Today I want you to meet Joan Girkins and learn a little bit about her Mom Heart group.Joan has led a Mom Heart group in Colorado for six years. Her group got its start because she asked one young mom if she’d like to read through “The Mission of Motherhood” together. That woman said, "Yes!" and asked if she could bring a friend. That was six years ago! Since then her group has grown to around 25 women simply through word of mouth. They meet once per month and are currently reading “Own Your Life.”Joan is committed to being available to mentor her group members one-on-one. While this does not work for every group leader, meeting occasionally with group members goes a long way toward building and nurturing relationships. Because Joan is now “retired” from homeschooling, she is devoted to mentoring these sweet women almost full time. What a blessing!
Joan's largest challenge as a leader is maintaining consistent attendance amongst her group members. Because her group is large, the dynamics change a bit each meeting. This can make it difficult for some women to feel comfortable opening up. This is certainly a challenge faced by many Mom Heart leaders. We encourage you to believe that God will bring the women who need to attend each specific meeting, as you kindly and graciously encourage the women in your group to be consistent.Joan loves seeing individual lives changed by reading a book and being in community. If you are a lonely mother, Joan reminds you to pray persistently for God to lead you to a mentor and/or like-minded friends. Like the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8, keep asking the Lord for a mentor and keep reaching out.Please pray that the Lord brings women that need to be mentored to Joan’s group, as she is available and committed to being a Titus 2 woman in their lives.3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Titus 2:3-5
Joan and her beautiful family.
The Lifegiving Home and Lifegiving Home Experience are great books for a new study in your Mom Heart group! Available now!