Voices that shape us: The Importance of mentors
One of the most influential theologians in my life is a musician. Songwriter Michael Card’s exegetically evocative and …
Resources for Planter Wives
Three unique challenges of being a church planter’s wife
In 2008, my husband and I prepared to move our little family away from the only …
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There are many reasons you’d want to attend an established church—some good reasons and some, well, …
Raising pastors’ kids: An episode from the Flourish podcast
Pastor’s kids can have a complicated relationship with the church. Today, ministry wives Kathy Ferguson Litton …
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When you face a season of fruitlessness
One of the beautiful realities of having a relationship with Jesus Christ is how He pursues …
Co-vocational church planting: Rethinking vocation
The idea of rethinking vocation must start with considering the sacred/secular divide, or what some people …
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When you are tired of caring for the ones you love
“I’m tired of caring for Miles.” I actually spoke those words out loud in our small …
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If Christian women talked about race
I’m going to be brutally honest here. Christian women don’t talk about race as often as …
The balance between being tough and tender
Some say ignorance is bliss, but when it comes to understanding our temperament as ministry wives, …
Teachability: An absolute necessity for effective leadership
There is a noticeable common thread in most successful people—they are teachable. And correspondingly the opposite …
Teachability: An absolute necessity for effective leadership Read More »
Self-Awareness: Why we need it and how to grow it
“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” — Ann …
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Resiliency: What to remember when encountering setbacks
I put myself out there, and I was rejected. This morning was not fun as I …
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Adaptability: a necessity for pastors’ wives
Are you, or have you ever been, a youth minister’s wife? I have. What about a …
What we need to embrace about character development
Recently, we asked women this question, “What qualities and characteristics should healthy and effective ministry wives …
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The practice of hospitality: Your home on mission
To develop healthy disciple-making practices, we must recapture the art of hospitality. Our castle or His …
The practice of hospitality: Your home on mission Read More »
Why spiritual leaders should cultivate their spiritual vitality
Recently, we asked women this question, “What qualities and characteristics should healthy and effective ministry wives …
Why spiritual leaders should cultivate their spiritual vitality Read More »
When white supremacists come to town
I live in Charlottesville, Virginia. You may have heard of it. You may have seen my …
The case for physical intimacy
Let’s talk about intimacy. No, I don’t just mean spiritual intimacy or even recreational intimacy for …
Five actions to take when tragedy strikes your church
My church body is currently in the midst of one of the greatest tragedies I’ve ever …
Five actions to take when tragedy strikes your church Read More »
The planter as generalist: Leadership development
Church planting, when done properly, is proof that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. …
The planter as generalist: Leadership development Read More »
Messy, beautiful friendship: An episode from the Flourish podcast
Based on her recently released book, Messy, Beautiful Friendship, Christine Hoover unpacks realities about friendships that …
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The role of emotional honesty as a leader
“I’m doubting God’s love.” I looked her straight in the eyes as I said it. Someone …
How to cultivate a desire for God’s Word: An interview with Christine Hoover
We all know it’s best to be in the Bible regularly, but … life. We love …
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Hope for when you hit the wall
We are posting a personal letter written to planter’s wives in one of NAMB’s Send Cities. …
Just because God’s timing is perfect does not mean life is free of difficulties. My husband’s …
Last week I introduced you to, or reminded you of, a concept called identity amnesia: Christians …
A ministry wife often hesitates to call herself a leader. We shy away from the “leader” …
“When I see someone baptized, I see myself,” says Martin Haghani. Martin planted Iranian Baptist Church …
How to avoid becoming the plastic pastor’s wife
I had only been married and in ministry for four weeks when our senior pastor told …
4 Questions to ask when setting boundaries
A little before midnight, there was a knock at our door. An officer apologized for waking …
Three actions to take when others disappoint you
The phrase, “Don’t let the disappointment in a few keep you from loving the many,” comes …
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“If only our church had a full-time children’s minister …” “If only our women’s ministry could …
About Kay Warren’s book, Sacred Privilege: Your Life and Ministry as a Pastor’s Wife
This morning I will be introducing Kay Warren as she speaks to hundreds of ministry wives …
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5 Practical ways to enlist help
My friend has six kids who are each involved in multiple activities. Recently, I was trying …
Four keys to healthy interpersonal communications
Every relationship in life is built on a foundation that cannot be ignored. This foundation affects …
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The Danger of being raised in the pew
My husband and I are partners in ministry. We are both called to full-time ministry, and …
Friendship and the pastor’s wife: In friendship, resist the discomfort of receiving
On my first Sunday as a pastor’s wife, a college girl approached me with a question …
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How to keep a healthy perspective as a pastor’s wife
I was standing at the door after church, talking with folks, when a woman who’d been …
How to keep a healthy perspective as a pastor’s wife Read More »
Two telling truths about anxiety
The internet is watching us. We are increasingly becoming aware that the internet knows us too …
The difference between church relationships and friendships
My husband and I have been in full-time vocational ministry since the day we were married. …
The difference between church relationships and friendships Read More »
Five ways to help your child accept the sacrifices of ministry
When our family moved from Texas to the Pacific Northwest 10 years ago to be church …
Five ways to help your child accept the sacrifices of ministry Read More »
The secret to joy-filled obedience
My kids love to make chocolate milk. When they pour chocolate syrup in the milk, the …
Why celebration is a tool for multiplication
You’ve heard it said that you are what you celebrate and there is nowhere that is truer than …
Three ways weakness changes us
When my mother died, I held on to the worn, dingy safety belt that adorned her …
Why membership is a tool for multiplication
Recently, my wife and I were driving back home, and decided to check out the country …
Perspective for the under-appreciated mom
C.S. Lewis wrote The Screwtape Letters in February 1942. He penned a series of fictitious letters …
Elisabeth Elliot once said, “It takes guts to be a mom.” (I am told that she …
Genesis 2:18 – Keeping a marriage strong as a church planter
I will never forget the day that my husband sat me down and said the words, …
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How to encourage your wife while planting a church
Regardless of where you are in your church planting journey, chances are you know how essential …
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A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; but jealousy is like cancer in the bones. …
Four actions that cultivate emotional health
Until a few months ago, emotional health sounded like hogwash to me, like the luxurious self-reflection …
Friendship and the pastor’s wife: Help others have a healthy perspective
I was standing at the door after church, talking with folks, when a woman who’d been …
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Free guide: How to build a successful marriage
The majority of Christians I meet like the idea of church planting conceptually but would never …
Where is church planting in the Bible?
The majority of Christians I meet like the idea of church planting conceptually but would never …
The only way to win at the comparison game
Why do we torment ourselves by playing the comparison game? It’s part of human nature—evaluating the …
What to do when you get unfriended
We were friends. Good friends. Our daughters played together and enjoyed sleepovers. We laughed at the …
How to send mission teams well
Mission teams can be a tremendous help to a church planter, but often they become a …
Friendship and the pastor’s wife: A Healthy perspective
My husband and I have been in full-time vocational ministry since the day we were married. …
Friendship and the pastor’s wife: A Healthy perspective Read More »
I am a huge fan of great mission team experiences. Over the past 13 years of …
Sitting in my inbox was an email from the Loft with a subject line that read: …
Ten thoughts on fighting for a good marriage
I do. It’s something I keep before me. I’m not going to slack off. I can’t. …
When you are jealous of other churches
It happens when I’m driving down the road and pass “that” church. It happens after a …
I had noticed her looking at him, laughing a little too loud, practically swooning over the …
Reflecting Christ in a tense political climate
My heart has been incredibly heavy over the state of our nation. I have friends and …
Why conversion growth is crucial in church planting
Healthy things grow. If you’ve been in ministry for long at all, you’ve probably heard that …
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How to get a church to engage in a community
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This quote, most often attributed to Peter Drucker, has been used …
My husband and I recently planted a new church in a transitional part of the city …
Five warning signs that show my husband needs rest
Rest says, “I can’t, but God can.” Rest is a declaration that God is in control …
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Leading the hardest person I will ever lead
The face in the mirror is the person hardest for me to lead. Yet I have …
Our choices during discouraging ministry seasons
I didn’t grow up dreaming of being in ministry. Yet looking back I can see how …
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When we’re tempted to take ministry failures personally
My kids are going through a stage in which they often start a conversation with their …
When we’re tempted to take ministry failures personally Read More »
Learning to embrace each season’s call
This week’s Flourish post is brought to you by the Roberson family—Week of Prayer missionaries. Funding …
Week of Prayer: Resonate over riches
The past seems almost foreign to church planter Jacob Dahl. Like many college students, Jacob went …
Week of Prayer: From death to life
After feeling what Kelly and Brandi Perrish desciribe as a “holy discontent,” they moved their family …
When you pray, “Yes, Lord” to the unknown
My husband, Kelly, and I lived in Granbury, Texas, and life was great. We had four …
Week of Prayer: First year church plant gives back
After more than 30 years in ministry, Pastor Garth Leno stepped down from his role at …
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When we moved to Charlottesville to plant a church, we knew one person—our realtor. Then we …
Let’s be willing to care for the refugee
“I wasn’t God’s first choice for what I’ve done for China. I don’t know who it …
Recognizing the painful reality of racial divide
In a small town outside Selma, Alabama, shortly after my dad graduated high school in 1960, my …
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How to respond to those who hurt us
Have you heard the old joke that ministry would be great if it weren’t for all …