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Author Archive

My Soapbox | Are we entertaining or empowering?

Posted by Debby on September 2, 2014

I’m going to get up on my soapbox for a moment.

I know there is a place for fun and fellowship in women’s ministry. But as I do research online for women’s ministry, sometimes the emphasis seems to be games, crafts and entertaining the women. The www.retreatinabag.net website was originally created to share skits for women’s ministry, so obviously we encourage entertainment…but only so far as it helps you reach your goal of sharing and applying the Word of God and bringing your women closer to God.

Here is my “bold” statement regarding any women’s event: If your priority and focus is not the Word of God, you are just spinning your wheels and going nowhere. Fun and fellowship are wonderful, but it is the Word of God that will transform lives.

Posted in: Ingredients for a Great Retreat, Inspirations, News & Information, Retreat and Event Planning

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Saturday Night Solution

Posted by Debby on August 26, 2014

Your speaker sessions have finished for the day, a delicious dinner has been enjoyed, and now night is falling.

Instead of giving your women the “night off,” seize the opportunity to provide a great evening of fun and fellowship!

This particular year our retreat was at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina instead of our usual trek to the beach. Our team needed to come up with a low-cost, fun activity that would meet the needs of 80 women ranging from their early 20’s into their 80’s.

In our pre-retreat information letter we asked our women to bring a fun pair of slippers and requested they wear them Saturday evening. We didn’t give them any further details.

One of the members of our planning team came up with the Slipper Contest categories and certificates – the wildest slippers, most comfortable, silliest, etc. We had a total of 5 or 6 categories in all.

When we gathered in the auditorium on Saturday evening we passed out the category list to every woman. Those that were interested in competing modeled their slippers on the stage for all to see. Our emcee really talked up each model and their slippers. We made sure we said each name multiple times so our judges could fill in their ballots completely.

We tallied the ballots and put names on our certificates while we showed the comedy DVD “Thinking Out Loud” by Anita Renfroe. It was so funny! We laughed so hard we cried.

Not only did we bond and laugh over the funny things in the video, but we all shared in the experience of the Slipper Contest. Was it a little silly and cheesey? Yes, but our goal of bonding and laughter was met with great success!

Cyndee Ownbey blogs over at Women’s Ministry Toolbox and is passionate about helping other Women’s Ministry Leaders reach and encourage women in their church and community. She and her husband, two sons (12 and 15), and miniature schnauzer, Heidi, recently relocated to the Charlotte, NC area. When she’s not gathering and gleaning great ministry ideas you can find her trying out new recipes or immersed in her latest Christian fiction pick.

Posted in: Little Things Make a Big Difference!, News & Information, Retreat and Event Planning

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Women’s Ministry Toolbox

Posted by Debby on August 19, 2014

I am taking a “blogging break” as my husband and I travel to China to visit family. I would like to introduce you to my friend, Cyndee Ownbey. She is the creator of my hands-down favorite online resource for women’s ministry: www.womensministrytoolbox.com. If you haven’t visited this site, you need to! I have asked her to share below about her website, and next week she will be my guest blogger.

Women’s Ministry is hard.

It’s challenging. It’s often unpaid. It can be a struggle to find good resources and support.

I created Women’s Ministry Toolbox as a place where you can find resources and support that will help you and your team as you strive to fulfill God’s calling in ministering to the women in your church and community.

In addition to sharing wisdom and ideas I’ve gathered and gleaned during 15 years of ministering to women, I invite other leaders share their ideas through guest posts. There is so much we can learn from each other!

You’ll find information on:

Prayer
Bible Study
Team Building
Fellowship
Utilizing Technology
Online Resources
Shopping
Speakers
Budgeting
Icebreakers & Games
Leadership
Mission Projects
Publicity
and more….

I’d love to invite you over to Women’s Ministry Toolbox for a visit. I hope and pray God will use it to help you as you serve. (There’s even a spot where you can subscribe to get each post in your email box, so you won’t miss a tip or idea!) I so appreciate Debby giving me the opportunity to share my calling and extend an invitation to you, her treasured readers! It has been a great joy and pleasure to “meet” you!

Cyndee Ownbey blogs over at Women’s Ministry Toolbox and is passionate about helping other women’s ministry leaders reach and encourage women in their church and community. She and her husband, two sons (12 and 15), and miniature schnauzer, Heidi, recently relocated to the Charlotte, NC area. When she’s not gathering and gleaning great ministry ideas you can find her trying out new recipes or immersed in her latest Christian fiction pick.

Posted in: News & Information, Resources, Retreat and Event Planning, Starting Points in Retreat Planning

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Publicity – With a Face

Posted by Debby on August 12, 2014

It is an issue we all face: How do we publicize our events? How do we get the word out?

Often, publicity for our women’s events is fairly impersonal. We use print media–announcements in the bulletin, posters around the church and in the women’s bathroom. Possibly you have used a radio ad to publicize a big event. Plus, now there is social media: events can be posted on the church website, posted on FaceBook, and probably even tweeted if you know how to do that.

However, I think the most effective form of publicity has a personal touch: a personal invite, a hand-written card, an announcement made by one of the women during a church service, class or event–where a face can be associated with the event. And what if we decorated a table with all the pertinent information available, PLUS a person at the table to answer questions and personally invite women who walk by?

Posted in: Lessons Learned, News & Information, Retreat and Event Planning, Starting Points in Retreat Planning

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Do You Micro-Manage?

Posted by Debby on August 5, 2014

“Micro-Manager” is a business term that has been coined for the leader who is controlling and gives excessive attention to minor details. He or she tries to ensure perfection by insisting on reviewing and approving everything. A micro-manager squelches initiative and creativity, and is perceived as having a lack of faith in the employee’s competence. Conversely, the term “macro-manager” refers to one who leaves the employee alone to their assigned tasks, confident that he or she has chosen competent workers who can complete the task.

Outside of the business world, we can still micro-manage and squelch the initiative and creativity of those serving under us. Yes, we want everything to be perfect for a retreat or women’s event. But we also need to give the assigned leader space to learn and grow and even make mistakes as they seek the Lord and use their God-given gifts and abilities. No, they may not do things exactly the way that you would have; but God doesn’t need another “you.” And maybe it’s time for a change in “the way things have always been done.”

Posted in: Developing Leadership, Lessons Learned, News & Information, Realities of Ministry

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