Pastor’s Wives and Women in Ministry

Life in the ministry can be lonely.  Many people know you, but you are really known by few.  So let’s build some relationships!  If you are a PW or a woman in ministry, I’d love to connect with you.   From upcoming conferences and retreats to local luncheons and networking opportunities, let’s share ways we can connect.  Let me know your contact info (city, church, email, blog, etc).  I’ll add you to my email list for future events.  And, maybe even create a address book, of sorts, here so we can all get to know each other.

 


80 Responses to “Pastor’s Wives and Women in Ministry”

  • Jillian Nieves

    Hi Tricia! Congrats on your new blog! Beautiful and exciting!

  • Veronica Brown

    Love the new blog! We are in Austin, Texas (Cedar Park – NW Austin to be exact) Look forward to connecting!

  • jennlhowes

    Hey Tricia…
    Would love to connect anytime…I have been blogging for about 7 months now…Yours looks great….
    http://jenniferhowes.wordpress.com

  • Katie Argo

    Tricia,
    i love reading this. Your heart for being a pastor’s wife is encouraging to me. I am very much standing at the bottom of a mountain with my future as a pastor’s wife at a baby church plant. Thank you for your heart :)
    Love you

  • mybeautifulexchange

    Found you through my senior Pastor Kerri Weems. I love your blog and what you are doing. Way to lead for the kingdom!!! I am a church planters’ wive also. We are soon to move to Athens, Greece to establish Celebration Church Athens. Appreciate your prayers and please keep me in the loop on your pastors’ wives community. Blessings~Katie Sullivan

    • tricialovejoy

      Katie, thanks for the kind words. Any friend of Kerri’s….

      What an awesome adventure you are about to take! I will certainly pray for you and your family. Check back for on Tuesday’s (through Feb 21) for posts geared just for planters. And, keep me posted about the journey of a planter in Greece!

  • jayebice

    Been praying for some mentors/guides as I walk throught this season of life…I found you :) . My husband Tim is Pastor of Greenbriar Church in Albany, GA (www.greenbriarchurch.net)& we planted Sept. 2008. God has taken us above and beyond what we ever expected. I would love to connect with you & be apart of any conferences/teachings you may have. I currently pour into 11 other ministers’ wives from this area and we all need more. Looking forward to hearing from you!

    Jaye Bice
    jayebice.wordpress.com
    jayebice@gmail.com

    • tricialovejoy

      Jaye, awesome! So proud of you for leading those 11 PW’s. I have a HUGE heart to invest into women just like you. All of you and your teams should register for Velocity 2011, our Churchplanters.com conference. My hubby and I planted our church 11 years ago, now, and felt such a desire to help others do it well that we launched Churchplanters.com. It’s not just for the pastors, either! I host a break-out session geared just toward the wives….Best Practices of Pastor’s Wives. We also host an informal lunch for all of us to connect, network, and make new friends. Making those connections will benefit you greatly over the next few years while you are leading your new church. You can click this link for info: http://www.churchplanters.com/conference

      I hope we get the chance to meet in person, but if not, cyber friendships can be wonderful. Keep in touch and email anytime!
      BTW, I’m sending this to you email, too, in case you don’t check these “reply comments”.

  • Ginger Riggins

    Hi Tricia! Got plugged into your blog/website through new friends in ministry, Jaye Bice and Amy Jeffords! My husband and I have started a church way out here in San Angelo, Texas. Would love to have you as a resource and guide to help me be a better wife, mom and pastor’s wife!!

  • Leslie Oden

    Hi Tricia,
    Really enjoyed your session (and Q & A) at Velocity 2011! My husband is Lead Pastor of a 3 yr old church plant, and we brought our full time staff and their spouses (12 of us) to the conference. All of the wives attended your “Best Practices for Pastor’s Wives”, and all of them were glad they attended! I’m following your blog and twitter, looking forward to your updates. Thanks for speaking into all of our lives!

    Leslie Oden
    Crossroads Church
    Enterprise, AL
    Blog http://www.chickfood.blogspot.com
    Twitter @leslieoden
    facebook leslieoden

    • tricialovejoy

      Brought your entire staff? Wow! That’s the BEST way to get your team on the same page….wives included. I pray you guys see many positive things as a result of your time at Velocity. Don’t forget, the entire conference will be uploaded to http://churchplanters.com in a few days, so if you missed something or want to listen again, you can. Stay in touch, Leslie. I’d love to hear what God does in and through you at Crossroads!

  • Jennifer Lewis

    Hello, Tricia! I heard about your blog from your sweet mom. I work with Rachel McClure at PB Outlet and your mom came into the store last week while you and your husband were in CA. I had a wonderful time talking with her. I do believe God placed her there for me that day! You see, my fantastic husband, Kent, and I have been in ministry for ten years. We have served three churches during that time, and he has been serving at Crown Financial Ministries for the last 2 and a half years. We have, unfortunately, had some very difficult experiences in ministry, the most recent being a lay-off as Crown has had to restructure. Yet our hearts still burn with a passion for ministry. We are trying to view this new “opportunity” as God’s chance to do something amazing in our lives. We know, beyond any doubt, that serving Him in ministry is the purpose of our lives. So, your mom told me about your blog and Rachel told me about your church planters conferences. I would love to be put on an email list or something to know about them. Thank you for ministering to other minister’s wives. It is a lonely place, and I know that God is using you in a mighty way!

    • tricialovejoy

      Jennifer, my mom told me about you! So glad God connected us. Please come visit us at Mountain Lake. I’d love to meet you in person. I know ministry can be tough, so I enjoy investing other PW’s to encourage and stregthen you guys. Also, you can check out http://Churchplanters.com to view the uploads of our conference last week. The uploads should be avaiable – for free – any day now. Looking forward to seeing you!

  • Holly Farver

    I am a Woman Pastor at Potential Church in South Florida. I am on staff full-time and work alongside two (male) Student Pastors in our Student Ministry. I’ve been looking for a way to connect with other women that Pastor and their husband’s are not necessarily pastors. Seems to be a lonely world for women in ministry at times who are not Pastor’s wives – we belong to our very own club:) Thanks for having this great blog!

    • tricialovejoy

      Holly, Potential is a great church! I love Troy and Stephanie….you are in fabulous company. I agree, you are in an elite club! You should check out Jenni Catron, Executive Director for Crosspiint Church (Pete and Brandi wilson’s church in Nashville). Jenni is an outstanding leader and would be a great contact for you. I’m always impressed by her. Thanks for the kind words about SharpenHer, too. Keep leading well, my friend. :)

  • Rebecca Rouse

    Hey Tricia!
    I’ve loved reading your blog! Its been a huge encouragement to me and also a challenge to spur me on. My husband and I moved to NYC to plant the Queens location w/ the Journey Church in 2009. Its been a great experience, but I long for is more of a connection w/ the other PW on staff. I’ve tried a planing a few dinners that have gone well, but I’d love to hear from you on practical ways to develop these relationships : )
    Thank you for all you do, you’ve mad a difference in my life for sure!

    Rebecca Rouse
    NYC
    The Journey – Queens

    • tricialovejoy

      Rebecca, Journey is such an outstanding church, doing great work, and leading with stellar people. I know many leaders that have come out of Journey, and now I’m glad to meet you, too. I have some very specific ways I build into the PW’s of my church. I’ll upload a post about it soon. Let me know your feedback when you read it. I’m at the LeadingAndLovingIt.com PW retreat right now, so I’ve been having this conversation…a lot! Looking forward to connecting with you :)

  • Karin

    Absolutely love what you are doing with this blog! I have been encouraged and inspired by your posts and your recent interview with Veronica Brown. In Jan 2011, my husband and I took the Lead Pastor position at a 27 yr old church (which had the same senior pastor for 24 of those yrs) that we were actually hired as Youth Pastors 4 yrs previously. It’s a different ball game where I wasn’t expecting some of the curve balls! Thank you!
    Karin
    Decatur, TX
    The River Church
    karinvarnadore@hotmail.com

    • tricialovejoy

      Karin, So you’re brand new to the Lead position, huh? Let me just tell you it really is the highest of high’s and the lowest of low’s. The Lead seat can be demanding, but it is overwhelmingly rewarding, too. Find ways to lead your church and your staff well…God will enable you. Keep growing in skill and faith, and God will use you in AMAZING ways! Go get ‘em!

      • Karin

        Thank you so much! I actually saw this reply. I just want you to know that you are showing me that even a seemingly small reply can make a gigantic difference. People try to tell me the things I do – seemingly small to me – makes a difference to them and I was having a hard time believing/accepting that. It’s the consistent little things so many times! PS…Lowest of low’s, huh?

      • tricialovejoy

        So sorry you just now saw it! I didin’t have an option to subscribe to comments in May (when I originally responded), but I think I do now. Hopefully that will help all of us stay connected and keep conversations going. And, yeah, lowest of low’s. We’ll all have them. But, the good news is we also get a front row seat for all that God is doing in our churches. We read the private emails, hear the stories, see the fruit…..all of those things help me fight the good fight when I’ve been disappointed or when I just have no more energy in the tank. Like today, for me! I’d love to see you at our churchplanters.com conference in May, Velocity 2012. We’re hosting an awesome track for Pastors’ wives…..you’d love connecting with other women! Talk soon!

  • Christina Smith

    Hi Tricia,

    We met a few months back that the Radicalis Conference @ Saddleback Church. You and Shawn were so sweet and took a few minutes to pray for me and our little church plant. That really meant a lot to me, and gave me a lot to think and pray about. A lot has happened since then, and I have a feeling a lot more is coming up down the road. We’ve been blessed with an opportunity to go on vacation and spend time with friends and family in the next few weeks in Alabama and Georgia, it will be a nice chance to rest and reflect some!

    Thank you for this blog…it is wonderful to read about the insights and wisdom of someone who’s been through the trenches!

    • tricialovejoy

      So glad we could offer you some encouragement. We all need it. Keep fighting the good fight, and enjoy your vacation, too. The break from routine will be a blessing, I’m sure! Not to mention, I’m partial to Georgia and Alabama! Keep in touch!

  • shelaughsblog

    Love your vision! We are in Phoenix. theanthem.org (5 months in!)

    I’ve been blogging for 2 months now, I just want to contribute a little truth to a place full of lies.

    We are pretty far from you but, love your blog ;0)

  • Cindi Caldwell

    So thankful for this website and the opportunity to connect with other pastor’s wives and have the encouragement of others who actually have been in my shoes! Thanks so much!
    We are in Lexington, SC… Restoration Church. We planted our church in February of 2011.
    Cindi7501@hotmail.com
    I would love to keep informed on what you have going on!
    Love,
    Cindi

    • tricialovejoy

      Congrats on the new church plant! I’m thankful these posts are helping you…we need all the help we can get. If you make it to Velocity 2012, I’d love to meet you face to face. Talk soon!

  • Layne Weaver

    Hi, Tricia. I am a student minister’s wife who lives and serves in Brunswick, GA. Coincidently, my parents live in Cumming and I’m wondering if they have visited your church when they were looking for a new church home.

    I’d love to be in touch with a fellow PW, and I’m longing to learn more from those who have been in the same shoes longer than I.

    Please add me to your email list: layne.weaver@comcast.net

    Thanks,
    Layne

    • tricialovejoy

      Layne, good to connect with you! Since you live relatively close, you ought to consider coming to our churchplanters.com conference, Velocity 2012. We’re hosting a great track for Pastors’ wives. We’ll all learn from each other, and we’ll make some friendships that will encourage us long after the conference. If you sign up, let me know!

  • Angie

    Great blog. I am a pastor’s wife, we have 5 little kids, and I own my own dental practice (and thus work outside of the home 3 days a week). As if ministry weren’t enough on it’s own, our lives are overflowing with many good & hard things that come with owning a business & having lots of kids. Great to have a place to connect with other pastor’s wives. My husband is on staff with Fellowship Bible Church in Tulsa, OK.
    Angie

  • Jamie Kelly

    Thank you for everything you do!! you are very much an inspiration! :)

    Jamie Kelly
    Pastor’s Wife
    Columbia, South Carolina

  • cindi

    We are in lexington…Restoration! Feb was our first official service. So we are pretty new. I would love to talk sometime!

    • tricialovejoy

      Cindi, congrats on planting a new church! You guys would benefit GREATLY from joining us at Velocity 2012, our churchplanters.com conference. Bonus: an entire PW track with breakouts for encouraging and equipping us in ministry. :) I’d love to meet you in person!

    • Jamie Rumbough Kelly

      Hey girl! I just saw your comment back! I’m sorry I didn’t respond! I would love to maybe meet up with you? My email is jamiekelly803@me.com. Let me know : )

      Jamie Kelly

  • Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn

    Hey There Tricia,

    It’s nice to “meet” ya! I just found your site through the PW Daily on Twitter and I am so glad that I did. My name is Melissa Mashburn aka Mel’s World and I heart for encouraging women to take their everyday, ordinary lives and place them as their offering before God *Romans 12:1-2).

    Married for 18+ years to my hubby who is an Executive Pastor at our church, we have two incredible teenage sons and I am the Kids & Women’s Ministry Director at our church.

    What a sweet blessing ministry is…but yes…it can also be so very lonely. I look forward to finding out more about you and what God is doing in your life and ministry.

    Have a fantastic day!
    ~ Melissa

  • Ann B. Hibbard

    I’m excited about a network like this! We’ve tried to start one up locally in Arkansas where I serve, but we pastor’s wives can be a little stubborn! :-) My husband is pastor of First Baptist of little bitty Almyra, AR.

    ann@annhibbard.com
    http://www.annhibbard.com

  • Doris Griffin

    Hi Tricia!
    I’d love to connect with you and join the other ladies. Please let me know about
    your upcoming events. Thank you!

  • Dawn Leopard

    So true and what a need. My husband is senior pastor at Millbrook Baptist Church in Aiken, SC. Love connecting with others and helping in any way. Dawn Leopard

    • Jamie Rumbough Kelly

      Hey Dawn! I commented earlier and it notifies me I guess when people comment after me and I saw your name pop up in my inbox! I’m Jamie Kelly but I used to be Jamie Rumbough, daughter of Johnny and Valerie! :) my husband is a senior pastor of a church plant in Columbia. Just wanted to say hey! Maybe we can get together some time, my email is jamiekelly803@me.com. Keep in touch! :)

  • Dawn Freeman

    Hi Tricia!

    I really like the idea of having a network of ladies in ministry. I know that I definitely need the support, encouragement, prayers, and fellowship of other ladies in ministry. I have been doing a lot of volunteer work in ministry over the last couple of years in Greensboro, NC. It includes working at the local Women’s Resource Center as a Community Resource Counselor, the local Cone Health System as a volunteer Chaplain, Greensboro Urban Ministry as a Chaplain/Stephen Minister volunteer, WLXI-TV (TCT) as a Prayer Partner, and now at Grace Community Church as a Stephen Minister. I definitely stay busy in ministry. I also have my own faith-based blog, “In Spirit and In Truth”, where I write and blog based on my own personal knowledge, experience, and scripture. Thanks for your support, encouragement, and prayers!

    In His Love,

    Dawn

  • pinkcanada

    Hi Tricia ~ connecting from Ontario CANADA! Patti
    following you on twitter @pinkcanada

  • Ruth Charles

    Hi Tricia,
    Found your site and I am glad. Currently I am a wife of the one and only staff Pastor under two other main leaders in Houston. I am also apart of the ministerial staff there as well as the chaplain for a non profit service organization. It is really important that women in ministry have an opportunity share and have sounding boards.Often we are looked at by many and are either admired and others aspiring to be like us or just the opposite, every flaw we have is under a microscope and magnified!
    The scripture tells us that God is our refuge in the time of storm. I beleive what you are doing with this blog is a refuge for all of us…(Iron sharpening Iron).
    Be Blessed,
    Ruth

  • Ana Claudia Dos Santos

    Hello Tricia, I’m a pastor’s wife here in Brazil…I know it’s little bit difficult for us to be together, because of the distance, but I really like your blog, and I also saw you at just one conference…I really enjoyed hearing other pastor’s wife sharing their thoughts and experiences, really helps us see that we are not alone, and that we have God, that is always with us…praying for you and your ministry…Ana Dos Santos

  • Megan

    Just found your blog through Carolyn Haas’ Facebook. My hubby is a Worship pastor in a south suburb of the Twin Cities. I love the idea of your blog! Thanks for sharing. I blog at livingasthepearl.blogspot.com.

  • Tracie Rothe

    I have been a Pastor’s wife for 12 year’s and served with him for more than 14 years. We are in a small church in a small community and of course we have our challenges. The joys do out way the challenges. I am thankful I have found this site so I can share with others that are like me and trust.

  • Mrs. Ruth Nababi Mukisa

    I would love to join the click. Am a Pastor’s wife as well in Uganda East Africa. Its not so easy down here. I would wish to attend Pastor’s wives confrences. any ideas? I really need a treat and seminars of that kind. Keep in touch for more info

  • Mrs. Ruth Nababi Mukisa

    Wawoo. Thats great. Any free times to visit Uganda for a day or two. I will be your host. Free accomodation.

  • Mrs. Ruth Nababi Mukisa

    Hi.
    Just to findout how the sunday was? I had a great one. I was the preacher, talked about the fruits of the holy spirit.

  • Mary Ayrakwa

    Really wanted to connect with other pastors’ wives and to build more relationships.

  • Shawn Labadie

    Hello!

    My husband is a student pastor. One day we hope to start a church and pastor together. Being that working in ministry is not 9 to 5 and is a life changing situation, I would love to connect with other women and learn from them.

    All the best,
    Shawn

  • Lee Patterson

    Hello everyone,
    I’m the wife of an assistant pastor at a small church just outside of Columbia, SC.

    Columbia, SC
    Goodwill Baptist Church
    leelpatterson [at] gmail [dot] com
    Twitter: lovedbyGod2

    • Tricia Lovejoy

      Hey Lee! Great to connect with you here. I hope you find the posts helpful….some are about leadership, some are about faith, some are just about my family. Looking forward to hearing from you again!

  • Shani

    First off I want to say terrific blog! I had a quick
    question in which I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.

    I was curious to find out how you center yourself and clear your head prior to writing.
    I’ve had a tough time clearing my mind in getting my thoughts out there. I do take pleasure in writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any recommendations or hints? Thanks!

    • Tricia Lovejoy

      Hi Shani! Thanks for the kind words. For me, writing flows from an experience….a lesson learned, a funny moment, a teachable moment. As if telling the story of what I experienced to a friend, I write down my thoughts. There are times when I struggle to get the story started. When that happens, I often fast forward and get the details of the story typed out. Sometimes a good idea hits while I’m writing. But my best advice is to keep the reader as your focus. What do you want the reader to know? How can you get the reader to relate to what you are writing? How can you help/challenge the reader? Hope these ideas are helpful!

  • The Cove

    Hello, Tricia. Beautiful blog. Thank you for making connections with women in ministry too! Wanted to let you know of a Ministry Wives Retreat at The Cove (The Billy Graham Training Center) in Asheville, NC on April 4-5, 2013. Title of seminar is Becoming an Intentional Woman in Erratic Times. Our speaker is Gail MacDonald. Would love to let your community of ministry wives know about this opportunity. All the info is here: http://bit.ly/MinistryWivesRetreat
    God bless you! Thank you!

  • bayareamomma

    Just found your blog, again- 17years in ministry, 16 years married, 6 months as a Church Planter in San Francisco. Lots to learn. Just met shauna pilgreen. Keep those posts coming. Thanks for your love for those of us who are carving out these new paths.

    • Tricia Lovejoy

      Glad you are here! 6 months into a church plant? Wonderful! The early days can be the highest of high’s and the lowest of low’s. Set your mind to the task and lead well! I’m cheering you on!

      • bayareamomma

        Well that describes it perfectly. Highest and lowest at the same time. I adopted a word. “bruitiful” Beautiful & brutal combined. The process of planting is so different from pastoring & building in a rooted established church. It is wonderful and crazy- foundation laying is hard and necessary. biggest challenge: personal confidence while taking on challenges over my head- finding wisdom to build foundation, raise leaders, train & develop all departments of the church. Gleaning from our sending church & other examples but choosing what specifically we are called to continue and what we need to change for our city needs. BIG> thankful for a BIG God! Thanks for the encouragement :o )

  • Amy Verlennich

    Looking forward to “catching up” here… My beloved and I planted eXperience church (www.eXposedPeople.com) almost 3 years ago. We have 9 children with one out of the house. To say this has been a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. :) Looking forward to connecting with others… with the hope of learning and talking with someone who might have some understanding of how lonely ministry can be…

    Amy

  • Pastor Rita

    Greetings to all my sisters and brothers in Christ. I am a n Women senior and founding pastor of a small church. We are stepping out on faith to relocate to the Columbia SC area where we believe God is calling us. We have no family there are friends in the SC area. In addition to that we are almost seniors ourselves. Please pray for us. This is a lonely walk by faith Pastor Rita

  • Wonda Core

    I believe this is great for women in ministry and awesome f pastors wives. Many times pastor’s wives have no one they can connect to because of their role in the church I pray more women reach out

  • Nikki

    Hi Tricia. My husband is Worship Minister at 1st Christian Church in Cumming, GA. I would really like to connect with other pastor’s wives.

Leave a comment

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 3,108 other followers

%d bloggers like this: