Let’s face it. Not everyone is designed to work in a homeless shelter or visit people in prison. Not everyone is satisfied to work in the church nursery or teach a Sunday school class. Many women want to give more, do more, but they haven’t found the right niche. So they do nothing.
If you haven’t found your calling, maybe it is because you are looking in all of the same places with the same ideas. Instead, step outside the traditional view of ministry and possibly out of your comfort zone to do something different. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Read through the list and pick one that appeals to you. Let us know what it is in the comments section as a way to hold yourself accountable to at least try it out.
- Organize a community theatre presentation that tells the story of Jesus. Make it free for all to attend.
- Start a free quarterly community lunch with church members and others providing the food so there is no cost to you or to those who come to eat.
- Teach a skill to help people find jobs. Look at what you know, such as website design, using Microsoft Office, or woodworking. Get friends involved to teach other skills.
- Hold a free baking or cooking class for the community. Teach people how to cook healthy foods even on a limited budget.
- Set up a free giveaway where people donate items to be given rather than purchased. Clothing and household items provide help for a family or person who has lost everything or been living on the street for some time.
- Organize an art show or talent contest. Make it free to enter and to watch. People who are without jobs or working two or three just to feed their families can’t afford to pay for recreational activities for them or their families.
- Prepare baskets to give to new mothers, those going home from the hospital or those being released from prison.
- Hold a free seminar with a speaker on relevant topics, such as nutrition, caring for children, self-defense or how to succeed in a job interview.
- Begin a mentoring program with other women you know. Reach out to the community and mentor teenagers, first-time mothers, or other women who need a positive role model.
- Host a kids’ club once a week or month to give mothers time to look for a job or tend to other tasks that get forgotten because they can’t afford a babysitter.
These are just a few ideas of ministry opportunities to help you start thinking creatively. Not all of them focus on spiritual things and some of them are one-time activities. You have to meet people where they are and provide for their most urgent basic needs before you can teach them about the love of God. Use the talents that God has given to you to reach out to others even if they don’t seem like typical ministry skills.
Let us know in the comments whether you are going to use one of the above ideas or if you have come up with one of your own. You might inspire other women to get involved.
