Planning your Women’s Ministry calendar can be labor intensive, stressful, and just plain hard.
How do you decide what goes on the calendar and what doesn’t?
Bathing the process in prayer is critical. Asking questions is important too.
These 3 critical questions (after much prayer) should be asked of every event and activity on your Women’s Ministry calendar.
1. Does it need to be refined?
2. Should it be removed?
3. Is it something that should remain?
So how do you decide if it should remain, be removed, or be refined?
If you’ve been filling out a Post Event Evaluation Form you’ll have a good handle on answering those questions. If not, you may wish to add that to your agenda moving forward.
Note: Please know I am not recommending that you go back and fill one of those out for every event/activity you have completed in the past year. That’s way too much work! Instead….
The answers to these questions will help lead you to your answer.
- Does it meet a need?
- Does it allow opportunities for outreach and/or service?
- Are you sharing the Gospel?
- Is it open to visitors/community?
- Is it relevant or has it become outdated?
- Are you reaching multiple age groups?
- Is it tired?
- Does it need refreshing/repackaging?
- Should it be shelved for a year or two so that something new can be tried?
- Is your calendar too full?
Removal tips:
- It is better to remove a popular program while it’s still popular rather than waiting until it’s not. End on a high note rather than risk losing women over time.
- When removing an activity or event have a replacement ready – unless your calendar is too crowded.
- Make sure you have the support of your Pastor and your team before making big changes to your calendar.
- It’s best to change things slowly. You don’t want to alienate your core crowd. Prayerfully remove one thing this year, and if led, another the next.
Refining tips:
- Seek input from across the generations.
- Update when possible – fresh graphics, new theme, use technology, etc.
- Add a service or outreach component.
- Change up the order. (i.e.. start with the speaker and end with dinner)
- Change the day, time, schedule, length, and/or location.
- Add depth.
- Remove anything unnecessary.
- Keep the meat – don’t skimp on the message.
God’s timing and His will for your church and your women trump all of these questions.
It’s tempting to make comparisons. Keep in mind your calendar needs to reflect the unique needs of your church, your women, and your community.
You may also want to read:
How to Pick the Best Date for Your Women’s Ministry Event
Three Questions You Need to Ask Your Team
The Most Revealing Question You Can Ask After an Event
Vision Casting for Your Women’s Ministry Part 1
Vision Casting for Your Women’s Ministry Part 2
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