Standing Strong … Together

Verse: “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

I firmly believe in Titus 2:3-5, which says that the work, or calling, of older women within the church (and, at 75, I am one!) is to teach younger women what a Christ-loving wife and mother looks like.  And so, several years ago I began praying for an ongoing women’s mentoring ministry especially suited for the women of Burnt Hickory.

It turns out there were at least two other women praying the same prayer – CJ Crenshaw and Hazel Osborne. Talk about God’s perfect timing! Two years ago, we formed a mentoring leadership team with several other women with similar hearts and began praying and working together. We spent a year planning, reading books, studying other mentoring programs in other churches, and praying about the right combination for our church and for our women.  

Our time together as a team was amazing. I had served on other planning committees and always been annoyed and disappointed by the time lost to differences, disagreements, and seemingly endless petty discussions. This experience has been so different - a delightful blessing! God’s Holy Spirit has so permeated our meetings that we have all remarked at the unity of the group - though we are of differing backgrounds, ages and experiences.  It has truly been a joy to watch the relationship-building effects of Acts 1:14, when “all with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” 

The fruits of our labor and God’s direction resulted in the Standing Strong Women’s Mentoring Ministry. We are now approaching the end of our first year-long mentoring program. What a great year it has been. I have continued to serve on the leadership team and have been blessed by the bonds of friendship we have formed. I have also served this year as the facilitator of one of our mentoring groups – The Real 6. We chose that name because our group of six had a desire to be open, honest and yes, real, with each other. What FUN, sweet, sometimes tearful, precious times we have shared. 

We love that we vary in ages from 29 to 75; this gives us fresh perspectives on our individual situations. We share wisdom – and sometimes we share ignorance; after all, we are all on our first journey as Christ-loving women! We have definitely found 2 Corinthians 1:4 to be true: “God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others with His comfort.”

We love Standing Strong and want others to love it, too. Applications for next year’s mentoring program are now available in the media center and on the church website, and are due by noon on Tuesday, October 1.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. Click here to email me directly stop by the media center to talk to some of our facilitators and group participants any Sunday in September before or after services, we would love to chat!

God bless!

Ginger Anderson

Interested in becoming a Women’s Ministry blog contributor? Contact Jenn Dennard (  ) for details.

Interested in joining the Women’s Ministry team? Visit our Teams page to discover our various committees and which one might be the best fit for you.

In need of prayer or a fellow woman in Christ to chat with? The Women’s Ministry team would love to be there for you. Email Kim Edde (  ) to connect with one of our team members.

Connect with the Women's Ministry via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bhbcsistersoftheheart).

Praying for Our Students All Year Long

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

As the school year begins, our children take up most of our prayer time.  As time passes, sometimes the passion and enthusiasm fades. Do not let Satan distract you from the most important and vital thing we can give our students - prayers!  

We have seen the effects of what praying can do in our children’s lives. Last month’s School Prayer Walk is just one example of how our community can come together to pray over our students and educators. Over 150 people from BHBC joined 14 other churches to cover 124 schools in prayer! How awesome!

Currently, there is a group of ladies – the God’s 100 prayer group - who meet weekly at Burnt Hickory to lift up our students and student ministry to the Lord. It began shortly after our students returned from an international mission trip to Kenya in 2018. During that trip, a group message was created to allow us moms whose children were over in Kenya to share pictures, prayers, and scriptures to encourage us all as we waited for them to return. We had an opportunity to meet at church to pray in person a few times during those two weeks. This started a fire in us to pray continuously for our students, even after the trip.

Now with our prayer group, we have the pleasure of praying scripture over them and stepping back and watching God move. We pray for all aspects of their lives - the peers they encounter, the music they listen to, shows they watch, social media, school, etc. Each week we walk in with no agenda, no plan, and allow the Holy Spirit to move and reveal to us what He wants us to pray for them. God brings scriptures to our minds and almost always He has laid the same topic on our hearts to pray about. It’s been quite an experience! 

For example, we prayed for the college mission trip to India, and we feel the Lord answered every single request - travel mercies, safety on every level. Literally no harm came to the group - not one mosquito bite, injury, or illness! Many grew in their love and desire to follow the Lord with a more sincere heart. It was miraculous!

Here are some of our main requests to the Lord: 

• That the students will know their worth In Jesus Christ, know that they are LOVED, that they are worthy of the Lord's BEST for their lives, and that the Lord can orchestrate their steps. (Matthew 17:20b).
• That the leaders of Burnt Hickory and our community will have the Lord's guidance, and His peace and strength.
• That students and leaders will lead by Godly example of lifting one another up with kindness, unity (including everyone), and love.
• That they will love one another and serve others.
• That students listen to music and watch programs that the Lord would not find offensive (1 Timothy 4:12).
• That many will turn away from temptation of all kinds!
• That they will do “everything without grumbling or arguing,so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain (Philippians 2:14-16).
• That the Lord will teach us all how to have less anxiety, and that He will show us how to takes steps to reduce anxiety (less phone time, less comparing ourselves to others, more exercise, don't use social media to gauge our success and decisions, etc.).

I will close with writing about how THANKFUL we are for our leaders, Barbara Clark and Lynda Poole, who have helped start this group. Barbara has a vision to see hundreds join, and that Burnt Hickory will lead our community as a house of prayer, for the Lord's glory alone. They help teach us and guide us as scripture says: “Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God" (Titus 2:14).

We hope you’ll join us in prayer as part of the God’s 100 prayer group. We encourage you to join us Sunday mornings at 9am or Sunday evenings at 5:30pm. You won’t be the same!

 Jennifer McCollum 

and Eve Latting

Interested in becoming a Women’s Ministry blog contributor? Contact Jenn Dennard ( ) for details.

Interested in joining the Women’s Ministry team? Visit our Teams page to discover our various committees and which one might be the best fit for you.

In need of prayer or a fellow woman in Christ to chat with? The Women’s Ministry team would love to be there for you. Email Kim Edde ( ) to connect with one of our team members.

Stay up to date with Women’s Ministry events here, and missions opportunities here. Connect with Women's Ministry via Facebook and/or Instagram @bhbc_women