(Women’s Ministry Innovation Laboratory)
Engaging Women in Leadership
Has had over 200 interviews with women in leadership
What are your successes?
What are your failures?
How did you get to where you’re at?
What are their struggles?
Lack of confidence
Under-identified leadership gifts
Lack of female mentors/role models
Leadership loneliness (leading is lonely)
Who do you admire the most? And why?
-those who are making a difference
What’s the most fulfilling area of your life? And why?
-volunteering: at church, in the city, etc
What keeps you up at night?
-older women: their children
-younger women: finances, marriage
What are you reading?
-most women are reading magazines…beauty, marriage and sex
-how many times do women talk about sex in church? (God is the author of sex)
Conclusions:
We aren’t listening to what women are really thinking about
We aren’t listening to their desire to and need to make a difference
Younger women are done with big events just for connection
Women are great connectors
How can you engage women leaders?
Assess the current reality
How many women are leading?
Does our church leadership reflect our church population?
Where’s your biggest need?
Interview and empower
Cultivate
Look to the next generation
