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by Rebecca Barton If you are anything like me, you know the unique, beautiful, and sometimes heavy weight of the calling we carry. Between coordinating logistics, counseling hurting families, preparing messages, and trying to keep a household running, it is so easy to fall into the trap of doing the Lord’s work in our own strength. We organize, we strategize, and then we ask God to bless our plans.  For the past two years, I have had the privilege of participating in our Refresh 8-month discipleship cohorts. I can tell you without reservation that it has been an extremely enriching and challenging experience. But in addition to amazing content, it was the relationship-building that changed me. Having a safe space to grow alongside other women who "get it" has been a total lifeline. It was through this sisterhood that I first encountered a book that became a holy disruption to my daily devotional routine: Lead with Prayer by Ryan Skoog, Peter Greer, and Cameron Doolittle. A Convicting Shift in Perspective In our heritage, we understand the power of the altar. We know how to press in, how to tarry, and how to desperately seek the baptism and leading of the Holy Spirit. But as I read this book, I was met with a quiet, convicting question: Does my daily leadership and ministry reflect that same absolute dependence on God's presence? The authors spent over a hundred hours interviewing world-changing Christian leaders across the globe, and their conclusion resonates deeply with our roots: prayer isn't just the preparation for the work; prayer is the work. The book challenged me in three specific areas:
An Invitation to Press In Together We need the fire of the Holy Spirit in our churches right now more than ever, but we also need each other to keep that fire burning. We were never meant to carry the burdens of ministry in isolation. Because my time in the discipleship cohort has been so transformative over the last two years, I encourage all of you to join our upcoming 8-month journey through the Bible, alongside Lead with Prayer and a few other carefully chosen resources. This cohort isn't just another meeting to add to your busy calendar; it is an invitation to pause, breathe, and seek the Lord in the company of sisters who will pray for you and with you. If your spirit is feeling a bit dry, or if you simply desire a deeper, more abiding connection with the Lord as you lead, please join a Refresh Discipleship Cohort. Let’s commit to leading from our knees this year!
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by Kim Oyler Recently, while hiking with my family, my youngest son shared an interesting fact with me that really got me thinking. Together, as we walked along the rocky path that day, he randomly shared, “Did you know that if you carry a newly hatched sea turtle in a cup to release it into the ocean, it won't know where to come back and nest because it won’t remember the sand?” “How interesting!” I thought. I’d never heard this before, but it made sense. The young and impressionable sea turtle would miss out on an important experience that God had intended for it. The sea turtle’s instinctual destination was the sea…but the journey there was an integral part of that destiny.
As we continued to walk along the trail together, I continued to ponder the statement, “It won’t remember the sand.” My mind immediately thought about examples in the Bible when generations of kings failed to pass on important spiritual truths and experiences that the older generations had taken for granted or no longer believed. In turn, younger generations did not remember the sand. And because they couldn’t remember the sand, they too did not know how to find their way “home” to the Father. I am reminded and encouraged that we, too, must pass on our faith, our testimonies, and lessons learned along our own journeys to those who come after us. We must not hide our stories behind the veil of shame or insecurity. Our biological and spiritual children depend on us to help them remember the sand. Additionally, many times as mothers, we are tempted to “carry our children in cups.” In other words, sometimes we feel that we know a better, faster, or easier way. Our motivation is love and protection; however, rescuing them from difficulties cripples them in a way we don't anticipate. We desire for our children to avoid the painful struggles of life. It’s difficult to watch them go through hardships, not make the team, get left out, hold down a job while attending school, etc. We remember the hardships we endured and desire to help our children avoid them. What if I told you it’s all sand! All the difficulties in the journey are meant to point them home! Whatever you do, don’t keep them from the sand. Don't rob them of the experiences that God has intended for them. Have you heard the saying, “We can't keep our children from their testimonies?" It’s true! As they venture through the sand to their destinies, every hot spot, every dip, every mound in the sand that they must climb on their way to the sea is important! It’s those experiences that leave an impression to help them remember…where they started, from whom they come, and how to return home!
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