Pioneer Christian Monthly - August, 1996

And Precious Silver - Planned Outreach
Babette Moerman

Reaching out to women is a very essential and necessary part of Women's Ministries - it is indeed one of the keys to growth. Telling the Good News of Jesus Christ and His loving plan of salvation for each one of us should be shared with even more enthusiasm and excitement than the news of an engagement or the announcement of a newborn baby! (And we all know how quickly these items of news get passed on.) Women without the Lord are desperately looking for someone or something to fill the emptiness in their lives. As Christian women, let's grab hold of our opportunities to lead women to a relationship with the Only One who can fill that void - Jesus Christ!

This issue's column will focus on outreach and suggest practical ways in which we can accomplish this in the context of women's ministry. As the Fall Season quickly approaches, most of us are gearing up to begin our Women's Ministries, so here are some excellent and helpful ideas that are working in some Women's Ministries across the Regional Synod of Canada.

THE MOTHERS' SUPPORT GROUP

(contributed by Karen Blaauw)

On June 12, 1996, the Mothers' Support Group of Forestview Community Church in Grimsby, Ontario, completed its ninth year of ministry. It has been my privilege to be one of the founding members as well as to offer leadership for this group over the years.

The main thrust of the ministry is to provide support for women who have chosen motherhood as their full-time vocation. Many women who remain at home to train their children feel isolated, alone, and unsupported. Thus, we provide a meeting place" every other week where women from the area can gather together.

The Mothers' Support Group also provides an opportunity for 10 Forestview Women to rub shoulders with community moms, build friendships, and, hopefully, lead them to Christ. There is a Bible study on the alternate Wednesdays, which women from Mothers' Support Group are encouraged to attend at the beginning of each season. Our ministry year begins in late September and ends during the second week in June. The morning schedule is as follows:

" from 9:10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., the moms arrive, bring their children to the appropriate childcare room, and join the other moms for a casual cup of coffee in the mo&s meeting room;

" at 9:30 a.m., the leader opens the meeting in a lecture/discussion format;

" at 10:15, there is a fifteen minute coffee break, after which the speaker concludes and responds to any questions.

The topics presented deal with various aspects of mothering, marriage, and homemaking. Some examples are as follows:

* Decorating Your Home on a Limited Budget

* Your Children's Teeth

* Diet, Fitness, and Health

* Mothering Around the World

* Time Management

* Marriage Enrichment

* Discipline

* Character Development in Children

* Moms Past and Present

* Household Tips and Shortcuts

The attendance this year has been the highest ever with 45-50 moms coming to most of the meetings and with another 75 children in childcare staffed by a dozen childcare givers who provide loving and quality care for the children.

There is no cost to those who attend Mothers' Support Group. We do provide an opportunity for participants to contribute to childcare costs and many do. The bulk of the expenses are covered by the church as we consider this ministry a community outreach mission service. The opportunities for ministry within this group are endless. The harvest is indeed ripe.

Anyone interested in beginning an outreach ministry to stay-at-home moms may feel free to contact Karen Blaauw for assistance. Thank-you, Karen!

A Specific Outreach Event: OUR STRAWBERRY TEA (contributed by Jan Koolhaas)

The women of Emmaus Christian Fellowship in Langley, B.C. have seen their annual Mothers' Day weekend event grow from. a small group of people In a living room three years ago to 140 women who filled a multi-purpose room in a local school.

Reluctant to use the term "Mother/Daughter Tea" (out of deference to those who don't have a mother or a daughter), the Emmaus ladies put a strong emphasis on outreach for the 1996 "Strawberry Tea." Margaret Powers, author of the world-famous "Footprints" poem agreed to come and share her testimony and tell the story behind "Footprints." Because the poem is so well-known, even by people outside the church, the Emmaus ladies were able to use the poem's notoriety to attract many women who might otherwise not have attended a church sponsored event.

Our women were really enthusiastic and bold about inviting their non-Christian friends to hear Margaret Powers," reports Jan Koolhaas, pastor's wife and co-organizer. "Some of our relatively shy ladies invited as many as nine or ten people to the Strawberry Tea!" ' For the Emmaus women the experience has been a double blessing: getting the opportunity to hear Margaret Powers and strengthening their collective ability/desire to reach out to those who don't know the Lord ... yet.

Because the Strawberry Tea was for women and girls of all ages, it was a special treat for the younger girls to have 22-year-old ventriloquist Paula Powers, daughter of Paul and Margaret Powers, come and entertain the group with her puppet-friend, Jessica Valori Bootsma, a frequent soloist at Emmaus, sang a song which dovetailed beautifully with the message of 'Footprints".

Cheesecake with fresh strawberries was served to the women who were seated at round tables decorated in a red and white motif to match the strawberry theme. Each table had an appointed "table hostess" who looked after the comfort of those seated at her table. A team of intercessors made it their sole responsibility to pray before and during the Strawberry Tea for the non-Christian guests by name. The intercessors prayed with Margaret and Paula Powers just before the event and even anointed the doorposts of the school with oil and prayer.

Copies of "The Four Spiritual. Laws" were placed in the middle of each table as well as "response cards," which gave the women options to ask for prayer or counsel.

"A clear presentation of the Gospel was made, and a nonthreatening invitation to respond was given. Our intercessors had praying-hands-stickers on their name tags to identify them, and anyone who needed prayer was invited to talk with an intercessor," added Mrs. Koolhaas.

"We may never know how many lives were touched by the Strawberry Tea, but we know one thing for sure-God's Word never returns empty. We rest our confidence in that promise. A number of women who never would have come to a church worship service were very happy to be a part of the Strawberry Tea. The Holy Spirit will continue to do His work."

EPILOGUE

As we minister to women this new season, may we all be obedient and wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus' final words to I-!is disciples, found in the Great Commission. May we be faithful in going out and making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen!