Welcome Shine, be radiant with the gory of the Lord, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1b) God s light never burns out. It never fades. It never ceases to shine. God s light is so unlike our earthly lights, which need constant tending and changing if they are to continue to shine. Our Women s Ministry is no different from these lights. We need to be involved in updating and maintaining our group if we want it to grow and be healthy. Today is an important part of assuring that the light of our Women s Ministry continues to shine as we spend a few moments installing some new bulbs. Song This Little Light of Mine A Light-Hearted Moment Match the set-up with the punchline: A. How many actors does it take to E. Two hundred, and don't ask why change a light bulb? because they haven't -figured that out yet. B. How many drummers does it take to D. Only one, but it may take upwards change a lightbulb? of five years for him to get it done. C. How many firemen does it take to C. Four - one to change the bulb change a light bulb? and three to cut a hole in the roof. D. How many graduate students does it A. Only one. They take to screw in a light bulb? don't like to share the spotlight. E. How many "Changing lightbulbs"-joke G. None: tough guys aren't afraid of writers does it take to change a lightbulb? the dark. F. How many optimists does it take to I. One, but she'll be on the phone for screw in a light bulb? five hours telling all her friends about it. G. How many tough guys does it take to B. One.. Two, and a-one two three four change a light bulb? H. How many sheep does it take to F. None, they're convinced change a lightbulb? that the power will come back on soon. I. How many teenage girls does it H. Twenty-one. One to change it and 20 take to screw in a light bulb? to follow him round while he looks for a
new one. Sing #400 Jesus is my Light and Song Bright Ideas I m, always amazed by the great ideas on the TV program Shark Tank. See if you can tell the bright ideas from Shark Tank from a few I just made up. All the true ideas actually got an offer from one of the Sharks! Bag Bowl Are you tired of your bags of snacks falling over and spilling? Bag bowl is a piece of plastic to hold up bags of food and snacks. It turns any bag into a bowl. True 1 Maid Martini both a solution for washing your windows and a sophisticated drink, making the worst possible job a potential party. Why buy both when you can have it all with Maid Martini? Bev Buckle a belt buckle that doubles as a beverage holder when you fold it down. Impress all the girls with your Bev Buckle! True 2 I Want to Draw a Cat for You a man draws stick figure cats and sells them for $10. I Want to Draw a Cat for You so send your money today! True 3 Barkless Tired of your dog responding to the barks of other dogs? Barkless dog ear protectors muffles the sounds of other dogs so your dog is barkless. Liquid Money Cologne Even if you cannot be rich, you can at least smell like money with Liquid Money Cologne. Liquid Money Cologne, because being poor stinks! True 4 1 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2012/10/bag-bowl.html 2 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2012/10/bag-bowl.html 3 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2012/10/iwanttodrawacatforyou-shark-tank.html 4 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2013/02/liquid-money-update.html
The Inflatable Umbrella An umbrella that you can inflate when it rains, but deflates into a small convenient size when you do not need it. 5 Memaw s Gumbo Brick Your favorite gumbo flavors in the convenience of a brick. Just pop Memaws Gumbo Brick into a pot with water and add shrimp or sausage for authentic gumbo flavor. True 6 Nubrella a hands free umbrella which covers your head and shoulders. It might look funny, but it is guaranteed to keep you dry from the elbows up. They won t laugh when they see you dry and comfortable inside your Nubrella. True 7 RideOn/CarryOn The carry-on luggage with a built in chair. Travel always involves long waiting times. You are never without a seat when you have a RideOn/CarryOn. True 8 Neo Knickers Knickers for the new age. Bringing the short/pant of the past into the future with new fabrics and designs, Neo Knickers is the perfect combination of old and new. Be fashion forward by going back with Neo Knickers. Perpetual Paper Specially designed paper that can used over and over again. Writing with most pens and pencils simply wipes off with a squirt of our patented solution on Perpetual Paper. Nearly Newlywed Rented wedding, bridal dresses, and party dresses. Why purchase an expensive dress that you just wear for one day? Save time and money with every wedding when you use Nearly Newlywed. True 9 5 This is an actual invention, but it was not featured on Shark Tank. 6 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2013/04/me-mas-gumbo-brick.html 7 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2013/06/nubrella-update.html 8 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b008ohwnoc/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=utf8&camp=1789&creative=390957&cr eativeasin=b008ohwnoc&linkcode=as2&tag=sharktankpopularproducts-20 9 http://sharktanksuccess.blogspot.com/2012/11/nearly-newlywed.html
Enrollment For this enrollment, each woman being enrolled will need to have some light source a candle with matches, a flashlight with batteries, etc. (use whatever is financially feasible and/or available). The program is written for several women to participate. If you have a small group, the program may be modified for one or two people to read the parts. At the front of your meeting area have a table arranged with your light sources: an oil lamp, a small desk lamp, a heavy duty flashlight, and a string of Christmas lights. As each source is introduced, turn on the light. Corps Officer: For our enrollment today, we will be exploring each aspect of the four-fold focus of Women s Ministry: Worship, Education, Fellowship and Service. When it rains, the water droplets in the air refract the pure light of the sun into its many component colors and a rainbow is formed. Like light that is made up of many colors, the quality of our program is measured in the balance of its parts. Only by creating a place for worship, education, fellowship, and service can we fulfill the mission of the Women s Ministry programs of The Salvation Army to: bring women into the knowledge of Jesus Christ encourage their full potential in influencing family, friends and community equip them for growth in personal understanding and life skills, [and to] address issues which affect particularly women and their families in the world. 10 Women s Ministry Chaplin: Lights the oil lamp. The oil lamp represents WORSHIP. There s an old Sunday School chorus that says: Give me oil in my lamp, Keep me burning, Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, Keep me burning, Keep me burning Till the break of day. Sing hosanna! sing hosanna! Sing hosanna to the King of kings! Sing hosanna! sing hosanna! Sing hosanna to the King! 10 International Mission taken from http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/wmabout, accessed on March 30, 2015
Once the oil in an oil lamp runs out, the flame quickly flickers and dies. Zechariah 4 describes a lamp that is continually supplied oil by two olive trees. In verse 6, it is revealed that the continual supply of oil is the Holy Spirit. Like an oil lamp, we never want our supply of the spirit to run dry. We long for a continual supply. Regular worship is one way for us to top off our reserves and to make sure that no matter the circumstance we will keep burning. Women s Ministry Education Chair: Switches on the lamp. Whether it s working on embroidery, filling in a crossword puzzle, or getting lost in a good book; it is hard to beat the usefulness of a well-placed lamp. Lamps illuminate the dark corners of our rooms. They create mood and they give us refuge from the glare of an overhead light. This lamp symbolizes EDUCATION. Through education, the dark corners of our world are brought into light. We become aware of issues like human trafficking and the role we can take in changing our world for the better. Educational programs also help us to lead more interesting and full lives through the discoveries and skills we acquire. Perhaps most importantly, education helps us to identify and avoid pitfalls that we would not be able to see in our ignorant darkness. Jesus warned against following the Pharisees who wander in ignorance. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit. (Matthew 15:14) Women s Ministry Fellowship Chair: Plug in the string of lights. What else would symbolize FELLOWSHIP? A string of brightly lit lights always announces a party. Of course, we would never use a string of lights to light up a room or to illuminate delicate needlework. The only real utility of these lights is to make us happy. King Solomon writes in the book of Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything, a time to weep and a time to laugh. (Eccl: 3: 4a) It is important for us to always make time for laughter when we are together, but is it also important for us to be able to weep together and to share our struggles. Fellowship is often noted in our program as times to sit and have coffee or to play games, but fellowship is not really the activity that has been planned. Fellowship occurs when we are brave enough to let our true selves out. Like a string of lights, real fellowship happens in small moments of clarity and transparency. Women s Ministry Service Chair: Switch on the flashlight. Chances are you know where to find one of these in case of an emergency. From the side of the road to the plumber s toolbox, flashlights guide our way. No one wants to be stuck without a flashlight on a dark night without power. In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus says,
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Matthew 25:31-34 (NIV) What is the difference between the beloved sheep and the cursed goats? Jesus goes on to explain that the sheep ministered to those in need. They allowed themselves to be the flashlight in God s toolbox by shining his light in dark places. As for the goats, things do not turn out so well. Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Matthew 25:41-45 (NIV) The SERVICE we do in Women s Ministry should be more than a token program once in a blue moon, a way to fulfill our commitments, or even a means to receive glory. Ideally, service is our way to minister to Christ himself, to be used by him to shine a light to others. Women s Ministry Secretary: With all of these, it is important to remember that light needs a source. Flashlights need batteries, candles need flames, bulbs need electricity, and even the new day depends on the sun. If we are going to shine, we must become intimately connected with the source of our light, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Today as you are enrolled as new members of Women s Ministries, I would like to present you not only with something that will help you to shine, but also with the source of its power (flashlight with batteries, candle with matches, etc.). The two MUST go together. You cannot have one without the other. It is my prayer that here at The Salvation Aarmy, you have also
found a group that you cannot do without. You will continue to make our group one of your sources for Worship, Fellowship, Education and Service. Corps Officer: (calling each woman who will be enrolled forward) Will you now promise that you will, to the best of your ability, uphold the purposes of the Women s Ministry Organization by: 1st Giving yourself in the willing service to others 2nd Uniting in joyful fellowship with one another 3rd Endeavoring to gain understanding through education 4th Seeking ever to give God His rightful place in your home and in your individual life, that you may worship him in Spirit and in truth. If this is your desire, will you step forward as you name is called and receive your membership card which signifies your affiliation with The Salvation Army. Women s Ministry Chaplin: Offers prayer of dedication. Song Shine Jesus Shine"