Mother’s Day is torture for a mommy-in-waiting. “Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby?” is a gift of hope and encouragement if you know (or are) one of these women. To read a snippet of my daughter Kim’s journal the year before she became a mommy, and also tips to surviving any holiday while waiting on God’s plan for parenthood, check out pgs 140 and 269 on the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon. I’ve attached a link.
A Perfect Gift for Mommies-in-Waiting on Mother’s Day
The Team That Jesus Built Press Release
Former Saddleback Leader Offers Practical Steps to Building a Successful Women’s Ministry
(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.)—April 19, 2011—Former Saddleback Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry leader Janet Thompson, in her new release The Team That Jesus Built: How to Develop, Equip, and Commission a Women’s Ministry Team (ISBN 978-1-59669-300-5, $16.99), offers practical tips to women’s ministry leaders. Drawing on years of experience and lay-ministerial success, Thompson passionately encourages women’s ministry teams to continuously and systematically groom others.
“Most churches have a list of ministries that started with a bang and then fizzled—not for lack of people needing the benefits of the ministry, but often because the leader left without having an equipped team in place,” writes Thompson.
When God called her to start the mentoring ministry at Saddleback Church, she looked for resources to assist her, but found none. Instead, through years of experience she has now written her own. Using sound biblical principles, also incorporated by large international Bible studies, Thompson uses the training relationship of Jesus with the disciples as the basic outline for the book.
Chris Adams, senior lead women’s ministry specialist, LifeWay Christian Resources, recognizes the tools this book contains for effective team-building and offers positive words about the authors’ credibility.
“Janet Thompson has a heart for the Lord and a heart for raising up women who have a heart for Him,” endorses Adams. “She has given us many tools to mentor women and to grow together as women. As a leader herself, she has developed effective and multiplying teams.”
What distinguishes this book from so many others is that she takes the principles of Jesus and puts them in practical terms for women’s ministry. The book addresses getting started and organized, recruitment, informal interviews, key communication elements, conflict resolution, and a host of other topics that arise in ministry regardless of church size or denomination.
“In The Team That Jesus Built, Janet Thompson offers practical, step-by-step advice for building, remodeling, or rejuvenating a ministry team,” endorses Kathy Howard, minister of adult education at Fannin Terrace Baptist Church and author of Before His Throne, God’s Truth Revealed, and Unshakeable Faith.
About the Author
Janet Thompson, founder and director of About His Work Ministries, is an author and speaker on topics relevant to today’s Christian woman. She developed the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Saddleback Church, where she and her husband, Dave, were members. Janet served as a lay minister for 12 years, leading Saddleback’s Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry. Passionate about mentoring others, she is also the author of the “Face-to-Face” Bible study series. A new resident to Idaho, she continues to share the blessings of mentoring by training churches around the world.
About New Hope Publishers
Representing more than 50 authors and more than 100 individual works, the mission of New Hope Publishers is to provide books that challenge readers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God. New Hope Publishers is the general trade publishing imprint for WMU, a missions auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention. New Hope Publishers is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).
For more information about New Hope Publishers, visit www.newhopepublishers.com.
Marriage, Obligations, and Service
Marriage, Obligations, and Service. Wondering how to balance it all. Priscilla and Aquila have the answers!
Press release for Priscilla and Aquila
Gain Blessings from Serving with Your Spouse
(
Face-to-Face with Priscilla and Aquila (978-1-59669-295-4, N114132, $8.99) explores the importance of serving together and leading together within the context of both the church and everyday life.
“Priscilla and
Face-to-Face with Priscilla and Aquila is a five-week study that can be used individually, as a couple, or as a small group. It includes content on service and leadership as well as real-life short stories and testimonies.
About the Author
Dave and Janet have four married children and love being Grammie and Grampa to 11 beautiful grandchildren. They make their home in
About
Representing more than 50 authors and more than 100 individual works, the mission of New Hope Publishers is to provide books that challenge readers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God. New Hope Publishers is the general trade publishing imprint for WMU, a missions auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention. New Hope Publishers is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).
For more information about
An Opportunity to Share Your Story
I’m writing two new Face-to-Face Bible studies and am seeking true stories. Here is what I’m looking for:
1. If you’ve been a mentor, or been mentored by a family member–especially looking for stories of grandmothers and mothers, but any family relationship would be considered.
2. A time when you pleaded with God.
If you would like to know more leave a comment here and we can connect and I can give you more information.
Tips For Journaling Your Breast Cancer Journey
1. Pray before you start.
2. Select a journal that reflects your personality and style.
3. Write your heart. Don’t worry about grammar or sounding spiritual. Let your pen flow with thoughts and feelings.
4. Think of journaling as simply writing a letter.
5. Date your journal entries.
6. Another way to experience journaling is as a chat or conversation with God. Freely write all that’s on your heart and mind.
7. If you want to write confidential things and worry someone might read your journal, come up with abbreviations and symbols only you understand.
8. Don’t feel you must be positive all the time. When it hurts, talk about it. When you’re sad, cry out. When you’re mad, God can take it.
9. Express the good things that happen too and the days where everything does seem better.
10. Journal during doctor or treatment waiting rooms, receiving chemotherapy treatments, sitting in the car while your ride runs into the store for you, nights when you can’t sleep, lying down to rest but your mind is racing, long hospital days and nights.
11. If you aren’t up to journaling and the pen seems too heavy, don’t worry–it shouldn’t be a burden making you feel guilty or heavy. When the time is right, you will get at it again.
Following Dad
I met Darrell Leber in one of my many airport waiting rooms. As so often happens, I made a God connection. Darrell is Associate Director of Strategic Relationships with the Jesus Film, and he and his wife own Amen Christian Bookstore in Marysville, WA. Darrell sent me this story that I wanted to share with you:
10 years ago Missionary Don Cox was taken captive and held for ransom by rebel thugs (we would consider terrorists today). They drove him far into the country bound & blindfolded, and then forced him to hike into the Andes Mt’s in the dark of night, across a river, over a log, and then a long distance up to a desolate area. Be sure to read the book, Shouts at Sunrise, to capture the details of those days and events.
Don was miraculously rescued after being held for 14 days. He and his family were swiftly sent to safety in the USA and Don hadn’t been allowed to come back to the area of his capture until this year.
While in Ecuador, my son and I had the opportunity to hike high into the Andes Mountains with Missionary Don Cox to accompany him as he retraced his footsteps to see where he had been held. This was the first time Don had been allowed back into the area by the government to see this area by day. He was very excited and had the video camera going on overtime! We had a wonderful time of fellowship, devotions, and closure.
The trails were extremely steep and muddy on the return, as we had already passed over them on the way up creating a muddy slip-n-slide for the return. We were strung out in a line… sometimes slipping and sliding for a good ways. There were a few guys ahead of me, my son DJ a little ways behind me, and then Pastor Howell behind him and so forth.
I overheard a conversation between Pastor Howell and my son that drove into my heart…one of those “feel good” moments for a parent!
Pastor Howell (who is a big man) had offered to go in front of my son to catch him in case he slipped in the mud…you could slide a long way without stopping on these paths.
My son replied ‘No Thanks! I will follow my dad’s footsteps. I know that wherever he walks, that if I follow his footsteps, I will be safe. (see picture above).
What a statement!
What an impact on me to be careful of the footsteps and the walk I take as a witness to others.
If only we would follow so closely in the footsteps of our Savior… and know that if we follow him, we will be safe!!!
Check out Partner Trips where we will also deliver an ARK shelter:
http://www.jfhp.org/ Click on “get involved” then “Partner Trips”.
Woman to Woman Mentoring Interview
Listen to me interview with MentorMarnie this Thursday at 1:00 PT 3:00 CT or 4:00 ET. I’ll be talking about the 5 W’s of STarting a Mentoring Ministry. You can call 646-727-2510 or go to http://www.leadershipattitudes.com/. You’ll find a free handout at the website. Please share this opportunity with anyone you know in Women’s Ministry.
I’ll be doing a live interview with MentorMarnie October 7 th at 1:00 PT, 3:00 CT and 4:00 ET. The Topic will be The 5 W’s of Starting a Mentoring Ministry. Listen by calling in at 646-727-2510 or going http://www.leadershipattitudes.com/. There’s a handout to go with the interview at their website. Please share with women’s ministry directors.
