Tips for a brand new womens ministry leader
So, you’re a new ministry leader! Congratulations! What are the elements of being a strong womens ministry leader? Organization, humility, and servant leadership are just a few important characteristics of a new womens ministry leader or new ministry leader. There is no one-size-fits-all description, but here are some tips for new ministry leaders.
NOTE: I’m leaving the apostrophe off of the word “women’s” intentionally.
Whether you are surprised by being a ministry leader or have hoped for it for some time, you’re going to find that being a ministry leader will stretch you in ways that will make you a stronger leader and a stronger Christian. That’s a good thing, although it may not always feel good.
You’ll be a stronger leader because a leader is only worth their salt when they lead.
Being a ministry leader allows you to lead an effort while discovering new and wonderful methods and practices along the way. Speaking of practice, now that you are a ministry leader, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to do just that.
Let’s be frank.
News Flash!
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No one becomes a new ministry leader understanding and knowing everything there is to know. It is a learning experience for everyone.
Even if you’ve led ministries before, no to ministries of the same; each experience will require something different from you. This is good because it keeps you relying on God instead of becoming arrogant or exceedingly confident in your abilities without Him.
Tips for womens ministry leader include:
Did becoming a womens ministry leader surprise you?
All this is well and good, but what if you didn’t apply for this job? What if you were volunTOLD to lead a ministry?
That can be a difficult position to be in. But I want you to see it as an opportunity more than something to be feared.
Think about it.
Every leader in the Bible who accomplished something great didn’t necessarily step up to the position. The Lord placed them there.
When God places you somewhere, you’re meant to be there. No one can take that spot from you, and no one can do it any better.
God has a way of anointing people to do exactly what He wants them to do. There’s an old saying that expresses the sentiment.
It’s something like God equips those He calls rather than calling the equipped. Don’t worry. The Lord will give you exactly what you need to accomplish what He wants to accomplish with the ministry He has called you to.
As a brand new womens ministry leader, please trust Him to help you and guide you. I promise He will.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Think positive, faith-filled thoughts, Womens Ministry Leader!
Now is the time to silence all the negative voices that if held you back in the past. By silencing them, I mean ignoring them.
Everyone has doubts and questions their own ability from time to time.
The difference between those people and people who do absolutely nothing is they do not listen to those voices or give them more power or authority than they should.
In other words, they do what they have to do, and they do it afraid. You will have to do exactly the same thing. Even though you may be shaking in your boots, walk those boots to the head of the table and start your meetings and ministry efforts.
Pray, be yourself, and move forward in Jesus’ name.
Go easy. Go slowly.
Take your time making big changes.
When you first join your new ministry, ease your way in.
Don’t change everything at once, or get rid of people immediately.
No, I have some comments about structuring your team that I’ll discuss in the next paragraph. But the first couple of months or so go easy. Take your time to see who your strong team members are and what was done before you got there.
For sure, I like to use those early months to build upon the success of the previous leader. That builds some confidence in me from the team because it demonstrates that I value the leader who preceded me.
I also will use the first few months just to get to know the team as a whole and the team members individually.
I’ll schedule meetings that will look more like icebreaker sessions. I will explain to them that I want us to get to know one another, and I want to see who they are and them to see who I am. Most people appreciate this.
The work will always be there. Take time first to bond with your new team.
Begin Your Program Planning Process
Start accumulating a planning pathway for the womens ministry. Now is the time to work on your women’s ministry goals and objectives, vision statement, and mission statement. I’ve linked to women’s ministry posts on this site that can help.
Choose positive people to help you as a womens ministry leader.
I remember meeting with the team when I took over a womens ministry at our church. The team was the same team the previous leader utilized. One of the first things I said at the meeting was that I would keep everyone at the table for a while; however, if they do not fit my leadership style, I will ask some (or all) to step down at some point.
This may sound harsh, but the truth of the matter is an entrenched team inhibits progress. I had been a leader long enough to know that people who are entrenched are stuck in old leadership styles and like to throw a monkey wrench in every effort the new leader proposes.
The same is true in business. Have you ever noticed that when a company merges with another company or a new leader takes over, they fire a whole bunch of people? It’s because they understand what I’m talking about here.
An entrenched team will get in the way of you moving forward and actually being productive. You’ll be so busy nurturing their silliness, trying to earn their faith, and explaining yourself that you won’t get as much done as you would with a team of your choosing.
Pray about what God wants you to do. But don’t be afraid to make tough decisions. One thing I often said immediately after assuming leadership of that ministry was, “No one has to be here. This is a volunteer experience. Feel free to step down if there’s something you do not like. I will understand.”
In seeing this, I was making a strong leadership statement but also trying to remove any guilt about someone feeling compelled to stay if they did not want to.
Read my Womens Ministry Leader Job Description
Interview candidates – don’t accept anyone as a ministry volunteer
Often, people will accept any “warm body” as a volunteer. As a new womens ministry leader, you are going to be selective and trust God to send you quality people.
This is a very bad idea because quality matters. Managing volunteers is very much like managing staff members. It’s okay to have expectations of volunteers and be selective in who you choose.
Here are some womens ministry interview questions to ask a potential new volunteer:
Tell me about yourself.
Walk me through your womens ministry experience.
Why do you want to work in womens ministry?
What role do you want to perform?
What are your greatest strengths?
What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
What is your greatest ministry achievement?
Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work and how you dealt with it.
Tell me about a time you demonstrated leadership skills.
What’s a time you disagreed with a decision that was made? How did you handle it?
Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
Tell me about a time you failed miserably. What was the outcome?
Describe your commitment level to this ministry.
What types of leaders do you admire and work with?
Walk Confidently in Your Role
Hold your head high and fake confidence if you must, Womens Ministry Leader! Just keep moving forward!
Walk confidently in your new role. Don’t make apologies or feel that you have to be overtly meek. Of course, you must be humble because that is commanded of us. But I’ve seen new leaders communicate in ways that were almost apologetic in tone. NO!
You stand up straight, stick your chest out, and walk confidently in your new appointment!
Your team needs to see you walk confidently even if you don’t feel it. That’s why it is so important to know who your Source is! It’s God. It’s a Jesus Christ! He put you there so you walk boldly in that calling!
Your team needs to see you confident! It gives them confidence. So do not hold your head down. Walk as a leader and pray that God gives you insight and wisdom to do what you need to do for His glory.
Final tips for new womens ministry leaders:
- Be patient with yourself. You’ll have a lot to learn, and there will be time to learn it.
- Find a scripture to build your confidence when you need confidence. Find a scripture and like the one below:
Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, …equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- Observe the team dynamics in those first few months. See who you’re in formal leaders are. Informal leaders tend to be people who don’t have an official leadership role, but everyone listens to them. You know the ones.
- Also, watch how decisions are made and who your “standouts” are.
That’s it, Christian Woman.
Hold your head erect, knowing God has got you covered and will help you every step of the way. Faith is trusting Him when you don’t know what is happening, what you’re doing, or what will happen. Activate. Your faith today!
Let Elisabeth Elliot tell you about trusting God. She is one of the forerunners of our Christian faith. If you have never heard her Bible teaching, you’re in for a treat!
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