The cool thing about Pinterest is that it has made so many things cool again, like homemaking, crafting, healthy eating, and outdated furniture. It is from the power of leveraging ideas that moms can be challenged, cooks can compete, and vintage furniture can be repurposed. They say “we are creatures of habit”, but I believe more than that we are creatures of continuous improvement. We are always looking for new and better ways to do this and that, AND if we can do it cheaper, faster and for ourselves then we are doing it! Can I get a shout out for the word – REFURBISH!

I have a cool sister chick (am I allowed to call a sister a chick???), who is the DIY queen. Every Christmas she invites the Women’s Sunday School Class to her home, and women from other Sunday School classes will show up, too. Her house is so DIY cool that she should charge admission to her guests. (OK, I can tell already that I will be using the word “cool” a lot in this post – FYI).

For quite some time, I have been hoping to find an old buffet for my women’s ministry information center. While out antique shopping in town one day, I found this diamond in the rough for about $150. I immediately texted a snapshot to DIY Amy, and she responded with a thumbs up.

In a matter of days, she had transformed it completely! Here is the before and after:

I am a terrible picture taker, so here is a close up:

Along with upgrading our table, she also upgraded the whole area. As God would have it when I found this nifty piece of furniture, DIY Amy was the facilitator of our Women’s Involvement Ministry’s Special Projects Team. She and her group did a FABULOUS job of freshening up our whole Women’s Ministry Center. Because they had such a generous spirit they shared some of our space with the Children’s and Men’s ministry, too. Looky here!

There is no end to what can be achieved with burlap!

Women like asthestics and are drawn to pretty things. I bet this renovation has drawn a few closer to check out what we have in store for women at our church. And that is why we do it. It is important to have a centrally located area in your church where women can come to see what ministries are available to minister to their specific needs, especially newcomers. It is equally important to showcase opportunities where women can plug into at church. Experts say that it is important to plug newcomers into a church ministry within their first 30 days of attending. Everyone needs to feel useful in the kingdom of God, because they are.

A few years ago, our Women’s Involvement Ministry’s Servant Team had identified this need when they conducted a Female Friendly Assessment where they identified needs in our church from a woman’s perspective. Over the years this team has identified other needs, such as the need for more diaper changing stations and a “Ladies Night at the Gym” to train women how to use our gym facilities (workout room/racquetball court). When we took our first run at a Women’s Ministry Center, this is what it looked like:

Yes, we have come a ways since our first go at it.

Now this is not a deeply theological post, but certain things do help build a sense of community and fellowship in God’s house. Short of sinning, we should do everything it takes to draw people into the body of Christ – and sometimes, an information center is just what is needed!

For more Women’s Ministry Ideas, click on these:

Idea Starter – The Tablescape
Idea Starter – The God Box Gift
Idea Starter: Complimentary Holiday Meal

Gina Duke is the Director of Women’s Ministry at her church where she has implemented a Women’s Involvement Ministry, called “Joppa”. This project is one of the ministry’s “Idea Starters”. Gina is an organizational leader imparting biblical and practical solutions for authentic Christian Living. She is the founder and president of Churchtown Ministries, and author of “Organzing Your Prayer Closet” (Abingdon Press). For more posts like these, go to www.ginaduke.com or follow her board, “Joppa” on Pinterest – Gina Duke/Churchtown Ministries. You can also follow her on Instagram and Twitter @TheGinaDuke