The pastor at our church opens the weekly worship service with a few announcements. He usually begins enthusiastically with, “Good morning, this is a great place to be!” People are gathered to hear the Word of God, sing His praises, and grow in faith. It is truly a great place to be. 

What about our Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML) group events? Do we enthusiastically proclaim, “This is a great place to be!”? What makes your LWML group events exciting? Perhaps the group has chosen a great Bible study from the LWML website; or maybe this month the group decided to meet at a local coffee house to support a hometown business; or maybe the group will volunteer or donate items for a local nonprofit organization. 

Promoting the event is important as well. It is recommended that you start two to four weeks in advance and publish it in a variety of ways. How can you make the invitation appealing? Did you include a contact person in case someone has a question? Emphasizing it as an event instead of a meeting might encourage more women to attend, and nothing beats a personal invitation. Who will you ask or call?  

As the group leader, it is not expected that you will provide all the enthusiasm. As others are included in the planning and inviting, the enthusiasm should grow — and grow your group — making your LWML event a great place to be, and especially so since you gather with sisters in Christ, and it is He who makes it great! 

2023–2025 Group Development Committee
Julie Hatesohl,
Cinda Poppe,
Jennifer Gierke, Chairman
Arlene Naasz, Vice President of Organizational Resources