As You Go

In today’s episode, Kathy and Miranda are joined by women’s ministry leader and servant Maureen Kelly. Maureen is a mother of three, originally from Wisconsin, and has attended Rolling Hills for 17 years. 

Maureen tells the story of her upbringing with parents who were abusive alcoholics. She also identifies a moment in her teenage years when she experienced rejection from a church when she sought help. Later, she explains the circumstances that led to her divorce and her subsequent move to middle Tennessee as a single mom with three teenagers. 

Despite everything Maureen had been through, and despite the fact she did not yet know God, He hadn’t given up on her. In her new city, she had no church and no faith, but a kind co-worker invested his time and energy into getting to know her. He told her about Rolling Hills, and how it might be different from the church that hurt her years before. And — Hallelujah — she accepted the invite!

Maureen explains what kept her coming back. Her story reveals to us the important steps we can take to make visitors to our church and homes feel welcome and loved. During that time in her life, Maureen’s heart was opened up to the difference between religion and faith. She realized that God’s not some impersonal ruler who demands we check the boxes in life; she discovered that He is a relational God of love. 

As words of encouragement for any woman who finds herself in a season that feels hopeless, Maureen suggests we step out in boldness. Not everyone will be receptive of us when we ask for help, but there are plenty of Christians who will. We’re all striving to be reflections of the love of Jesus, but people are still people. We fall short. Don’t assume that even the best Christian on earth lives up to the love Christ has for you. But don’t give up seeking out someone who will try. 

And, as a Christian not going through a time of struggle, remember to reach out to others. If the first person you invite to church and share the Gospel with doesn’t accept it right away, look for someone else who will. Our job is to plant seeds of faith, and let the Lord do the growing. Maureen brings us encouragement to be persistent and faithful to Jesus as we interact with those around us. 

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode. We pray that you will be encouraged by this conversation with Maureen. And lastly, we hope you’ll keep your eyes open to opportunities to bring the Gospel to those around you As You Go.

In today’s episode, Kathy and Miranda sit down with two dear friends, Saundria Keck and Tami Webb. Saundria and Tami are both wise followers of Christ, grandmothers, and passionate about investing in other women.

The main focus of this week’s conversation is the importance and impact of mentorship relationships in the lives of Christian women. Saundria says that women, especially mothers, often “are the heart of the home and have the potential to change everything.” So, walking alongside other women is a wonderful way to invest in all of God’s people. 

Our first and often most influential mentors are our parents. However, that’s not the case in every woman’s story. Tami explains that she understands from experience what it’s like to grow up in a non-Christian home. As sisters in Christ, we have the ability to fill the gap and become like second physical and spiritual mothers to one another. Even for those who have been discipled by their parents, having other people in their lives to come to for guidance is incredibly important.

Regardless of your age, or of how old another woman is, you can be a mentor in Christ to her. We are all at various stages of our faith journeys, and that doesn’t always line up with our physical age. Plus, we all have different sets of strengths and weaknesses, and our own life experiences. God has made each of us uniquely, and we all have something to offer — not because of us, but because of Him.

In their conversation, the four women discuss the three tiers of relationships, and how (and why) we should seek them out. They also address the fact that relationships are not stagnant: they ebb and flow. Some relationships are intended only for a season, and this can be difficult to come to terms with. However, God goes before us, and He knows the impact we can have on one another in His timing. 

Be sure to listen in on this week’s episode to learn how to start a mentoring relationship in either direction. We’ll unpack tips on how to keep a new relationship from fizzling, and how to prevent hurt feelings. Plus, we’ll talk about the joy of seeing the fruit of your faithfulness in mentorships. Whether it’s across generations or across towns, God can reach farther than we could ever expect when we just reach out to the women near us.

We pray that this episode blesses you. We pray also that giving and seeking out the counsel and support of other women will become a consistent rhythm of your life As You Go.

In the second episode of season three, Kathy and Miranda welcome speaker, author, and teacher, and Founder and Executive Director of Just Moved Ministry, Susan Miller, onto the show. Established in 1995, Just Moved Ministry is a non-profit, global organization dedicated to
the emotional well-being and spiritual growth of women who are uprooted by a move. Through Biblical teaching and one-on-one encouragement, Just Moved prepares, inspires, and equips a woman to trust God with her future, put down new roots, and embrace life in a
new community. Susan’s ministry looks to address a problem that we all have experienced at some point in our lives: transition is difficult. Whether it’s a move to a new city, a job change, or getting to know a new church, change presents all sorts of challenges in our lives. During times of instability and uncertainty, how can Christians move forward in faith?

Susan’s 27 years of ministry to women going through seasons of change has helped a lot of women to answer that question. “Any time I can encourage women in transition,” says Susan, “I am all over it!” And she speaks from wisdom and experience: she’s moved a total of 14 times in her life. She’s experienced both the loss of her husband of 45 years and the birth of many grandchildren. While she takes on the role of Executive Director, her heart is for being “nana,” “best friend,” and “daughter of the King” first. 

Susan reveals the story of feeling called to start and grow her ministry to meet the needs she saw in the lives of women all around the world. Before long, the message of Susan’s book, After the Boxes are Unpacked, had inspired a whole ministry platform including videos, devotionals, resources for missionaries and military personnel, and a network of women striving after Jesus. Her story is a testimony to how the Lord uses our journeys to minister to other people if we just say, “Yes, Lord, I am willing.” 

At the heart of Just Moved Ministry’s work is helping women learn and live out Biblical principles so that they can let go, trust God, and move forward with faith. In her conversation with Kathy and Miranda today, Susan shares encouragement, wisdom, and practical steps for new people and “established” people who want to serve as lighthouses to God’s people. Susan goes on to reveal the big step that serves as the start to finding community in any Christian woman’s life, plus how to recognize, handle, and move past the grief that naturally comes with change.

Amidst all the wisdom and advice, Kathy shares a vulnerable story about a time that she experienced the grief of a big move. Just hours after she found herself broke down crying on the floor, God came through in a big way through a new friend’s small act of kindness. Her story shows the responsibility we all have to make others feel welcome, as representations of Jesus’ love.

We hope you’ll take this chance to meet Susan Miller and be blessed by her wisdom in Christ Jesus. Whether you’re in a big time of change now, or 10 years from now, we pray you will be prepared to move forward in faith As You Go.

Also, remember to check out Susan Miller’s website: justmoved.org.

With today’s episode, we’re marking the start of our third season of the As You Go podcast. We’ve made an exciting new addition to the show for this season: Rolling Hills Women’s Ministry Director Miranda Kokes will now serve as co-host alongside our Counseling Director, Kathy Koon! If you’ve been a longtime listener, you might remember that Miranda was one of our guests back in March (2022). If you haven’t already, we recommend you check out that episode to get to know her and her story! 

But, thankfully, not everything has changed. As You Go is still meant to encourage and disciple women who are daily trying to follow Jesus by balancing work, family, friendship, health, and everything else life throws at us. Today’s episode starts our new season off strong, complete with our first-ever live audience! We’ll be in conversation with Christian author, speaker, and musician, Kelly Minter.

Kelly tells us about her upbringing in the church her parents founded in her hometown in Virginia. Later, she shares what drove her to move to middle Tennessee and to begin her vocation as a communicator of the Gospel and Christian living. Now, in her mid 40s, Kelly is a seminary student, a well-known traveling speaker, and an author of numerous books and Bible studies. 

One such study, titled Encountering God, is currently blessing our Women’s Ministry Midweek bible study and small groups, which are collectively called “The Gathering”. The seven-week journey delves into the spiritual disciplines, especially with women in mind. Life gets busy, and if we’re not carefully prioritizing our time, it will feel like we don’t have enough hours in the day to pursue God. The first step toward getting more consistent and feeling more fulfilled in our spiritual disciplines is recognizing that taking care of our relationship with God is both our first and our last needs! Today, Kelly gives insight into what inspired her to write this new study, and just how significant of a need it aims to meet. 

Kelly also discusses the challenge of writing about disciplines that she herself has not mastered. As an example, Kelly explains how prayer didn’t come as naturally to her as other spiritual disciplines have. And she’s not alone: Christ-followers are always striving to live more like our Lord. But we’re not Jesus, and perfection should never be our expectation. Kelly shares encouragement and a challenge to stay the course as we pursue small but meaningful growth in these disciplines. 

Doing life in community makes lots of things easier, and pursuing spiritual growth is one of them. We hope you will take the time to listen to this wonderful conversation with Miranda, Kathy, and Kelly this week. May it encourage you and bless you As You Go. 

Today Kathy Koon and Kyndal Kearns are joined by Brooke Dunbar. Brooke attends Rolling Hills and serves on our Worship team. Brooke is originally from Indiana and moved to Tennessee with her husband 3 years ago. Brooke talks about the challenges of moving so far away from everything that was familiar. Moving so early in their marriage was tough. Brooke shares her experience as a worship leader, and how she felt called to use the talents that God gave her to become a worship leader. She encourages us to give whatever situation we are facing over to God and allow him to guide us through it. Brooke reminds us that often what we want or what we thought would happen, is not what God had planned. God's plans for our life are so much greater than any plan that we could ever have for our life. What is God calling you too? What do you need to hand over to Him? How can you use the talents that God has given you for his Glory?

Kathy Koon and Kyndal Kearns are joined by Kristi McLelland. Kristi McLelland is a speaker, teacher, and college professor. She has a passion to be a bridge between the Western church and the Middle Eastern lens of the bible. For the past 14 years, Kristi has been taking teams to Israel. Listen in as Kristi talks about what God is showing her in her faith walk. She also discusses her Jesus and Women study, and her new podcast “Pearls.” God has worked in incredible ways in and through Kristi. 

Join us as Kathy Koon and Kyndal Kearns are joined by Mary Katharine Hunt. Mary Katharine has been with us here at Rolling Hills since the very beginning in 2003. She is also the Executive Director at Justice & Mercy International (JMI). Mary Katharine shares the huge impact COVID-19 had on JMI. JMI faced many challenges, unknowns, and legal problems during the pandemic. Even through the midst of COVID-19  she expresses how people jumped in to help.  They were able to see so many people answering the calling God had for them. God taught Mary Katharine to trust him in a deeper way at this time. She expressed how she took one step at a time and saw God fulfill each of these steps. Mary Katharine also shares a little bit of her story. After college Mary Katharine went to seminary for 2 years. Still not knowing her full calling, she went back home and got a job at Lifeway. She was invited to join a bible study, which happened to be the very beginning of Rolling Hills Community Church. She shares how at the very beginning of RHCC they went to Moldova. Moldova is where she found out that God was calling her to minister to the orphans. She developed such a huge heart for these kids and knew that it was from God. She shares how JMI was the best decision she has ever made. Mary Katharine's biggest concern with JMI right now is the Russia and Ukraine situation. She calls people to pray for the people of Moldova. Mary Katharine encourages us to be a blessing to someone around us today. She says there was a moment in her life where if she wouldn't have taken the opportunity, she would have missed a front row seat to the greatest blessing that God has called her to. Is there a specific time in your life where this has happened to you as well? 

Kathy Koon and Kyndal Kearns are joined by our very own RH Women’s Director, Miranda Kokes. Miranda is new to the role and shares about her background, who she is, and her faith journey with us. God has worked in her life in such amazing ways. Miranda shares what she is most excited about and what some of her challenges are in her new role as Women’s Director at Rolling Hills.  We are looking forward to this new season and excited to see what God has in store for our women at Rolling Hills! 

Kathy Koon and Kyndal Kearns are joined by the mother - daughter duo Misty and Lexi Kate Woodford. Misty and Lexi Kate in 2021 walked through a significant loss in their life. Misty losing her husband Jeff and Lexi Kate losing her father on March 22, 2021. Misty and Lexi Kate share this journey with us. Misty shares that before this journey she never had a problem that she couldn't fix. She explains how there’s no textbook to show you how to grieve this significant loss in their lives. During this moment she had to depend on God and nothing else. Counseling and community are the core reasons why they were able to face this grievance. She had no clue what she needed and being able to see people show up during these times and do the things that needed to be done was amazing. This whole process was so hard and so painful for them and she states “God did not fulfill our plan the way we wanted him to but it was God’s plan.” Misty knows specifically 6 people who have come to Christ knowing Jeff’s story, and she knows that if Jeff were to know that he would do it 100 times over again. Lexi Kate shares how powerful it was to see her community gather around as they all sang Way Maker when her father had to be life flighted from their local hospital to Centennial. The Way Maker song is still one of her favorite songs and such a good reminder for us all. The hardest part for her was accepting that it's not her fault and that it wasn’t a punishment. The little things were the things that she felt she lost. She believes that God sent her friends to carry her through this moment. Being able to see that they didn’t have to ask anyone for anything and God just put it on people’s hearts to help them with things they needed was one of the things that let her know that God was with them during this time. Often we pray for God's will but it's often that we want him to fulfill our will and we have to understand that God is just as good in the times where he has blessed us but also in the tragedy. Misty shares to the woman that is lost to let people help you, connect with community, and not be afraid to take care of you. Lexi Kate shares to allow yourself to feel all of your emotions, taking the opportunity to go to God and just letting everything go, dwell in the truth, invest in the Lord, and be in community. 
Both Misty and Lexi Kate use the phrase as a part of our God journey. What was a critical point in your God journey? 

Kathy Koon and Kyndal Kearns sit down with Elyse Miller to talk about dealing with anxiety in the middle of balancing her job and her family. Elyse makes Jesus, church, and community a top priority for her family. Elyse found out that she struggles with anxiety about 3 years ago. She got help and realized that her anxiety and OCD would overtake her and make her question who she was. During this time, Elyse felt so distant from God. At this point in her life, she felt so focused on her anxiety, fear, and OCD that she would beg God to take everything away, instead of truly connecting with God. Elyse talks about how important it is to focus on truth, and not to feed the fears. She expresses how you have to go through the valleys. Sometimes you will fall to your knees, but you have to run toward the truth and know that you aren't in the valley forever. Journaling truly helped Elyse realize when those fears would overtake her, and when she needed to breathe and focus on the truth. Elyse shares how important it is to have community, seek help, pray, and not to “own” her anxiety. What does it mean to not let your anxiety define you? For Elyse it means to say “Sometimes anxiety tries to come my way, but it's not what defines me. I’m a child of God and this is just a thing that's been thrown my way right now.” Kyndal speaks on how we need that community for those messy things because even when Jesus was here on earth he had community to walk with him through the good but also through the messy things. Elyse wants to share with women who are struggling with anxiety to seek help, journal, and to let God mold you through this struggle. She encourages listeners to stay strong during the storm, hold on, and know that you will get through it. She encourages the working woman or the busy mom to make time for themselves in the midst of the busy days. Elyse explains how important it is to take care of yourself so that you will be the best version of you that you can be in every aspect of your life. What steps are you taking to prioritize yourself? To prioritize God? How are you not allowing your anxiety overtake you?