Spring 2019 Newsletter
Dear friend, Talk to many women today, and you’ll hear recurring themes of overload, stress, and persistent weariness. The responsibilities we bear can leave us physically fatigued, longing to get away from it all. As important as physical rest and breaks may be, I’m convinced that one of the biggest reasons we struggle to handle the rigors of day-to-day responsibilities is that our spirits are weary; our souls are in need of restoration. The remedy isn’t necessarily found in a vacation but in spending time in God’s presence. The Hebrew word translated “restore” in Psalm 23 is a word most often translated “return” in the Old Testament. It speaks of God’s people returning to Him and of God returning to His people. The implication is that He restores our souls back to their resting place—in Him—by means of His Word and His Spirit. For “times of refreshing . . . come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:20). At Revive Our Hearts, it’s our desire to help you enter into God’s presence and find new life in Him. That’s why our radio programs and podcasts, blogs, events, Bible studies, and other resources point you to God’s Word as the source of true refreshment. To help you take that a step further, we’re hosting Revive ’19: Seeking HIM on September 27– 28. By attending this conference either LIVE or through a LOCAL event, you’ll be challenged to open God’s Word, discover the joy of personal revival, and be refreshed. Thank you for your continued partnership in this ministry. It’s because of you that women around the world are able to experience more of Jesus and His transforming power. It’s our prayer that they—and you—would be filled with His Spirit, receive fresh stores of His grace, and go out and serve Him with joy. Blessings,
Seeking HIM Through
Revive ’19 LIVE by Erin Davis For it is time to seek the L ORD . (HOSEA 10:12) These words are as true today as when they were spoken by the prophet Hosea thousands of years ago. As women . . . as families . . . as the people of God, it is time to seek the Lord. Revive ’19 is dedicated to seeking Him for revival. Speakers Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Mary Kassian, Dannah Gresh (and others) will lead in times of corporate and personal prayer and deliver biblical messages focused on the themes found in the Seeking Him study. When God sends revival, hearts, homes, and churches are brought back to life. Revival makes God’s great redemptive plan known throughout our world. How can you partner with Revive Our Hearts in seeking Him for revival? •
Attend Revive ’19 LIVE in Indianapolis. (Seating is limited.)
•
Host or attend a Revive ’19 LOCAL location.
•
Pray for the hearts of thousands of women attending Revive ’19 to be revived by God’s Word.
Seeking HIM Through
Revive ’19 LOCAL Picture it.
by Leslie Bennett
Women uniting from around the world for one purpose, to seek
Experience Revive ’19 LOCAL by hosting your own group or
Him for what we desperately need and cannot get for ourselves—
joining another location. We’re calling groups of all sizes, from
revival. At Revive ’19, denominations won’t matter. Theological
church-wide women’s ministries to leadership teams, from Bible
differences won’t be in the forefront. Barriers of age, race, education,
studies to small groups, from book clubs to cul-de-sacs . . . to join
background, or creed will come falling down as one singular language
hands for united prayer, focused worship, and deep teaching from
of Truth is proclaimed.
Scripture. We’ll walk you through the simple steps of hosting five,
When God ignites revival in just one woman’s heart, it can quickly spread to her family and her church—transforming an entire community. You can be the spark! Invite friends to gather for Revive ’19 LOCAL, and call women to join in Seeking HIM for revival. 2 ReviveOurHearts.com
fifty, or 500 women at a LOCAL event. Find out more at Revive19.com
Reaching the World by Janine Nelson
A
fter months of planning, weekly phone calls, and
In this message, she shared how God moved in revival in South Africa
hours of prayer, our
in the 1800s and that He can do it again!
united states
and
south
africa teams were finally together for ten days of
ministry partnership. team traveled to
nancy and members of the michigan-based
south africa in march to partner with Revive
OuR HeaRts south africa for the come to the well conference in
pretoria. the
two-day event drew hundreds of women from
During our time there, the South Africa team often shared sentiments like, “This is a dream come true” and “Our country needs revival.” It was humbling to remember that the Lord could use us to accomplish His purposes around the globe. Revive Our Hearts is looking forward to our next international
south africa as well as countries such as germany, mexico, the
conference in Monterrey, Mexico in 2020—as the global movement
united arab emirates, switzerland, and mozambique. In addition to the main conference, Nancy was able to participate
for Revive Our Hearts continues to gain momentum.
and teach at several other gatherings of ministry leaders and friends
No matter our home address, race, or economic status, we can
of Revive Our Hearts. The ten-day trip concluded with a weekend
testify that Jesus Christ is the only water that can truly satisfy the
worship service, where Nancy was able to challenge all the attendees
deepest desires of our heart.
with the message, “Prepare the Way for the Lord,” from Isaiah 40.
The Day Has Come R E V I V E O U R H E A R T S N OW AVA I L A B L E I N FA R S I
by Carrie Gaul “All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they
Redemption,” “Psalm 37: A Calm Heart in a Troubled World,” and the
sing praises to your name.” Come and see what God
initial messages from the “Seeking Him” series.
has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. (PSALM 66:4–5)
We are praising the Lord for His faithfulness in opening this door for the messages of revival and biblical womanhood to become
“This message of revival and biblical womanhood is desperately
available to the fifty-two million Farsi-speakers across the globe.
needed today in Iran and the entire Farsi-speaking world!”
These women desperately need biblically sound resources as they
There was urgency and intensity in Sabrina Aslan’s voice as she
grow in their faith.
first expressed that need to me at True Woman ’14. Her heart’s cry
How you can pray:
was for God to one day make Revive Our Hearts resources available in the Farsi language. Through your prayers and gracious generosity, that day has now
•
Join us in thanking the Lord for all He is doing in the Farsi world.
•
Pray for the many Persians He is drawing into the kingdom in our day.
come! In January, Sabrina and her husband Albert spent a week with the Revive Our Hearts team in Michigan recording forty episodes for the soon-to-be released Revive Our Hearts Farsi podcast. Sabrina
•
Ask the Lord to use the Revive Our Hearts Farsi podcast to impact hearts and homes with His Truth.
translated and then recorded the series “Rahab and the Thread of
CELEBRATING
1,000
LEADERS!
Our women’s ministry leader Facebook group recently surpassed 1,000 members. Through our women’s ministry initiatives like the Leader Connection blog, Leader Growth Series ebooks, and free web resources, we’re refreshing and equipping leaders so they can run their race with courage. In May, we’ll launch a “Fresh Fuel for Weary Leaders” campaign which includes a brand-new Refreshed Leader Challenge and leader-focused webinar. Express your appreciation for a women’s leader and introduce her to ReviveOurHearts.com/leaders.
A Year of Stepping Out by Erin Davis 2019
has been a year of stepping out in greater faith for
Revive OuR HeaRts. as
we seek the
lord
for greater ministry
fruitfulness than ever before, we’ve stepped out in faith in the following areas:
Increased Staff
Strategic Ministry Alliance with Pure Freedom At the beginning of 2018, our leadership team prayerfully determined that one of our key priorities for the next five years was to develop two or more strategic alliances. In response, we are pleased to announce a strategic ministry alliance with Dannah Gresh and her ministry, Pure Freedom. Because of our shared mission to
After many months (in some cases, years) of prayer, we’ve
point women and girls toward God’s Truth, we believe this strategic
seen the Lord answer by filling several strategic positions within the
marketing agreement will allow both ministries to be more effective
ministry, including:
in fulfilling the mission God has called us to.
Janine Nelson, senior director of development and marketing Mark Priestap, senior user experience developer Hannah Underhill, audience constituent engagement Melanie Dewey, operations director
New Women of the Bible Podcast In 2019, we launched our new Women of the Bible podcast. Season One: Elizabeth released in February as a companion to the study Elizabeth: Dealing With Disappointment. Season Two: Esther releases this summer!
4 ReviveOurHearts.com
Nancy on the Air in Southern California Revive Our Hearts can now be heard on K-WAVE 107.9 FM, Southern California’s station for “Worship and the Word.” This partnership with K-WAVE has been a long-time prayer target, and now it’s a reality. We continue to pray for the Lord to open doors for the message of Revive Our Hearts in this region. Each of these developments comes with opportunities and challenges. Thank you for praying! Join us in thanking God for His faithfulness as we continue to call women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.
Refresh Your Time in God’s Word by Erin Davis
T
he
bible
never changes.
it
never ceases to be the
god-breathed, life-changing, heart-transforming word
of
god. but
circumstances like stress ,
sleeplessness, or sickness can cause our appetite for god’s word to languish. in
here are three ideas for how to refresh your time
god’s word in this season.
1. Start at the start. Open your Bible to the table of contents. Before you go a single page further, ask the Lord to show you any books of the Bible you’ve never studied or have only given a cursory glance. Circle the names of the books He brings to mind and start there. Study each of these books in the months ahead, asking God to show you something fresh about His character as you do.
2. Listen and learn. Pick up your copy of Elizabeth: Dealing With Disappointment at ReviveOurHearts.com/Elizabeth. Then listen in as some of our favorite friends walk through Elizabeth’s story, found in Luke 1, alongside you. Their insights and enthusiasm for God’s Word will renew your hope in the face of disappointment.
3. Gather with others. Warmer temperatures provide new opportunities to get out and gather with others. Join a spring Bible study at your church or contact a few friends about starting a study at your home. Fresh perspectives and increased accountability will re-energize your love for God’s Word.
Recommended Studies by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth: A 30-Day Walk with God in the Psalms Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival Abigail: Living with the Difficult People in Your Life Elizabeth: Dealing With Disappointment
Spring 2019
5
A Tribute to My Mother by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
A
nancy sossomon demoss,
This helper role was not something my dad demanded of
have been blessed to bear the name and many of
my mother; neither was it a position she accepted grudgingly or
s the firstborn child of
i
the characteristics of a remarkable woman.
mother’s example has shaped how
my
reluctantly. She truly adored this man (as he did her) and found
i view my calling as a woman,
delight in being his partner and encourager. To this day, I can never
how i relate to my husband, and even how i relate to my heavenly
remember her speaking negatively about him to us or anyone else.
bridegroom, the lord Jesus.
It’s not that he didn’t have any weaknesses, but she was scarcely
Growing up, I didn’t realize that my mother’s view of her calling as a woman, wife, and mother was terribly out of sync with our times.
conscious of the negatives because of her deep, genuine admiration for him--which of course was a great source of inspiration to him.
Though an extraordinarily gifted woman in her own right, my mother
My mother considered it the highest honor to be Mrs. Arthur
gladly laid down a promising career as a sacred vocalist to marry my
DeMoss. Throughout my years as a single woman, her example caused
dad and fulfill the calling God had for them together.
me to look for ways to be an encourager to pastors, Christian leaders,
In the early days, my dad dreamed of selling insurance through direct-mail marketing. Mother worked with him at the kitchen table to design the ads, write the letters, and process the responses. They
and the men I served alongside of in ministry. Now, as a married woman, how grateful I am for the lessons I learned from her, as I seek to honor, bless, and serve alongside of my precious husband.
also dreamed of inviting business and professional men and women
Today, even in her eighties, my mother’s prayers and
to dinner to hear a gospel presentation—first a small handful, and
encouragement are a sweet gift to Robert and me and through us to
ultimately thousands. She maintained the list of names and addresses,
so many others.
and sent out the invitations. The day of each event she supervised the meal preparation and service, stood by his side to greet the guests (he depended on her incredible gift of remembering names), and stayed
I love you, Mother, and thank the Lord for you! Happy Mother’s Day!
up to put the house back together long after the guests left and the
N O T E : Adapted from A Mother’s Legacy: Wisdom from Mother’s To
family went to bed.
Daughters, compiled and written by Barbara Rainey and Ashley Rainey
6 ReviveOurHearts.com
Escue.
Press “Play” on a Brand-New Podcast! by Samantha Nieves
I
bible
Sometimes we can feel alone in our unique
podcast as a fun, on-demand companion to our new
difficulties. The podcast is like sitting in the
n
february,
we launched the
women
of the
bible studies.
living room with you all and walking alongside,
Season one of the podcast features relatable conversation on the life of Elizabeth and the topic of disappointment—an emotion that
encouraging each other in the Lord in whatever God has brought across each of our paths.
varies vastly from life to life but is a painfully familiar one for nearly
Loved the podcast. I am in an isolated place in life right
all of us.
now with no one to share with. I am looking forward to
That’s why, for six episodes, we set our gaze on the True Hope that God’s Word gives us in the midst of crushing disappointments. We heard from listeners who were encouraged to realize they weren’t walking the path of disappointment alone. This new resource provided the perspective they desperately needed:
weeks with new podfriends! You can listen to season one of the Women of the Bible podcast on iTunes, on the Revive Our Hearts app, or at ReviveOurHearts. com. And stay tuned—season two is coming soon. We can’t wait to study God’s sovereignty and the life of Esther with you in July!
The Story Behind Suffering Is Never For Nothing by Jennifer Lyell
E
at her home in
best content ever, it was some of the best teaching content I’d ever
the time of her death,
heard from anyone. I was able to get some additional copies of the
she had suffered dementia for many years and was
CDs, which I gave to several close friends as gifts, and they all raved
lisabeth
elliot
died on
June 15, 2015
magnolia, massachusetts. at
undoubtedly ready to go be with the so many so faithfully.
savior of whom she taught
i know she did this because she taught me.
about the influence of the content on their lives as well. It will be nearly four years after her death when the book Suffering is
Having not grown up in the Church, I didn’t learn of Elisabeth Elliot
Never for Nothing is published. It is a very slight adaptation of that
until she was already in declining health and had stopped publishing
set of CDs that I received many years ago. Never before published in
and recording her radio program. I was first exposed to her ministry
book form, this material was originally delivered by Elisabeth at a
by her book Through Gates of Splendor, and I was quickly hooked on
small conference over the course of six sessions.
her writing.
It is my prayer that this book will re-introduce the work of Elisabeth
Years later, as a publisher, I met a close friend of Elisabeth’s. This
Elliot to a new generation while continuing to deepen the seeds she
friend had been discipled by Elisabeth for several years, and a deep
has already planted in so many of us.
friendship had developed prior to her illness. This friend knew that I had been shaped by her books and had consumed all the teaching content I could find, so she sent me a gift that has borne much fruit.
Order your copy of Suffering Is Never for Nothing
It was a set of six CDs called “Suffering is Not For Nothing.” I listened
at ReviveOurHearts.com, and watch for a forthcoming
to these CDs and was amazed. Not only was it, I thought, perhaps her
biography on Elisabeth Elliot coming in 2020.
Spring 2019
7
Refresh Others as a Monthly Partner by Hannah Underhill I am a thirty-two-year-old homeschooling mom of six children. I was introduced to Revive Our Hearts at a time when my fire for Jesus had faded to an ember. I had failed Him and lost myself in so many ways along the way. I attended a Bible study, feeling like a shell of the person I was once—longing to bring myself back to Him but feeling incredibly unworthy. That is when I first heard of Revive Our Hearts and started listening to the podcast series, “How to Fall and Stay in Love with Jesus.” I tried to listen and go about my day’s work but found myself a puddle on the floor time and time again— partly out of a deep conviction for losing sight of my first love, but mostly because Nancy was presenting His Word in a way that was breaking through my walls and opening my eyes to how very much He loved me. I thought I could never get that flame of passionate love for Jesus back. Now, it burns brighter than ever before. I became a Monthly Partner and have continued listening. This ministry has blessed my life immensely, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Revive Our Hearts and help share it with others. Thank you for all you do! Stories like “Caitlyn’s” do more than merely warm our hearts
We also love that Caitlyn shared about joining the Monthly
and make us smile. They tell us that the work we do, in the form
Partner team. She recognized the impact Revive Our Hearts had
of radio and podcast programming, events, books, and more, is
on her life and wanted to make that transformative experience
making an eternal impact for the glory of God. Restoring a life-
available for more women like her. Without financial and prayer
giving vertical relationship between women and the God who loves
supporters like her, we couldn’t fulfill our mission to call women to
them extravagantly—that’s what we are eager to do every day at
freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.
Revive Our Hearts.
As we conclude our fiscal year in May, we’re asking God to meet our financial needs so we can continue to help refresh and renew the hearts of women around the world. If the ministry of Revive Our Hearts has impacted you, we invite you to join our team of faithful supporters—just like Caitlyn did. To do so, visit ReviveOurHearts.com/Donate.
Looking for bite-sized, daily encouragement right where you are? Follow us on:
Revive Our Hearts is an outreach of Life Action Ministries
facebook.com/ReviveOurHearts twitter.com: @ReviveOurHearts instagram: @reviveourhearts
PO Box 2000 • Niles, MI 49120 • ReviveOurHearts.com • 800.569.5959 All Scripture is taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001, Crossway Bibles, esv.org. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide
Editorial: Erin Davis, Mindy Kroesche, Hayley Mullins Design: Nicole Tejera Photographers: Revive Our Hearts and Revive Our Hearts South Africa teams
Nancy, I want to help women around the world refresh their hearts as they seek a deeper relationship with the Lord. To support Revive Our Hearts’ outreach through radio, the Internet, books, and more, I’ve enclosed my gift of $_____. My gift is enclosed. Please send me the book Suffering Is Never for Nothing.
P.O. Box 2000 • Niles, MI 49120
(96735) My gift is enclosed. Please do not send me the book.
[FullName] [OrgName] [Address1] [Address2] [AddressCity], [AddressState] [AddressZip] [AddressCountry] [EntityID]
[GrpMotvCode]
I listen to Revive Our Hearts on _____ (station call letters). I listen to Revive Our Hearts on the Internet.
Donate by credit card: I authorize Revive Our Hearts to charge $ __________ to my credit card. One-time gift Visa
Monthly (on the 20th), beginning ___ /___ (month/year). This authorization remains in effect until Revive Our Hearts receives notification from me of its termination.
MasterCard
Discover
Credit card number: __ __ __ __ /__ __ __ __ /__ __ __ __ /__ __ __ __ Exp. date: __ __ /__ __ Cardholder’s signature:_______________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________ Print name (as it appears on your card): ___________________________________________________________________________
Donate monthly by Electronic Funds Transfer: I authorize Revive Our Hearts to withdraw $ __________ from my bank account on the 5th or 20th (circle one) of each month. This authorization begins ____ /____ (month/year) and remains in effect until Revive Our Hearts receives notification from me of its termination.
Please attach a voided check. Signature: _______________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________________
is an outreach of:
2727 Niles-Buchanan Rd. P.O. Box 31 Buchanan, MI 49107
Life Action Ministries
FindJoy
as We Seek the Lord Together!
2019 Spring Newsletter Enclosed