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

Tackle = the act of stopping an opposing player who is carrying the ball, especially by forcing the opponent to the ground

You probably already know that in football, the tackle is the biggest maneuver of the game. Tackling quickly helps prevent the other team from moving forward with the ball so they won’t score. In women’s ministry there are going to be some things we will need to tackle so Satan doesn’t have a chance to score.

You might have already seen some things rear their ugly heads in your women’s ministry that you know you are going to have to deal with and tackle so you can move down the field in the right direction.

1.  Self

I think self is the first thing we need to work on to tackle first. I know it is for me personally. Self has a way of moving in there and taking over your life and ministry. In case you haven’t figured it out (a lesson I’ve had to learn over a few times), women’s ministry isn’t all about you as a leader. We might think it is sometimes. We may be so involved we feel like it is. We do it all and run it all.

Self usually has another teammate right beside him, and that is pride. They usually play on the field in the same area, and both are really sneaky and don’t follow the rules.

When dealing with self (and his sidekick, pride), we have to put things in perspective. Who are we doing this for? It should be for the glory of the Lord. To serve Christ we have to be humble servants.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 1Peter 5:5,6 (KJV)

When it comes to self in women’s ministry, one thing we need to do is to allow others to use their gifts and talents for the Lord. Don’t let self get in the way of someone else being blessed.

2.  The Past

Another thing that comes up, especially for newer ministry leaders, is the past. Have you ever heard the following?

• “We never used to do it that way.”
• “When (Such and Such) was the women’s ministry director that’s not how she did it.”

We have to tackle the mentality that we are not living in the past. Sometimes a new leader can go into the position, scrap all the ways of the past, no one says a word, and they just move forward. Don’t you wish it could always be like that? Hard reality? It isn’t.

We may leave everything in tact in a women’s ministry. It might have a good foundation when you take over as leader, but sometimes you just change something simple like the day or the hour of when you meet, and lo and behold, you’ve opened up a can of worms.

We have to work through the dredging up the past issue. Sometimes it may require just introducing things a little slower. Maybe emphasizing how God has led you to try something new will work. One thing that goes a long way for people is just listening to them.

Once in awhile you may have to just allow them to explain how “such and such” did something. Sometimes people talk just because they want to know they are heard. Once you listen you may never have to hear it again. Of course that’s not always the case, but I’ve found just listening is usually one of the most powerful tools a women’s ministry leader can employ.

I’m not always for scrapping everything from the past anyway, and I hope you aren’t either, but the past may sneak out on the field, and you may have to tackle it from time to time.

3.  Negativity

Good old negativity. It never seems to go completely away. Does it? It’s always on the field somewhere trying to avoid the tackle. I picture negativity as one of those football players who makes a touchdown and then has his own little victory dance when he makes it. He’s right in our faces rubbing it in of how he disrupted our game.

I think negativity is one of those things we just have to run after and nip in the bud (as my Dad used to say). I think dealing quickly with the problem is always called for in women's ministry. Staying positive and encouraging others to be positive can help as well.

Remember when Moses sent the men to spy on the land of Canaan? There’s a little chorus that says,

Twelve spies were sent. Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, came back bearing wondrous bounty and fruit from the land and those two men were so excited. They were ready to go and possess the land at once. The ten other spies came back telling stories of giants.

Sure, there were things to conquer in Canaan, but those other spies saw only the bad and not any of the good of the land.

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Numbers 13:30-33 (KJV)

Joshua and Caleb brought back grapes, pomegranates, and figs from the land.

And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. Numbers 13:23 (KJV)

When negativity comes along, we’ve got to remember to think grapes, pomegranates, and figs. We need to teach the ladies in our women’s groups to think in grapes, pomegranates, and figs too.

4.  Burnout

We hear a lot about burnout in ministry. I guess because it is so prevalent among ministry leaders. I don’t think it extends just to leaders though. I find so many ladies within our churches that are just burnt out from exhaustion. They’ve done, done, done. They are doing, doing, doing. They are overrun with activities, helping, and attending.

I love activities and meetings for women’s groups in the church, but each women’s ministry has to look at its own church schedule in order to keep a balance. As leaders we also have to take a look at our own personal schedules and see what we can possibly be involved in ourselves. Nobody can do it all.

I’m all for furthering the work of the Gospel, but I think the Lord also requires us to be good stewards of our time, money, and even our health. Everything is involved when burnout succeeds to the finish line. It affects our emotions, health, and our spirituality and relationship with the Lord. If it’s a problem for you as a leader, you need to work on tackling it ahead of time before your health is taxed or the health of the women of your group is taxed physically, mentally, and even spiritually.

Conclusion

I’m sure there are other things that you may need to tackle in your particular women’s ministry. You may have a few difficult women to deal with, low or non-existent budgets, problems getting ladies to attend and involvement, or a number of obstacles.

All of the things that come running down the field in opposition to us are different, but these things I’ve mentioned I have found are usually the same across the board in women’s groups.

Don’t forget to keep these matters in prayer and before the Lord.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6 (KJV)

Some of these issues you may have to keep tackling over and over again. They seem to somehow get back up off the ground, catch their breath, and we have to go chasing after them again. Don’t get discouraged, just go after them again and keep on moving down the field.

Copyright ©2011 Julia Bettencourt

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