Women’s Ministries and YOU

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Womens Ministriesand YOU

• Dept. of Womens Ministries
• General Conference of SDA

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WHAT IT IS... Womens Ministries

• is a place to address the spiritual, emotional,
  physical and social needs of women in the
  church...

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• encourages women to improve their potential for
  participation in the mission of the church.
• is a support system for hurting women - whether
  they are suffering from divorce, abuse or simply
  loneliness.
• is a forum to help address topics and issues as
  they affect the woman...

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• encourages young women through a scholarship
  program.
• encourages women to become involved in all areas
  of ministry in their church, their community and
  in their home.
• mentors young women so that they may find joy in
  the Lord.

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• recognizes that women have many Gifts of the
  Spirit and it attempts to help women discover and
  use these gifts to the glory of God.

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What it isnt... Womens Ministries

• is not new. In 1898 Mrs. S.M. I. Henry, with the
  encouragement of Ellen G. White, headed a church
  department for womens ministry. Her death soon
  after ended the work she began. It wasnt until
  1990 that the Office of Womens Ministries was
  once again begun. It became a full church
  department in 1995.

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What it isnt..

• is not a forum for women who have complaints,
  justified or not, against employers.
• is not a place for women to promote equal rights
  for women, although we admit it is an important
  issue.
• is not a mere source of entertainment or the
  opportunity to spend endless hours on projects
  that merely promote selfish ideas.

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• is not a platform for the ordination of women,
  although we believe that everyone should use
  their talents to Gods glory and should receive
  just recognition for work done for His honor.
• is not male bashing. It is anti-sexist, not
  anti-male.
• is not exclusive. Womens Ministries wants
  inclusion, not the exclusion of anyone.

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How to be involved.Women are an influential
force in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When
women are ministered to, the family, church, and
community receive the benefits of their spiritual
strength and their ministry.
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You are invited to become involved in a number
of ways
through prayer and encouragement by helping to
see that there is an active Womens Ministries
program in your church, conference, union, and
division by volunteering your talents and
leadership abilities through your financial
support.
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Womens Ministries is involved in sponsoring and
developing a number of programs and activities.
Some of these are
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• Global Mission projects
• Area-wide retreats /rallies
• Prayer groups and prayer chains
• Small group ministries/ Bible studies
• Church hospitality
• Mentoring young girls and women
• Leadership Training

• International Womens Day of Prayer (First
  Sabbath in March)
• Womens Ministries Day (Second Sabbath in June)
• Literacy programs
• Abuse Prevention Emphasis Day (4th Sabbath in
  August)
• Prayer and Love Saves

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Mission StatementGeneral Conference Department
of Womens MinistriesThe Department of Womens
Ministries exists to uphold, encourage, and
challenge Adventist women in their pilgrimage as
disciples of Jesus Christ and members of His
world church.
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Our mission is in the larger sense common to all
Christians--that of uplifting Christ in the
church and in the world. But more specifically,
we are called to
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• elevate women as persons of inestimable worth
  because they have been created and redeemed
• enable women to deepen their faith and experience
  spiritual growth and renewal
• build networks among women in the world church to
  encourage bonds of friendship and mutual support
  and the creative exchange of ideas and information

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• mentor young Adventist women, encouraging their
  involvement, and creating paths for them as they
  reach for their potential in Christ
• address the concerns of women in a global content
• bring womens unique perspectives to the issues
  facing the world church

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• seek expanding avenues of dynamic Christian
  service for women
• challenge each Adventist woman with her potential
  to complement the gifts given to other women and
  men as they work side by side to further the
  global mission of the Seventh-day Adventist
  church--

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that out of the fullness we as women have
personally found in Jesus Christ, we may be
empowered to share the good news within our
families, among our fellow believers, and in ever
expanding circles in the unsaved world.
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SIX CRITICAL ISSUESThere are six critical
issues that particularly impact women around the
world. These issues are
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Illiteracy
Health Risks
Abuse
Work Loads
Poverty
Lack of mentoring and leadership training
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As Christians, seeking to follow the example of
Jesus, we believe that it is important to do what
we can to meet the needs of all people,
developing trust, and helping them to find the
answers to their needs. For this reason, Womens
Ministries has chosen to focus much of its
attention to these challenges.
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Before much can be done to address most of these
needs, a person must be able to read.
Almost one billion adults cannot read about
three-fourths of these are women. They cannot
read the instructions on a medicine bottle, fill
out an employment form, or read the directions
for a household cleaner. Neither can they read a
Sabbath School lesson to a child nor read the
Bible. Like many in the Dark Ages, they must get
their Gospel from someone else.
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These are certainly challenges for everyone in
the church.
Womens Ministries invites all to join together
to share the Good News of the Gospel!