Leading a book club can be a lot of fun!

Personally, I (Robyne), believe that they can be a great way for women to get to know each other and build community.

Here are some of my top tips to help you keep the conversation rolling.

Ask members to bring an item or object that relates to the story. (I.E. clothing, stuffed animal, map, flower, etc.) Have them share about their object and what it means to them.

If you meet in homes, consider having a potluck and ask members to bring a food (with the recipe) that somehow relates to the book.

Along the food line, some groups have monthly meetings with refreshments that are provided by the hostess and also echo the theme of the book.

Keep a club journal that tracks the books the club has read and the overall impression of the group as well as ratings by each member. This is a really fun way to track the growth of the group. (This is a great assignment for any scrapbookers in the group!)

Just for fun, take a digital group picture to put in the journal with each meeting entry. As members leave and new ones come, it is a great way to remember everyone.

For one meeting, hold a literary review. Let everyone bring a book of their choice to share.

What size should a club be? Groups can range from four to twenty. Larger groups take more time, and it can be difficult for everyone to participate. If your group gets too big, consider creating two smaller groups.

When I talk with women about book clubs, they often ask me about the types of questions they should use. Here are some ideas for you...

Basic Questions:

Questions for Fiction Books:

• Were the characters believable? Why or why not?
• Did you identify with a character? How?
• Did the story hold your interest?
• Was the story character or plot driven?
• What was the central issue or theme?
• Was there a conflict? How was it resolved?
• Was the story simple or complex?
• Was the ending expected or did it surprise you?

Questions for Non-Fiction Books:

• What was the primary thought the author is trying to convey?
• Do you feel they accomplished this?
• Does the author offer solutions to issues that people face today?
• Did a specific chapter or subject resonate with you? Share your thoughts.
• Did you learn something new from this book? What was it?
• What one thing will you do differently based on what you read in this book?

Questions About the Author:

• What other books have you read by this author?
• Would you read other books by this author? Why or why not?
• If you could, what question would you ask the author about this book?

Hope that gets you going - find some good books and enjoy each other's company!

In Him... Robyne Beaubien, Editor

This week's question.
I want to block out all my painful memories and focus on my good ones. Is this a wise thing to do?

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Last week's question.
I've had so much pain in my life, and I can't seem to move on. How can I stop the past from ruining my future?

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The best information we receive about the nuts and bolts of Women's Ministry is when we hear what you all are doing "in the trenches." Our weekly poll is your opportunity to share your expertise and knowledge with all of our subscribers!

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This week's question is:

How frequently do you provide training for your team leadership and/or Bible study leaders?

Answer the question HERE.

Here are the results from recent polls.

Which of the following do you feel the greatest need for in your ministry right now?

 

• Greater involvement of the women to whom I minister 54%
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• Knowing how to balance time along with other commitments (family, career, etc.) 24%
• Support of church leadership 18%

Interesting Findings: Women who have been involved in leading women's ministry for less than 10 years identified their greatest need as "greater involvement of the women to whom they minister." Women who have been in leadership for 10 years or more say their greatest need is "other women to partner with them."

Another recent poll question focused on you, as a leader. Take a look and see how other leaders responded. Looks like we all share similar concerns.

Which of the following would you most like to improve in personally?

• Helping others share the vision for ministry 62%
• Understanding the needs of the women in my ministry 55%
• Knowing how to reach out to different generations 51%
• Finding capable leaders 43%
• Being able to motivate my team 36%
• Staying current with our culture 20%

We asked you about the ministries your church's women's ministry offers. You responded by letting us know that these are the top eight areas of service:

• Special Events - 89%
• Evening Bible Studies - 73%
• Prayer - 69%
• Daytime Bible Studies - 63%
• Community Outreach - 51%
• Missions - 47%
• Mentoring - 43%
• Sunday Bible Studies - 35%

Interesting Findings: Other areas of service included among these are ministry to aging women, single moms, middle school/high school/college young women, working women, women facing divorce, the poor and disadvantaged, Saturday Bible studies, women facing domestic violence, homeschooling moms, women dealing with infertility and women dealing with eating disorders.

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This is a unique icebreaker idea just for book clubs.

Divide your club into two teams and have them sit on opposite sides of the room. Give each person a sheet of paper and ask them to write a question about something in the book. Have everyone wad up their paper and throw them at the other team. Each person should end up with one "snowball."

Everyone takes a turn reading and answering their question. The team who correctly answers the most snowball questions wins the snowball fight. (The author of the question from the other team must agree with the answer.)

Scoring idea: 2 points for answering the question; 1 point for posing a question the other team can't answer.

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I love all the recommendations you have been sending in. I found myself reading them going "yes, yes, I love that one too." So, just because we can, here are some more great books for your consideration.

You Had Me at Good-bye by Tracey Bateman

When Wallflowers Dance by Angela Thomas

Israel My Beloved by Kay Arthur

Self Talk, Soul Talk: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Jennifer Rothschild

Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti by Bill and Pam Farrel

The Five Love Languages by Gary Smalley

Is there a book that your book club loved? Tell us about it!

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From one tool to another, I thank you from the very depths of my heart for your wonderful article, "Tool Talk." It was amazing timing on God's part as I am sitting in a hotel room right this very minute. This weekend, I am one of two speakers at a conference in North Carolina. By the way, they found me through womensministry.net and flew me in from California. May God continue to use and bless your fabulous ministry! ~ Dori Drabek

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