Newsletter | December 2020

Dear Friend,

No matter how mature we might be in our relationship with Christ, at times we all grow weary in doing the things the Lord has called us to do—especially as we get older. We wonder, How can I keep pressing on?

An incident in the life of Moses gives us one important key: we aren’t meant to do this alone.

In Exodus 17, as the Israelites battled Amalek, Moses stood on top of a hill and held up his staff. As long as his hands were raised, Joshua and the troops were victorious. But when Moses became tired and his hands drooped, the enemy began to triumph. When Moses couldn’t hold up his hands any longer, Aaron and Hur came alongside him. They supported his hands and kept them in the air so the Israelites would experience victory in the battle.

If you and I are going to make it all the way to the end of the battle, we need the help of others and the support they can provide. We can’t do it alone.

Ministering through Revive Our Hearts is a great privilege, for which I am deeply grateful. But there are also great challenges in this work. And it simply would not be possible to have kept going over all these years, apart from the people God has brought into my life to help hold up my hands in the battle. Their prayers and encouragement have been a huge means of grace and strength. And it’s my desire to provide that same help to others in their walk with the Lord.

That’s why we hold events like the recent Revive Our Hearts Sisters in Ministry summit, where we were able to come alongside a group of younger women with a passion for teaching God’s Word. And it’s why we’re so thankful for our faithful ministry partners.

As you serve the Lord in whatever calling He has entrusted to you in this season, may you find help and encouragement from friends and fellow servants who come alongside of you. And when you feel like you’re fighting the battle alone, may you know that the Lord Jesus Himself strengthens and supports you.

Together for His glory,

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth

November was a month of dreams coming true as Revive Our Hearts hosted their first Sisters in Ministry Summit. For a long time, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, other leaders from Revive Our Hearts, and friends like Dannah Gresh and Mary Kassian have been partnering to seek the Lord about how they can pass the baton and come alongside younger female communicators. The team has been earnestly praying about and looking for ways to equip and encourage women who love Christ and His Word and have evidence of God’s hand on their lives for ministry.

As a first step in this direction, twenty-seven women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s joined Nancy, Mary, and Dannah in November for one week of the following:

• Practical coaching and mentoring

• Q&A

• Time in the Word together

• Group conversation and brainstorming

The attendees came from many different states and countries. The mornings were dedicated to having several of the attendees teach with a live audience. These teaching sessions were recorded as potential programs for Revive Our Hearts.

During the afternoons, Nancy, Dannah, and Mary facilitated discussion and interaction on various topics related to ministering more effectively to women. The evenings were spent around the fireplace, with time for each woman to share how she currently needs God’s grace and be prayed for.

Revive Our Hearts plans to host a similar event in Latin America this March with over twenty younger women who lead.

We are so grateful for women with a heart to serve Christ and His people. Pray for wisdom as we pursue further ways to encourage other women in that calling.

Attendees Say Thanks

“Christian mothering is all about gladly giving our life so others can live, through the power and strength of Christ Himself. This week I saw that modeled time and time again as Nancy, Dannah, and Mary gave of themselves to pour life into us. They prayed this retreat into existence, stayed up way too late to talk to us, listened so well, asked us questions, and prayed for us often during the week.

“They were vulnerable and gentle. Wise and kind. They have served for so long and so faithfully, yet Christ is their only boast. The best leaders are the ones who give themselves so others can flourish. Serving humbly and leveraging maturity in the Lord to raise others up—this is true greatness.”

—Aylín Merck, writer currently serving in the Middle East

“I am still reeling over the fact that I got to have this opportunity! Thank you, ROH, for hosting, serving, and teaching us this week. And thank you Nancy, Mary, and Dannah for investing, praying, and laying aside time to pour into the next generation of female Christian leaders. My heart is full, and I will forever cherish this week.”

—Amanda Kassian, director and founder of Seen Ministry

“After spending a week with sisters in ministry, you’d think I’d come home ready to teach somebody’s socks off. But while I still believe that aspect of ministry is important, I now have such a tender heart for my home ministry. It’s not that being a wife and mom is the ‘end all be all,’ but it’s what God has given me in this season. He has reignited a joy within me that—admittedly—had grown cold, and I am so grateful. I went into last week expecting one thing, but God gave me so much more.”

—Portia Collins, Bible teacher, writer, and host of the She Shall Be Called podcast

One of my most vivid memories as a girl was waiting for my daddy to pick me up after my parents divorced. Bag packed, I’d sit on my twin bed, jumping up to peer out the window when a car engine neared. As dusk turned to dawn I knew my daddy wasn’t coming. Again. And I wondered, Do I matter?

Fast forward to when I was twenty-seven. God captured my heart and became my Abba Father. Not long after, as I was studying through the Bible, one word beckoned like a neon sign in Deuteronomy 10:20 and then again in Deuteronomy 13:4:

“You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him” (NASB, emphasis added).

Every other verb in that verse made perfect sense. Of course God would want us to have a reverential fear of Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, and serve Him.

We can do all of those things from a distance. We can even follow from a distance, as long as we’re headed in the same direction. But cling to Him? That was personal. In fact, it’s the same word used in Genesis 2:24 to speak of the most intimate relationship we can know this side of heaven: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Did God really want us that close?! What a gift for a girl who always wondered if she really mattered.

Moved by those verses, I began to pray, Lord, help me to cling to You. And for the past two decades, through ups and downs, trials and storms, the Lord has been faithful to teach me.

Not that I’m an “expert clinger”—I don’t always get it right. But I know this—I need to cling to Him. I’m desperate to cling to Him. Every aspect of life is affected by whether I’m clinging to Him.

What if intimacy with God was your main aim? You don’t ever have to wait for that. Almighty God really does want you that close to Him.

It’s been my experience that when it comes to spiritual gifts, most of us either don’t know what our gifts are, or we are waiting for someone to give us permission to use them. Then there are Christians who know what their gifts are and know how to use them, but they have convinced themselves that because of burnout, or because they were not celebrated as they’d hoped to be, that it’s okay to warm the bench and put their God- given gifts back in the box.

I’ve made it one of my missions in life to help individuals know their gifts, see their on-ramps to use them for the good of the Church, and get busy having an impact on God’s kingdom. I have a hard time settling for anything less, because your gifts belong to me. And my gifts? Well, they belong to you.

First Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” When you use your gifts, it benefits me. When I use my gifts, it benefits you. And when we don’t, the whole Body suffers.

I love the simple, straightforward command found in Romans 12:6: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” You’ve got God-given gifts. Get busy using them! Our gifts aren’t meant to sit on a shelf and be observed. They are meant to be given back and forth among the children of God. May we learn to use our gifts daily to serve others and build up the kingdom of Christ.

Do you know what your spiritual gifts are? Do you see them as belonging to the “one anothers” in your life? Ask the Lord to help you maximize your gifts for the good of His kingdom.

“I recently moved across the country from my family and closest friends, and the Lord knew I needed encouragement from godly, older women. I listen to your podcast nearly every day on my morning walks, and it has been vital in my growth and walk with the Lord.

“After seeing the impact your ministry has had on my life, my husband agreed to partner with Revive Our Hearts monthly! Thank you for being so devoted to investing in lives of women across the globe for the kingdom of God. I pray it will continue to spread and change other women’s lives as it has my own.”

—Rebekah Johnson

Rebekah’s story is simple, and we love to tell simple stories like hers around Revive Our Hearts.

While we joyfully celebrate the wonder of dramatic life transformations—marriages restored to wholeness, hearts lifted from deep depression into abundant joy, forgiveness extended to long-estranged relatives—we also celebrate the quieter glories of God at work in the simplicity of everyday lives.

We celebrate the impact of one thriving woman on the life of other women as she spreads the message of freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ.

Her gratitude overflows. That describes our Ministry Partners in a nutshell. Ministry Partners have experienced the abundant truth of God’s Word through Revive Our Hearts and joyfully express their gratitude. Their monthly financial gifts and prayers overflow to the hearts of other women, sisters and strangers alike.

Without these core partners, we wouldn’t be able to keep sharing God’s Word with more and more women as our ministry expands around the globe.

Have you experienced the kind of gratitude that says, “I can’t keep this all to myself”? Then don’t hold back! Let your gratitude overflow: join our Monthly Partner team. For a gift of $30 or more per month, you’ll be a part of sharing the truth that has changed your own life with other women around the world.

Revive Our Hearts is excited to announce the addition of Dannah Gresh as cohost for our daily audio programs. Dannah is a long-time and trusted friend of the ministry whose rich insights and conversational tone complement Nancy’s beloved style. Both Dannah and Nancy share a deep commitment to the mission of calling women to freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ through God’s Word. Our hope is that the addition of Dannah as cohost, along with other program improvements, will help us reach even more women for Christ. Join us in celebrating the addition of Revive Our Hearts cohost Dannah Gresh!

3 Things to Know about Dannah

• Dannah is the mom of three grown children and has two adorable granddaughters.
• Dannah and her husband, Bob, live on a farm with goats, horses, and peacocks.
• Dannah is the author of more than twenty books. Her ministry, True Girl, exists toencourage women of all ages to live in the freedom Christ died to give them.