Local Women’s Ministries Director Job Description
Linda Hardin

The job responsibilities of the local Women’s Ministries director are:
1. To determine the needs and interests of the women in the local church by using observation, surveys, and other means of input.
2. To develop and use the talents and abilities of the women and use them.
3. To identify areas of need within the church and the ways Women’s Ministries can assist.
4. To determine community needs that Women’s Ministries can meet.
5. To help non-Christian women meet Christ.
6. To provide Bible studies, prayer groups,discipleship, and other means to aid spiritual growth and development.
7. To provide opportunities for women to be discipled and to be disciplers.
8. To provide the women of the church a place to minister to other women.
9. To reserve meeting places for Women’s Ministres activities held at the church.
10. To promote and publicize women’s activities in the church bulletins, newsletters, and web site.
11. To serve on and be responsibile to the Adult Ministries Council of the Board of Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries.
12. To make reports and present proposals to the Adult Ministries Council of the Board of Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries.
13. To work within and support the total church program.
14. To cooperate with the district Women’s Ministries director by completing forms, promoting district activities, and updating leadership changes.
15. To keep up-to-date regarding approval procedures for speakers and events.
16. To form a local Women’s Ministries Council.

Forming a Local Women’s Ministries Council
One means of fulfilling these job description responsibilities is to form a Women’s Ministries Council. The director of Women’s Ministries will recruit and train council members in areas of responsibility such as spiritual life, communication, enrichment, hospitality, missions, outreach, and nurturing of women within the congregation. The director works as a liaison between the Women’s Ministries Council, Adult Ministries Council, pastoral staff, and the community. She also screens potential ministry ideas prior to presenting them to the Council to determine the need and how the idea mesh with the philosophy, purpose, and objectives of Women’s Ministries.

The director of Women’s Ministries also conducts the regularly scheduled council meetings. Some of the purposes of these meetings are to form community, to pray together, to receive reports from the various ministries and programs, to process any business, to plan activities and events, and to develop leadership skills. In addition to these meetings, the director of Women’s Ministries should meet periodically with the council members to mentor them, to discuss difficulties, and to provide accountability.

Many Women’s Ministries Councils find an annual, one day council retreat beneficial. The retreat provides time for prayer, evaluation of the previous year’s activities and events, implemention of changes based on evaluation input, continuation leadership development, determination of new and continued ministries and programs, and setting the calendar for the upcoming year. Another benefit is the opportunity to form friendships among the council members in a neutral setting. Building relationships and a team spirit are vital for an effective council.

Council Business
State the amount of time allocated for council brainstorming. Either identify a person as official time-keeper or set a timer to signal the end. Follow these four ground rules for an effective brainstorming session:
1. Absolutely no evaluation or criticism.
2. Consider any idea, no matter what the quality.
3. Generate ideas.
4. Build upon each others’ideas.

Remember any deviation from these rules, especially evaluative or critical comments, tend to stifle the group’s creativity. Identify a person to write the ideas on a flip chart or chalkboard and record them for future reference. Use the information from the brainstorming session as input when the council meets to determine how your Women’s Ministries can implement the purpose, mission, and philosophy of Women’s Ministries for your church.

Keep the congregation informed about Women’s Ministries. This includes using bulletin boards to promote meetings, events, programs, and ministries. If your church has a regular newsletter, ask for a column for Women’s Ministries. (Be sure your column is completed by the due date!) Or consider the possibility of a Women’s Ministries newsletter.

The women’s ministry newsletter can be distributed through various church activities by e-mail or posting on the church’s web site. Prepare bulletin inserts to announce and promote the ministry’s activities. Talk with other Women’s Ministries leaders to share ideas, encourage, and coordinate ministries.

The above article, “Local Women’s Ministries Director Job Description” was written by Linda Hardin. The article was excerpted from www.nazarine.org/womensministry.com website. November 2017.

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.”