|
St. Pierre SDA Church of Reunion Island became a center of hope. |
Do your church members love Jesus? If they do, does anyone else know?
Seventh-day Adventist women are purposeful in answering that question. While the Adventist Church has long relied on public evangelism series to share the gospel, church leaders encourage all ministries to find new and innovative ways to reach outside the sanctuary walls to their communities. An example of outreach comes from our sisters in the church of St. Pierre, Reunion Island.
|
On Tuesday afternoons at the church, women come to worship, pray, and practice artwork skills |
Two women envisioned opening a Hope Center for women in the community. Since the church is closed during the week, they worked with the pastor to open the church for three hours each Tuesday afternoon.
Women from the community responded to the invitation, and today more than 20 women meet every Tuesday to pray, worship, and learn artwork skills. The church has indeed become a center of hope—a place of healing for women to make friends and find joy in Jesus.
Ellen White writes: "Sisters, we may do a noble work for God if we will. Woman does not know her power. God did not intend that her capabilities should be all absorbed in questioning: What shall I eat? what shall I drink? and wherewithal shall I be clothed? There is a higher purpose for woman, a grander destiny. She should develop and cultivate her powers, for God can employ them in the great work of saving souls from eternal ruin."—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 642.
 |
What can you do?
- Be willing.
- Find your gift, and you will find your ministry.
- Pray together for ways to build up the church and serve the community.
- Discover opportunities for service, based on needs in your congregation and neighborhood.
- Encourage church leadership to help women's ministries meet those needs.
- Build your team.
- Get training to become more effective.
- Trust God to use your gifts to make a difference in the lives of others.
A Question for Reflection and Action:
What can local churches do to make a difference in their own congregations and communities – whether the membership is 20 or 2,000?
 |
"The first thing a local church should do is to elect a Women’s Ministries leader. Women constitute 60 percent or more of a church. Women are an [integral] part of the workforce of the church, so I think the leadership should make sure they are being nurtured, empowered, and challenged. If the church is going to be vibrant, we need to nurture the women...And so, I really believe that a working church has to be a nurturing church for all its members—men, women, young people, and children."—Heather-Dawn Small, GCWM Director, as quoted in an interview in Ministry magazine, October 2013, "Affirming the women in the church: The role of Women's Ministry," p. 8.
Learn more about mobilizing women for service in the Women's Ministries Condensed Handbook. Download handbook
