The pastor’s wife is really the first lady of the church. She’s involved in almost every aspect of church life; from the administrative side to philanthropy to the social aspects. It’s important that a pastor’s wife not simply be considered an extension of her husband. Her spiritual priorities and her personal relationship with God are just as important as her husband’s. Developing her own faithful endeavor can be a wonderful exercise for a pastor’s wife. And when it comes to pastor’s wife’s ministry efforts, anything and everything is possible.

Prioritize Fellowship and Community

A pastor’s wife can’t serve God in her complete capacity if she doesn’t feel connected to the church and connected to other pastor’s wives. Finding a community of likeminded souls will carry a pastor’s wife far in developing her own ministry. Lois Evans has an entire blog devoted to the topic. Articles and information run the gamut; everything from the power of prayer to the importance of friendship. Featured videos are also a part of her site.

Here’s an excerpt from a piece she wrote on empowerment.

The feminist movement of the last thirty years has given us a lot of angry and frustrated women who are determined to prove to themselves and everyone else——particularly to men—that they can do anything a man can do and do it better.

This movement’s song of liberation seemed to boast, “I can do it all.” The fact is, though, that modern-day feminists have nothing on the woman of Proverbs 31. She did all of the things modern feminists struggle to do, and she clearly did them right.

But she didn’t do these things out of anger or frustration, or to prove something to herself or to someone else. And it was because she wasn’t a “superwoman” who did not need anyone else. Instead, what we see in Proverbs 31 is a woman who accomplished more than most feminists will ever accomplish yet did so with unswerving devotion to the Lord in the setting of a loving home and family.

The message to women is this: We need liberation but with biblical application. God’s Word gives us true liberty without causing our focus to be sidetracked onto the oppression of women and a fierce competition between the sexes.

You can read the full article here.

Get Inspired

Pastor’s wives should create a ministry about something that excites them, something they are passionate about. It shouldn’t be a perfunctory exercise, it should be spiritually nourishing.

Starting a non-profit ministry in the “real world” is a major undertaking with a lot of rules. A pastor’s wife should be thorough in following them starting with the very first step, an idea and a mission statement. Here’s some advice from the Houston Chronicle.

Create a ministry mission statement. Make your mission statement brief and concise. Urban Ministry states that a mission statement keeps you focused, an important factor in moving forward and for decision making, including deciding on a name, crafting published ministry materials and fund raising. All of these activities relate to your nonprofit status. Let your mission statement reflect every aspect of your ministry.

From there, there are many technicalities to follow. Just be careful to adhere to the rules, and let your ministry flourish!