How do we have healthy, joyful family lives in the midst of busy, stressful ministry lives? Jennifer D, a missionary (and wife and mom!) of over 17 years in East Asia, shares practical and biblical wisdom on this topic. Jenn and her husband Jarod D (who spoke on hard work in episode 53), are passionate, disciplined, wise coworkers with so much to share. Jenn boldly challenged fathers to be intentional in discipling their children, spouses to seek the good of the other, and how busy ministry lives do not have to be a "loss" to our children! Don't miss this one!

A couple Jenn quotes I loved:

"The Christian life is not about self-fulfillment."
"One day at a time, Sweet Jesus."

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Engaging in ministry is signing up for more "stressors" in our lives, but how we respond to those stressors is up to us! Listen in as Pastor Vance Pitman (founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas and current President of the SEND Network) shares why and how we must eliminate stress from our lives.

A few highlights from the interview:

Stress is incompatible with God's character. 
The root of all stress is fear. The opposite of fear is faith.
Feeling "stressed" is usually rooted in an identity issue or an intimacy issue.
Stress reveals a dependence on my own (limited) resources, instead of depending on God's (unlimited) resources.
How to manage our daily schedules and avoid the "tyranny of the urgent."
How stress and anger are related, and how to rid our lives of sinful anger.
Rest was God's idea, and is an issue of spiritual obedience.

Also check out Vance's newest book The Stressless Life.

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How can we make Christ preeminent in our lives in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances? Listen in as our dear friend and coworker Becca M shares how God has met her in powerful ways throughout her (just 30-year-old) husband Chris's battle with cancer and then going to heaven in late August of 2022. This episode will not depress you; it will fill you with hope and faith that God will ALWAYS be 100% faithful and enough for you - no matter what happens in your life! 

Becca shares honestly about how God taught her to give His Word more weight than doctors' words. She shares about making God's Word her bread and sustenance, learning to take God's promises literally, and wrestling with the Lord when His promises don't seem to be coming to fruition. 

Becca shares that we can ask big, seemingly impossible things from God- full of faith and hope- without worrying about the possibility of being crushed with disappointment, b/c God is big enough and loving enough to take care of our disappointment for us too. (This was one of the biggest lessons Becca taught me, that I really want to grow in!)

Becca encourages the listener- no matter how big or how small your current situation is - God WANTS to meet you in it. He loves you so, so much and always gives more of His Presence when we come to Him humbly. 

Yes, you will probably cry during this episode. But it is chock-full of Scriptural truth that will fortify your soul. 

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The Bible teaches that our bodies are created purposefully by God in His image, are gifts from Him, are wasting away and fail us, and that we are to glorify God with our bodies. How do we glorify God with our bodies, think rightly about our bodies and physical health, and not fall in either ditch of neglecting our bodies or obsessing over our bodies? So that, "in everything, Christ might be preeminent" (Col. 1:18). Listen in as Shanee interviews Brandy G, a health professional, counselor, and missionary of over 15 years. 

Connect With Us:

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Email: [email protected]

Resources from Brandy:
 

www.fitnessforthefield.com

Membership for coworkers is FREE at Fitness for the Field!   For access to this free membership

• Email Brandy [email protected] and verify 2 things:

1.  You live overseas (outside your passport country)

2.  You are a like-minded coworker.  

We realize security may be an issue—only share enough to verify those 2 things. 

• Create a login and password on the site.  Access will be granted and you will receive an email confiirmation.

FREE Engage workouts and guide:  https://www.fitnessforthefield.com/workoutandengage

Also mentioned: 

www.revelationwellness.org

www.brandygainor.com

Reporting "big numbers" (of baptisms, churches, etc.) seems to result in controversy, and many Christians are hesitant to openly pursue the salvation of multitudes of people. We can get disappointed when we aren't seeing big numbers of people coming to Christ in our ministries, and wonder what we're doing wrong. Jesse shares from 2 Cor. 4:15 (and several other Scriptures) God's heart to have more and more worshippers, which should also be our heart, and how to shepherd our hearts when we aren't seeing abundant fruit in our ministries. 

When our loved ones are going through difficult seasons, God commands us to carry their burdens alongside them. Even Jesus wanted his closest friends with him in his darkest, most painful moments. It is an honor to enter into our loved ones' pain with them (through acts of service and empathy), but we are limited in how much we can carry. Ultimately, we must entrust them to God and remember He is their Heavenly Father and will truly be enough for them. 

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Email: [email protected]

New missionaries on the field often experience anxiety over the legitimacy of their platform and what to say when people ask them what they do. Listen in as we discuss a couple key biblical texts, right thinking and heart posture on this topic, and provide practical tips for platforms.

Choosing the best schooling option for your child in a new culture is a big decision! Listen in as Danielle and Michelle share from their years of experience on the field with their families, with seasons in all three of these schooling options. 

Connect With Us:

The Coworkers Podcast website

Email: [email protected]

Listen in as April N, a single woman serving in South Asia, shares ways we can mobilize and team with people different than us. April is from a family of immigrants from Nigeria, but was raised in the US, and has a vision for all nations reaching all nations. 

Connect With Us:

The Coworkers Podcast website

Email: [email protected]

April's Recommended Resources:

Podcasts:

-Windows and Mirrors: Bible in a Year

-Thirty Minutes with the Perrys

-Southside Rabbi

-The B.A.R. Podcast

-Four in the Morning

-Living Single ( Yana Jenay)

-Let’s Talk

Books:

His testimonies My Heritage

Voices of Lament

Speakers:

-Ruth Chou Simmons

-Jackie Hill Perry

-Kristie Anyabwile

-Thabiti M. Anyabwile

-Patricia Namnún

-Bryan Loritts

-Dr. Eric Mason (Urban Apologetics)

-Dr. Walter Strickland (Southeastern)

-Dr. Jarvis Williams ( Southern)

-Priscilla Shirer

Chrystal Evans Hurst

Submission in marriage is a hot-button issue fraught with all kinds of baggage! Yet we know that God has a beautiful plan for marriage! Listen in as we share the key to both husband and wife embracing their roles with joy according to Ephesians 5:22-33.