This Sunday, women are receiving a special calling, especially young women. Although there are many women ministries set up within Assemblies of God churches nationwide, more women are being encouraged to fill the positions during National Women’s Ministries Day.
The theme of the national day is "Women's Ministries -- Unlimited!", a new awareness campaign launched by the national Women's Ministries Department to inform the women that there are opportunities to serve their local churches.
"The majority of women in our Assemblies of God churches do not participate in any ministry," says Arlene Allen, national Women's Ministries director. "This is a wake-up call. God desires every believer to be involved -- not one or two doing all the work."
The wake-up call is much needed for young women to see their relevance more so in church than in other areas.
"They have so many things being aimed at them from so many other groups in the world -- and even from other Christian interests," says Eleanor Grossglass, New York District women's ministries director. "We need something like this to catch the attention of women in their 20s and 30s."
A second effort of Assemblies of God churches to help more women hear their calling is the Connected Contemporary conference, to be held March 10-12, 2004. The event, consisting of workshops to build leadership skills, insight and relationships, will be held at the Central Assembly of God in Springfield,Missouri.
Leann Sparks-Cherry, 25, a Women in Ministry workshop leader and the middle school pastor for Central Assembly in Springfield, assures young women the material they learn will be helpful to them.
"Almost every workshop that is being offered is going to relate to a young woman in ministry, because they are not necessarily age specific.
"Why wait until you're older [to attend]?," says Sparks-Cherry. She describes the event as giving lessons which are “invaluable”.
Leaders of the Women in Ministry hope these efforts will open the eyes of many people in the church to see the importance of women’s involvement in the ministries. Not only for the people they will reach but to build a deeper purpose.
"Churches must understand that Women's Ministries is not a small group of women meeting once a month for a meeting void of purpose," says Allen. "It is ministry to women and ministry by women. It's about every woman finding her gifts, then using them to touch others for the glory of God."
