Christian Women Connection is the national women’s ministry for the Church of God – Anderson, Indiana. We provide women’s ministry resources to the Church of God and beyond to serve Christ through serving women and equipping them for ministry.
Developing a 
Women's Ministry
Women’s ministries are just like women…we come
in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Designing a women’s’ ministry is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Creating an environment where everyone feels welcome is a challenge! Be prepared to pray….a lot. Your efforts will be rewarded.
We all have our own individual personalities, but when we come together as a group, we develop a unique character or personality as well.
You may have many ministries to women in one church: Mom’s groups, fitness groups, Bible studies, missions-oriented, social justice-oriented, or community volunteer-based. All are vitally important. Some will be more formal in structure based on an officer format. Others may be loosely oriented around events - seasonal or special, with rotating leadership. Have fun discovering who you are or will become as a group! This resource will outline 3 key areas of focus to assist you in planning: spiritual development, relationships, and service.
Spiritual DevelopmentSurvey the women in your church (who may or may not be a part of your group). Discover their needs and plan your year around those needs.
Order the Program Resource Packet (PRP), Sister to Sister, or Women of Purpose Studies. Plan a time for your group to gather and learn together. (Samples of these studies have been included in your packet.)
Encourage your group to plan to attend a conference (the National Convention and /or check the dates for your regional or state convention/retreat). These events are great ways to get to know other women and hear from inspired speakers. Take advantage of the opportunities for training, sharing, and spiritual growth.
Read a book together as a group. A Thread of Hope is a great resource written by a number of women examining the role of women in Church of God Missions. There are any number of options. Be sure and choose one that will appeal to your group.
Relationships
Start meeting with your pastor. Ask how you can pray for him or her. Offer to partner with and support your pastor in ministry.
Encourage each woman in your group to mentor a younger woman. Explore ways to share your story (the PRP theme study is a great tool) with the younger women and listen to their stories.
Encourage women in the group to connect through partnerships ($ 10 – Basic, $20 – Challenge, and $100 – Lifetime). Encourage your group to provide for women who might not be able to give. Or give a gift of partnership for the year to encourage women to join.
Plan fun time with your group. Take a shopping trip, go out for dinner, or host a casual pizza party in your home. Meet at the local cafe’, attend a farmers/flea market, or explore a local park or museum.
Be faithful and involved in other ministries in your church. Always support your local community/fellowship and its ongoing ministry. This will help women to become familiar with you and make it easier to begin building relationships.
Service
Choose a few national projects to support through Christian Women Connection (Christ’s Birthday Observance, National Finance Project, Change the World, and the Connect One Campaign are just a few). Plan early and communicate the project to your women and your church. Make it exciting and challenge the women to meet a goal.
We provide an annual local and state project list of ministries we are highlighting. It’s full of missions projects that need support. Find one that is meaningful to your women and make a commitment to support it.
Adopt a local ministry (a local food pantry, women’s shelter, senior center). Schedule group times to volunteer at the site. It might mean folding clothes, doing dishes or stacking boxes.
As a group, volunteer to work with the youth at your church. Be a chaperone, offer to take pictures at an event, or offer to cook. Look for ways to connect with the young people.
Collect items for kits (see www.wchog.org for more information). There are kits for: babies, tools, sewing, school, toiletries (male and female), etc. Kits are distributed to various missions projects, both national and international. They are also used for disaster relief. Use your group time to assemble the kits and pray over each one.
Take the Next Step
We are excited that you are ready to the next step towards launching a women’s ministry. Everything will not be perfect and be prepared to change along the way. Some gatherings will be wildly successful and others…well, we call them learning experiences. Don’t be afraid to keep trying until you find what works for your group.
Please know that you are not in this alone. Christian Women Connection is here to support, encourage, and resource you any way we can. We have been in existence for more than 75 years, so we have plenty of successes and um…learning experiences to share. We pray daily for women just like you and we count it an honor. Click on the Resources link below for free downloads.