June 26, 2008

In almost everything in life, we see the trend to reinvent things. We see this in businesses, corporations, and even some people try to reinvent themselves.

Have you ever noticed advertisements for some of our most common household items and things we buy every day? Every brand has something newer. Something fresher. A new scent. A newly redesigned package. A new flavor. More ounces. More options.

Why is change necessary?

Why do they do this? Why do they have to change? Because of the competition of course. They need to keep consumers interested in their products. They have to reinvent themselves over and over for us, so we'll keep using their products.

It's the same with women's ministry in the local church. We have competition out there. Not just worldly competition but there are more and more Christian women's organizations that are taking a tug on the ladies of our local churches to attend their conferences and seminars.

Not that there is anything wrong with that in itself, but those organizations sometimes have more money to spend, and everything is done top notch. They cater the best food, provide the best decor, and afford the most well-known Christian women's speakers and comedians. It has all the "something newer--something fresher" attitude. Face it. women's ministry in the local church is in competition with that.

There is a pull on our women

It's not that it's wrong to attend something like that. I think it's good for any of us ladies to go away to an event like that once in a while, and it's great if you can put it on your church calendar and go with your ladies as a group.

But we can't close our eyes and think that we can go on as normal. We have to raise the bar in our women's groups if we are going to keep our ladies attending our functions and being involved in what we have to offer.

We have to combat those things that have a pull on our ladies within our groups. Nowadays there's numerous conferences and seminars going on all across the country at any given time. There are just so many options.

We do need to realize that it's one more thing that gets on the calendars of our ladies. Other things tug at our women too. Jobs, fully loaded schedules, families, friends, groups, clubs, and responsibilities. You name it. There's always something pulling at us as women. There's always something else that wants our attention.

We need to put our best foot forward

So, right from the start, women's ministry in the local church is already a foot behind. We have to reinvent ourselves as well. We have to repackage, redesign, and make ourselves newer and fresher. We have to offer what women are looking for too. We have to meet their needs.

In today's society, we have to put our best foot forward and engage women right from the get go in order to get them involved in women's ministry in our local churches because there is a whole world of alternatives and options out there for them to be involved in on their own.

Women need what the local church has to offer

What is so important to remember is that conferences, seminars, clubs, and organizations are not what is going to feed our ladies spiritually on a daily and weekly basis.

Women need what the local church has to offer. Women need to be involved in Bible studies, mentoring, Christian fellowship, and in hands-on involvement in the lives of others.

Women need a place to serve and use their spiritual gifts. We help accomplish all this through our local church, so we have to do all we can to make our women's ministry a fresh and appealing choice.

Copyright ©2008 Julia Bettencourt.

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