Thanks for linking over to The Neighborhood Cafe from my friends at womensministry.net! If you’re a Women’s Ministry leader in your church, I hope you enjoyed today’s Tip of the Week called “5 Ways to Grow Your Women’s Ministry.”

But guess what?

EVERYONE is in ministry.

We are all women in ministry, whether we work under a steeple or the golden arches, if we wear a uniform or a business suit or stay in our pajamas all day.

You are a minister – a servant – to your neighbors. To your family. To your coworkers. In your community. Whatever your job title, the 5 tips in today’s article will help you develop new relationships:

ASK HER NAME – Learn the name of one new woman. She may be a neighbor, a parent at your child’s school, or a fellow volunteer at a community event. You might have to have that embarrassing conversation that begins, “What is your name? I’m sorry, I should know but I’m afraid I don’t.” Just get it over with!
LIFT HER SOUL – Pray for God to show you how to use your one-of-a kind personality, God-given gifts and distinct passions to get to know her. As this happens very naturally, He will create opportunities for spiritual discussions.
SEEK HER FACE – Spend time talking face-to-face, whether it’s on the sidewalk, in your living room or at a coffee shop. Leave aside any Christianese lingo and just enjoy some good girl talk and getting to know each other.
BLESS HER HEART – Now that you know your new friend a little bit more, give her a meaningful gift. This can be as simple as a newspaper clipping about a topic she mentioned or the gift of a timely compliment or kind word. Show that you are interested in her personally with no agenda for the relationship.
TAKE HER HAND – Invite her to a deeper friendship. Don’t blindly invite her to big events; instead, Debbie Stuart, Women’s Ministry Director at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, suggests you ask her to events that will interest her personally or address important issues in her life.

Click to enter to win a Neighborhood Cafe Planning Guide by leaving a comment on the full article at womensministry.net. I’ll be watching for your great ideas!

Please browse my other articles so we can get to know each other. I would love to hear what God is doing in your neighborhood, and share what He has done in mine! I hope you’ll check out “God of this City,” which has been released from the Premium Membership portion of the site for a limited time – make sure you get the free download, too! It’s one of my favorites because I believe it has to key to transform neighborhoods and entire communities.