which women will have priority in being assigned spiritual mothers.
For example, you may target women who are not able to attend reg-
ular women’s ministry Bible studies and encourage those who do
attend these studies to engage them in informal Titus 2 relationships.
When there are enough trained spiritual mothers, you may want
to consider expanding the program to enfold teenage girls. Another
long-term objective could be to provide a spiritual mother for every
new female member of the church for three months.
- Develop guidelines that include things such as:
- How spiritual mothers and daughters will be matched. This can
be as simple as drawing names or as involved as finding common
interests and experiences. Whatever method is used, the most impor-
tant thing is to spend much time praying for the Lord to bring the
women together according to His purposes for them. - The duration of the formal relationship. Usually it is recom-
mended that a spiritual mothering program run a year at a time. - How to determine the shape of the relationship. Spiritual moth-
ers should be encouraged to have good conversations with their spir-
itual daughters to ascertain needs, expectations, and realistic goals. Will
they meet at a regular time or will it be more informal? Will they study
and pray together or just meet for lunch and conversation? - A list of approved books for spiritual mothers and daughters to
read and discuss. - How and where to refer problems that require pastoral or pro-
fessional help. This should include cautions and clear parameters
about dealing with crisis situations. - How the program will be publicized. Publicity should be a tool
to educate the entire congregation about the purpose of the program
and to enlist prayer support.
- Outline a plan to maintain the vision and heart of the program.For
example:
- Have two or three gatherings a year for those involved in the
program. This could include a sharing time, so the participants can
learn from and encourage one another. - Each year before women sign up for the program, promote it
Older Women Mentoring Younger Women 189