Committee on Young Women

Amanda Hankemeier, Chairman
Brianne Stahlecker
Amanda Nelson, DYWR
Laura Fisher, DYWR

What does the committee do?

The Committee on Young Women was established to help encourage and embrace the young women of the LWML. The committee plans the activities for the young women chosen to attend the district convention. The committee also walks alongside the young women that are chosen to represent the district as a DYWR (District Young Women Representative). As a committee, they help the DYWR register for the national convention as well as provide guidance as they serve the district for two years. Contact Amanda Hankemeier, Chairman, by email. 

Committee Mission Statement

The Committee on Young Women's mission is to educate and inspire young women to strengthen their relationship with their Savior Jesus Christ. It is our hope to establish a positive, joyful, and insightful convention experience for the Zone Young Woman Representatives (ZYWR). As the ZYWRs return to their zones, we hope they feel equipped to encourage and recruit other young women from their zone to join LWML. 

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life in love, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

Zone Young Woman Representatives (ZYWR)

Each zone is encouraged to send one or more Young Woman Representative(s) (YWR) to the district convention. A YWR is any mature young woman who is preferably between the ages of 22 and 35 and a member of an LCMS congregation. Zone YWR forms are due in the spring of 2024 to committee chairman Amanda Hankemeier.They must be signed by the nominee, her pastor, her group president and her zone president.

• ZYWR Guidelines
• ZYWR Information Form (application)

2024 Convention Information for ZYWR

The Zone YWR program will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 13, and conclude at the end of the convention on Saturday at noon. There will be opportunities for service, Bible study, fellowship, and training. Each ZYWR will sit with her zone president and delegation during the convention on Friday and Saturday. She will need to register for the convention and order the Friday boxed lunch (the zone should cover the cost). 

Information on the convention and registration can be found on the district convention page.

District Young Woman Representative (DYWR) Program

District YWR forms:

• District YWR Application (Information Form and Comment Form)
• District YWR Guidelines and Job Description

Meet your 2023–2025 District Young Woman Representatives

District Young Woman Representative North
Amanda Nelson

Amanda is employed as a special education aide and loves her job and serving people anyway she can. She says, “This world is really hard to live in. You need people to go the extra mile for you and I try to do this with everyone I know and meet.” Her greatest strengths are being a leader, teacher, and loving our Lord. She believes that with God, all things are possible.

Amanda attended the LWML 40^th Biennial Convention in Milwaukee, WI, this summer. She was excited to meet more sisters in Christ and bring back some great ideas to try at her home church.

She is a part of LWML, and loves learning and growing in her faith with these women. Her knowledge of LWML is that mites are collected and fund different mission grants. These funds help support our Texas district and national level.

Amanda’s image of LWML is that all women, young to mature, serve God’s kingdom with gladness. LWML helps different people that need it. Everyone needs a community and LWML provides that. She is passionate about LWML and would love to serve at a national level. It is in Amanda’s heart to start another LWML group at her church. And in true LWML fashion, she loves wearing purple, even putting it in her hair!

District Young Woman Representative South
Laura Fisher

Laura graduated from Baylor University and works as a ranger at a historical park. When she is not working, she enjoys church activities, cooking, baking, sewing, and outdoor activities.

Laura has been involved with her congregation’s LWML group for years and has now moved into leadership roles having served as president and vice president.  Attending the 2022 LWML Texas District Convention in Houston gave Laura such an incredible experience, much encouragement, and so many new ideas to get various age groups involved. She felt that there is so much more she can and wants to do, especially as far as outreach. The convention experience gave her a reason to start a women’s bible study when she returned home. Laura anticipates returning from the LWML 40^th Biennial Convention in Milwaukee, WI, this summer, with more ideas and better equipped to encourage others.

Laura understands that LWML is a service organization of the LCMS that gives women an avenue to serve each other, their congregations, communities, and synod, as well as contributing mission grant funds and quilts to other deserving organizations and individuals on a national and worldwide level. Attending more LWML zone and district functions and taking on more leadership offices has really shown her there is so much more to do, and found she is more willing to put herself out there in service.