GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• The leader will assist the church in meeting the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual needs of women in their various stages of life and cultural diversity.
• The leader is to create an environment that encourages productivity, rewards effort and initiative, and provides a spiritual climate in which each woman can experience growth.
• The leader assesses the needs of the women in the church through surveys and interviews. She acts as chairperson for a Women’s Ministries committee to develop programs and activities to meet the needs identified through the surveys.
• The leader is an active member of the local church board disseminating information on women’s activities and harmonizing these activities with the larger church program. She works closely with the pastor and the local conference Women’s Ministries director.
• The church board or nominating committee selects the Women’s Ministries leader in the local church. Qualifications include a sensitive, caring nature, a clear spiritual understanding of God’s design for women, and a burden for women’s broad needs and concerns.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The major duties and responsibilities of the Women’s Ministries leader includes the following:
• Establish a Committee. The leader will work with the church board to establish a committee. The committee should be composed of women interested in the broad spectrum of women’s needs and concerns. The purpose of the committee is to brainstorm, develop strategies, and assist in planning programs and activities that relate to women’s specific and varied needs.
• Needs Assessment. The leader will work closely with her committee to survey the needs of the women in the local church and community. Survey questionnaires can be used to obtain this information.
• Program Development. The leader will work with her committee and the pastor to develop and implement Women’s Ministries programs or seminars, and network with existing support groups active in the church. She and her committee may decide to sponsor such programs as support groups for abused women, support for elderly members, single parents, health care, hygiene, time management, grief recovery, spiritual care (discipleship), witnessing, personal devotions, selfimprovement, and support for women married to non-believers, etc. Other activities may include prayer breakfasts, literacy programs, day care, and programs for the elderly.
• Chairperson of the Women’s Ministries Committee. It is the responsibility of the local church Women’s Ministries leader to chair the Women’s Ministries committee. She will encourage ideas and plans that maximize women’s contribution to the mission of the church. The chair will put together an agenda, moderate discussion, and facilitate group cohesion through personal sharing, prayer, and fellowship.
• Advocate of Women’s Concerns, Needs, and Contributions. It is the leader’s responsibility to keep the church membership informed of Women’s Ministries and its contributions to church life. This responsibility includes allotting time during personal ministries, announcement period, or Sabbath school to share with the congregation at large. This responsibility includes being a liaison between the women of the church and the church board members, assisting the board members to keep in view the needs of the women in the church and recognizing the Women’s Ministries as a significant and vital part of church growth and church dynamics. 

RESOURCES

The conference Women’s Ministries director is responsible for providing resources for the local church leaders. The Women’s Ministries leaders at the union level provide training seminars for Women’s Ministries leaders, and the Women’s Ministries director at the division level is available for organizational assistance, training meetings, encouragement, and resources. It is important for local leaders to attend basic training sessions sponsored by the local conference. Women’s Ministries is committed to reaching the community, discipling people, and nurturing our members around the world.