Leading ministry can be exhausting. Building teams and finding volunteers is HARD, and sometimes it feels like all the weight lands on one set of shoulders.

Yours.

If this is true for you, take heart. Shouldering all the responsibility in ministry is a common obstacle that a lot of women’s ministry leaders share. This common pitfall can be spotted:

  • on teams, when one person is organizing and doing everything
  • in Bible studies, when one person is choosing the studies and leading the group(s)
  • at retreats, when the whole event revolves around a speaker

When ministries are anchored by one or two personalities, it discourages new ideas, fresh perspective, and younger women getting engaged. On the other hand, when you intentionally share the leadership load and equip new leaders, it energizes ministry. Those who’ve overcome this obstacle practice two key habits: They equip, and they recruit. You can do this:

  • on your teams by setting leadership term limits, establishing clear titles/job descriptions, and proactively identifying and recruiting younger leaders. Visit here for more team-building ideas, or get this interactive workbook for designing your women’s ministry.
  • in your Bible studies by choosing studies that anyone can lead (and inviting them to do so)
  • at your retreats by choosing a retreat kit instead of a speaker. Retreats that have multiple women facilitating, and lots of conversation prompts built-in, make sharing leadership fun and easy. This is also an excellent way to begin training upcoming and younger women for a more active leadership role in your ministry. Assign them a session during the retreat and watch as their confidence and leadership blossoms, sending them into the following months with more motivation and commitment to your ministry. (And because the retreat sessions are spelled out, there’s no pressure if leadership isn’t a great fit after all!) Learn the surprising secret to a life-changing retreat, or read about our two retreat kits to see which theme fits your ministry best.

Do you have any good tips to share for how to equip and recruit new leaders so that the responsibility doesn’t fall on one set of shoulders? I’d love to hear you idea in the comment section, below. Thanks!

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