I don't do it all. Whether you are single woman or a wife and mother of ten, you still can't be everywhere at all times. Choices have to be made based on our priorities.
Here's how I determine if I can be involved in the extracurriculars of church life. These questions are in no particular order.
Will it mess with my childrens' routine significantly enough to "provoke them to wrath"? If I attend this, and no one is able to care for my children but me, will it involve my children having to loose too much nap time or eat a meal late? Tired children with low blood sugar do not make for happy campers. Babies nap much more often, and I don't want to be tied to the house between naps, especially for the sake of my older children who also need to get out of the house, so if a nap must be missed or shortened, I try to make it the morning nap. This way, the afternoon nap may be longer. Plus, it's a long time between the morning nap and bedtime, so the early evening on until bedtime could be pure torture for all parties involved. This doesn't mean I'll miss one of the "big three" church meetings so my kids can nap or eat on time. I set the routine so that Sundays flow fairly well.
Can I be with my kids while at this activity? I'm not opposed to MOPS groups, especially when they meet once a month. I'm not opposed to an additional small group Bible study when child care is provided or when a babysitter can be secured. The concern arises for myself, and I hope for others, when I see that I'm not spending enough time with my children. So if you attend a MOPS meeting, are you also putting your child into someone else's care the next day? If you work outside the home most days of the week, do you really need to put your child in someone else's care for the evening so you can do something on your own? Cutting into family time is a danger.
Will my involvement in this activity make me more of a Great Commission Christian? I love when Southern Baptist women do Woman's Missionary Union right. We can learn about missions in North America and the uttermost parts of the earth, pray for missionaries (that are depending on us), be a part of giving to missions, and we can plan and carry out mission projects. I can be a part of reaching the local lost community through our church's visitation program (GROW). I can invite women and their children to our weekly Story Time that might otherwise have a hard time making a connection only on Sunday mornings.
How much time is involved? Weekly involvement is harder than monthly. Some of the weekly involvement is worth it. Monthly activities should be easier to squeeze into our schedules, particularly if we find it to be something that will make us a part of fulfilling the Great Commission.
Do I feel God is calling me to be a part of this activity? It's never a good idea to not follow through in whatever God is calling us to do with our time. Even if we can't figure out the logistics, God can work those out in ways we never might imagine. Ministry wives need to learn this lesson early on in ministry: You don't have to fill a job just because someone else won't take it. Sometimes asking if God is calling us results in a negative answer. Don't worry about being people pleasers.
Will it enable me to spend time with older Titus 2 women or to train younger women? I'm always looking for these opportunities! Women are busy with their own families. We have to be open to the times we can spend together!
In case you missed the earlier posts, here they are:
Part 1
Part 2
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