Starting A Sisterhood Of Servants Ministry

A Sisterhood Of Servants (S.O.S.) ministry purposes to bring women together on the basis of shared concerns to accomplish a common goal, solve a problem, or give aid to others. Your life will be richer and your church or community will be better because of the efforts you and the women in your circle of influence put forth. Before real ministry can begin, an introspective look should be done to examine one's attitudes, motives, and actions. Otherwise, well-intentioned ministry has the potential to turn into mere busy work which can result in frustration and burnout. The ultimate goal is to see women serving each other and meeting the needs of those in their communities – in short, changing the planet one person at a time.

**As a side note, fellowship and camaraderie will be a byproduct of the women coming together in an SOS ministry, but they aren’t the focus. Cliques should not be permitted to develop within the group.

RIGHT MOTIVES/ATTITUDES
(lead to)
RESPONSIVE ACTIONS

Be willing to change old ways of thinking if those attitudes have been a hindrance in ministering to others. "Seek to maintain a teachable spirit through all phases of life."
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Theoretical jargon has its place in making a conversation interesting; however, taking on the responsibility to "act" is where real change takes place. Don't just talk the talk, but walk the walk

Assess whether you have a genuine heart for serving others and currently practice the art of servanthood
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Ask yourself this question: Do I like to fix people and their problems, or am I content serving them right where they are?

Determine the true motivation behind your desire to start a sisterhood of servants ministry?
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Ask yourself this question: Do I really have a desire to come along side those who are in need, or am I secretly seeking to make a name for myself?

HOW DO I IMPLEMENT MY PLANS FOR MINISTRY?

S.O.S. WITHIN THE CHURCH:
A natural extension of any Sunday school class(whether it’s children, women, singles, or couples). This will primarily be a helps/encouragement ministry for women and/or children within the class. Ultimately, whole families and the church at large will benefit. Follow these steps:

STEP #1: Notify your church leadership of your burden and desire to start an S.O.S. ministry. Obtain permission from the appropriate authorities before proceeding, and make sure you have their support.

STEP #2: Assess the needs of the women/children in your class. Ask the question – “Are there groups within the church that are already addressing these needs?” If so, get on board and partner with their efforts. (there is no need to reinvent the wheel). If there are no established programs within your church, pray for wisdom as you begin to implement your own plans for the women/children in your sunday school class.

STEP #3: Build a Leadership Team (you will need help to accomplish your goals) *click here for more info. Identify women in your circle of influence, and share your burden with them.

STEP #4: Set Goals — immediate and long term. Establish time frames and follow up procedures

STEP #5: Put your plan into action. Record progress, successes and failures

STEP #6: Celebrate your successes (this is important) with all those involved. This can be done simply — a written report of all that has been accomplished made available to those who participated in the program/initiative accompanied by a personal thank you note. More elaborate celebration: throw a party to celebrate the successful implementation of your ministry goals and recognize the service and sacrifice of those involved. Either way, there should always be a written record of your accomplishments.

SERVICE IDEAS:

babysitting co-op, woman to woman mentoring/discipling, once a month cooking, Adopt A Class, cards of encouragement

S.O.S. IN THE COMMUNITY:
The general needs of a community are great and can seem overwhelming if the scope/focus of ministry is too broad. Thinking only about your local community,

follow these steps:

STEP #1: Categorize the needs of your community by the type of service you are willing to provide. For example, in what particular areas will you target your volunteer service (crisis pregnancy centers, animal shelters, homeless shelter, etc.) Make a commitment to focus on only one area.

STEP #2: Identify local partners – check out organizations that are already doing work in this area and volunteer your services with them.

STEP #3: Build A Leadership Team - *click here for more information. If you are volunteering with an established organization, make sure your leadership team is organized and everyone knows what role she is to play. Most non-profits love volunteers, but they don’t have the staff available to organize them. You’ll save the director of these organizations precious time if you know what everyone is going to be doing before you get there.

STEP #4: Set Goals — immediate and long term. Establish time frames and follow up procedures

STEP #5: Put your plan into action. Record progress, successes and failures

STEP #6: Celebrate your successes

SERVICE IDEAS:

• Volunteer at local women’s/children’s shelter, or crisis pregnancy center
• Organize a local clothes closet
• Recognize your favorite locally owned business with a special day
• Neighbor to neighbor meet and greet
• Organize a fundraiser for a cause that is special to you (Create your own program and recruit volunteers)

REMEMBER YOUR PURPOSE:

RIGHT ATTITUDE

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RESPONSIVE ACTIONS

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REAL MINISTRY

A heart for service, A heart for others