by Linda Hardin
 The mission statement for the Church of the Nazarene is to make Christlike disciples in the Nations. What are the implications for Women’s Ministries? How do we fulfill that mission in the events and programs we offer? We begin with the mission statement for Women’s Ministries: Growth. Gathering women is the first element. Women’s Ministries brings women together from a variety of backgrounds, life situations, and spiritual maturity. This causes us to look beyond our personal experiences to see a wider spectrum of women. Diversity should be obvious as women attend Women’s Ministries events and programs, young and old, married and single, spiritually mature and young Christians. Resourcing opportunities allows Women’s Ministries to provide tools women need to live productive lives. These may be parenting skills, financial planning, care-giving tips, and spiritual growth and development to name some. These resources provide the tools needed to integrate Christlike principles into all aspects of life. Offering acceptance provides Women’s Ministries the opportunity to welcome women into a setting that may allow an introduction to Jesus Christ. Wherever women are on their spiritual journey, we accept them, challenge them to become more Christlike, and teach them that Christlikeness is a continuous process of growth and development. Winning women to Jesus is the most basic principle of Women’s Ministries. Without this component, Women’s Ministries has nothing to offer that is different from any secular women’s gathering. All events and programs of Women’s Ministries are grounded in a passion to introduce women to Jesus Christ as Savior. Teaching biblical truths is another basic element of Women’s Ministries. Through Bible studies and Christian book studies, we challenge women to grow spiritually. We are charged with helping women become the people God created them to be. We achieve this by teaching biblical truths. Honoring the spirit-filled life is the ultimate outcome. By honoring, we mean striving to live as spirit-filled women in every aspect of our lives. We understand Christianity to mean that it’s a lifestyle as well as an attitude. Our faith is not an apparel that we groom ourselves in for Sundays or when we head to a church gathering. Women’s Ministries’ mission statement parallels the denomination’s. We accept the challenge to encourage and support women as they develop into Christlike disciples. Linda Hardin is coordinator of Women’s Ministries, Church of the Nazarene  | 
