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WM Ministries exists to advance the Kingdom of God through ministries that equip women to grow, serve and reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


 

From the Chair, Lenore Three Stars (Monroe Covenant Church)

This is the first time I've been thankful that my hot water tank gave out.  Because it did, I needed to reorganize some boxes in the garage to make room for the new installation.  I came across a box of incredible history that has been sitting there for about 4 years, from when I was called to be the new chair of North Pacific Conference.  As I thumbed through the archives of Women Ministries (the 1920s reports were written in Swedish!) my attention fell on this report, written by a woman of God before I was even born.  I have to say that the first thing that impressed me was the professional-looking letterhead stationery with formal old English fonts - it seemed to refer to quality in ministry.  Then I was astounded by the continuity of vision in Women Ministries!  The words written there are essentially the same language of our current vision: "Women Ministries exists to advance the kingdom of God through ministries that equip women to grow, serve and reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ."  God never goes out of style.

North Pacific Convenant Women's Auxiliary
 President's Report, Spokane, WA (Mrs H Blanche Lindberg), April 30, 1948

"Another year has slipped by and the time has come to put into writing the things that have been accomplished by the North Pacific Covenant Women's Auxiliary.  This well known verse comes to mind, "Only one life, twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."...
The purpose and aim of CWA is to further the kingdom of God by uniting the women of our Mission Covenant in promoting great interest for all missionary endeavors such as home and foreign missions, benevolences and educational work carried out by the Evangelical Mission Covenant of America, and especially by our own field, the North Pacific Conference.  With such an objective before us, we can carry on confident that the Lord is guiding and will add His Blessing. ...
The semi-annual meeting which was held in Bremerton was of special significance.  Being able to meet again without the restrictions of the war thrust upon us was cause for thanksgiving.

I picture hard-working women who soldiered on at home during a tough time in history.  Based upon the report, they did not allow a world war to deter them from their passion for God's ministry.  They "furnished the chapel in the new home for nurses of the Covenant Hospital;" "raised funds for the Missionary Home in the Virginia Mts;" and met a "pledge made in Bellingham to raise $5000 in five years for the Bremerton Building Fund."  I am filled with godly admiration and motivation.  I was personally thankful to read of their commitment to Covenant Beach, where I later raised my son during summer vacations: "Our work at Covenant Beach carries on much the same from year to year.  There has been a fine Christian spirit prevailing in the Cafeteria and we feel too that the interest in helping with this work is growing steadily.  The work is not easy, maybe less inspiring that other kinds of service but it too becomes less a challenge to us when we remember that it is a necessary part of a soul winning effort at Covenant Beach."  Let's dedicate this blessing to Cascades Camp!

Sisters in Christ, may the women who come after us in the North Pacific Conference, find us faithful, as we find those who went before us.  In Jesus name, Amen.


Spring 2009 Letter from Ruth Hill

Dear Friends,

Greetings and peace to you in Jesus' name!  What a joy to gather together annually to celebrate all God has done to advance his kingdom through Women Ministries!

It has now been five years since we launched the transition in Women Ministries from a separate parallel membership organization to a ministry integrated into the local church's vision.  In Good to Great, author Jim Collins, compares the implementation of a new vision to a flywheel; it takes patience and time for that first revolution, the second is still quite slow, gradually the momentum builds until it is flowing easily and naturally.  How would you describe your transition using that analogy?  If you are still waiting to complete that first revolution, take heart!  Many have successfully made the transition and are functioning smoothly in the new paradigm, finding new vitality and purpose in their ministries.  It can happen for you!

A huge piece of that vitality comes from being able to clearly articulate Women Ministries' foundational goal.  Women may know Women Ministries' vision statement - advancing God's kingdom through women; they may know why we exist - to equip women to grow, serve, and reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; yet answering HOW we do this has been absolutely transformational for so many leaders, the precious "Aha!"  The answer is this:
  • Connecting women in transformational relationships, and ...
  • Uniting them in Christ to impact our world.
We can shorten that to just TWO WORDS and we have the foundational goal of Women Ministries!
CONNECTING WOMEN!

This is really the heart of Women Ministries!
 It is the thing that we do best; it is our "brand essence" or the "brand promise," using language from the corporate world.  We connect women in transformational relationships!

The word "transformational" separates our activities from secular activities.  The goal is to create opportunities for the Holy Spirit, the great transformer, to minister in the hearts and lives of women - whether to introduce them to faith in Jesus, deepen their faith in Jesus, or enable them to minister in his name.

I pray that you will grasp the tremendous potential for Women Ministries to grow and strengthen the church.  As you share what has happened since you last met, listen for the heart of Women Ministries!  Listen for how lives are being transformed to the glory of God through the many ministries that connect.

Before I close, I want to list our new exciting opportunities that connect women:
  1. The denominational e-newsletter, Connecting Women - sign up by emailing wmc@covchurch.org
  2. For WM leaders: TLC - The Leadership Connection (www.covchurch.org/women/ministries/wm-leaders)
  3. Triennial XIII!  Check out www.triennialxiii.org!  There's a limited time offer for lowest registration rates!
Thank you for your partnership with us!  The Ministry Support from your church and your personal donations as a Friend of Women Ministries enable us to realize the visions God gives us.  Thank you for that support!  Blessings on you!

In Him,

Ruth Y. Hill

This site was last updated
06/12/09