It’s critical that we prepare and continue to grow in Christlikeness so we can reflect Jesus in our daily walks and certainly in our leadership. May I share some “lessons” God has taught me over the years? I don’t share these because I have mastered them but because I know they are important. God continues to work in these areas of my own life. There are a total of 10 lessons that I’ll share over the next few weeks. Today we’ll look at the first two:
Lesson 1: “Marbleize” Women’s Ministry
I first saw this phrase in an online article. Sharon Betters wrote that many women’s leaders “see [women’s ministry] as a program that is one layer of the church, rather than a vital ingredient that is marbleized into the whole community, an ingredient that is critical to the peace and prosperity of a local church and denomination.”
We must make sure we see women’s ministry as a part of the bigger picture of the church body and kingdom. If we create ministry that only focuses on itself, we miss the real reason God places unique ministries and individual passions into the church body. Women’s ministry must interlock with and support the other ministries of the local body of believers.
Lesson 2: Train Someone to Take Your Place
As leaders, we do not know how long we will be in the positions we now hold. God may move us or take us home at any time, so we must make sure we leave the ministry in trained, capable hands when that time comes. Each of us should spend time mentoring at least one leader to step into our shoes of leadership. For each women’s ministry position, a learner should be walking beside the leader and watching godly leadership in action. One of the first things Christ did in ministry was to train a team of 12 men to “follow” and then carry on the ministry when He would no longer be physically present.
As leaders we must model a servant’s heart and train others to be servants. We must also be teachable and enthusiastic about ongoing training. If we are not teachable, how can we continue to grow as followers of Christ and leaders of women’s ministry?
Always keep in mind that the ministry you lead is not yours. It’s not even the women’s ministry. It’s God’s ministry. We are privileged stewards of God’s kingdom work. Pass the vision on to the next generation, and model godly servant leadership for them.
This article is adapted from a chapter written by Chris Adams and found in Women Reaching Women: Beginning and Building a Growing Women’s Ministry compiled by Chris Adams.
