Women of Worth Magazine 2014 by Women of Worth

These scriptures will encourage and empower you in your walk with the Lord. Meditate on them for inspiration. The Lord said, ‘I do not look at the things people look at. Man looks at how someone appears on the outside, But I look at what is in the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love. I Timothy 4:12

The world and its evil longings are passing away. But those who do what God wants them to do live forever. I John 2:17

Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. Then you will be (daughters) of your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:44

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5

The Lord said, My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all those who are poor. Proverbs 31:8

Let the words you speak always be full of grace. Season them with salt. Then you will know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6

By doing good you will put a stop to the talk of foolish people. I Peter 2:15

Greetings Women of Worth! This issue is dedicated to professional Christian women who represent Jesus in the marketplace. At some point every woman in ministry or business needs help in developing her brand and/or managing her organization. As you read this issue readily absorb any tips that will help you be a better CEO, President or Founder. God is watching over you and wants you to prosper so you can be a blessing to the Kingdom. Whether you are just getting starting in ministry, use your business as a ministerial platform or just want to tweek your brand to make it prosper more, now is the time to make that change. Step forward and take all that God has for you. In the Service of the King

Pastor Rosa Herman Pastor Rosa Herman

W OMEN OF W ORTH | A UGUST 2014 F OUNDER & E DITOR IN C HIEF Rosa Herman E XECUTIVE E DITOR Mikita Jackson C ONTRIBUTING E DITOR Janika Herman E XECUTIVE C OPY E DITOR Sonia Rhodie A PP D EVELOPMENT Janika Herman E XECUTIVE A DMINISTRATION Sheilah Campbell A DVERTISING A DMINISTRATOR Leanne Gibbs C ONTRIBUTING A UTHORS Edward Boateng Sheryl Brady Sheilah Campbell Leanne Gibbs Lisa Gill, CPA Paula White

@hfcnc

W OMEN OF W ORTH M AGAZINE

A UGUST 2014

18 8

The Changing Roles of Women in the 21st Century

10 Preparing for Financial Success 13 Characteristics of a Church Administrative Assistant

15 Managing Your Church Membership 17 Deliverance Through the Blood of Jesus 18 Drill to the Core of Your Identity

The Changing Roles of the 21st Century Woman

21 Shana Wilson Up Close & Personal 25 Meet the Stylist Goo Goo Atkins 27 The Testimony of Wess Morgan

Sheryl Brady In 1966, the legendary singer James Brown released one of his most well known songs titled “It’s a Man’s World.” At the time of its release and for many years to come, his words were indeed true of the American society at large. Men have predominately been the frontrunners for decades—holding the top jobs and grossing the highest salaries compared to women. But, as

many of you who are reading this can attest to, times have certainly changed. With our country’s recent economic crisis, the latest reports from the United States Department of Labor show that the unemployment rate of men is now significantly higher than that of women. Women are now finding themselves in

the roles that their husbands occupied for so long and are doing so with the added pressures that naturally come with being the woman of the house. These are definitely trying times Regardless of that we are in that how difficult require a new breed of women to handle your life is them. Being a woman right now, God in 2011 is not for the faint of heart. If there himself knows was ever a need for a what you are unified front with our fellow sisters, that capable of time is now. If you’ve handling. found yourself at the front of the line in your family, you may be asking yourself, ”So what’s a girl to do?” I’m glad you asked.

stances to do the same with us. The mother eagle knows that the potential to fly is in her offspring and therefore is not nervous about pushing it to do something it was naturally born to do. Allow God to push you to heights you have never dreamed possible in this season of your life. I encourage all of you who are married, please be aware that this is an awkward situation for your husband as well. Ask God to help you be sensitive during this time and try everything in your power to make him feel important in your marriage. Men typically place a high value on their ability to earn a living and provide for their family and you should make every attempt to let him know that he is still the head of your family, regardless of his employment status.

Come Into Agreement with Someone

You Were Built to Handle Pressure

Lastly, find other Christian sisters that you can confide in about your current situation and Allow God to come into agreement for God to strengthen push you to you. As Jesus stated heights you in Matthew 18:19 “…if two of you agree on have never earth concerning anydreamed thing they ask, it will be done for them by possible in this My Father in season of heaven.” I firmly believe that there are your life. some things you are not going to receive from God until you come into agreement with someone.

The first thing you have to realize as a woman is that you were built to be able to handle this kind of pressure. Psalms 103:14 says “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Any time I am in a place that feels that I cannot go any further; I remember that God knows my frame. The Creator of the universe knows every detail about you. He knows how you process stress, what makes you tick and what makes you want to ‘flip out’. Regardless of how difficult your life is right now, God himself knows what you are capable of handling. Rest in the fact that a loving God, who knows us so well, could never place more on us than we are able to bear.

Embrace Where You Are

Article originally printed in EEW magazine.

Secondly, learn to embrace where you are with an open mind and an open heart. I’ve learned so many times in my life that if I would just accept a new season, no matter how difficult it may seem to be, that God would use it to expose me to things I would have never thought possible. Just as a mother eagle will forcefully nudge her eaglet out of the nest to teach it to fly, God will sometimes use uncomfortable circum-

Sheryl Brady is the pastor of Potter’s House North in Dallas, Texas. She is also a lecturer, recording artist and author who has traveled extensively around the globe for more than 30 years. For more information please visit her online at: www.sherylbrady.com.

Lisa Gill. CPA oday the Church, Tax Exempt Entities and Small Businesses operate in a complex environment wherein many accounting transactions, financial activities, and financial responsibilities exist. Ultimately the accountability for the accounting and finances are placed upon the shoulders of the Pastors, Executive Directors, President, Leadership Team, and Governing Board.

manage cash flows effectively and report accurately the monthly financial results on a timely basis. To ensure the Pastors, Leaders, Churches, Businesses, and Staff are protected; an understanding of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role and responsibilities should be obtained and should be utilized on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. The CFOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions are broad and evolving based on the needs of the organization. The CFOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions include, but are not limited to:

To an ever increasing degree we determined our Leaders, Visionaries and Boards can be challenged to lead the daily accounting and finance processes,

Planning – Determining who performs the work, what work is to be completed, and when the work should be completed; especially regarding the timely processing of accounting and financial transactions and the timely issuance of accurate financial statements. Organizing – Hiring and training accounting, bookkeeping, and financial personnel. Directing – Creating synergies amongst the accounting, bookkeeping, and financial staff to achieve the most effective and efficient processes and procedures. Measuring – Measuring the performance of all key aspects in the financial statements to ensure that errors and omissions are identified and corrected. Financial Analysis – Reviewing, interpreting, and generating recommendations related to the financial performance. Effective communication is essential to ensure data and information are properly and effectively conveyed to the Leaders. Process Analysis – Periodically reviewing and evaluating the performance of each major process that is involved in the completion of accounting and financial transactions with the objective of maintaining effective internal controls over procedures and processes while operationally being cost effective and efficient. The CFO contributes significantly to the organizational strategies and the operational successes. Reliance is placed on the financial analytics and to a degree on reflections and insight to understand and communicate how the organization has performed financially and where it is going financially. Lisa P. Gill is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) specializing in Church, Tax Exempt Entities and Small Businesses Accounting and Finance. Lisa’s CPA Firm has developed a CFO model wherein they serve as your 3rd party CFO. Please contact the CPA Firm with questions and comments. For more information please go online to: www.yourchurchcpa.com.

The role of the Church Administrative Assistant is a very special ministry and important in a church setting. This individual is on the front lines of the ministry and is one of the very first person(s) the public sees and talks to. He or she is a reflection of the church and should always count being in this position as an honor. This person is a mature Christian who truly feels "called to Christian service" and who is willing to go "above and beyond" the personal investment in a job that is considered "normal" in the secular world of work.

addition, they have excellent communication skills and know how to share the vision of the ministry and the pastor’s heart. They are loyal to the vision and leadership. They know how to keep confidentiality. Furthermore, they know the value of teamwork and diligently strive to maintain a peaceful relationship with all staff members.

These attributes along with others aid the administrative assistant when asked to be the pastor’s personal assistant. Those who serve in this role have one primary focus—meet the needs of pastoral leadership. They do not consume themselves with the day-to-day operation of the church office. This is not their function. Instead, they seek ways to lift the administrative burden from the pastor by aiding in maintaining the pastor’s calendar, typing lesson plans, ensuring important events are not overlooked, and communicating the pastor’s wishes to other staff and department heads. Furthermore, they serve as a buffer between the members and the pastor. This requires them to draw on their sensitivity, to listen with their heart, know the voice of God, and to stay in their lane. In this role, it is important that humility remains intact and boundaries not be overstepped.

Those called as an administrative assistant must be sensitive to the needs of others and the ones they serve. They are able to predict what the needs are prior to being asked. They pay close attention to details and words spoken, listening carefully so they do not miss an opportunity to properly respond to a need. They normally carry a notepad or an electronic tablet, or iPad with them, jotting down important details, minuscule and great, so they do not forget what is required of them.

Anointed administrative assistants are balanced, not two-faced and do not mock leadership or church members. They under-

In this role, it’s important that humility remain intact. . .

stand what this releases in the atmosphere. In

Managing and taking care of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people is a great responsibility of the church. Jesus said to Peter in John 21:15-17 to "feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, and feed my sheep". It is an honor and privilege to be tasked with managing the care of members, as they represent Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; greatest commodity.

10:23-25). When we make a commitment to the local church, we are identifying with the Pastors and fellow members in gathering, giving, prayer and service. Membership care is the special care you give to members when members are faced with the day-to -day challenges of life such as the loss of a job, health challenges, financial difficulties, the death of a loved one, and emotional setbacks. This can be difficult to bear alone. Members serving and caring for members represents the love of Christ towards one another. The bible states in 1 Corin. 12: 25-26, "that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

Keeping up with the details in membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives is vital to providing the ministry care they desire. There are many ways a church can accomplish this task. Listed below are 3 simple steps that can be applied in a structured manner to improve your management and care of your members. Step # 1. Membership Care Becoming a member of a church is more than just placing your name on a roll. Members are to make a difference through serving in the ministries of the church. We believe every Christ follower needs to be part of a local body of believers and joined to a church. The bible instructs us to assemble regularly so that we can rejoice in our common hope and encourage one another. (Heb.

Membership care equips the church to be all that God has designed for it to be a place where all members have the same care for each other. One responsibility of the local church is to teach members about the specific responsibilities assigned to leadership and those assigned to the church members as they provide care for one another.

Members' care services should include, but not limited to, childbirth, counseling, bereavement, hospital visits, baptism, life enrichment seminars and classes. These services are set in place to empower people to take control of their lives and to help restore them to wholeness through compassion, acceptance, restoration and empowerment.

Step # 3. Follow-up Following up on members is another important factor that demonstrates the love and compassion of Jesus. The church is called to teach, baptize, welcome strangers, care for the sick and preach the gospel to all. (Acts 1:8, Matt. 28:19). This will not occur without a follow-up system that is strategic, practical, organized and guided through the local church.

Step # 2. Ministry involvement An important factor in managing members is providing ongoing teachings on the importance of serving in the local church. The Bible gives us several reasons to serve and minister in the local church:

The follow-up process is an ongoing personal investment and communication that occurs after a member has begun to attend the church, faces a personal challenge, responds to an altar appeal (such as salvation and rededication, experiences child birth, or baptism and so much more.

1. We have been gifted to serve. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Providing a successful follow-up system will give the members a sense of comfort and joy, knowing that their church is there for them during life's greatest and lowest moments. It's a great tool to use to connect with members and visitors to let them know that they were noticed during the service and missed when they do not attend services. Following up on members can reconnect them to the ministry after falling away by encouraging them to return again.

2. We are commanded to serve. Jesus said, “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve." Matthew 20:28 (Living Bible) 3. We will be rewarded for service. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

In order for a follow up system to work effectively, it must be heartfelt, timely, and relevant. Effective follow-up strategies may include phone calls, personal visits, letters, emails, and social media. Following up is an easy process that can be done by anyone; however, long-term, or in-depth follow-up is most effective when done through an existing ministry in the local church.

Getting involved in the local church on a ministry team is essential to the growth and development of a member. Statistics prove that members will attend church less and their drop-out chances increase dramatically when they don’t participate or become meaningfully involved in some type of ministry in the church. They begin to feel like they are not an integral part of the body of Christ.

Managing church members encompasses the spiritual and natural care of the members. After applying these simple steps, you will begin to see the members getting involved, caring for one another and making a difference in their home, churches and communities. When performed effectively, managing your members educates and empowers them to become disciples of Christ, fulfilling the Great Commission. Managing members equips the members to become disciples of Christ through equipping, educating and empowering the member through the local church.

Therefore; encourage members to become actively involved in the local church by offering their gifts and talents. Serving in the local church is a great way to stay connected to your Pastor and discover your natural and spiritual gifts while building a lifetime of relationships and friendships with people of like precious faith.

Have you ever noticed that certain circumstances seem to repeat themselves over and over in your life and family? Divorce, addic-

The Bible says in Exodus 34:7, “I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I

forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents tions, barrenness, poverty, bitterness… In upon their children and grandchildren; even chil“Deliverance Through The Blood,” Pastor Edward dren in the third and fourth generations.” As BeBoateng reveals generational curses, their roots lievers, our sins are forgiven; but the conseand their consequences. Pastor Edward will show quences and penalties can be felt you how these curses are defar into our generations if not fined as well as how to break Repentance brings properly dealt with. This is anthem and release generational blessings in your life through obedience. By being other reason why it is important to know your foundation and repentance and obedience that obedient to the Word, fully understand what God has will affect generations to come. we come out from un- lovingly provided for us and how to access it and break free and Foundations are the bedder the control of genprosper. rock and basic strength of

anything. For the Believer,

erational curses and

When Adam and Eve fell in God is the pillar of our lives. He partake in generathe Garden, God already is the foundation, and we are had a redemptive plan in His temple. It is vitally importional blessings. mind. His name is Jesus. It tant to know from where you have come and what your founwas God’s desire to reconcile Man dation is, so that you may successfully deal with back Himself, ensuring that His original plan of the issues of life that confront you now. blessings would once again be poured out on all Mankind. Repentance brings obedience. By being obedient to the Word, we come out from under the Without the root of these curses being locontrol of generational curses and partake in gencated and demolished you are in line to be erational blessings. destroyed by your enemy. When you deal with these generational curses from the core and destroy its root system, it will no longer have the ability to manifest in your life and you will be free to start a new pattern of generational blessings.

Break the curses today and unlock the transferable blessings for your life and the lives of your entire family!

Hi, my name is Paula,” I said. “I know who you are,” the woman replied. “I know you very well. I watch you all the time on television. You’re one of my best friends!” I smiled. She doesn’t really know me, I thought. But then I thought, Or maybe she does! She certainly knows a part of me, because what you see is what you get when you see Paula. A man called me several months ago and said, “Are you for real?” I said, “I’m as real as I know how to be!” In many respects, we human beings aren’t all that different from each other. If we genuinely reflect our authentic selves, we can be known by others, and we can know others with greater insight. If we live from the core of our spiritual selves, we have “insider” information that spills over into “outsider” intuition and awareness. Here are four things I know with absolute certainty about you: I know you are a creation of God, made in His image. I know you are a one-of-a-kind unique design of God, who desires to be in relationship with you and help you live a fulfilling, wonderful, purpose-filled life. You have the personal challenge in your life of discovering who God made you to be and then living that life to the max. I know that you are not on this earth merely to exist. You are here to live, with a kick in your step! God planned for you to be here—right now— with a purpose. He has ordered and is ordering your footsteps so that His plan and purpose for you might be fulfilled. God desires for you to rule and reign in life—and that starts by your ruling and reigning over your own life, and especially over your own thoughts and emotions. I know that the core of you is stable. It doesn’t change. It is. That core is spiritual. It is out of your spirit that your mind and emotions take shape. It is out of your mind and emotions that you speak and act. To know yourself fully, you must get in touch with your spiritual identity. Real beauty is not outward. It is inward. Real wealth is not outward. True riches are inward. True reality lies in the realm of the unseen spirit deep within. Real identity is not defined by outward trappings or labels. Real identity flows from the spirit deep within.

I know that you are a multi-faceted jewel, highly valuable to God and capable of reflecting great beauty and light. I know that as you explore all of your own facets, you will have a greater desire and ability to see the beauty and uniqueness of other people.

tradition, or social standing. They are basic truths about human beings. Beyond these basics lie your individual traits, preferences, talents, dreams, personality, skills, and desires. To a very great extent, the “you” that you see in your mind’s eye is the “you” that you become. Who you think you are becomes who you are. The process flows from the inside out. If you know yourself spiritually, you know yourself authentically. And when you know yourself authentically, you can fully embrace all of the unique facets that make you you. You will see yourself as a person who is • Valuable • Lovable • Capable • Worthy of all that is good and eternal Your perception of yourself is critical. If you don’t see yourself accurately and positively, you need to discover the real you.

I also know that we share many of the same desires—yes, even the same ultimate priorities—as creations of God. WE SHARE SIMILAR DESIRES AND HAVE SIMILAR PRIORITIES

For the most part, we human beings have the same innermost desires and longings. The ultimate priorities of life are actually very few in number. What are they?  The love of family and friends  Assurance that we are in the best YOUR SELF-ESTEEM IS possible relationship with God WORTH REEVALUATING True Success  Health, wholeness, and feelings of well-being—spiritual, mental, Every person has self-esteem. It’s a is living a life emotional, and physical matter of whether you have posi Time for one more laugh, one that satisfies tive, high-quality, healthy selfmore act of kindness, one more exesteem … or negative, low -quality, your spirit perience of beauty unhealthy self-esteem.  More faith with spiritual Here is the profile of a person who  A deep and fulfilling sense of purhas positive, high-quality, healthy riches. pose. The opportunity to make a self-esteem: positive and eternal difference in the lives of others • Unconditional worth and value. This person believes she is valuable regardless of what anyone These are not the things we put on resumés. They else may say. Deep at her core, she has confidence are not things we can buy off a shelf or even have that she is unique, precious, and eternal. custom-designed and manufactured. They are the things that satisfy the spirit, and they can be achieved only by spiritual means.

• Love. Every person needs love—warmth that radiates all the way to the innermost core of your being—and a healthy person has it. God is the greatest source of love a person can ever have. His love is infinite, constant, and continually flowing toward every one of His children. The second greatest source of love a person can ever know is not, as many people assume, the love of another person. It is the love a person has for herself. Only after a person embraces her unconditional worth and value can she truly receive love from someone else.

True success is living a life that satisfies your spirit with spiritual riches. Financial or material riches do not satisfy the spirit. Relationships and work do not satisfy the spirit. Anything superficial or external does not satisfy what is deep and internal. Furthermore, if you are not happy on the inside, there’s nothing on the outside that will make you happy. If you don’t feel that you are lovable, no amount of love showered upon you will make you feel loved.

• Growth. Growth comes when a person gives herself to someone else, and that is what healthy people do. Nothing grows in a vacuum. It is only as a person gets out of herself, explores the world around her, and contributes to it out of her store-

YOUR INDIVIDUALITY IS WORTH EXPLORING All of the statements I’ve made above are true about you regardless of your age, gender, culture,

house of love and talents that she can grow personally. The more she grows, the more she values herself. The more she gives away her love, the more worthy she sees herself to be. It is an upward spiral. These three essentials for self-esteem are interdependent. The person who perceives herself to have high value is more willing to express love and, in return, to receive love. Such a person is more willing to help others in practical ways and to take risks to offer and provide help. The person who gives assistance and affection to others has higher regard for self.

If we live from the core of our spiritual selves, we have “insider” information that spills over into “outsider” intuition and awareness.

Where are you in this process? Evaluate yourself! You can begin to develop selfesteem at any point in the cycle. Start with believing you are worthy … or start by expressing love … or start by giving away your talents and time. All three aspects of selfesteem are designed by God to function simultaneously.

I have met people who believe that good self-esteem is contrary to godliness. Nothing could be further from the truth. God esteems us. He values us. He loves us. He declares us to be worthy of His mercy, forgiveness, and presence. He helps us to grow into the fullness of who He created us to be. Our challenge is to esteem ourselves as God esteems us. And the key is to see ourselves as He sees us. DRILL DEEP—GET TO THE CORE People in the oil business understand one very simple but essential truth: a person must drill for oil. Those who drill for oil sometimes have to drill deep, through layers of rock, to get to the oil their geological studies tell them is under the surface. At times the work is difficult and the process is long. But the rewards can be great! Getting to your inner spiritual core … Discovering all that you were created to be … Changing your perceptions about yourself … It can be difficult work, and it can take time. But the results and rewards are eternal. Drill deep, and don’t give up.

GV: Who is Shana Wilson? SW: Well to sum it all up, I am a Pastors kid, been that my entire life…that has been the grooming of the minstrel, the psalmist, who I am. I have been ministering on my own for about six years now; travelling and doing all the things that comes along with singing at different churches and different venues. I’m also an engaged woman, I just got engaged. I am so excited about that. My fiancé is just amazing and I am just honored to be in this position that I’m in right now. As far as ministering to young people, the older people, the middle aged people, the young adults [it’s] just an amazing thing and so that is basically who I am…just a person that loves God. I’ve been raised right, under the fear of God. I just love God so much that I want to express it and what a better way to express it [than] through song? So I am just so excited about what God has for me in this time. GV: We are happy that you are here to minister to the youth because we know that they are the generation of tomorrow. What is it that you would say to a youth out there that is strug-

gling with some kind of addiction or some issue? SW: Well, I, too, have struggled with something. When I was younger it used to be low selfesteem. But God allowed me to experience love like never before. And so I think that was my own testimony and that’s what I can really share with the young people: that you have to know God for yourself. You can’t know Him based upon your parents or based upon your friends but really get to know Him. He will reveal Himself to you and the more He does that, the more He will reveal who you are to yourself. And so that is all I can really encourage the young people [to do]: to fall in love with God every day. Never think that He is too much for you or never think that you are too much for Him, because He is always going to be there for you. And so that is really what I can say to them. Be there and make sure you are in a space where you can hear God; because you know you can sometimes be in a space where you are so overcrowded with people, and the things of life, and your insecurities, and all those things...but it is important that you keep that connection with God.

GV: Why Give Me You? SW: Oh my God, actually I was going through a break up. I was going through a relationship. It wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t “it”. It wasn’t the thing God had for me. And it wasn’t until the moment where, “Okay God, do I give it over to you or do I stay in it and be unhappy?” and I gave it to God and I was just like, “Lord, give me your everything.” Some women, we wait and wait and wait for someone to love us and we get there and it is not what we thought it was going to be. So I wrote that song--not out of a heartbreak or anything like that-but it was just like out of that thing that isn’t too bad but it’s not the best thing for me and I’m going to walk away from it and just ask God to give me all of him. And so that is where that song really came from. Just wanting more desperation and more of God’s heart and His desire…. that is why I wrote that song. GV: And look at God, you are now engaged… SW: Now engaged… GV: Happily engaged… SW: Happily engaged, two years I

have been with him he is amazing, Rachard Williams is his name and he is just an amazing friend. We built our relationship off of him trying to help me lose weight and he wasn’t over bearing. It wasn’t just like “get over and get to the gym.” But it was just like a friend and I found myself like, “Wow! Who is this guy?” God just made things so clear to me in that moment; “I will make your pathway for you if you just give everything to me”. So through that break up and through giving Him everything I have something so much greater. So I am just so excited. GV: And that’s just God. I heard you say something…and many times PKs (Preachers Kids) they usually go through something. I heard you say you got the right upbringing…because many times it’s what they stay away from… it’s what they don’t want to be because of the pressure that they get from the congregants and just life and people. What would you say to one of the PKs listening or watching today? SW: PKs, you have to understand when our parents are called to the ministry we are, too. As bad as we don’t want to step into that thing… it doesn’t have to be preaching, it doesn’t have to be singing, but you are called to minister to somebody. So don’t ever get discouraged by what we see happen in the church, you know, because it is better for us to go through it than somebody else. You know we walk hand-inhand with our parents and it’s great that we can lift them up in prayer and when lifting them up we find ourselves encouraged. So just always be encouraged and know you are called to minister. It doesn’t have to be preaching and like my brother used to say, “I’m not preaching. I’m not preaching”... and now, he is a preacher. He preaches and teaches and exhorts his friends to be more like Christ

and so never run from your calling and never be afraid of what’s going to come with the mantle because it is going to come. GV: You can’t run. What would you say is next for Shana Wilson? SW: Another album. I’m going to get married and then I am going to do another album. A live recording and I’m just really excited about what God has coming out of me in this season through song. So look for another album. GV: So will that Live Recording be in South Florida? SW: I don’t know. We shall see, we shall see. I will think about it. But I am thinking about doing a different location than the rest; hopefully so… GV: Are you still in Detroit? SW: Yes, still there, still with my family. I love it. I love my hometown. GV: Still leading Praise and Worship? SW: Yes, at my parents church Community Christian Fellowship in Detroit, Michigan. If you have some people in Detroit, send them over my way. GV: What would you say to Dr. Apostle Julian Thomson tonight? SW: Be encouraged. So many times when you are dealing with youth we can get discouraged because our [youth’s] intention is like, “oh this is not what I want and…. my friends…”and you just get so many different things that come your way. Just be encouraged and know that what you are doing for the youth is going to go a long way with them, it really will. I met Apostle, and she is just an awesome person and her spirit is just…you can tell that she

has a heart for God and more importantly, a heart for His people. So just be encouraged and know that God has something great, great in store for them. GV: And I see great things for you. You have such a great spirit and thank you for being here and we know later will just be greater. I can’t wait --and my kids are there--and we can’t wait to just be encouraged by what it is that God is going to allow you to do tonight on stage. So God bless you in all your endeavors, on your new album and your new marriage and the kids…how many kids? SW: Seven. I want to have seven children. GV: Seven…? SW: Seven. GV: Seven is the perfect number. So we look forward to it. Well, Shana, it was a pleasure for you to be here with us on tonight [on] Get Visioned TV. The congregants, and Apostle Dr. Jillian Thomson, I know I can speak on her behalf, we are happy to have you and we look forward to great things with you and more to come. SW: Thank You, Get Visioned TV. Love it.

GP: Let’s go back to the beginning. Why Goo what did that nickname come from? GG: You know what I have no idea. All I can think of is, black people… you know we give out nicknames-Booboo, Teetee, Googoo, Naenae. And I just got, "GooGoo". GP: So you’re GooGoo? GG: I’m GooGoo. GP: Cute, we thought it was like you did something and it’s a long story. GG: No, but I was told that in some Swahili language it means, “Precious gift”. GP: You grew up in such a huge family. What was that like? Because there are so many of you and every time we watch the show I feel like there is a new person that we have to get to know. GG: You know what… For us, it was just normal. It was just regular to have tons of people all around to share absolutely everything, to always have somebody with you. Our whole life, a lot of people have always said, “This should be a TV show”. Well, before reality TV or any of that, because it was just naturally entertaining…all this craziness going on and for us to just deal with it as if it is so normal. GP: Right. And all your family seems to have a big personality… [Yes] … and everyone seems to fit in where they fit in. I mean there has been so much on the show happening. How have you been there to support your sister during her hard time?

GG: What I know to do is pray. I don’t have the answers, but God does. And I have been praying and interceding for her and my brotherin-law, both and the children and the family and everyone involved. GP: Send Prayers up. You all have the same face. I was like wait, is that Erica, Tina, Goo? Like, you all really have the same face. GG: Like, now people, you know, if they see any two of us together they will think Mary Mary. If they see me and Tina they think Mary Mary. Or, sometimes they will see Erica and Lisa or Malia and Tina or Shanta and… anybody and think its Mary Mary. GP: All of them are not Mary Mary, it is just Erica and Tina. Well, we love to watch! So you actually started… you were singing back in the day and now you are styling. You are a Jackie of all trades in a way; you do everything. So what made you finally say styling is for me? GG: You know what, I’m going to be honest with you. Styling just kind of came to me. I’ve always had an interest in fashion and clothes. So it stems from me [being] plus-sized as a child. And when you’re a size 12 at 12, you don’t want to wear

your mother’s clothes. My mother was small and you don’t want to look like you’re 35 when you’re 14. Later on, I was singing background and I was on a gig that was coming to an end. I don’t remember what it was but something was coming to an end…I remember I said, “Okay. I’m going to be a stylist”. I wasn’t a stylist and I just walked up to someone and said, “I want to style you”, and that’s how it happened. But prior to, people did admire my personal style.

They would say, “Hey, come to the mall with me”. So, I was kind of already doing it but I didn’t know, and I had to learn the official way. GP: So, why did you say this music thing isn’t for me even though it seemed to be going well for you? GG: Well, because I’m a passion driven person and I loved singing but I wasn’t in love with it. And when you come to a point when you start facing adversity in different things, then it will make you come to grips with or face or question whether or not this is really what you want. I question that a lot because people love celebrities, they love rich, people they love all that; but if that is not like you, [you] can’t use that as a means to validate you…you have to do what you love. I don’t want to be a singer. I don’t want to make a record. I don’t want to be a Mary Mary. I want to

do what I want to do. So, I have to let my passion drive me. I want to do what I want to do. So, I came to that point where I was just like, “listen: you have to hustle either way”. GP: So, I’ve heard you say that your passion is acting and you want to be on screen one day. What is your dream role? GG: My dream role… I would like to play a role where I was something that GooGoo is not. I want to be vulnerable. I want to play like a monster, like a child molester something that is so far removed from who I am. So, when you’re watching me you’re not saying, “Oh GooGoo. You’re doing such a good job.” People have come to me with scripts and I’m like, the scripts are so who I am but their version of who I am…and first of all, I’m like, “If you’re going to be me, let me be me” GP: Law and Order she is ready, because they do crazy people all the time… GG: I am so ready! GP… I think that um Tyler too… GG: All I want is an audition. You don’t have to hand it to me because I’m Mary Mary’s sister. Just give me an audition and just watch it happen. GP: Any spin offs for Goo? GG: Umm… I don’t know but, who knows… GP: We would love to see that. It would be such a good [idea]. I think you have such a great personality and people love to connect with you and obviously you have such a huge following on social

media. So, what would you say is your favorite part about being able to connect with your fans, instantly? GG: It’s cool, but it has its ups and downs. I am happy when I get messages, tweets, and Instagrams of people saying, “You inspire me to go on”…and I have only lost 16 pounds; but, you would have thought I lost 100. People are asking me if I had weight loss surgery, and I’m like,” You see these jiggle arms”? I got a whole lot more work to do. GP: Well, you look great. GG: Well, thank you! People can be so kind and inspiring and appreciative of me just being me, and I think that is just a blessing. GP: Yeah, you have full figure Fridays and other campaigns. GG: Well, you know us plus size girls always get, “ You’re so pretty for a big girl”...and I don’t get that anymore…I’m so grateful for that because I’m not just pretty for a big girl; I’m just pretty. If I’m “fly”, I’m just “fly”, and it’s not “fly” for a big girl. So, we’re going to call "fly”, “fly”, and call pretty: pretty. [That’s] how we’re going to do that…there are so many others that are just beautiful and gorgeous and fabulous…beautiful smiles, great makeup…and so that Friday is our day on my page. GP: I love that. I love that you tell girls that they are beautiful and you keep that positive going on Fridays. Hopefully, other girls will do it on their pages every day because we are all beautiful in our own ways. GP: Thank you so much for talking with us GG: No Problem.

"I think when I was 15-years-old, I did my first round of cocaine. I was just mesmerized

"That year was great for me, because I was

by it. I literally was an extremist and wanted to be high 24/7. I was going to school high and leaving during lunch to get high. I was snorting cocaine in the bathroom," Wess Morgan tells The 700 Club.

in a position where I was put in classes that taught me the Word of God," he says. Wess continued on to Bible College, entered the ministry, and began pursuing his dream of becoming a singer.

Wess Morgan grew up a preacher's kid. "I

Before long, Wess was using drugs again.

lived in a healthy environment. I had a true example of Godly people. I had a loving mother and father, but I still got off track -- I got sideswiped”. ""I didn't know the tell-tale signs, and I didn’t’t realize that’s what it was because they were raised as infants to serve the Lord and love the Lord, and I always thought that’s what they were going to do”, recalls Wess' mom.

“I would literally snort cocaine until my nose would swell up, until I couldn't breathe," remembers Wess.

Wess spent time in juvenile detention.

"We hit an embankment going about 85 to 90 miles an hour. We hit a concrete wall…"

Wess was high on cocaine one day, when a driver wouldn't let him merge. He started to pursue the other car. In the midst of a high speed chase, Wess wrecked the car.

Then at 17-years-old, he was charged with armed robbery. One night, when he was high on valium, he threatened a group of people with an axe. "I remember waking up ... it was a Sunday morning and I woke up, and I was still drunk. My mother was waking me up and she said, ‘Wess, I don’t know what you have done but the cops have called here this morning, and we have got to take you to the police station.” “I will never forget that Sunday we walked in there. We had no clue that at that point, he [Wess] would be taken to prison, and we’d never see him again," says his mom. Wess was no stranger to the judicial system. But, since the judge knew his parents, Wess was allowed to enroll in a Bible-based rehabilitation program.

Wess' friends were life-flighted out. Wess walked away from the wreck and straight into jail.

"It was the end of my rope, and I remember asking one of the correctional officers to get me a Bible. I grabbed that Bible, and I didn’t depart from that Bible for eight days solid. I kept that Bible right on me, and I knew that God was forcing me to make a decision."

"I was so tired of always watching my life slip through my fingers. I was never able to get a hold of Wess," he says. "So I think that God heard a silent scream coming from me, from my

I was so tired of always watching my life slip through my fingers. I was never able to get a hold of Wess," he says. "So I think that God heard a silent scream coming from me, from my Spirit:

'Get me out of this, I’ve got to get free.’” Wess rededicated his life to Christ that night in the jail cell. He was instantly delivered from his addictions.

Wess rededicated his life to Christ that night in the jail cell. He was instantly delivered from his addictions.

“People that have gone down as far as I have gone, never come back around.

I smell the roses every day. I am taking advantage of not having a nag in my belly to go get high. Do you know what that feels like for me? That in itself is euphoria. The fact that I don’t have to get high when I leave here right now is a miracle. You hear me, when I say that is a miracle? Because I am

free." Today, Wess is the associate pastor in his parent's church, Celebration of Life Church. He continues to tour, sharing his music and testimony with audiences nationwide.