During this quinquennium 2005-2010 the General Conference Women's Ministries department is focusing on combining evangelism and ministry. We are taking our marching direction from Isaiah 61:1-3 and this quote from E. G. White found in the book Ministry of Healing pg 143:
"Christ's method ALONE will give true success in reaching people. The Savior mingled with [people] as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. THEN He bade them, ‘follow Me'."
This emphasis on evangelism and ministry combined means that we must change the way we do evangelism. We have been involved in evangelism and in ministry but to combine the two will result in even more souls brought to God. It will mean placing more intentional emphasis on our Six Challenge Issues and helping each woman find a ministry that will help women who face these challenges. It will mean helping our women see evangelism in a new way for God has called us to proclaim to the world Christ's love and to be His touch or love in this world as we serve Him.
As we think of this department and our name "Women's Ministries" we are faced with the challenge of making our name live. Our name is our mandate – women involved in ministry to others.
There are Six Challenge Issues that impact women around the world – threats to health, a woman's work loads, poverty, lack of training, mentoring and leadership opportunities, abuse, and illiteracy. Following is a brief description of each challenge and ministry ideas that our sisters can do to fulfill the mandate God has given to us.
1. Threats to Health—Women's health includes her emotional, social and physical well-being and is directly affected by social, political and economic factors. The quality of a woman's health directly impacts on her life and well-being, her family and society. Yet women around the world are still victims of poor health.
Ministry Ideas: Breathe Free for Women, Blood pressure/cholesterol programs, Osteoporosis prevention, Exercise, Weight control, Vegetarian cooking, Nutrition classes, Cancer screening/awareness, Reproductive health classes, Grief and loss support groups, Support groups, Stress reduction
2. A Woman's Workload—Women around the world and in all cultures face the problem of work overload. Women are either faced with the challenge of doing 90% of the world's agricultural work which includes long work days, small salaries and then the additional hours of housework and childcare with limited access to basic necessities; or the balancing act of societal expectations for maintaining an intact and healthy family while achieving in a highly competitive work environment also results in long day, limited rest and recreation and little time for time with God.
Ministry Ideas: Time management, Organization seminars, Management classes, Small business classes, Self esteem, Bible study skills, Working Mothers seminar
3. Poverty—The Unifem report "Progress of the World's Women 2005" presents some startling information on this question of women and poverty. Progress for women in this is improving but very slowly. The report notes that "despite parity in primary education, disparities are still wide in secondary and tertiary education—both increasingly key to new employment opportunities."
Ministry Ideas: Small business development, Money management seminars, Preparing for retirement seminars, Professional mentoring, Time management, Budgeting, Widow support groups, Debt reduction
4. Lack of Training, Mentoring, and Opportunities—Education for all is a basic human right. For women to achieve better health, nutrition and quality of life for themselves and their families they need equal access to education. Lack of education results in women being trapped in a cycle of poverty with limited options for economic improvement which results in sentencing their children to chronic poverty and limited education.
Ministry Ideas: Leadership training, Mentoring programs, Communication classes, Parliamentary Procedures seminars, Women's Ministries committees, Spiritual Gifts seminars
5. Abuse—Domestic violence, incest, rape and battering are all too common burdens that women carry. Physical, sexual and psychological battering happens to small girls, adolescents, single, and married adult women, and elderly women. No stratum of society is immune from the epidemic of violence and as a church we believe that tolerance of abuse within the church is a denial of Christ.
Ministry Ideas: Abuse education seminar, Women's shelters, Support groups, Healing seminars
6. Illiteracy—There are nearly one billion people in the world who are illiterate, one-fifth of the world's population. One out of every three women in the world cannot read and write.
In many developing countries 80% of the food is produced by women and women in rural areas are mostly un-paid laborers. Statistics show that two-thirds of the world's non-literate population and one-third of all heads of households are women, yet they carry out two-thirds of the world's work.
Ministry Ideas: Basic literacy training, Computer literacy, Second Language training program
As I travel throughout the world church I see our sisters involved in ministry in a variety of ways. I am inspired and motivated by the many ways we can be of service in our communities and through mission overseas. Our sisters are ever aware that being a Christian in these days is more than speaking, giving a Bible Study, preaching a sermon or quoting a text. Being a Christian must include the ministry of showing the love of God to a world in need of love.
To my many sisters not involved in Women's Ministries, I say to you, "Won't you join us, for truly the harvest is ripe but the laborers are few."
Heather-Dawn Small is the women's ministries director for the Seventh-day Adventist world church.
