Prayer
We probably already know that prayer needs to underpin everything we do; if the Lord does not build the house we really do labour in vain. But are there practical steps that you could take to encourage women to pray more for other women in the run up to A Passion for Life? Can you build prayer for non-Christian friends into your women’s Bible study? Can you make sure that prayer for specific people is built into your preparation time for your organised activities, so that everyone, whether they help out behind-the-scenes or are more intentionally people-focused, feels they are sharing together in the aim of making Jesus known?
People
Consider the times of life that provide the best opportunities for women both to make friends with non-Christians and to share something of the hope that they have. Often it is as they reach particular life stages – new babies, children going to school, empty nests, retirement – all of these can provide women with opportunities to engage with others in a similar position and to make new connections.
Consider the times of life that provide the best opportunities for women both to make friends with non-Christians and to share something of the hope that they have
Who are the women who have these opportunities? How can we help them be bold and imaginative in seeking to make non-Christian friends? How do we help them move from chatting to sharing something of the hope that they have in Jesus? Are there perhaps key women who are gifted in evangelism who can encourage others? Could you interview them or encourage them to share their experiences at a prayer meeting or a training event, or in the church newsletter, for example?
Programmes
In many churches there is already lots going on for women. In our church, we have toddler groups and English classes, for example. But sometimes the programmes can become an end in themselves and can lose a sense of purpose. So it is worth asking some challenging questions of them.
For example, list the events/activities that are run with the aim of reaching women. How distinct are they (i.e. are they serving different constituencies, or do the same people come to both)? If two activities attract largely the same set of people it might be worth considering closing one so that the Christians are not spread too thin. How are they aiming to reach women? Are they successful (i.e. is the gospel being shared and are people becoming Christians)? How aware are all the Christians who come along of what the purpose of the activity is and how committed are they to achieving it?
For example, I have been in toddler groups where non-Christian mums are pretty much ignored while the Christian mums chat to each other. Who are the best evangelists in the groups? How much practical consideration is given in these to make sure that they are not taken away from making conversation with unbelievers by the practical tasks that are needed to make the group run?
Plan
Consider planning outreach events aimed specifically at women. These, as we are probably all aware, can be hugely attractive and a very easy invite. But also think carefully about making sure that they don’t overlap with or hinder other evangelistic events planned across the whole church. Do you need something specific for women who have full-time jobs, or are the other events planned enough?
Consider planning outreach events aimed specifically at women.
Consider events tied to programmes that are already running, whether or not they have an evangelistic aim. For example, could your women’s Bible study run a Christmas craft event, or an Easter cookie bake with the aim of inviting non-Christian friends? But especially consider specific events tied to the outreach programmes already up and running – curry evening with a talk for the toddler group mums, for instance.
Persevere
Reaching out to our friends, colleagues and families only sometimes yields instant results. So part of how we prepare for A Passion for Life is thinking now about how we follow up with people. Think about where the women you are seeking to reach are starting from. How can you help them take another step on from where they stand in finding out about Jesus for themselves?
Think about where the women you are seeking to reach are starting from. How can you help them take another step on from where they stand in finding out about Jesus for themselves?
Could you run a discovery group of some kind which is specific to them? What will need to happen to make it possible for them to come and feel comfortable? Will the church-wide follow-up programme be suitable, or is something different needed? Whatever it looks like in our different contexts, let’s pray that A Passion for Life will help us embed a culture of evangelism in our churches for the long-term and bear fruit for many years to come.
