Nancy Buxton and Women’s Ministries

Nancy Buxton, long-time director of women’s ministries for the Mid-America Union, is retiring at the end of 2024. Here are some thoughts from Nancy as she reflects on her years of service.

Someone asked me what my dream is for women’s ministries, and it has given me something to really ponder. I do believe, and have said many times, that if we make a difference in a woman’s life we make a difference in her family, friends, church and community. We must grow in inclusiveness, knowing there is room for anyone who wants to be involved.

I dream that we will continue to equip women to mentor, teach and love each other, and learn that Jesus loves us and is willing to fight for each of us. I dream that women’s ministries will be seen as an important department at the different levels of the church.

Also, it is vital that we learn to communicate better with each other. At our women’s ministries website www.nadwm.org there is so much information and yet very few people know about it. Sermons complete with powerpoint, children’s stories, bulletin announcements, information about college scholarships, how to for our devotional book—it’s all there plus more!

Over the years women’s ministries has had a large impact on my life. When my friend Angel Bock decided our College View Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, needed to have something for women I knew there was one thing I could do, and that was cook. Cooking was the best I had to offer and cook we did! Our small group of women soon grew to over 300. Women who were taking a break from church, women from the community, and church members all started showing up once a month for great food, some fun, a devotion and a planned program.

And then I found I could do other things besides cook. By being involved Jesus gave me the ability to do other things aligned with my love for women and cooking. Through this ministry I have learned the art of listening, loving, caring, speaking and realizing how much we need each other. I truly believe that Jesus will give us the ability to work and speak for Him—all we have to do is be willing and ask.

As I think back to 35 years ago when I first got involved with women’s ministries, a lot has changed. We have many more resources for women and we have women’s retreats in every conference each year. We have certainly become aware of the importance of young women and their views; we want them to be involved in leadership.

We crave and value diversity, inclusiveness, and there is value in a party with a purpose. We have always known how important the friendships of women are, but with so much social media it is rare to see a group of women together. We know more now, than ever, it is vital to get together whether it’s at church, at a restaurant, someone’s home or the park.

If you are not involved in ministry of some kind, get involved! If you would like to see some changes in your church, get involved. If you want to tell others about Jesus get involved.

If you are thinking about starting women’s ministries in your church I have a little advice for you:

Pray, pray, pray! And always include your pastor in your ideas for women’s ministries.
You must have a team! Even if you can only find one other person, have a team.
Do an assessment of your church to find out what women see as needs.
Get together with your team and decide what one thing from that list you want to do.
Put the idea together and make a budget.
Go to your pastor and discuss what you have in mind.

Finally, it is vital to prepare your core team to be friendly, welcoming and to be present. Let those who attend know they are valued. There are so many people who need to hear about Jesus and yet we are sometimes uncomfortable to tell others about Him.

I do believe, however, it’s important to establish a friendship before jumping into deep spiritual discussions. Having something going on at your church to invite community women and church members to is a great way to form friendships. It’s always more enjoyable if we can enjoy eating together. Whether it’s dessert, popcorn or a meal we all seem to enjoy fellowshipping over food.

I pray you will take that leap of faith and ask God where you should start. Every time you trust God and want to obey His call, God will get bigger, and your life will grow deeper, richer and stronger in Him.