Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We here at Blended Souls Network would like to wish all of you lovely ladies a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The Blended Souls team will be back at it at the first of the year. For now we are going to take a break and spend time with our family. Looking forward to meeting many of you next year at our first ever Blended Souls Gathering!

The Blending of Souls

 

Last week I wrote about my reaction to the church in Kentucky deciding to ban interracial couples from membership. That was on Thursday.  On Sunday the church held another vote to affirm that they welcome people of all races in their fellowship.

One of the things I didn't talk about last week was the cost of staying silent.  There were 40 people at the church that night. Only 15 people chose to put their opinion out there. Perhaps there were
people on the opposing side who stayed silent. It takes courage to speak up. I know that...I understand that. My post was not an easy one to write.  I risked people telling me negative things about my marriage or my children. But, I spoke up because I felt compelled. Because this issue touched the core of my heart...my family. That post went on to be featured on Women of the Harvest's Writing Blog.  And for that I am humbled.

However, for those church members in Kentucky, their silence was costly.  This tiny little church in Pike County made international news.  Blogs, news stories, Facebook and Twitter posts all commenting and expressing their opinions on the actions of the church.

News of this vote to ban interracial couples from membership caused the National
Association of Free Will Baptists to put out a statement regarding their position.  It caused the publishing arm of the denomination to put out a downloadable Bible study on racism. And for that I am grateful.

 

Here is an excerpt from the study:

How are we supposed to treat people that are
different from us?

Treat them as someone created in the image of God
(Genesis 1:27). Treat them as someone for whom Christ died (John 3:16). Treat
them like you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). God also expects His people to
seek justice and confront oppression (Deuteronomy 16:19; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah
22:3). Anything less is sin.

In the conclusion of the study I found this
statement:

In many ways our time on earth is a rehearsal for our
time in Heaven. God has given each of us time to prepare for the eternity that
lies ahead. Revelation 7:9-10 makes it very clear that Heaven will be filled
with people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. Do we live like we believe
that? Is our rehearsal on earth reflecting what will happen on the grand
stage?

My friend, Cyndi, recently began a network called Blended Souls. It is a network of Pastors' Wives and Ministry Wives... a gathering of "sistas" from various Christian denominations and ethnic backgrounds. Blended Souls Network was created to support women in their role as the wife of a pastor or ministry
leader, so that they can worship and pray together, network with one another, and embrace cultural differences for the “soul” purpose of giving honor to God. The network's desire is to reach out to wives from every tongue, tribe and nation.

I am excited to be one of the prayer partners for Blended Souls and I would love to invite you to
join the network.  Just think as this grows it will be a slice of what heaven will look like!  If you would like to be added to our Facebook group you can leave me a note or send me an email.

If there is an issue that burns in your heart my prayer is that you will not keep silent.  May that burning propel you into action.  To bring light where there is only darkness, to bring justice where injustice is found or to bring healing where healing is needed. And above all... to bring honor and glory to God. 

 

Alida is a member of the Blended Souls Team. If you would like to connect with Alida you can read her blog, connect on facebook and on twitter.

What's Age Got To Do With It?

Next spring I will turn 48! That's so close to 50 its not even funny! Have to say in the last few years I have learned your age really is only a number. Its how you feel about yourself that makes the difference. Some days I look in the mirror and I see that nineteen year old girl that just got married, then some days I look in the mirror and see my mom, some days I even see my grandmother in the mirror! Now I know to most people I don't look my age, let alone like the mother of three adult children..but this old girl can feel it in her bones, in the nighttime bouts of insomnia, the sudden onslaught of a hot flash or now more then ever in the fact that I have to tip my glasses down to the bottom of my nose to see the words on the page (granted that may be caused by a need to go get the eyes checked). Recently I realized I have been in ministry for close to 18 years. We have seen generations of youths that we worked with grow up, and have babies of their own. If you look at the media today you would think ministry is only for the young (not the young at heart).  

The wording has changed, the wardrobe has changed. Everywhere I look I see young leaders conferences, young leaders magazines, young leaders small groups, and the list goes on and on. Now I'm not knocking young leaders or the people who follow them....but there are a great group of "older" leaders out there who still have something to offer. It disturbs me that we continue to separate ourselves down generational, economic, racial and denominational lines (and don't get me started on the need for more women leaders). Thanks to the Internet we have an opportunity to learn from some of the best leaders around. Don't confine yourself to listening to just one voice! I'm looking forward to the day I can attend a conference that speaks to every generation, race and economic background.

Planning Meeting

We are looking for a few local pws in the Hamptonroads area willing to help plan our first Blended Souls gathering. Would like to get together sometime in January for a planning session. The event is scheduled to take place this summer (date to be announced). If your interested please email us at blendedsoulsnetwork@gmail (.) com . Our goal is to host two events each year that will bring local pastor and ministry wives from different denominations and ethnic backgrounds together for food, fellowship, fun and words of encouragement.

Our Prayer Team

From the moment I considered starting Blended Souls I knew it would require prayer. I also knew it was not something I could do alone. I've always had women in my life who prayed for me, offered advice and support....a group of "sistas" who had my back! Several women came to mind when I thought about creating a prayer team, but a few stood out when it came to the subject of racial diversity. It was important to me that this ministry was intentional when it came to the "faces" you see represented here. It was also important to me that these women have a heart for pastor wives, but more importantly that they shared in the vision that is Blended Souls. In the years to come I hope and pray that other women will step up to the plate and be willing to contribute to the ministry, but I'm very grateful for the women who make up our team.

Cheryl VanBebber is a Pastors wife from Kansas. She and her husband Pastor David have been a lifeline for Marc and I for many years (we have been friends for over 21 years). It was at Crossroads Baptist Church, in Riley Kansas that my husband first begin his journey as a minister. Cheryl is the most down to earth, non-nonsense, humble PW that I know. She was one of the first PW's that I met that didn't fit into the typical stereotypical mold of a pastor wife. I love this women to life.

Alida Sharp and her husband Tom are missionaries working in Belize! We have been "virtual" friends for nearly four years (wow, I had not realized it had been that long). I happen to think Alida is amazing! Her and Tom are high school sweethearts, and world travelers. They recently moved from Russia to Belize where Tom and Alida work in the area of Christian Recovery. Alida has been a prayer partner, a confidant, a true "sista" friend. Thanks to Alida and Tom I have gained a new respect for missionaries and the life of a missionary family.

Last but certainly not least...there is Miss.Tara Robertson! Tara and I "met" through a PW group that I connected with the first year that Marc and I started at WABC. Tara is a SAHM of three beautiful children, a blogger, PW and is a virtual assistant and social media manager. Tara and I have had some intense conversations about race and racism today. She keeps us on track with our mission and she has a heart for hurting women and children. I have loved getting to know this extraordinary, and brave woman.

I find it no accident that God placed these women from varying backgrounds, ministry's and locations into my life. I am soo grateful for their support, their prayer and their commitment to this ministry. We are looking for more women to add to our team, both locally and abroad. This ministry is not about any one person. Our hope is that these connections will provoke conversations, friendships, awareness and unity. If you are interested in contributing to this ministry in any way please contact us @blendedsoulsnetwork@gmail(.)net .

Who I Am!

I thought now would be a good time to introduce myself. My name is Cyndi Jennings, I'm a retired SAHM of three adult children. My husband is the senior pastor at Woodland Ave Baptist Church, in Norfolk VA. I am the Director of our Women's Ministry and an advisor to our Youth Ministry. Marc and I have been in ministry for nearly 17 years (most of which was youth ministry). When I became a "PW" people warned me about the isolation, about the change and toll it could take on your life. And for some reason I thought I was prepared after being in ministry for soo long. Boy was I ever wrong! In the last few years I have started to truly understand the importance of connecting with women who know what its like to be in my shoes.

 If you had told me a few years ago that I would be starting a network for pastors wives I would have told you that you were crazy. But its always been a dream in my heart to some day connect pastor wives from different backgrounds with one another. At the time it was just a dream. I even blogged about this back in 2008. Since that time I have formed friendships with some amazing PW's and women in ministry. Yet, for me there was something missing. Within my own backyard there seemed to be a divide between the local church. And I'm not talking just about race. That divide also exist among denomination, among churches of different sizes and churches within the same city. Something deep inside of me says this is not ok with God. We are not in this to compete with one another.

If we can't come together as the church, how do we expect to truly impact the world? For years I have asked the question......what would happen if churches started to come together and partner for the Kingdom? How much more could we accomplish? And what if women could be that catalyst for change?

I'm not saying this is going to easy, I'm not saying its always going to be fun (but just soo you know....we will be doing fun also). I'm not sure where it will go, how big it will be (my goal was never about numbers anyway), how much of an influence it will be but whether it impacts the few or the many to come together then it will be more then I ever imagined. And if I get to connect locally with some new friends then that will be the icing on the cake. I do know this....God has placed this ministry in my heart for a reason and we are going to let him determine its destiny!

Our Mission!

My inspiration for creating Blended Souls in part came out of my passion for bringing attention to the importance of unity among churches in our area. Not just along racial, social and economic lines, but also among Christian denominations. My heart for women and especially for pastor wives has lead me to form a network where we can come together and not only discuss the importance of these issues but hopefully foster long term friendships (a community of "sista's) among Pastor and Ministry wives as we go about our daily lives. We are women of influence..... in our homes, in our work place, in our church and more importantly in our community and potentially around the world!

I truly believe in my soul that if we can come together as one body in Christ we can be a major instrument of change. That will take being open to listening and learning from one another. Learning to partner together and most of all learning to get along with one another! Let's embrace our cultural differences and celebrate together. I believe deep down in my spirit that racism will only change when churches began to change and start to have a real conversation about this subject. Ladies let it began with us!

Welcome

BlendedSouls is a network of Pastor and Ministry Wives. Our first event will debut in the Hamptonroads Area next spring! We are a gathering of “sista’s”, from various Christian denominations, and ethnic backgrounds. BSN was created to support women in their role as a pastor or ministry wife, to worship and pray together, network with one another and embrace our cultural differences for the “soul” purpose of giving honor to God in all that we do! Our goal is to purposefully make an impact for change in the world....and reach out to women from every tongue, tribe and nation!