(BLACK AND WHITE INTERIOR) In a transparent, touching, encouraging and easy-to-read conversational style, the author shares her stories of encounters with a very personal God. God reached into her heart full of grief, pain, and meaninglessness, transforming her with the joy of a new and vibrant personal relationship through Jesus Christ. The God of love invited her to partner with Him, and thus began an extra-ordinary adventure in a life of Christian ministry as a second career pastor while balancing family life with a husband and two children. It was nothing she expected but everything the God of surprises had dreamed for her. With deeply personal and honest storytelling similar to Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, Susan shares the insights she's gleaned through her own experiences and those she has met in the eight churches she has served. As she encounters evil, suffering and brokenness in her own life and in the lives of those in her charge, God meets her in those places to address her questions and show her another reality that transforms those painful experiences. Even through disappointments, failure and near burnout, the reader sees how sufficient God is to use these unwelcomed experiences to bring victory and new purpose.
Through her inspirational stories of those she has met along the way, the reader catches a glimpse of what it is like to partner with the living God and watch Him transform lives. Her ministry as an Anglo female pastor in cross-cultural ministry to an all-black church gave her opportunities to experience what it is like to be in the minority, to build bridges through love and understanding, and to experience the joy of community within diversity.
Called to healing ministries of all types, she has been surprised by God as she has witnessed physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and relational healing that have set people free to serve God as joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. With the heart of an evangelist, this pastor has led her churches in ministries to bring community hope, healing and transformation. The stories throughout the book will especially encourage women in ministry of all types.
Whether you are needing hope, wrestling with questions of faith, struggling to heal from pain or meaninglessness in your life, hoping to grow closer to God, beginning the journey toward ordained ministry, or needing new passion for ministry, this book will not disappoint and may even surprise you with your heart's desire.
The book is appropriate for small group studies and includes a study guide useful for both group discussions or personal reflection.
