August 22, 2011 (Excerpt from the Women's Ministry Leader's Training Camp Series)

Trenches = the area immediately around the line of scrimmage where the offensive and defensive lineman do battle

The football players on a team have to get in there in the trenches and do the dirty work or they will never win a game.

We have to get in the trenches in women’s’ ministry as well. Ministry is work. Some of it is very enjoyable work, and the most rewarding work, but it still requires rolling up our sleeves and getting busy. If we don’t get into the trenches and labor for the Lord, we won’t see fruit.

1.  Teaching

One of the biggest areas I think of first when it comes to women’s ministry is teaching. I know I always come back to Titus 2, I guess because when I think of ministry to women, I think of all the things in that chapter where we are admonished to teach other women. Please let me insert here that I don't think that chapter is a prerequisite or is admonishing us to have women's ministry programs in our church. Those verses are for us as individual women in how to live. But I do think if we are going to have a women's ministry program, we might as well work on those things through it that we are already to be doing such as in Titus 2.

That they may teach the young women...Titus 2:4 (KJV)

All of those things we are to teach in that passage should stem from God’s Word, so we need to infuse the Bible into our ministry. We do that in a lot of ways through women’s ministry.

We can hold Bible studies, give challenges and devotionals during meetings, share our testimonies, and invite the ladies within our group to share their testimonies, hold special retreats where the women are taught and encouraged in God’s Word, invite in special speakers to share and teach our ladies, and even just encourage personal study and memorization of God’s Word. There’s a whole lot of ways to teach other women as we are intended to do.

I guess by now you know that all that just doesn’t magically come together in our women’s groups. Someone has to research, plan, prepare, choose Bible studies, pray over what’s going to be the best topic or Bible study direction to go in, put together schedules, and choose helpers and if needed leadership teams for your ministry to carry out all that teaching.

In turn you might need to teach other ladies the art of teaching a Bible class or teach them how to be leaders. At every turn, as a leader of women’s ministry, you will be teaching at some point, whether it is you personally, or whether you have planned and prepared for another method of delivery. You also teach by your example as a leader.

I’ve taught a lot of Sunday School classes, Bible studies, and headed up a lot of women’s meetings where I needed to deliver a devotional or something from God’s Word over the years. It requires time and work. It always requires prayer and studying beforehand, but you may also need to type out outlines, make charts, and prepare your classroom or meeting place. Even if you use a purchased Bible Study and you think it might be easier, you will still need to preview and review those studies ahead of time. Check them for Bible accuracy before you order them. You will need to study each lesson and understand it yourself before teaching it to others.

Teaching is always found in the trenches, but it can be so rewarding to find yourself there laboring and doing what God wants you to do. Teaching in the trenches is worth it knowing that other women can be touched in ways from God’s Word that you may never perceive.

2.  Discipleship

I think in women’s ministry, we talk a lot about mentoring, but lately I have really grown to dislike the word. I think women need mentors, but mentoring means more to advise or train. I have come to like the word discipleship better. It covers so much more than mentoring. When we disciple someone, we are an example to them. They are learning our ways and the way we live. When we disciple people for Christ, we are teaching them to live like Christ, because we should be a disciple of Christ ourselves.

To teach and be an example to others to live for the Lord, we have to have the love of the Lord in our daily lives. Look at what Jesus told His disciples before He left this earth.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34, 35 (KJV)

Your church may have an organized discipleship class for new Christians. Most often in the churches I’ve been a part of, discipleship classes have been taught by the Pastor and his wife or a man and wife couple. I think those are great and I’m not trying to belittle them in any way, but they usually don’t last very long. They cover baptism, basic doctrine, and the highlights of Christian living, but after that I think sometimes those new Christians are just piled into the crowd. They begin to grow, but how in the world can they be ready to walk soundly in the Word without really getting to be around other Christians and learn from them on an individual basis?

When it comes to women who are newer Christians, a women’s ministry in your church can be a place that really takes those young Christian women under its wings. You can disciple someone yourself as a leader or have other mature and strong Christian women in your group disciple the Christian women who are younger in the Lord. You can even disciple in small groups.

Discipleship takes work, prayer, and caring. When you disciple someone you have to put in a lot of time, but it is so rewarding to see those younger Christian women growing in the Lord. That’s when the labor in the trenches is so worth the effort.

3.  Missions

Women’s ministry is a great place to have an evangelistic outreach. There are so many things you can do to be part of a great mission cause. Your ladies might minister straight to missionaries with letters and cards. You might manage a missionary closet. Your ladies can be prayer warriors for missionaries.

When I think of women and missions, I always think about how Paul mentions several times in his letters the women who helped him in his ministry such as Phebe and Priscilla. I’ve always found great inspiration in Paul’s mentioning of those women.

And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life. Philippians 4:3 (KJV)

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus. Romans 16:1-3 (KJV)

Other mission minded projects you can put together are outreaches for your community such as filling needs for women’s shelters and food banks through your local church women’s ministry. You may even set some times for your ladies to visit in the homes of some of the newer ladies who’ve been attending your church or perhaps by visiting the shut-in ladies of your church.

There are projects such as making chemo caps for cancer patients, lap quilts for nursing homes, or a variety of projects. Your ladies might even go on a mission trip clear on the other side of the world.

What all these projects and mission minded events have in common is that they are things that take place in the trenches. They just don’t happen. With the Lord’s help, you as a leader and the women of your church are the ones that make those things happen out on the field. The results are part of the fruit your church women’s group is bearing.

4.  Hospitality

Hospitality normally covers a lot of things in women’s ministry. There is taking care of food for families who have lost a loved one, meals for shut-ins, meals for fellowships, homecomings, and special events.

Some churches have visiting missionaries or evangelists that stay in the homes of those church families that are willing to open up their homes. That’s something my family did when I was growing up and it was such a special experience getting to know those missionaries and evangelists on a personal basis. That type of thing is usually all scheduled and taken care of through women’s ministry in some way, even though not always directly.

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Romans 12:13 (KJV)

When it comes to women’s events themselves, there’s usually always something with hospitality involved. Making favors, ironing tablecloths, setting up tables, decorating, and all those things we do to make our events more hospitable for our ladies to enjoy.

It sure can be work. I’ve been up many a late night working on projects for women’s events and been in those trenches way past dark. Sure, you get tired, but you are serving the Lord and that makes all the difference.

5.  Fellowship

One other thing we get in the trenches for is working on things for the fellowship and encouragement of our ladies. We might hold a variety of different events to stimulate friendship and fellowship.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (KJV)

We have teas, retreats, pajama parties, fashion shows, shopping trips, talent shows, and all sorts of fun things. They say fun and are an avenue to have fellowship among our ladies when they are all put together, but again, they don’t put themselves together. Lots of hands go into something that we all end up enjoying like that. There’s more of that trench work involved, but hearing those ladies' laughter ring through the air and knowing they are all enjoying themselves and praising the Lord together is so rewarding.

Conclusion

There’s always going to be some of us that will have to be in the trenches working but that is the way the game is won. Working is how we move forward down the field. When you want to accomplish anything, there is always going to be action and work taking place.

Personally, I love being in the trenches of ministry to women. I’ve found that’s where I’ve grown the closest to other Christian women. Those late-night projects can be a great time of sharing and fellowship. Working in the trenches is where my faith seems to grow too. It might be a place that I feel like crying (or do cry) but the trenches are usually where I find I need to do everything I have to accomplish in God’s strength and not my own. On top of that, I know whatever I do in the trenches for the Lord isn’t in vain.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

The Lord left us here to do His work. We are here on earth laboring until He comes back. The ministry to women is where part of that work is taking place. There’s a song our choir used to sing when I lived in Tennessee that has always been a great encouragement to me when I’ve been knee-deep in the trenches, wondering if I was ever going to get out or find some relief from all the things that were required of me.

Some of the lines to that song I mentioned starts out this way...

We have labored in the vineyards of the Lord, and it seems the world has stolen our reward. But God has not forgotten...

The chorus repeats how it is "not in vain". That's so powerful!

Sure, there’s a mountain of work there along the scrimmage lines. A lot of forces pounding, teeth grinding, tackles, pileups, with both defensive and offensive moves. There’s always something to be done in women’s ministry, but it’s such a rewarding part of serving the Lord.

We might get up off the ground with grass-stained knees, aching muscles, sprains, and maybe even a little helmet hair. We may be worn out and weary, but working and serving to honor the Lord in the trenches is how we move down the field and further the cause of Christ.

Copyright ©2011 Julia Bettencourt

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