In this episode of The Overcomers, I sit down with Colleen Searcy and Ryan Wester for a really honest, meaningful conversation about calling, faith, and what it looks like to lead in the local church as a woman.

Colleen grew up in a home shaped by deep faith. Her grandfather didn’t just teach her the Apostles' Creed—he lived it. From early on, she was being discipled, not just taught. Her story is one of steady formation in the gospel. Ryan’s journey, on the other hand, is very different. She came from a background marked by pain and dysfunction, and yet God broke in with redeeming grace, drawing her out of darkness and into life and ministry.

Their stories are so different, but both are powerful testimonies of God’s faithfulness—and of how He calls women into ministry through all kinds of paths. We dig into some of the challenges women face in ministry—especially in places where their gifts haven’t always been recognized or encouraged. Colleen and Ryan talk about how discipleship and spiritual friendship helped them navigate that space and step into their calling with clarity and courage.

I want the Church to be a place that sees the gifts God’s given His daughters and cheers them on as they lead, teach, disciple, and serve the church. Because when women walk in their Spirit-given calling, the whole body flourishes.

This conversation reminded me—again—that the Spirit of God is doing something beautiful in and through the lives of women at The Village and beyond. And I’m grateful I get to witness it.

TOPICS DISCUSSED

• (00:14) – How Jesus Found Us and Called Us In
• (09:13) – When Ministry Finds You in the Most Unexpected Places
• (12:53) – Discipled Into a Calling
• (26:03) – Doing Ministry Side by Side Without the Weirdness
• (37:03) – Cheering Her On
• (41:21) – Let Her Teach, Lead, and Build the Church

Resources Mentioned

• Women in Ministry (Condensed)
• Women in Ministry (Full Version)

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