When my husband, Gordon, and I assumed our first lead pastorate years ago, one of my first projects was to expand the church’s ministry to women.

At the time, our women’s ministry was a gathering of senior ladies who quilted on Tuesday mornings. Although the prospect of recruiting more quilters thrilled them, that’s not what I had in mind.

I cast a vision for reaching women of diverse ages, backgrounds, and interests. The quilting group was skeptical, but they appreciated the enthusiasm of their new, 25-year-old women’s leader and agreed to help.

Little did I know God would use those small steps of faithfulness to shape multiple generations.

Emili Bell was a young girl when her mother became a member of our women’s lead team. Her mom’s example and the ministry itself made a lasting impression on Bell.

“Growing up, I saw what it truly meant to serve by watching my mom serve in ministry,” Bell says. “She modeled for me what it meant to follow Christ, and I absolutely fell in love with the church and servanthood. I saw lifelong friendships, the impact on communities and changed lives happen. At a very young age, I knew I wanted to serve the church.”

Now 33, Bell is women’s ministries and preschool/nursery director for Bethel Church at Vista Pointe (Assemblies of God) in Medford, Oregon. She is passionate about discipling women and encouraging them to reach their Kingdom potential.

Unfortunately, when many people think of women’s ministries, they envision little more than quilting.

Women frequently tell me, “Those groups aren’t for me. I’m not into doilies and tea parties.”

My response is, “I’m not really into those things either. But I do care about growing spiritually and helping others do the same.”

Women’s ministry is, quite simply, ministry to women. That may look different from one context to the next, but Christ’s mission is always at the center.

AG Women celebrated its centennial during 2025. I am grateful for this milestone and the century of ministry and life change it represents.

As national director of AG Women, discipleship is my priority. Everything else flows from the priority of seeing women develop a growing relationship with God.

Fellowship is also vital. In a world of superficial and artificial connections, women are craving meaningful conversation, community, and friendship.

Churches should create intentional spaces where women can form relationships, grow spiritually, and discover their God-given purpose. Effective women’s ministries have four crucial elements in common.

Leadership

Every church needs a women’s ministries leader, and every women’s ministries leader needs a team.

Every women’s event, Bible study, retreat, or gathering can be a pathway that leads women to a transformational relationship with Christ.

This leader doesn’t have to be a staff member or pastor’s wife. Find a spiritually mature woman who wants to help others grow in relationship with God and one another.

Many women’s ministries leaders are volunteers. Rather than trying to carry the full weight of the group, they should develop other leaders and delegate responsibilities. Others can help with such duties as facilitating discussions, planning events, hosting gatherings, and overseeing benevolence projects.

Recruit a lead team representing different generations, races, and ethnicities, and with a variety of gifts and professional experiences. Participants will benefit from the team’s diverse leadership examples and contributions.

It’s time to dispel old stereotypes that women can’t work well together. We share a common gospel mission, and the Holy Spirit unites us through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).

We need women of faith to step up and lead with compassion, conviction, wisdom, integrity, and anointing.

Vision

No matter how talented and creative leaders may be, they still need a God-given vision.

Ask God to show you how to reach the women in your community. Start small, dream big, and trust the Lord to do what only He can.

Consider how to reach and include young women, single women, busy professionals, mothers with childcare needs, and those who are unfamiliar with church culture.

Make sure the ministry’s vision aligns with the church’s. It should be complementary, not competitive.

Regularly evaluate which strategies are outdated or no longer effective, what aspects of vision communication need greater clarity, and who your ministry approach is overlooking.

Culture

To fulfill the vision, you must build a healthy culture.

Culture change happens when even a small group of leaders comes together in unity. It starts with an atmosphere of faith and sisterhood.

Christ-centered culture grows as people love their neighbors and share testimonies of God’s intervention, provision, and miracles.

Identify practices and mindsets that are hurting your culture and hindering the ministry’s vision. Determine steps you can take right away to create a more welcoming and God-honoring culture.

Outreach

Women’s ministry should be inward and outward focused as we seek to reach our community and world with the gospel message. A Bible study or fun activity can become an on-ramp to greater church engagement.

Christy English, a women’s ministries leader at Christian Life Church (AG) in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has seen her group rally around evangelism. Her guiding verse is, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

“As a leader, it has been my greatest joy to watch our women’s ministry grow and flourish as I began taking this verse seriously,” English says. “I simply provided opportunities for women to live out their purposes through tangible works of service in missions at home and abroad.”

This missional emphasis has yielded results that are rippling across the community and beyond.

“Women who once sat quietly on a pew have been transformed into passionate advocates and leaders,” English says. “They began serving and lifting others, both right down the road in New York City and Philadelphia outreaches, as well as across the world on serve trips. Their confidence has blossomed, their faith has deepened, and the purpose of Jesus Christ has become a priority in their lives.”

Jesus did not tell us to create ministries. He said, “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).

Every women’s event, Bible study, retreat, or gathering can be a pathway that leads women to a transformational relationship with Christ.

AG Women is about spiritual formation, finding purpose, discovering gifts, and sharing victories and struggles within a context of Scripture, prayer, and genuine relationships.

Ministry to women is not just a program, but a movement that shapes generations. May we lead with love and advance the gospel like the faithful women who came before us.

This article appears in the Winter 2026 issue of Influence magazine.