Serve
Looking for ways to connect women through service to others?
There are many opportunities to serve, to find out more ideas from local churches visit our community page where you can sew and reap new ways to serve. On this page we are choosing to highlight ways that you can serve that are connected to the existing efforts of our denomination.
U Empower
In 2013, you can partner with Women Ministries in a powerful way – because you have the power! You have the power to impact women—at home or around the world; in areas of advocacy or leadership training; with hands-on and fundraising efforts. You are empowered to choose the initiative that means most to you in your unique setting AVA (Advocacy for Victims of Abuse), MTS (Mending the Soul), Break the Chains (PROTECT), Global Goods for Congo (including Rip n’ Roll) and Triennial scholarships. We encourage you to support the effort of your choice, prayerfully, financially, and by raising awareness and taking action. Below are the ways we invite you to create your own project in 2013. Choose one or more that work best for you!
SIMS
The goal of the Special Interest Missionary (SIM) program is for all woman missionaries in the Covenant – single, married, active, or retired – to be partnered with specific affiliates in our local Covenant churches. This crucial networking between missionary and home support group begins when each Covenant woman missionary is linked with one of the ten conferences for a three year period. Women Ministries groups are encouraged to support our Covenant missionaries around the world through the Special Interest Missionary (SIM) program.
Funds help to provide a special ministry need for an active missionary. For example, a woman working in Honduras may want to start an after-school program for kids, providing crafts and activities to further their development, create conversation and protect the children until the parents arrive home from work.
Besides funding these efforts SIMs also find comfort in a card and of course the covering of prayer. Supporting a SIM is simple and can be a great add-on to an existing event. For example one church had cards at every table during their annual Christmas brunch. They simply passed the blank card around and allowed each woman to write a note of encouragement. To find a list of the SIM for your area as well as their contact information download our brochure.
AVA
Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA) promotes safety and healing for victims of abuse and help bring an end to violence against women, men and children in our Midwest Conference and Denomination. AVA, a ministry of the Department of Women Ministries, is devoted to making Covenant churches safe sanctuaries and healing communities. It does this by:
- Providing resources for victims of abuse, and those who minister to them,
- Equipping the church to minister to victims of abuse, and
- Promoting preventative measures against abuse.
Future endeavors include partnering with Mending the Soul to bring specific training to walk with a survivor through healing.
Of course funding AVA is a great way to serve but bringing AVA to your church and/or women ministry is an even greater opportunity. Our Regional Coordinator, Kyle Kelly, would love to help your ministry through training, informative talks, community connection events, and even talks for youth groups regarding violence in dating.
Kyle leads a life full of traipsing around the country side with her 8 grandkids & enjoys working on projects with her husband. Mentoring women & encouraging them to see Jesus as the Lover of their Soul is an exciting part of her day & AVA is at the heart of what she loves & is called to. For information on how we the “church” are to respond to the women, children & sometimes men experiencing abuse, contact Kyle.
Home phone 402-625-2491 / / work phone (Mead Covenant Church) 402-624-6125 // email: kylekelly@windstream.net
Raise the Flag
We are honored to be able to bring international guests to our conference and to Triennial. Every three years our conference sponsors a delegate who travels around our 5-state area to meet with you prior to attending Triennial.
Raise the flag is our project which raises funds to sponsor her to come. Many were blessed in 2010 when we sponsored Noriko Kawamura who traveled from Japan to attend Triennial XIII, joining the many other international women sponsored by churches in other conferences.
Be thinking of what you can do in 2013 to make our guest feel welcome in your area.
PACE Trips
Women Ministries offers Cross Cultural Opportunities (CCO) for groups of twelve to fifteen women to travel in countries with which the Evangelical Covenant Church has a mission partnership. Following the PACE (Prayer And Cultural Education) model, Women Ministries’ CCOs are characterized by two verbs: learn and pray. Participants will learn about the culture, the obstacles to presenting Christ in that culture and how mission partners are overcoming them. Prayer opportunities are a major part of each trip. Past trips have included China, India and Alaska. New opportunities are sure to come.
Congo, Bandages and Layettes
For over sixty-five years the women of the Covenant have rolled bandages and stitched layettes for Congolese hospitals. Congo Medical Ministries still desperately need a steady supply of strip bandages. The medical supplies sent to them provide incredible resources to the hospital staff. After a recent analysis of Congo Medical Ministries, it was concluded that we are indeed called to continue ministering in this way to our brothers and sisters in Congo. To find out more information please click here.
WM Recognition Award – for the women who serve with you
We get so busy serving other women in our community and world that we forget to serve the women who work alongside of us. Every effective Women Minstries is successful because of a team. Take the time to acknowledge the heart and soul of your ministry by honoring a woman who has faithfullly served in your church body. Women Ministries Sunday (in February) is a great time to recognize women in your church who particularly exemplify faithful service to Christ through the church fellowship. Contact us to request recognition awards (silver logo pin and card) which are available to present to the deserving women in your congregation.
