We are so excited to be joined today by church planting wife, Christine Hoover, author of The Church Planting Wife: Help and Hope for Her Heart. If you are interested in planting, feeling called to plant, are in the process of planting, or have already launched a church plant, this book will be so encouraging to you in your journey. Along with Christine’s own poignant words, she’s included interviews with other church planting wives, including our own Brandi Wilson. You can click here to grab The Church Planting Wife: Help and Hope for Her Heart for yourself.

Guest post by Christine Hoover

Lord, you have called me to be a church planting wife. The task before us is great and at times overwhelming, but I know this work is worth it—You are worth it— and I trust You will somehow use us in our city.

Lord, I want to do this well, but I don’t know how to be a good church planting wife. I find myself wanting a task list or trying to play the role I think I’m supposed to play. I know, however, that more than anything else, You want my heart. Help me to keep a soft heart before You and to joyfully embrace this calling.

Let me know Your voice, Father, so that as You lead, I can follow. Where You ask me to sow, I will sow, and then I will trust You to bring fruit from those seeds as You see fit. You are the Grower. You are the Vine. My job as a church planting wife is simply to depend on You.

Lord, help me to help my husband, not hinder his work. Root out resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, or anything else that turns my heart away from him, from our together calling, and, as a result, from You.

Father, I crave friendship just as much as the women we serve but sometimes I feel alone. You are a good gift-giver. I ask that as I initiate relationships, You would give me the gift of friendship. When I try to blame church planting or use ministry as an excuse to isolate myself, stop me. Give me courage to lay down my title as the pastor’s wife and reveal myself to safe women, and not just reveal myself but depend on others and share my needs with them.

Church planting is really hard and, Father, You know that sometimes I fight against the sacrifice that is required of me. If I’m honest, there are times that I want this whole thing to be about me and my own comfort. Oh Lord! Crucify my selfishness; I believe dying to myself results in the full, abundant Christ-life, but I need You to move me there every single day.

Lord, the fear and stress threaten to overtake me. There is so much uncertainty. Create a Joshua heart in me, one that is strong and courageous because You are with me and because Your promises are true.

Finally, Lord, help my eyes remain on You. May my validation and the power for my ministry come only from You, not from any standards I place on myself or any I think others place on me. Help me not to love accomplishments, results, or pats on the back. Help me to love people well, but to love Your pleasure alone.

Today we are giving away 5 copies of Christine’s Book, The Church Planting Wife: Help and Hope for Her Heart. Just leave us a comment telling us what bit of hope your heart needs the most.

Congratulations to Beth, Bryn Stauffer, Sarah Joy, Rebecca, & Tracey O. You’ve been randomly selected to win this book. You will be contacted by email.

Posted by Lori Wilhite

Whether you realize it or not, you know and love Christa Black. Many of us enjoy the fruits of Christa’s gifts of worship leading and song writing when we sing One Thing Remains during our worship services. And this week we are giving away 5 copies of Christa Black’s incredible new book: God Loves Ugly.

I could go on and on about this book. But who better to hear from than the author herself. Check out the letter that Christa wrote to you ladies:

Hey friends,

First of all massive props for being women in ministry. You’re not dealing with numbers, cars, or vacuum cleaners. You’re working with the hardest, most unpredictable subjects on the planet: People. As a PK, I know first hand that ministry isn’t the easiest thing in the world, especially for your families. In a world that might demand a lot, I’m so proud of you for pursuing community, truth, transparency, and friendship through Leading and Loving It!

Years ago while on tour with The Jonas Brothers, I started a blog for the girls we played in front of. I began writing about things that sometimes people don’t talk about, like my sexual abuse, eating disorders, perfectionism, self-hatred, addictions and depression. But I didn’t just talk about the pain — I gave practical steps to lead people into the freedom I was experiencing for myself.

My very first memory of life outside of the home was sexual, pouring oceans of shames into my little heart. To make up for it, I became a success addict, an overachiever, a perfectionist — anything I could to make sure the perfected outside diverted onlookers from noticing the disaster going on inside. I truly believed that if God, or anyone, saw the truth, they’d reject me. This led to years of pain, using anything I could to numb and fill my broken heart.

Sadly, the years I struggled most were all years in ministry, believing if anyone saw what was going on behind closed doors I’d lose my platform, or look less spiritual, or simply let people down. I worshiped harder and prayed longer — served endlessly and slaved in shame. It wasn’t until I cracked the fortress around my heart, bringing light into the darkness, that everything began to change. As I began to allow the medicine of Father’s unconditional love into the places I believed were unlovable, not only did I heal, but beauty began to rise from the ugly ashes of my past.

I’ve toured the world in both secular and Christian arenas, and what breaks my heart is seeing just as many Christians managing pain as non-Christians, yet we have access to the solution, the truth, and the Healer. It’s time for the body of Christ to experience the freedom that is our inheritance, which is why I wrote God Loves Ugly. It’s for anyone needing to learn how to be loved into wholeness.

I hope the pages provide you with another resource to help the broken find healing and that it blesses your life in the process!

HUGE hugs.

Christa Black

Today we are giving away 5 copies of Christa’s book God Loves Ugly. This would be a fantastic book to not only read personally, but also share in a small group or with a women’s group or youth group at your church.

Win a copy for yourself, or if you joined us at Retreat and already have it, win a copy for your church or a friend!

Congratulations to Lee, Rebekah Lyon, Brandy, Kris, and Christina. You’ve been notified by email!

Ever find yourself unglued? Struggling with raw emotions? Yelling at the kids? Exploding? Stuffing?

We all do at some point.

Yesterday my 6th grade daughter was moving turtle-speed while we were running late to school. She couldn’t find her homework. Cue dragging feet and crying eyes while she looked for it. She couldn’t find her shoes. Cue slow-motion walking while she scanned the house for them. I honestly could not believe how long it took her to simply brush her hair. We were making her carpool late. She was making her brother late for school.

Then … I exploded. Ex-plo-ded. It wasn’t pretty – and neither was I, for that matter.

Feeling torn between guilt over my explosion and determination that this would not happen again, I got this little text:

Hmmm. Not exactly the apology I was expecting. But she made me laugh … which is probably a good thing so that she won’t be in danger of getting “fired.”

Yep, we all have those mornings, circumstances, moments of conflicts. And now you can have the fabulous Lysa TerKeurst
sharing insight into handling your raw emotions.

Today we are giving away 5 copies of Lysa’s DVD Curriculum for her best-selling book Unglued. This would be an incredible study to not only do personally, but also in a small group or with a women’s group at your church.

Win a copy for yourself, or if you joined us at Retreat and already have it, win a copy for your church or a friend!

To enter: Just comment on whether you are an Exploder or a Stuffer of those raw emotions.

Just FYI … I’m a stuffer who will eventually explode. Eke.

Congratulations to Karen C, Tracey O, Keisha C, Jennifer, and Dori Breeden. Just reply to the email you’ve been sent, and we will get the Unglued DVDs headed your way.