By Faith With Christine Hoover

Practicing biblical hospitality is a vital skill for ministry wives and all Christians to cultivate but can sometimes seem daunting. Amber Williams has a heart for hospitality and shares with me how she and her family live a life of welcome. She offers us practical (and simple) ways we, too, can honor others with our presence. Amber has been a pastor’s wife for almost 13 years and lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her husband and five beautiful children. She speaks Spanish and loves cooking and baking, but more than anything, enjoys opening her home to people from every walk of life. EPISODE GUIDE  1. Biblical hospitality is not a picture perfect home and an elaborate meal. Hospitality is about making time and space for people, whether there’s a meal, coffee, or simple conversation. Do not underestimate the power of presence. When we make space in our busy lives for others, it speaks volumes. You don’t have to have a Bible study every time, but invite Jesus into the space and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’

The difficulties of life as a ministry wife can often leave us feeling discouraged, and sometimes, when our expectations for life and ministry go unmet, we may even find ourselves feeling deep disappointment with God. My guest today, Kathy Litton, understands this feeling and joins me to discuss how we can face discouragement in ministry. Kathy lives in Mobile, AL with husband Dr. Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church. She knows the sting of death and the journey of loss against the backdrop of a loving Savior who proved to be faithful and good. Kathy is the Director of Planter Spouse Development at the North American Mission Board, as well as a mother and grandmother. Listen as Kathy discusses ministry wives balancing the reality of disappointment and unmet expectations with a God who is faithful even in the darkest times. EPISODE GUIDE 1. You will face unmet expectations as a planting wife in ministry. The church plant site might not be what was expected, the community response lackluster, or the planting

My name is Christine Hoover, and I'm starting a new podcast in partnership with the North American Mission Board focused on helping and encouraging ministry wives. In the Ministry Wives Podcast with Christine Hoover, you’ll hear from incredible guests who voice the issues and questions we all face in ministry. There will be “how-to” episodes on discipling women and hospitality, conversations about anxiety, longevity in ministry, and knowing which needs God is calling you to meet. We will receive insight, tools, and hope regarding those issues, reminding us of the joys of serving the Lord in ministry.

Christine closes out the season by sharing the first two chapters of her book, How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife.The first chapter is called Locating You, and what you can’t see in the audiobook version is a map Christine's friend Haley drew for the book. Throughout the book, this landscape architectural drawing is used to illustrate what relationships must hold our priority and how to incorporate healthy boundaries and rhythms in your life in order to help you thrive.The second chapter is called You are Anchored. It’s meant to help you know and remember your identity as you serve the Lord as a pastor’s wife.NOTE: Starting in mid-August, By Faith will evolve into The Ministry Wives Podcast with Christine Hoover, produced by NAMB. The good news is that if you’re already subscribed to By Faith, you’ll automatically see The Ministry Wives Podcast show up in your feed then. If you’re not subscribed, please do so today, so we can continue the conversation together about all the ins and outs of ministry.LINKS FROM T

Christine is joined by two guests, Irene Sun and Glenna Marshall, who talk about two different transitions in ministry: one moving to a new church and a new role and the other staying at the same church but experiencing significant change. LINKS FROM THE SHOWIrene's church // Glenna's church // Irene's books // Glenna's books // My previous episode with Irene on raising PKsCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with GlennaWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter Connect with IreneInstagram Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Marcella Hernandez, who is married to Mike, a pastor on staff at a church in Delaware. He is not the lead pastor, so Marcella speaks from an associate pastor’s wife’s perspective. She shares about facing discouragement in ministry: how we can recognize it, how we can respond to it, and how we can help our husband when he is discouraged. She also touch on a few topics along the way that may be helpful to you: being an introverted pastor’s wife and being a pastor’s wife who enjoys serving behind the scenes. LINKS FROM THE SHOWMarcella's Church, Crossroads PresbyterianCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comLIFEWAY'S ONLINE BIBLE STUDYInfo on Seek First the Kingdom // Register for the study with LifewayREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christin

Christine talks with Mandy Post, who moved with her husband Jason from Texas to Galway, Ireland in 2003 to plant a church. They have four children together, all of whom were born in Ireland, and they’ve served long-term there, growing and building a church, as well as growing as Christians and as cross-cultural workers. Mandy shares about how they were called overseas, what "home" means to her now, how she shares her faith with her friends, what she sees her kids experiencing as third-culture kids, and how God has helped her endure when she’s wanted to quit and pack her bags. LINKS FROM THE SHOWGalway City Church // World Venture  CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comLIFEWAY'S ONLINE BIBLE STUDYInfo on Seek First the Kingdom // Register for the study with LifewayREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with MandyInstagramConnect with Christin

Christine talks with Christina Im,  a social worker, speaker, wife to Daniel, the Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton, Canada. Daniel and Christina have three kids and host the IMbetween Podcast, a podcast about marriage and parenting, so she joins Christine to discuss raising PKs. We’ve all heard those horror stories about pastors’ kids who rebel or grow up to hate the church and God’s people, so we tend to worry about raising kids in the ministry. Christina shares how she is purposefully seeking to give her kids a healthy perspective on church, how she seeks to protect them from some of the hard parts of ministry, and what rhythms she and Daniel are building into the culture of their family to help her kids grow up to thrive. LINKS FROM THE SHOWChristina's church // IMBetween Podcast // The Im's Glass House Episode // NAMB // Lifeway's Online Bible StudyCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book

Christine talks with Rachel Welcher, a pastor's wife living in South Dakota, about navigating church hurt and church conflict. How can we as pastors’ wives navigate situations that leave us dealing with anger, bitterness, cynicism, and sadness? Rachel addresses how we can know when we need to confront someone who has hurt us, how we can deal with hurt when we can’t confront them, how to respond when someone tells us we've hurt them, and how we can respond when it’s our husband who is hurt. LINKS FROM THE SHOWRachel and Evan's church in South Dakota // Rachel's book Talking Back to Purity Culture // Rachel's first interview on By Faith: "Unwanted Divorce"CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comLIFEWAY'S ONLINE BIBLE STUDYInfo on Seek First the Kingdom // Register for the study with LifewayREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with RachelWebsit

Christine talks with Gregg & Kelly Matte. Gregg serves as the pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church. The Mattes share wise advice about creating healthy rhythms of rest and renewal as individuals, as a couple, and for their family. They talk about Sabbath days, turning “off” ministry at the end of each day, and how (and why) they take sabbaticals. LINKS FROM THE SHOW Houston’s First Baptist Church // Breakaway Ministries // Gregg’s book Capture the Moment // Send Relief CHRISTINE’S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS’ WIVES Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.com LIFEWAY’S ONLINE BIBLE STUDY Info on Seek First the Kingdom // Register for the study with Lifeway REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNES CONNECT Connect with Gregg Facebook // Twitter Connect with Christine Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Books Sign up for Christine’s monthly newsle

Christine talks with Natarsha Roberson, a church planting wife in Brooklyn, NY.  Natarsha puts words to the church planting experience and shares specifically about boundaries: what are important boundaries for us to have? What do we do when church members push back on boundaries we've set? What are important boundaries for us to have as couples? And how do we draw boundaries that protect our children? LINKS FROM THE SHOWThe Bridge Church in BrooklynCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comLIFEWAY'S ONLINE BIBLE STUDYREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with NatarshaFacebook // InstagramConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Today’s episode of By Faith is a bit different, because it’s actually an episode of a different podcast called The Glass House. The Glass House is a podcast hosted by Ben and Lynley Mandrell. Ben is the president of Lifeway, but before that he was a pastor at a church in Colorado. He and Lynley are prioritizing investing into pastors through this role at Lifeway, and to that end they’ve created The Glass House. Christine and her husband Kyle were guests on The Glass House in 2021. This is that episode. LINKS FROM THE SHOW The Glass House Podcast // The audiobook of How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife  CHRISTINE’S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS’ WIVES Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway // Baker Books // Christianbook.com // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.com REVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNES CONNECT Connect with Ben Mandrell Twitter // Instagram // Website Connect with Lynley Mandrell Instagram Connect with Christine Website // Facebook // Instagram

Christine talks with Lauren Chandler, wife to Matt, who serves as the lead pastor at the Village Church in Flower Mound, TX. They have three kids, and Lauren loves to serve inside the church through leading worship and in some other ways you’ll hear about in the conversation. She serves the global church through writing: she’s written a few Bible studies and children’s books. Lauren joins Christine to talk about zeroing in on our sweet spot in ministry: how do we know what our gifts are? And how do we say no to other opportunities? Lauren shares how comparison and perfectionism have hindered her from serving in her sweet spot. She also shares the unique challenges and blessings of serving as the pastor’s wife at a large church.LINKS FROM THE SHOWWingspan // Lauren's children's book, Goodbye to Goodbyes // Lauren's Bible study, With Us in the Wilderness // The Village Church // The Paterson Center // Sparrow Collective's Identity SheetsCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Lifeway

Christine talks with Caron Loveless. When Caron’s husband was the pastor of a large church in Florida, he had an affair with a woman who worked on staff with him. Caron joins Christine today to tell her story, what she’s learned in the years since the affair came to light, and what she’d want pastors and pastors’ wives to know about being in ministry without losing your soul and imploding your life. LINKS FROM THE SHOWThe Glass House podcast episode with David & Caron // The Loveless' Ministry // First Baptist Orlando // Torn Asunder // Nothing to Prove // Live True Podcast  CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // 40% off and free shipping through March 1 at Baker Book House // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with CaronInstagram // WebsiteConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver Pag

Christine talks with Nana Dolce, a pastor’s wife who lives in DC and is passionate about teaching the Bible to women, about  how to put together a Bible study lesson. Most of us, because of our roles, have opportunities to speak and teach at some point. That can be intimidating if we don't know what we're doing, so Nana takes us from developing Bible study skills to taking a text and preparing a talk to delivering the talk.LINKS FROM THE SHOWCharles Simeon Trust // Christine's Bible study sheet // Nancy Guthrie's Even Better Than Eden // 1 Timothy 4CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // 40% off and free shipping through March 1 at Baker Book House // Find out more about the book and download the discussion guides: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with NanaInstagram // WebsiteConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was c

Christine talks with Ben and Lynley Mandrell as they reflect on their years in pastoral ministry. Ben is the president of Lifeway, but before that he and Lynley planted a church in Colorado and served at an established church. In other words, they know what it’s like to be a pastor and a pastor’s wife, but because they no longer are, Christine asked them to come on and talk about what, looking back, they’d do differently, what they’d do all over again, what they want people in the pews to understand about pastors and pastors’ wives, and what they want pastors and pastors’ wives to understand about people in the pews. As you can imagine, its’ a very insightful conversation, and you’ll also find out pretty quickly that it’s a very honest and authentic conversation about the struggles and joys of pastoral ministry. LINKS FROM THE SHOWThe Glass House Podcast // Lifeway CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Find out more: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTCon

Christine talks with Megan Hill, author of Partners in the Gospel, about social media, specifically how we as leaders in the church can wisely use social media in a way that glorifies God and enhances our real-life church relationships. LINKS FROM THE SHOWWest Springfield Covenant Community Church // Partners in the Gospel // Patience // A Place to Belong // Praying Together // ContentmentCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Find out more: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with MeganTwitter // InstagramConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Greg Ogden, a retired pastor, whose books, Transforming Discipleship and Discipleship Essentials, have been monumental in her own ministry. Greg joins Christine today for the first of several “how to” episodes. He shares with us "how to" make disciples: what can we do to help others grow in their faith? LINKS FROM THE SHOWTransforming Discipleship // Discipleship Essentials // Greg's ministry Global Discipleship Initiative CHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Find out more: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with GregWebsite // Books Connect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Kaye Geiger, whose husband Eric is the lead pastor at Mariner’s Church in Orange County, California. Kaye has a deep passion for pastors’ wives and pastors’ kids and shares why unity and friendship among pastors' and elders' wives on the same church staff is are so important. Aside from sharing what she does to serve and connect pastors' wives and kids at her church, she addresses:ConflictPersonality differencesCovid related differences of opinionLonelinessFeelings of wanting to quitExpectations and the role of the pastor’s wife LINKS FROM THE SHOWMariners ChurchCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Find out more: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with KayeInstagramConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon

Christine talks with Hannah Surh, who is a pastor’s wife who works full time outside the church and home. She shares how she makes decisions regarding her time, how her work enhances her ministry, and what limitations and tensions she experiences between work, home, and ministry. Hannah is a passionate, curious woman, so she and Christine also talk about her passions and how we, too, can know what God would have us invest ourselves in. Listen as they talk about being who we’re created to be, learning to say no, and so much more. LINKS FROM THE SHOWChroma Church // She Has a NameCHRISTINE'S NEW BOOK FOR PASTORS' WIVESAmazon // Barnes & Noble // Find out more: howtothriveasapastorswife.comREVIEW BY FAITH ON ITUNESCONNECTConnect with ChristineWebsite // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // BooksSign up for Christine's monthly newsletterMusic for By Faith was created by The Silver PagesArtwork for By Faith was created by Reed Harmon