Intergenerational Women’s Ministry:

Not a Program, but a Mindset

Darcy Paape

Background and Experience

O High School English/Theology teacher 4yrs O Associate in Ministry (Youth, Family, and

Campus ministry) 5yrs Portland, OR. O Campus Ministry Assistant at Concordia

University Wisconsin- 5th year O Director of the Women’s Leadership

Institute at Concordia University Wisconsin- 1st year

O Current role O The Director of the Women’s Leadership

Institute O The mission of the Women’s Leadership

Institute is to educate, encourage, and equip women for Christian leadership in the home, church, workplace, and world.

O Concordia Wisconsin’s Campus Ministry Assistant

O CUW Campus Ministry points the campus to Christ by connecting students in Christ-centered relationships, Gospel-motivated service, and Christian leadership development

A story about messy ministry

Bringing it back to center

What women want from a women’s ministry

1. What are you hungry for as a Christian woman?

2. In what ways do you wish to grow in your faith and walk with Jesus?

3. What would a ministry have to provide to make it a priority for you and others to participate in?

What are you hungry for?

O The ability to get real with others (authentic relationships) O Go deep O Intergenerational O Permission to be messy O Knowing Jesus and His Word

How I wish to grow O Application of God’s word

O Defending the faith to non-believers O Sharing scripture encouragement O Teaching my children O Sharing my story of faith with others O Defeating fear in my life

O Putting God first, accountability to make Him the priority

O Prayer- My ability and desire to go to God O Be more like Jesus

What will help me attend and engage in your ministry?

O A personal invitation O Childcare O Ability to contribute and be my messy self in a

community O Biblically-based and relevant O Multiple generations reaching out to one another

and to those who do not have faith.

EPIC-Leonard Sweet O Experiential O Participatory O Image-Rich O Connective

O Postmodern Pilgrims by Leonard Sweet

(2000).

Is your ministry event focused or people focused?

O Is the majority of your time spent on event planning or people?

O Are there easy entry points into leadership that allow for different gifts?

O How are you helping them grow in their study of the Word and commitment to prayer?

O What tools are your participants able to take home?

O How are you following up with your participants?

A story of a woman who had her needs met

John 4: 1-42

A Look at Jesus at the Well O Jesus meets her during an ordinary daily

task O Equivalent to Jesus hanging out with a

woman at a laundromat or grocery shopping O Asked for a drink which revealed his own

humanity and need O Jesus cut across race (bloodline), gender,

religion, and nationality (borders) with a simple vulnerable question.

O Invites her to ask a question of him O Where will this water come from?

A Look at Jesus at the Well An invitation for conversation leads to part of the Lord’s harvest. O She admits she is thirsty O He reminds her why O She brings up worship O Jesus can reveal who he is. . .The Messiah! O She goes to tell others. . .can this be? O Jesus remarks to his disciples that the

harvest is ready, but there are too few workers.

Today’s Woman A Samaritan Woman

O Desire to grow by O having real

conversations in a safe environment.

O being challenged. O going deeper into the

Word of God and wanting to apply it.

O desiring to share faith and serve others.

O Jesus engaged her by O broke down barriers

to have a conversation.

O challenged her to think about her life and who He is.

O explained truth and scripture to her.

O inspired her to go and share the good news.

A well-woman needs. . . O To be introduced to Jesus O An invitation to discover together in a safe place O To be challenged by the Word O To be encouraged in the Gospel O To be held accountable O The help of the Holy Spirit!

A well-woman then invites others to do the same.

Well-women among us O Who in your ministry or church already possesses

or could develop these qualities? O What might you do to disciple and mentor future

well-women? O How are your events and ministry opportunities

encouraging the key components women are asking for?

Mindset, not ministry O How might it look in your congregation to focus

more intentionally on mindset and then ministry? How might you incorporate the following: O Mentor trainings O Prayer time (for ministry, people in ministry,

leadership) O Encouragement and Accountability for Leaders O Accessible entry points for new leadership O Time to celebrate well opportunities and

connections. O People focus rather than event focus

Keep it Simple! O Keep prayer and teaching the Word central! O Step out in faith. Many are afraid to challenge

people to a deeper commitment, but you might be surprised.

O Remember you as leaders do not have to do it all. Let your women share what it is they need and be part of the solution to provide it.

O Remember Mary and Martha-Being is more important than doing.

Work Smarter not harder O Attend community events with your well-women. O Go through a mentoring/discipleship program

together as a church. O Not just invite high school and college women to

your retreats, but have them help plan them. O Invite your shut-ins to be a part of the prayer team

and host meetings at their place. (Go early and help them clean beforehand it needed).

Women’s Leadership Institute O The mission of the Women’s Leadership

Institute is to educate, encourage, and equip women for Christian leadership in the home, church, workplace, and world.

O Regional mini-conferences O National Conference in 2017 O Working to provide more online resources O We need your help!

O We would love to hear about your churches mentoring and discipleship strategies

O Speakers to help with mentor and leadership training

O Women to serve with us!

O Mentoring books O Becoming a Woman of Influence by Carol

Kent O The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy O Leadership and Self-Deception-Getting Out

of the Box by The Arbinger Institute

O Culture References O Postmodern Pilgrims by Leonard Sweet O You Lost Me by David Kinnaman

Women’s Ministry resources O http://womensministrytoolbox.com/ O Leading Women to the Heart of God-Creating a

Dynamic Women’s Ministry by Lysa M. Terkeurst O Women to Women Mentoring

http://womantowomanmentoring.com/mentoring/woman-to-woman-mentoring-ministry/

O Like the Women’s Leadership Institute on Facebook or find us on our webpage. http://blog.cuw.edu/wli

O The Leadership Network http://leadnet.org/ O Dear Women’s Ministry http://www.faithit.com/why-

we-dont-need-womens-ministry/