going through a disheartening season? Write her a note of encouragement. What about those who are leading alongside you? Thank them with a brief letter in the mail. The notes you send don’t have to be long or fancy, but when she checks her mailbox and finds an unexpected card from you, it will bring a smile to her face and remind her she’s loved and appreciated.
3. Make a phone call.
Pick up the phone and check in with individual women periodically. If you know of a difficult day coming up for someone, call her that day or the evening before and pray for her over the phone. Did you hear some great news? Call and celebrate with her. A phone call from you will mean a lot to her.
4. Meet for coffee.
Create a plan for meeting with women individually. You don’t have to meet with every woman every week, but think of some ways you can start to connect with individuals on a more consistent basis. Perhaps try meeting with women on your leadership team once a month or once a quarter. Or maybe focus on getting to know those who have recently started attending your church. Use this time to hear about what’s going on in her life and how you can be a source of support for her.
5. Invite others to help.
If you serve in a larger church and lead a lot of women in your ministry, it’s impossible to personally connect with each one. And that’s OK! Invite other leaders to help you. Make this an expectation for those leading Bible studies. Did you talk with a woman on Sunday about a particular struggle or difficult circumstance? Consider connecting her with one of your leaders who has been through a similar experience. How about young woman who could benefit from the encouragement of a wise, older woman? Encourage a mentoring relationship.
What are some other ways you can stay connected with women in your church between Sundays?
Tessa Morrell is the editorial manager at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tenn. In addition to her role on staff as a writer and editor, she also has the joy of serving as a volunteer leader of a small group of young adult women each week. That’s one of the things Tessa is most passionate about: studying God’s Word with women of all ages. Before starting her job at Brentwood Baptist, Tessa served in various roles with Lifeway Christian Resources as a camp staffer, camp intern, and editor of devotions and curriculum for students. She continues to work with Lifeway as a freelance writer and editor.
