The Purpose, Function, and Activities of the WIC

As a denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America understood that women’s ministry was a critical component for the local church and for the denomination as a whole. The Women in the Church (WIC) was established by the First General Assembly in 1973 as a component of the denomination’s Christian Education and Publications Committee.

The stated purpose of the WIC is that every woman know Christ personally and be committed to extending His Kingdom in her life, home, church, community and throughout the world. The foundation of this purpose statement is a covenantal understanding of the church. God has entered into a grace-relationship with us and bound Himself to us in covenant faithfulness. Our relationship with Him is personal, but it is not individual. The covenant is corporate. Our relationship with God puts us into the covenant community where we have covenant privileges and responsibilities. Indeed, we are to live with one another in a way that reflects our covenant relationship with God.

We are driven by the WIC theme verse, Isaiah 62:1.
"For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch"

It is for Zion’s sake—for the sake of the church of Jesus Christ—that we must not keep silent. We accomplish this by using the model given to us in Titus 2:3-5.
"Teach what is in accord with sound doctrine....Likewise, teach the older women ...Then they can train the younger women...so that no one will malign the word of God"

Women must train women to reflect our redemption for Zion’s sake, for the sake of the King of the church. It is for this reason that the ministry of WIC focuses on Bible study and on spiritual growth, support and encouragement of all the women in the church. Bible study alone, however, is not sufficient for a healthy grace-relationship in community with other believers. Living in relationship with each other in a covenant community also requires acts of mercy, understanding, communication, and love. The rapid response to needs as they are presented to WIC is based on a vibrant, healthy grace-filled life that reflects our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

The WIC at WHPC is not a stagnant ministry – it is a growing, thriving ministry of learning, serving, enabling, praying and supporting others in the church family. WIC does this through various events and activities that are developed and adapted throughout the year as needs arise. The regular activities of WIC include:

Day and Night Circles –
Monthly meetings for Bible study, fellowship, encouragement and prayer.

Mercy Committee –
Organizing and providing meals to those who are ill or who have suffered recent bereavement.

Engaging in home missions activities –
Includes support for Children’s Hospital, Hope Resource Center, Serenity Shelter, Knox Area Rescue Ministries, and others.

Engaging in foreign missions activities –
Includes providing love baskets to visiting missionary wives during the church wide mission conferences, and knitting baby caps for premature babies in Cuba as well as in Knoxville.

WIC Coffee Fellowship –
An informal time to visit with each other for encouragement and support between circle meetings. This is also a time to bring new women into fellowship with WIC members even if they are not ready for a church-related “circle”. The WIC Coffee Fellowship meets on the fourth Thursday of every month.

Diaper showers – Diaper showers for new babies in our covenant family.

Church Provision Ministry – Providing upgrades to kitchen equipment and to nursery toys and equipment as needed throughout the year.

Sew-in-Circle –
A weekly gathering where participants can bring sewing or craft projects and fellowship while sewing or receiving assistance from older women in learning to sew, knit or crochet.

Painting Class –
A weekly painting class where participants can learn to paint or they can bring their own projects and work on them in fellowship with other aspiring painters.

Spring/Fall Retreats – Fellowship together with a Spring and/or Fall retreat as an inter-generational time away from home, set apart for Bible study while also allowing time for contemplation, meditation and fellowship with other WIC members in a more personal way than meetings otherwise would allow.

Christmas Brunch –
Women in the church of all ages come together to have the annual general business meeting and then to recognize the year’s activities and focus on the Lord’s birth, encouraging the WIC to de-emphasize the materialistic and to bring the family focus in line with the Advent of the Christ.