Sisterhood at Church: An Annual Relief Society and Young Women Ministering Night

Ok, to continue with my theme this week, let’s talk about a secret ingredient for creating more sisterhood at church. Because there are so many ways to experience sisterhood, not with the ones you’re biologically attached to. And I’d love to hear how you do it in other religions because I’m sure there are so many good ways!

Creating Sisterhood Through Ministering

One way our church helps with this is through “ministering.” I know that’s kind of a formal word, so I personally prefer to call it “friending.” But it’s just a system to help us look out for and get to know each other.

Hence, creating sisterhood.

When we get to know each other and look out for each other, our lives are just plain better. Are you with me? That’s what I adore about ministering.

An Annual Young Women / Relief Society Friendship Night

ANYWAY, each year, probably for like the last four, I have somehow been in the planning business for creating a special joint Relief Society/Young Women night.

One where we help the Young Women (girls ages 12-18) understand the beauty of ministering. Because they get to have ministering assignments as well, when they turn fourteen.

And I can’t think of a better way to help girls learn the beauty of service and the miracle that comes when you turn your thoughts away from yourself. Especially in this generation of selfies and “likes.”

I think it’s pretty cool that most of the time girls are paired with their moms to minister together. Because we mothers have the power to be pretty good trainers. And let’s face it, it helps kick us moms in gear to look out for others, too:)

Here was our invitation this year:

What we did at our Young Women/Relief Society Ministering Night

We did the same thing we’ve done for the last few years: “speed dating.” But with women sitting across from each other, having one minute to answer a question that is asked to the group.

We divided the women and girls into two rooms at my friend’s house (so it wouldn’t be so noisy) and had two long rows of chairs. We tried to have the young women sit on one side and the women sit on the other as much as we could. After each minute one side of the row of chairs shifted down one spot, and a new question was asked with a new “partner.”

I WISH I had stopped to take a picture of each group…I was too busy asking the questions and ringing my bell at the end of each minute. Ha! But you can kind of see the two rows in this picture on the left below.

Here are some of the questions we asked:

You can just google those types of questions and so many options come up!

Our Theme

Our theme, as you can tell by those pictures up there, was all about hands. The idea is that we can be the hands of Christ when we reach out for others.

That hand-out by the questions up there was meant to be given to each person there and have us put our hand on top of the depiction of Jesus’ hand.

As we reach out and lift and love others, we truly are Jesus’s hands.

And that is such a beautiful thing to remember for me!

Kicking myself I forgot to take a photo of this room filled with women/girl power. But it was a good night.

May we all remember, whether at church or not, that when we seek to love and lift those around us, we create links that create sisterhood.

And sisterhood is POWERFUL!