If you have been at Swift Creek Baptist for any amount of time at all, it is our hope that you haven’t missed our church’s mission statement:
Connect with God.
Connect with others.
Connect others with God.
That certainly is the chief aim for every ministry at SCBC, the Women’s Ministry is no exception. Cynthia Yount has been the Women’s Ministry Coordinator for the past 9 months, and she is joined by a passionate team of women: Erin Blackwell, Francine Haymes, Sarah Poynter, Bev Rutherford, and myself. In their book Word-Filled Women’s Ministry, Gloria Furman and Kathleen Nielson make a poignant reminder for anyone who follows Jesus.
“No ministry in the church is exempt from the temptation to focus more on human desires and needs than on God’s provision in his revelation of himself to us. Women’s ministry in particular can so easily be all about women rather than being all about women together hearing and following God’s voice, revealed in his Word.”
As your WM coordinator, Cynthia is ever mindful of this reality. She says that “women’s ministry is not primarily about meeting the needs of women in our church, but rather equipping them to hear and follow God as they know him more intimately through his Word. It is our hope to encourage women to know Jesus so personally that we see transformation in their lives so that they can encourage other women on the sanctification journey.”
Though involvement in your women’s ministry can and—in fact—does meet some of our immediate needs for friendship, sense of belonging, and opportunities to serve; those needs must be secondary to our ultimate need: knowing Christ personally. Your WM team spends many hours praying before planning events to ensure that the focus of any activity is centered around the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here are some of the remaining 2018 opportunities that you can look forward to:
- Summer Bible Studies — July/August
- Dessert Night — August
- Fall Women’s Studies —September/November
- Fall Ladies’ Retreat — October
- Fall Craft Night — November
If you are a woman, a follower of Jesus, and a member of SCBC, you are ‘the women’s ministry.’ No women, no women’s ministry. This ministry is not and cannot be built on the backs of your WM team. In order to demonstrate a biblical ministry, the women of the church are called to work together as one body to exhort one another to look more like Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11), to keep each other accountable (Hebrews 3:13), to bear a sister’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), to provide friendship (Proverbs 27:17), to mentor a younger believer (Titus 2:3-5), and to remind one another of God’s Word (Philippians 2:3-4).
“Please realize that you have wisdom and experience that can speak directly to the needs, hurts, and desires of the [women in your church]” encourages Susan Hunt and Kristie Anyabwile in the same book, Word-Filled Women’s Ministry. It takes the women of Swift Creek Baptist Church to die to themselves and their preconceived notions; and to actively get plugged in with other women hungry for more of Jesus, more accountability, and more friendship.
Please know that not one woman in the church has it all together, and to make that claim would diminish the power of the Cross. We are all—followers of Christ or not—relying on the grace of Jesus to make it just one more second. As Cynthia so eloquently puts it, “I am a hot mess from time to time. I don’t have it all together no matter what it seems like. I was rescued from myself by the sheer grace of God.” Know that your involvement in your women’s ministry means you don’t have to hide your sin or your brokenness. Jesus knows your sin, has died because of your sin, conquered death for your very life; and I admonish you to live in that freedom that Christ lavishes on you. Know that your involvement in your women’s ministry means you can celebrate your successes and victories with those who will rejoice with you. You have incredible freedom in Christ when you surrender to his Lordship.
Cynthia has reiterated that it is the team’s desire to provide the church body more opportunities to “utilize the gifts that God has given them in order to serve and minister to others.” If you are wanting to join in the efforts of your women’s ministry, serve, or have questions about getting involved, you can email Cynthia at women@swiftcreekbaptist.org. Also, please join our Facebook group to stay up to date on some of the latest news: Women’s Ministry at Swift Creek Baptist
About the Author: Renee is the wife of Student Pastor, Mark Young. They have three children, Ezra (2.5), Piper (1.5), and Zoe due in September. She enjoys reading and doing anything outside. She consumes too much coffee and is eager to talk to anyone. Renee can be reached by email at renee.markyoung@gmail.com.