in this presentation…

In this presentation…

Real Life – Leading with strength

Real Vision – Being led by the Spirit

Real Women – Connecting with your women

Real Ministry – Ministering to your women

for

in

with

REAL LIFE

“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

REAL LIFE

I can have a full and simple life, which means I stick to doing God’s will each day and eliminate those things that sidetrack me from running the race marked out for me.

REAL LIFE

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

REAL LIFE

How shall we run?

1. Run unhindered

2. Run with perseverance

3. Run focused

REAL LIFE = Running Unhindered

1. Run unhindered means with a Pure Heart.

“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Proverbs 28:13

REAL LIFE = Running Unhindered “If I had cherished sin in

my heart, the Lord would

not have listened; but God has surely

listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Psalm 66:18-20

Let’s prayerfully examine our hearts. To be effective leaders, we need to lead with a pure heart.

REAL LIFE = Run with Perseverance Run with perseverance means with

Spiritual Consistency.

“Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4

REAL LIFE = Run with Perseverance Jesus gives us this

simple analogy to illustrate our need for continual spiritual replenishment. Jesus quite clearly states that we cannot bear fruit unless we remain in him.

How are you presently nurturing your spiritual life?

Active! Operative! Energizing! Effective!

What signs of spiritual transformation

(2 Corinthians 3:18)

are you seeing right now?

REAL LIFE = Run Focused

3. Run focused means with a Christ-Centered Life.

“I hope…to send Timothy to you…I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interest, not those of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 2:19-21

REAL LIFE = Run Focused

Paul made it his goal to please his Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9). No wonder he mentioned this trait when he saw it in Timothy! This is the focus our Lord delights to see. He himself said that he sought not to please himself but him who sent him (John 5:30).

What is your motive for leading Women Ministries?

Do you have a genuine interest for the women you lead?

REAL LIFE REVIEW…

To run the race marked out for us in both LIFE and MINISTRY, we need to run with:

A Pure Heart; Spiritual Consistency and A Christ-Centered Life

Letter Moment:

REAL VISION

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make our paths straight.”Proverbs 3:5-6

“We should not underestimate the power of a dream, or the force of a vision. Without it, the church is destined for mediocrity and ineffectiveness. With it, the opportunities are unlimited.” – Dr. Henry Klopp

REAL VISION

REAL VISION

WHAT?!

WHY?!

HOW?!

REAL VISION

THE BIG THREE!!

#1 – WHAT do we want to see?

#2 – WHY do we exist?

#3 – HOW do we do this?

REAL VISION

#1 WHAT do we want to see?

God’s kingdom advance!

What does JESUS want to see?

REAL VISION

WOMEN MINISTRIES:

REAL VISION

#2 WHY do we exist:

To equip women to GROW,

SERVE, andREACH OUT

with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

REAL VISION

#3 HOW do we do this?

in transformational relationships, and…

UNITING them in Christ to impact our world.

CONNECTING WOMEN

Importance of connecting

A woman needs to form six relationships in six months for her to connect with a church. (Barna’s research)


Family of four: The husband… The kids… The wife…


3 THINGS WOMEN WANT:

Someone to care A place to belong Significance =

making a difference, importance, having worth

REAL VISION REVIEW

What are the three big questions?What do we want to see? Why do we exist?How do we do this?

What are the TWO KEY WORDS??Connecting Women!!!

Letter Moment:

What is God saying to you – write your response in your letter in these quiet moments.

REAL WOMEN

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all the parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”

1Corinthians 12:12

REAL WOMEN

STEP ONE: Identify your women.

What are the demographics of your church?

REAL WOMEN

THE GOAL:Contextualized and diversified women

ministries that advance God’s kingdom.

Contextualized: “According to the unique context of your church”

Diversified: “ According to the needs and interests of your women”

REAL WOMEN

Let’s recognize some different orientations that affect our interests and needs:Race/CultureGenerationsEmployment stageRelational stageParenting stage

REAL WOMEN

RACE/CULTURE:

1. African American

2. Asian American

3. European American

4. Hispanic American

5. Native American

6. Non-American

What % of each can you identify in your church? Create your own pie chart!

REAL WOMEN

GENERATIONS:

1. Builders (1922-1943)

2. Boomers (1944-1962)

3. Busters (1963-1978)

4. Millennials (1979-1984)

5. iGens (1985- )

What % of each can you identify in your church? Create your generational pie chart!

REAL WOMEN

EMPLOYMENT STAGE:

Full time Part time At home Mom Not employed Retired

What % of each can you identify in your church? Create your relational pie chart!

REAL WOMEN

RELATIONAL STAGE:

1. Single without kids

2. Single with kids

3. Married

4. Widowed


REAL WOMEN

PARENTING STAGE:

1. No children

2. Pre-schoolers

3. Grade schoolers

4. High schoolers/college

5. Adult children

6. Grandchildren

7. Elderly parents


REAL WOMEN

STEP TWO: Understand your women.

What are the perspectives these women have?

BUILDERS BOOMERS BUSTERS MILLENNIALS

1 Silent Generation, Traditionalist generation

Generation X, 20 Somethings

Nexters, Generation Y

2 BIRTH DATE 1922 - 1943 1944 - 1962 1963 - 1978 1979 - 1984

3FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES

The Great Depression Pearl Harbor Rationing D-Day Atomic Bomb

Civil Rights Assasinations Space Race, moon landing Kent State Nixon administration

Roe vs. Wade Challenger disaster Fall of Berlin Wall AIDS

Oklahoma bombings Internet access available School shootings Clinton scandals World Trade Center

4 (WAR)World War II Korean War

Cold War Viet Nam War Persian Gulf War

War on Terrorism War in Iraq

5 MUSICBig Band Swing

Rock 'n Roll Pop

Alternative/Rap MTV

Ska Eclectic

6 FAMILY Close family Dispersed family Latch key kids Looser family structures

7 MOTHER Homemaker mother Working mother Single mother Single mother/single father

8 MARRIAGE Married once Divorced/remarried Single parent/blended family Undetermined

9 EDUCATION IS… …a dream …a birthright …a way to get there …an incredible expense

10 CORE VALUES

Hard work Consistency and uniformity Law and order Respect for authority Patriotism Adherence to rules Honor Duty before pleasure Dedication/sacrifice

Driven and dedicated Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Health and wellness Personal growth Training and education Work Involvement

Diversity Global thinking Balance between home/work Techno-literacy Fun Informality - casual Self-reliance Pragmatism Seeking sense of family

Diversity Optimism Civic duty Confidence Achievement Sociability Morality Street smarts Multi-culturalism

11 WORKWork hard Earn right to retire and play

Work hard and long Work is life

Work is 9 to 5 There is life beyond work

Don't let work interfere with life

12

HOW THEY DRIVE OTHER GENERATIONS CRAZY

Boomers nuts by quoting from policy manual. Busters by "But we've always done it this way." Millennials by "You need to pay your dues."

Builders by using profanity, being too personal. Busters by talking about "way it was" in the sixties. Millennials by their hedonism and self-centeredness.

Builders by breaking the rules. Boomers by their disregard for authority. Millennials by their optimism.

Intimidate Builders by their techno-literacy. Boomer with their brutal honesty. Busters with their integrity and morality.

13HOW THEY VIEW EACH OTHER

See Boomers as too blunt and disrespectful, See Busters as unethical, cynical, poor interpersonal skills. See Millennials as very young and demanding.

See Builders as inflexible, overly cautious, and living in the past. See Busters as selfish, manipulative and aloof. See Millennials as impatient and unrealistic.

See Builders as over the hill, rigid, obsequious and naïve. See Boomers as workaholics, without a life, and obsequious. See Millennials as too young, smug and overly moralistic.

See Builders as patriotic, moral, good role models and slow. See Boomers as immoral and materialistic. See Busters as not as good with technology as they think, cynical and self-centered.

14 SOCIAL ORIENTATION "We" (inclusive group) "Me" "Us" (multiple We's) "All of us" (interconnected)

15 VIEW OF GOD God is part of the program Is there a God? Which God? Plurality, tolerance

16 CE DISTINCTIVES Programs Small groups Narrative, story Multi-sensual

17PREPARING THE SETTING

In church, chairs in rows, people facing a podium

In church, chairs in circle, people facing each other.

In restaurant meeting over a meal. In homes, sitting on the floor.

18 ATTITUDE TO GODGod is distant but approachable

God is familiar, we can feel his power work through us

God is friend, guide, companion, healer

God is the nation builder, provider and protector

19 CHURCH STYLE

Functional, aesthetic downplayed; cold, draughty because church isn't supposed to be comfy; built from great blocks of concrete

Professional approach; look like a campus with office park gardens, education centers

Meet in barns and warehouses; same sort of places you meet for raves; they're practical, flexible, adaptable buildings

Will want aesthetically pleasing buildings, elegant and technologically wired

20 GOD IS…

The God of truth where I find right and wrong: good and evil

Rampant, powering through the universe, a God of vengance and justice.

Healing, protecting, nurturing, guiding, the "mother" of God

Our Father, the nation builder, provider and protector

21 STYLE OF WORSHIP

Quiet, reverential. "Be still and know that I am God" approach

It's a Big Message so spread it in a Big Way. Slick, professional.

Intimate, non-judgemental, personally connect with my God

Integrate all the spiritual threads of my life. Wants to explore other religious traditions.

22 CHURCH MUSICHymns and organ, add a brass section

Rock 'n Roll religion with James Brown Sixties type music. Militant, forceful, sing about greatness of God. Electrical instruments, keyboards and drums.

Sing TO God and not about him, less reverential, more familiar with emphasis on the personal. Simple, unplugged accoustic sound.

Quite eclectic and merging a lot of the different sounds. Computers and synthesizers.

23 IN CHURCH

Wear formal attire, always sit in the same seat and speak to the same people. Seldom meet anybody new.

Gregarious, like to sit in big groups of friends they know well. Speak up if given half a chance to do so.

Individualistic. Prefer small group ministries with people they can be real and authentic with. They like the "home church" movement.

Will move back into a large group ethos and will create music and hymns that deal with achievements and victories.

24 QUESTIONS ASKED Is it right? Is it helpful? Is it real? Is it sensitive?

25 POSTURE Guardians Consumers Skeptics Heroes

26 FEAR Loss of control Irrelevancy Not wanted Apathy

27 CONNECTION POINT Am I respected here? Am I growing here? Do I belong here?Can I make a difference here?

28 NEED Orthodoxy Excellence Authenticity Activity

29 OUTLOOK Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful

30 WORK ETHIC Dedicated Driven Balanced Determined

31 VIEWS AUTHORITY Respectful Love/Hate Unimpressed Polite

32 LEADS BY Hierarchy Concensus Competence Pulling together

33 RELATIONSHIPS Personal sacrifice Personal gratification Reluctant to commit Inclusive

34 TURNOFFS Vulgarity Political incorrectness Cliché, hype Promiscuity

Resources:

"Generational Differences," Compiled by Dennis Gaylor, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, April 2002.

"The Issue of Generational Differences in the New Millennium," Dr. William R. Carden, The Carden Group, July 2007.

"Generation to Generation," The Leadership Network, 1994.

"Understanding the Generations," tomorrowtoday.boz, 2004.

"The Generations in Church," Lifeway - Biblical Solutions for Life, Lifeway Christian Resources, 2003.

REAL WOMEN

“One size does not fit all.”

Builders desire programs. Boomers desire participation. Busters desire purpose. Millennials desire passion.

REAL WOMEN

Ministry Ministers mostly to:1

2

3

Now think of three ministries. To which generation group

does each minister?

REAL WOMEN

The gospel message is the same, but we need to communicate it in ways for all generations to hear and respond.

“For the Lord is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

Letter Moment:

REAL MINISTRY

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts then into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

REAL MINISTRY

How do we make sure we build upon the rock?

Pray and Pray some more!

REAL MINISTRY

John 15:5 – “Apart from me you can do

nothing.”

This cannot be emphasized enough! ONLY as we remain in intimate fellowship with Jesus will we be able to discern what He wants us to do.

REAL MINISTRY

John 15:7 – “If you

remain in me and my

words remain in you, ask

whatever you wish, and it

will be given you.”

John 15:16-17 – “You

did not choose me, but

I chose you and appointed

you to go and bear fruit,

fruit that will last. Then

the Father will give you

whatever you ask in my

name.”

REAL MINISTRY

“Your system is perfectly designed to get the results you’re getting.”

“If we always do what we’ve always been doing, we’ll always get what we’ve always got.”

Mission Statement

HOSPITALITY

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

VISION

PRAYER

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

GLOBAL

CMJ

GR

OW

TH

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

Ministry

REAL MINISTRY

ASK THESE QUESTIONS OF EACH MINISTRY:

What is its Primary Purpose?

Why are we doing this? Does everyone know its primary

purpose?

“…intent on one purpose.” Philippians 2:2

Let’s practice!

REAL MINISTRY

Ministry Purpose:1

2

3

Set Goals for each ministry.

Two types: Faith affect our

prayer journals ;

Work affect our

day planners/Blackberry.

Let’s talk about it!

REAL MINISTRY = Setting Goals

REAL MINISTRY

Possible reasons a ministry did not fulfill its purpose:

1. It needs better publicity.2. Its purpose needs to be more clearly

communicated.3. It needs time to develop.4. It needs to be revised to reach its target

group.5. It has become my ministry and not the

Lord’s.

REAL MINISTRY = Team Work

Meets regularly to consider how it can “spur one another on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24) to advance God’s kingdom with all ministries having voice on the team.


Assess the women of their church. Identify and understand their

uniqueness. Build ministries for those people.

Identify people with a passion for a ministry and empower them to do it.

Confirm all ministries annually.

REAL MINISTRY = Team WorkQuestions teams should ask themselves;

1. Are we advancing God’s Kingdom….or just maintaining it?

2. Are you an organizer or a minister?3. Are we receiving ministry or providing

ministry? 4. Are we a tradition or are we on a

mission?


Understanding our differences and unique spiritual gifts.

Affirm each other’s strong points (Romans 12:3-8)

Build up (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and encourage each other

REAL MINISTRY = Conflict

CONFLICT WILL HAPPEN! Turning unhealthy conflict, into healthy conflict:

Clarify! Clarify! Clarify! Go to the source. Direct communication preferably the same

day, but at least within 1 week. Bring in a third person who is neutral to the

conflict (Matthew18:15-20) Treat one another with love and forgiveness. PRAY together and give it to the Lord!

REAL LIFE, REAL VISION,REAL WOMEN,REAL MINISTRY

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me….I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12,14

This materials has been developed by the Department of Women Ministries of the Evangelical Covenant Church. Permission is granted for the reproduction and distribution of these materials for study use by a congregation. Reproduction or utilization of this material for other use or sale is prohibited.

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