Bloom Where You’re Planted

This coming Exponential Conference, Anne will release her second book in the Bloom Where You’re Planted series. I am in constant awe of how God continues to use our tiny little church to impact the world. Anne skillfully weaves stories of women on the front lines of ministry into an encouraging work of art. I am so proud of her!

Below is an excerpt from the Introduction of the book to wet your whistle:

Both books are available on Amazon.com in paperback and kindle.

Introduction

As church planting continues to become the fastest way churches around the world are multiplying, so too grows the need for faithful church planters who rise up and follow God’s call to lead the new growth. Most of these new lead planters come with wives who will lead with them, and children who also have been called to be a part of this mission.

Time after time, as I speak to women across the country, I see hearts desiring to mesh answering God’s call to plant, with maintaining their call to fulfill the role of godly wife and mom. Many of these women work outside the home to provide additional income for the family that the church cannot provide. Many more work for the church in unpaid or underpaid staff positions. Juggling and balancing all of this responsibility is the tightrope all women walk, but it oftentimes feels even more precarious for those of us bearing the role of, “First Lady.”

While I do not advocate calling myself the “First Lady,” and one of the reasons I embraced church planting was because it really helped alleviate some of the stereotypical expectations of a pastor’s wife, I cannot ignore that the fact remains; there are expectations and responsibilities that come for the woman who shares the pastor’s bed, heart and home. I am referring to his wife here. Just to be crystal clear.

It is my sincere hope and prayer that this Bloom Where You’re Planted series of books will be an encouragement to women and to the men who dare to read along with their wives. A call to arms of sorts. A reminder of the Great Commission of Jesus challenged in each of our lives.

It is impossible to measure the impact of a faithful couple, unified by Christ, bound to the mission of planting a new church and reaching a population of unsaved people.

The impact is exponential.
It is eternal.
It is generational.
It is transformational.

Not just for the souls saved, but for the planting couple themselves. That couple who is willing to hammer out personal and spiritual wounds and brokenness in the crucible of church planting. For I cannot say this enough, whatever brokenness you have hidden, lurking just below the surface, or deep within you, will come bubbling out of you for good or for evil in the heat of the church planting frying pan.

Do I say this to scare you? Maybe just a little. A little fear and trepidation upon entering a commitment with God and your partner is always healthy. However, I say it more to prepare you than to scare you. I believe if you are prepared – if you know who and what is coming after you, you are more able to battle your enemy strategically and victoriously. And don’t we all tend to forget who our real enemy is?

This book is meant to encourage and to prepare you for things you may not have expected.

(here are a few of the promo images for the book)