Creating A Woman’s Ministry Board
Vicki Kraft
When planning a new project around our homes or in the garden, most of us enjoy perusing slick magazines full of colorful pictures and creative ideas. We gain inspiration and stimulation for our unique project. This chapter and chapters 8-11 are offered to accomplish that purpose. In them you will find detailed information about the various components of the Women’s Ministries Program at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, Texas. We give you this information not because we think our way is the only way, or even the best way. However, it is an example of how one church set up a program.
We begin this chapter with an organizational chart of our Women’s Ministries Board at Northwest Bible Church. Then we give a complete job description for each of our ten board positions.
We hope that these work sheets will give you inspiration and direction and provide a helpful springboard to take your group to even greater creativity. But bear in mind we have been developing our program over a number of years. Yours will take time also. Let the ideas in this chapter stimulate your thinking. You may want to take these sheets and simply highlight the sections you feel are applicable to your present situation. Exercise the creative skills enjoyed by all women as you adapt them to fit the unique situation in your own church.
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Minister to Women
Reporting relationship: The associate pastor and the elder board
Primary function: To oversee the Women’s Ministries Program
RESPONSIBILITIES
Ministry to women
1. Plan, promote, and coordinate weekly a Women’s Ministries Program for Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings (September-May)
2. Prepare and teach Bible lessons Tuesdays and Wednesdays
3. Meet regularly with the Women’s Ministries Board
4. Assist members of the board in accomplishing their responsibilities
5. Recruit new Women’s Ministries Board members
6. Recruit Bible teachers
7. Help recruit leaders for the elective classes
8. Coordinate training for support counseling ministry
9. Carry out discipleship and leadership development
10. Provide personal counseling on request
11. Prepare and administer the Women’s Ministries budget
12. Speak to individual groups as requested, for example, singles, young mothers, and youth
13. Hospital visitation
14. Supervise women interns from Dallas Theological Seminary
15. Supervise and participate in the yearly retreat and other special events
16. Supervise Saturday Specials in the summer
17. Supervise and approve all ministries for women in the church and for women in the community, among which may be:
a. Crisis Pregnancy Center
b. Breast cancer support group
c. Care givers (lay counseling)
d. Abortion recovery
e. Homeless and battered women shelters
f. Mom-to-Mom (young mothers’ support)
g. Professional women’s group
h. Widows’ support group
18. Monthly Bible study with support staff women
Coordination with the staff and elder board
1. Attend weekly staff meetings
2. Report weekly to the associate pastor
3. Report in writing and in person to the Elder Board as requested
Other responsibilities:
1. Assist other churches in starting Women’s Ministries Programs, offering suggestions by phone, letter, and personal interviews.
2. Frequently speak in other church meetings and retreats
3. Serve as Visiting Lecturer in the Women’s Ministries course at Dallas Theological Seminary
WOMEN’S MINISTRIES BOARD CHAIRMAN
Reporting relationship: Minister to Women
Primary function: To chair the Women’s Ministries Board and to advise and assist the Minister to Women when the board is not in session
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Chair the meetings of the Women’s Ministries Board
2. See that each member of the board is functioning in her area of responsibility
3. Plan the times and agendas of the meetings; arrange for recording the minutes of the meetings
4. Provide a calendar of events and meeting dates for each member
5. Be responsible for keeping the board informed between meetings
6. Meet regularly with the Minister to Women when the board is not in session
7. Plan the agendas for the Tuesday meetings and make announcements and/or prepare announcements to be given to elective leaders
8. Appoint a secretary to record the minutes of board meetings
9. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
DAY PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Reporting relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board Primary function: To oversee the operation of the morning program
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. See that the facility needs of the teachers are met as they have requested
2. See that the P.A. system is set up and manned and that all equipment is returned to its proper place
3. Work with the Electives Coordinator to keep in regular contact with elective leaders
4. Write a personal thank-you note to each elective leader when her teaching period is over
5. Collect and keep a record of the offering and make a date-attendance-offering chart
6. Assist the Minister to Women in the selection of a pianist and leader of music (the song time should be 9:30-9:40, with occasionally one additional song after the teacher speaks)
7. Collect and distribute the tape orders; appoint someone to sit in the foyer with tapes before and after the class to answer questions concerning the tapes
8. Take tapes, offering, and tape orders to the church office
9. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
EVENING PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Reporting Relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board Primary function: To oversee the operation of the evening program
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. See that the facility needs of the teachers are met as they have requested
2. See that the P.A. equipment is set up and manned and that all returned to its proper place
3. Write a personal thank-you note to each elective leader when he: period is over
4. Assist the Minister to Women in the selection of a pianist and leader
5. Collect and distribute the tape orders
6. Be responsible for the refreshments on Wednesday evening, which could occasionally include more than coffee
7. Keep a written record of the number present each week, giving the number to the Minister to Women
8. Assist the hospitality coordinator at the end-of-session dinner
9. Be the “hostess” on Wednesday evenings, being present at the welcoming table to greet and assist ladies
10. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Reporting relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board
Primary function: To oversee existing outreach ministries and to organize and implement new ones as opportunities arise
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Submit the names of possible leaders for each outreach ministry to the Women for approval before recruiting them
2. Have the leader of each outreach ministry report to her and meet with her at least monthly to assist and to encourage
3. Investigate new ministries and report to the board on their feasibility for the church, and update the board members at meetings
4. Be alert to opportunities that come up throughout the year that offer o_ participation
5. Coordinate the flow of information on outreach opportunities to the and encourage participation through a variety of means: announce sign-up sheets, recruitment calls
6. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
OUTREACH COORDINATOR
-Hospital Visitation
-Captain Casserole
-Abortion Recovery
-Help in Church Office or Library
-Ministry to Battered Women Crisis Pregnancy Center Infertility Support Group
-Hand-in-Hand (widows)
-New Mother Visitation
-Uplifters (cancer support group)
-West Dallas Ministry (tutoring inner-city students)
-Missions Projects
-Nursing Home Ministry
HOSPITALITY COORDINATOR
Reporting Relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board Primary function: To coordinate the activities involving hospitality
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Coordinate the day luncheon and the evening dinner with the Day and Evening Program
Coordinators at the end of each session and select women to assist her
2. Assist the Special Events Coordinator where her responsibilities overlap with that of the Hospitality Coordinator
4. Be responsible to secure refreshments for Tuesday mornings, which usually include finger snacks
5. Be responsible for the orientation meeting for the elective leaders
6. Be responsible for selecting gifts for the elective leaders at the end of each session
7. Coordinate the luncheon for the elective leaders (table decoration and menu) held each session
8. For board meetings, provide coffee, hot water and ice water, and po, include simple snacks
9. Provide the menu and food for the end-of-year board retreat
10. Provide the beverages and snacks for the Saturday Specials
11. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
Reporting relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board
Primary function: To be responsible for all special programs apart from the weekly program, such as retreats, luncheons, and seminars
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Select the chairman for event committees for various special events.
2. Investigate potential programs and report to the Women’s Ministries Board regarding their feasibility for us (the choice of the speaker shall be a board decision)
3. As called upon, assist the Hospitality Coordinator where her responsibilities overlap with those of the Special Events Coordinator
4. Work with the Electives Coordinator to enlist elective leaders for the Saturday Specials
5. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
ELECTIVES COORDINATOR
Reporting Relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board
Primary function: To recruit elective leaders for each session and to act as a Hai, between the Women’s Ministries Board and elective leaders
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Seek out women from the church to share their talents with the Women’s Ministries Program
2. Coordinate electives each session in order to maintain variety and balance in the program
3. Obtain descriptions of the electives from the elective leaders, prepare the brochure, and give it to the church secretary to be printed
4. Assist the elective leaders in planning their room set up and in obtaining needed supplies, such as overhead projectors, a blackboard, recorders, and TV monitors; give a list of those requirements to the church secretary
5. Prior to each session, turn in room set up requirements to the secretary in charge of scheduling
6. Check to make sure that the room set up is correct
7. Contact and assess the needs of the elective leaders and communicate information from the board
8. Coordinate activities with the Special Events Coordinator for the Saturday Specials
9. Contact the elective leaders about luncheons and special information
10. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
11. Assign individual elective leaders to Women’s Ministries Board members as regular prayer partners
COMMUNICATIONS AND CHILD CARE COORDINATOR
Reporting relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board
Primary function: To provide for the publicity needs of the Women’s Ministries Program and for child care during all Women’s Ministries functions; if your church does not have a fully staffed children’s department, some of these functions may need to be separated or shared with an assistant
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Determine the number of children in the program and communicate that information to the person in charge of the nursery.
2. Report back to the Women’s Ministries Board concerning any needs that may arise
3. Oversee the functioning of the child care program during Women’s Ministries functions
4. Be responsible for any promotion such as posters, special fliers, or paper announcements for regular activities and or special events
5. Be responsible for placing notices in the church bulletin
6. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
HEART-TO-HEART COORDINATOR
Reporting Relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board
Primary function: To oversee the operation of the Heart-to-Heart ministry of Junior and Senior partners.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Select an assistant to help with administrative responsibilities
a. To help in matching Junior/Senior partners
b. To help make rematches when necessary
c. To help coordinate and publicize social events
2. Select the Junior and Senior members for the Heart-to-Heart steering commit
a. To call the matched partners for follow-up and accountability
b. To assist in preparing for coffees, teas, social events, and announcement,
3. As able, assist other churches in starting Heart-to-Heart programs
4. Support and encourage others in their positions on the board
PRAYER COORDINATOR
Reporting Relationship: Chairman of the Women’s Ministries Board
Primary Function: To encourage and facilitate prayer among the board as well as the ministry
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. To work with the Electives Coordinator to assign elective leaders to board prayer partners
2. To promote a spirit of prayer in all aspects of Women’s Ministries
3. To encourage electives that focus on equipping and encouraging personal and corporate prayer
4. To organize a prayer chain in Women’s Ministries
The above article, “Creating A Women’s Ministry Board” was written by Vickie Kraft. The article was excerpted from Kraft’s book Women Mentoring Women.
The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
