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Answers
For more answers, please visit the Missions Leader blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
• What is church Woman’s Missionary Union?
• How do I start?
• What resources do I need?
• How do I get involved?
• What are the duties of the WMU director?
• Who can participate in WMU?
• Are Woman’s Missionary Union and Women on Mission the same thing?
• I’ve heard about Focus on WMU in February. Where do I find information?
• How are WMU leaders chosen and how long do they serve?
• What is the role of the pastor and/or church staff?
• How is the work of WMU funded?
• How can I receive training?
• Who can I contact?
• What is national WMU?
Terminology
• Acteens®
• Adults on MissionSM
• Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® for North American Missions
• Association
• Baptist World Alliance
• Children in ActionSM
• Christian Women’s Job Corps® (CWJC®)
• Christian Men’s Job Corps® (CMJCSM)
• Christmas in August
• Cooperative Program
• Families on MissionSM
• Focus on WMU
• Girls in Action®
• Great Commission
• International Mission Board
• International Mission Study
• International Missions Emphasis
• Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
• Ministry
• Mission Friends®
• Missionary
• Missions Leader® magazine
• Missions
• myMISSIONfulfilled
• North American Mission Board
• North American Missions Emphasis
• Project HELPSM
• Southern Baptist Convention
• Volunteer Connection®
• Week of Prayer for International Missions
• Week of Prayer for North American Missions
• WMU Foundation
• WMU leadership Team
• WMU Leadership Team Resource Kit
• Woman’s Missionary Union® (WMU®)
• Women on Mission®
• Youth on MissionSM
Frequently Asked Questions for Missions Leaders:
Q: What is church Woman’s Missionary Union?
A: WMU® is a channel through which Christ followers can serve God. WMU’s purpose in a church is to help its members fulfill the Great Commission. Through WMU people experience missions personally by:
• Praying for missions
• Engaging in mission action and witnessing
• Learning about missions
• Supporting missions
• Developing spiritually toward a missions lifestyle
• Participating in the work of the church and the denomination BACK TO TOP
WMU provides a variety of avenues such as ongoing, age-appropriate missions organizations for gender-specific and/or coed audiences, plus intergenerational, family, and churchwide opportunities.
WMU in a church is led by a WMU director or a WMU missions leader. If you have WMU age-level organizations, each organization will have a leader or leaders. All serve on the WMU leadership team. The pastor or other church staff member also serves on this team. BACK TO TOP
Q: How do I start?
A: WMU can begin with one woman or a pastor who has a passion for missions in a church.
1. Begin with prayer for direction that WMU will support the mission of the church. Pray for a receptive church staff. Pray that leaders will step forward.
2. You can begin with only a WMU director (or WMU missions leader) or you can begin with one of the age-level organizations.
3. Gather information about the work of WMU in a church and the responsibilities of the WMU director or age-level leader.
4. Ask the pastor and church to see that a leader(s) is elected by the church.
5. Order materials for leaders and potential members.
6. Notify your state WMU office that you have begun your work.
7. Continue the work of prayer. BACK TO TOP
Q. What resources do I need?
• How to Involve Your Church in Missions
• Missions Plan Book or WMU Year Book
• Missions Leader magazine (quarterly) BACK TO TOP
Q. How do I get involved?
A. Many opportunities await you:
• There are churchwide experiences such as the Week of Prayer for International Missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, the Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, the International Mission Study, and more.
• Ongoing, age-appropriate organizations include Women on Mission®, Adults on MissionSM, Acteens®, Youth on MissionSM, Girls in Action®, Children in ActionSM, and Mission Friends®. Approaches include myMISSIONSM, Missions InterchangeSM, and Families on Mission.
• WMU offers these opportunities for involvement: MissionsFESTSM, FamilyFESTSM, Pure Water, Pure LoveSM, Christian Women’s Job Corps®, Christian Men’s Job Corps®, International InitiativesSM, and Baptist Nursing FellowshipSM.
• You will find more information about each of these by going to www.wmu.com.
• State WMUs provide events and materials for training and inspiration. Connect with state WMU staff.
• To connect with others like you, go to the WMU Forum at www.wmuforums.com and ask questions. BACK TO TOP
Q: What are the duties of the WMU director?
A: The director relates to the church by providing missions opportunities, oversees the work of the age-level organizations, and is the liaison between church WMU, associational WMU, and state WMU. More about her responsibilities (and all of WMU) can be found in How to Involve Your Church in Missions. BACK TO TOP
Q: Who can participate in WMU?
A: Anyone can participate in churchwide activities planned or sponsored by WMU. Members of WMU age-level organizations are mostly women, girls, and preschoolers. Men and boys can participate in Children in Action, Youth on Mission, and Adults on Mission. BACK TO TOP
Q: Are Woman’s Missionary Union and Women on Mission the same thing?
A: No. WMU is the overarching name of the organization and Women on Mission is the name of the age-level organization for women.
Q: I’ve heard about Focus on WMU in February. Where do I find information?
A: Information and ideas can be found in the WMU Year Book and Missions Leader magazine. BACK TO TOP
Q: How are WMU leaders chosen and how long do they serve?
A: The process of selection and/or election of WMU leaders should match the process used for other church leaders. Their length of service needs to also match the church’s criteria. A church WMU may have bylaws that state how long a person can serve. BACK TO TOP
Q: What is the role of the pastor and/or church staff?
A: The pastor or another church staff member serves on the WMU leadership team. The WMU director works with staff when plans involve all church members. Sometimes, an age-level staff member will coordinate the work of an age-level group. BACK TO TOP
Q: How is the work of WMU funded?
A: Most churches include WMU in the church’s budget. The budget may include materials such as the WMU Year Book and WMU magazines for leaders and members, mission action projects, promotion, etc. BACK TO TOP
Q: How can I receive training?
A: There are several ways to receive training.
• State: State WMUs offer training. If your state WMU has a Web site, you may find that information there. Dates may also be found in the WMU Year Book.
• Association: Associational WMU leaders may offer training as well. State WMU staff can help you locate associational leaders or other church WMU leaders close by who can assist you.
• Individual study: Another way is to do an individual study of How to Involve Your Church in Missions.
• National: For national WMU opportunities click here for information about national WMU events: www.wmu.com
• Other: If there are former WMU leaders in your church, ask for their direction and suggestions. BACK TO TOP
Q: Who can I contact?
• If you have a question or problem contact Sheryl Churchill, consultant for WMU and churchwide audiences, at schurchill@wmu.org.
• In my area: follow this link to find a state WMU contact.
• Subscription/materials orders or subscription problems: 1-800-968-7301 BACK TO TOP
Q: What is national WMU?
A: Learn more here. BACK TO TOP
Terminology:
Acteens®—The WMU missions education organization for girls in grades 7–12. BACK TO TOP
Adults on MissionSM—The WMU missions education organization for both men and women, aged 18 and older. BACK TO TOP
Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® for North American Missions—The annual churchwide offering taken to support North American missions; named for the national WMU corresponding secretary who served 1888–1906. BACK TO TOP
Association—A group of Baptist churches who work together to do missions work. BACK TO TOP
Baptist World Alliance—A global fellowship of Baptist unions and conventions in over 200 countries representing a community of approximately 100 million Baptists; the BWA unites Baptists worldwide, leads in world evangelism, responds to people in need, and defends human rights. BACK TO TOP
Children in ActionSM—The WMU missions organization for both boys and girls in grades 1–6. BACK TO TOP
Christian Women’s Job Corps® (CWJC®)—A WMU ministry in which women in need are equipped for life and employment. BACK TO TOP
Christian Men’s Job Corps® (CMJCSM)—A WMU ministry in which men in need are equipped for life and employment. BACK TO TOP
Christmas in August—A project through which Mission Friends, Girls in Action®, Children in Action, Acteens, and other groups collect items to give to North American missionaries to use in their work. It may be a churchwide project. BACK TO TOP
Cooperative Program—The financial plan of the Southern Baptist Convention through which churches of the Convention support the missions, educational, and benevolent work of the state conventions and the SBC. BACK TO TOP
Families on MissionSM—WMU’s approach for involving families with preschoolers and/or school-age children and teenagers in missions BACK TO TOP
Focus on WMU—A week in mid-February during which WMU in a church interprets the purpose of WMU through various activities, displays, and events. BACK TO TOP
Girls in Action®—WMU missions education organization for girls in grades 1–6. BACK TO TOP
Great Commission—The words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 in which Jesus told His followers to make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey Him. BACK TO TOP
International Mission Board—Southern Baptist Convention agency through which cooperating churches send and support missionaries serving outside the US or its territories. BACK TO TOP
International Mission Study—An annual emphasis, usually in early December, to give churchwide exposure to a particular area of international missions work. Study materials are provided for each age level, preschool through adult. BACK TO TOP
International Missions Emphasis—An annual emphasis, usually in early December, comprised of the International Mission Study, Week of Prayer for International Missions, and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® for International Missions. BACK TO TOP
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions—The annual churchwide offering taken to support international missions; named for the missionary who encouraged Southern Baptists to take the offering at Christmastime. BACK TO TOP
Ministry—The act of performing redemptive, loving service for people in the spirit of Christ both individually and as a church. BACK TO TOP
Mission Friends®—The WMU missions education organization for boys and girls, birth through prefirst grade; also includes an option for having a Mission Friends class for parents. BACK TO TOP
Missionary—A person who, in response to God’s call and gifting, leaves his or her comfort zone and crosses cultural, geographic, or other barriers to proclaim the gospel and live out a Christian witness in obedience to the Great Commission. BACK TO TOP
Missions Leader® magazine—A quarterly WMU publication for the WMU director, pastor, and other members of the WMU leadership team. BACK TO TOP
Missions—What churches do in keeping with the commission of their sovereign Lord to extend their witness and ministry beyond themselves to bring all persons to Christ and to glorify God. Missions involvement. Missions education in the church. BACK TO TOP
myMISSIONfulfilled.com—A website for women from collegiate age to women in their 30s who want to connect with a community of like-minded women who seek hands-on experiences in missions. BACK TO TOP
North American Mission Board—Southern Baptist agency charged with enabling churches, associations, and state conventions to conduct missions work in the United States, its territories, and Canada. BACK TO TOP
North American Missions Emphasis—An annual event, usually in early March, comprised of the North American Mission Study, Week of Prayer for North American Missions, and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. BACK TO TOP
Project HELPSM—A two-year national WMU emphasis on a critical social issue that emphasizes sharing the gospel by meeting both physical and spiritual needs, mobilizing WMU resources, and developing ministry models to meet needs. BACK TO TOP
Southern Baptist Convention—A general organization for Baptists in the United States and its territories for the promotion of Christian missions at home and abroad and other objects such as Christian education, benevolent enterprises, and social services which it may deem proper and advisable for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. BACK TO TOP
Volunteer Connection®—A WMU network that connects missions volunteers to needs, both nationally and internationally, for short- or long-term projects. BACK TO TOP
Week of Prayer for International Missions—Eight days, usually in early December, that are set aside to call Southern Baptists to pray for international missions and give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. BACK TO TOP
Week of Prayer for North American Missions—Eight days, usually in early March, that are set aside to call Southern Baptists to pray for North American missions and to give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. BACK TO TOP
WMU Foundation—An independent corporation whose purpose is to facilitate the making of donations for the advancement of WMU missions projects and programs. Women and children around the world benefit from annual WMU grants. BACK TO TOP
WMU leadership team—A group composed of representatives of each age grouping and class, as well as WMU general leaders who plan, coordinate, and evaluate the work of WMU, providing missions awareness and involvement for age-level organizations and the entire church. BACK TO TOP
WMU Leadership Team Resource Kit—A quarterly WMU packet of resources that provides WMU posters, duplicable materials, and other helpful items for the WMU leadership team. BACK TO TOP
Woman’s Missionary Union® (WMU®)—One of the church ministries charged with the responsibility of involving all its members, especially women, girls, and preschoolers, in missions. BACK TO TOP
Women on Mission®—The WMU missions education organization for women aged 18 and older. BACK TO TOP
Youth on MissionSM—The WMU missions education organization for both boys and girls in grades 7–12. BACK TO TOP
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