Ladies days are fun opportunities to meet as a group of women and study God’s word. Before choosing your topic, determine what biblical topic you want to address in your gathering, and plan the theme around it with decorations and key Bible verses that accentuate the theme. Use the themes for a singular ladies’ day function or in conjunction with a bigger church gathering.
Christ My Anchor
Show the hope that is in you with the “Christ My Anchor” nautical theme. The ancient symbol Christians used for hope was the anchor. The image can be found in catacombs and other early Christian art. The image was important to early Christians because it reminded them that they had hope in Christ. Use the phrase found in Hebrews 6:19 that states, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” for the theme verse. Decorate the eating area with blue or white table cloths. Use lighthouses, flowers and seashells for the centerpieces. Drape the pulpit behind the speaker with a large fishing net, life preservers and anchors. Tie colorful glass floats and starfish onto the net. Serve clam chowder or seafood salad for the meal. Give each guest a small seashell to remember the event.
Diamonds in the Rough
Bring out the sparkle with the “Diamonds in the Rough Ladies’ Day” theme. Use this theme to celebrate how important women are, and to remind attendees that they are children of light — as Christians they shine like a diamonds. Select Ephesians 5:8, which reads “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walks as children of light” for the theme Scripture. Create a table display with a Bible centered on the table. Place decorative jewelry boxes to the left and right of the Bible. Add beaded silver garland, plastic gemstones and costume jewelry to the display. Use black or white table cloths for the tables, and a square of silver sequined fabric in the middle of the tables. Center black velvet jewelry forms on the table and add a piece of costume jewelry to each form. Serve diamond-shaped sandwiches or salads in glass bowls. Give each guest a candy ring for a takeaway or an inexpensive rhinestone bracelet.
Seeking Spiritual Beauty
Help women see the beauty deep within themselves with a “Seeking Spiritual Beauty” theme. Use the virtuous woman passage in Proverbs 31:10-31 as the theme text, but concentrate on Proverbs 31:30 which states, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” Study the passage in Proverbs, and read Sheila K. Butt’s book Seeking Spiritual Beauty before planning your ladies’ day. Remind women that the things most important in their lives are not the outward appearances, but the things of the heart. Teach them that God knows the heart and Christian women are beautiful from the inside out. Select motivational speakers who have experience with this topic. The speaker doesn’t need to be a beauty queen — she can be someone who has realized that inner beauty is what is most important, or someone who has struggled with vanity and overcame it. Use white table cloths and simple floral centerpieces. Select flowers that are in season. Scatter lipstick or makeup samples across the tables and encourage the guests to take some home. Give each guest a compact mirror or a hand mirror. Encourage each woman to find something she thinks is beautiful in her face, but help her to see her true internal beauty. Serve finger foods.
The Woman Behind the Mask
Celebrate being a woman with “The Woman Behind the Mask” theme. Use this theme to teach that women are much more than mothers, wives or working women. Use the biblical example of Deborah for the ladies’ day event. Discuss important points about Deborah’s life as found in Judah 4-5. Point out that Deborah was a wife, a warrior, a faithful follower of God and a judge of Israel. Decorate the room with colorful silks and Mardi Gras masks. Use colorful flowers and feathers for the tables’ centerpieces. Serve red rice and beans or other Cajun dishes. Encourage guests to decorate their own Mardi Gras masks as take home gifts.
Suggested Activities: Celebrating International Women’s Day
The following is a list of suggestions to help you celebrate International Women’s Day and the week of
March 8th. To help ensure success of any organized event or activity with your students, choose something
that suits both your audience and your purpose. Almost every idea can be adapted to suit a classroom
setting.
Discuss with students the history of International Women’s Day and the purpose for celebrating such a
special day.
Ask that an announcement be made in the school, along with a brief history of the reason for the day.
Write a special diary entry celebrating your won achievements as a woman and what contributions you
have made to education.
Consider your own economic security. Do you know the facts about your family economics?
Explore statistical information about women in the workforce with your older students.
Teach a lesson on long term economic planning in your class.
Have students make posters to display on International Women’s Day.
Share the information you learn about it with someone you think does not understand the need for an
“International Women’s Day.”
Organize a fundraiser and send the proceeds to support a cause related to the Status of Women. For
example, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, which is a Canadian volunteer solidarity group
committed to raising awareness to the plight of women in Afghanistan (http://www.cw4wafghan.ca/).
Spread the word about International Women’s Day by sending an email or e-card greeting to friends,
family, and colleagues that includes a link to the Status of Women Canada website (www.swccfc.gc.ca).
Place a special message on your fax cover sheet, your voicemail, your website, your email signature, on
your computer screen saver, or on your employees’ pay envelopes.
Put up the poster produced by Status of Women Canada for the week of March 8th somewhere in you
workplace or school.
Produce and display your own International Women’s Day poster.
Show an appropriate video for your audience on issues of concern to women and hold a discussion
afterwards. You may even want to have a special guest participate and lead the discussion.
Network and exchange information with local community groups that work to promote women’s
equality and rights.
Hold a discussion on a topic of concern to the women in your workplace or community. Topics could
include: Women and the Internet, Women and the Media, Women in Non-traditional Roles, Wage Gap
between Women and Men, Stereotyping and Socio-sexual Roles, Women’s Struggles and Challenges,
Balancing Work and Family Responsibilities, Career Choices, Education and Training for Women,
Women and Sports, Human Rights of Women, Women and Armed Conflict, Women and the Peace
Process, Women and Globalization, Violence against Women, Women and Poverty, Women’s Health
Issues, Sharing Power and Decision-Making, Feminism, Gender Relations, Women and Science, Women
and the Environment, Women and Research, Women and Volunteer Work.
Set up an information fair with displays featuring local resources for women.
Hold a “brown-bag” lunch and invite women from several generations to share their personal
experiences and efforts to achieve women’s equality.
Interview women who have made a positive difference for women in your community or globally.
Write an article about them for a local paper or newsletter.
Present a show, concert, or a play related to women’s struggles for equality and donate the proceeds
to a women’s organization.
Organize a photo or art exhibit in your local library, the cafeteria at work or school, etc. featuring works
created by women. Invite women’s organizations and the general public to attend the activity.
Organize a fundraising event for a women’s organization or shelter for abused women.
Create your own celebration with a March 8th brunch or potluck lunch.
Be a role model! Bring your daughter, your niece, or your grand-daughter to your workplace.
Ask the students to work on a project about women’s challenges or gender equality. They could write a
composition, a poem, a book report, a speech, or do a research paper.
Lead a discussion on what students can do in their home, at school or in the community to bring
women closer to equality.
Launch a photography, video, drawing, poetry or essay contest in your school. Perhaps a local store
could offer a prize.
Program Ideas For Ladies Meetings
Below you’ll find the transcript for Episode 5: How to Select Your Women’s Ministry Theme or Scripture Focus from the Women’s Ministry Toolbox Podcast.
How to Select Your Women’s Ministry Theme or Scripture Focus
Welcome to the Women’s Ministry Toolbox Podcast. I’m Cyndee Ownbey, your host and women’s ministry mentor. I’m the founder of Women’s Ministry Toolbox and the author of Rethinking Women’s Ministry. The Women’s Ministry Toolbox Podcast is a podcast for women’s ministry leaders and team members of all stages (from new to seasoned) serving in their local church community. If you’re looking for hope and inspiration, you’ve come to the right place! In addition to discussing the nuts and bolts of women’s ministry, I’ll be asking seasoned women’s ministry leaders to share their best tips and the lessons they’ve learned. Together we’ll learn to build a flourishing, Christ-focused women’s ministry.
Welcome to episode 5, How to Select your Women’s Ministry Theme or Scripture Focus.
Today, we’re going to continue to build a strong foundation for our women’s ministry. If you remember, back in episode one, we started by looking at the Scriptural Support for Women’s Ministry. In episode two, we talked about our Target Audience, and in episode four, we Crafted a Solid Women’s Ministry Mission Statement.
