Dear Friends of Whole Heart,

A wholehearted happy anniversary to us! This year, Whole Heart Ministries celebrated its 30th anniversary. The exact date of our formal beginning is lost to history, but we have marked it in our mental calendars as September 1994, when we released our first and foundational book, The WholeHearted Child Home Education Handbook. Two years later, that 194-page book would become the pithier titled Educating the WholeHearted Child, and thirty years later, and 190 pages even longer, it is still in print with sales of more than 100,000 copies. We thank God that he blessed our book to become the seed that took root and grew into a fruitful ministry.

There is so much we could reminisce about now, but you can read the full story on our website (https://wholeheart.org/ourstory). However, at least a quick glance back seems in order. Paul admonished the Ephesian believers to “be careful how you walk” and to always “make the most of every opportunity”—to wisely use their allotted season of time in life, their kairos, to do the Lord’s will (5:15-17 NLT). For thirty years, our goal for each decade-long season of our ministry has always been, simply and faithfully, to make the most of the opportunities that God provided to us to serve Christian families. That has meant parenting workshops; books (and more books!); a catalog; a newsletter; event and convention speaking; sixty-five Mom Heart Conferences; leadership intensives; thousands of blogs, podcasts, and social media posts; an online membership community; international ministries; and more. And now, as we consider the next kairos for our ministry that is just ahead, we can still see opportunities.

As we step carefully and wisely into our fourth decade of ministry, we realize that this next season is likely to be our last. That is sobering, of course, but it is also stimulating. We both sense that we still have seeds of God’s word to sow into hearts and lives (see Luke 8:11,15). After thirty years of wholehearted ministry, our hearts still beat with a passion to do what we can in our brief time of this mortal life to make a differrence for Christ and his kingdom. In other words, we will continue to make the most of our next kairos season. And no matter how many of our thirty years you’ve shared this journey with us, we are grateful for your companionship now.

A Glance Back at 2024 – It Was Year of Transition

Although it was not really a sabbatical year (we’re still waiting for that!), 2024 was nonetheless a year of lowered expectations and slower ministry. After returning from the UK, we sensed we needed to try to take some time to find our bearings back in the states. That time was still filled with multiple speaking engagements, two new book releases, two trips back to the UK (grandkids!), a summer of family in the house in different states of transition, and even some local ministry. Well, okay, so it definitely was not a sabbatical year, but it was a transitional year. It was also a fragmented year in many ways, so we knew we needed to regroup and reflect so we could stay healthy and faithful for the next season. It was a year to take a breath. It may have been a shallow breath, but it was a breath even so. Now we’re ready to step into 2025.

A Look Ahead at 2025 – Making the Most of a New Season

Looking ahead, we will model our ministry on Jesus’ parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15). That richly metaphorical teaching beautifully expresses the “help and hope” that we seek to offer to parents—help in preparing the good soil of their children’s hearts, and hope that they will hear the word of God, hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance (Luke 8:15). To that end, Sally’s ministries are still the heartbeat of Whole Heart—her At Home with Sally podcasts downloaded nearly 30 million times since Sep 2015; her books with 5-star ratings and hundreds of reviews on Amazon; her Life with Sally online community offering support and encouragement for Christian women and mothers. And Clay continues to minister as the Director of Whole Heart Ministries, the Publisher of Whole Heart Press, and an author and maker of books. As we look out over the fields of our ministry for 2025 and beyond into the next decade, here’s how our hearts still beat with a desire to prepare the hearts of parents and children and to strengthen Christian families.

• Sally Clarkson Ministry — For thirty-something years Sally has influenced countless Christian women and parents through her workshops, conferences, ministry intensives, books, blogs, community, videos, and podcasts. In the season ahead, although she will be more selective, she will continue to minister online and in person as God provides opportunities. It will be a season of refreshing as we update her websites so she can continue to minister to women in our “connected” age. After Uniquely You, her Moody Press book with Nathan, releases in January, she will take a step back from book writing. But as a lifelong intuitive dreamer, she will ponder other book, ministry, and speaking opportunities that could fit her new season of life. As long as women have needs that grow, Sally will have seeds of God’s word to sow.

• LifewithSally.com — Sally’s lifegiving membership website, now in its seventh year, has become a welcome refuge for women looking for faith-centered community and encouragement. In 2025 she hopes to provide an even richer, wider, and more personal online experience. However, because of staff limitations, making progress will require a longer process of planning and implementation than before. Nonetheless, LifewithSally will continue to provide uniquely personal and lifegiving engagement with Sally through Bible study, personal encouragement, spiritual resources, and much more.

• Whole Heart Press — From the beginning of Whole Heart Ministries in 1994, we have always considered self-publishing books to be a primary goal of our ministry mission. We envisioned writing and publishing new books as a “ministry in print” for families. Clay is now in the process of renewing that vision and mission for Whole Heart Press. In addition to ten books currently in print, several new books—nonfiction, fiction, children’s—are being researched and written, or are in the publishing queue. A standalone website for Whole Heart Press is also part of the renewing process. We will continue to “press on” with Whole Heart Press.

• Whole Heart Online — WholeHeart.org, our ministry website, is focused on our six strategic ministry initiatives and other priorities. Since giving the website a major makeover four years ago, we have continued to add new features to offer wholehearted biblical help and hope to Christian families. For example, we have added several new PDF resources as free digital downloads (wholeheart.org/pdf-downloads) and are planning to add more in 2025. You can also find Amazon links for all our Clarkson family books, as well as faith-building resources for your family. WholeHeart.org is our corporate presence online as a ministry and a family.

Will You Join Us as We Sow the Word in 2024?

Whole Heart Ministries is a faith ministry—after thirty years, we still believe that God provides for our needs as we faithfully minister in Christ’s name. We trust God for faithful friends  like you who will share our hearts for “keeping faith in the family” and who will join us on this continuing journey of ministry with your prayerful and financial help. When that happens, we consider it a ministry partnership. It’s all about all of us working together as partners to leave behind a godly legacy for future generations—changed lives and life-changing books and resources that will continue to strengthen Christian parents, children, and families long beyond our own brief lifetimes (see Psalm 78:1-8). If God puts it on your heart to be a part of this ministry as a Whole Heart Partner, we want to make that easy and uncomplicated.

Your kind gift of any kind by December 31 will help us keep helping families in 2025. If you can partner with us financially, simply donate safely and securely on our online donation page (wholeheart.org/donate). If you prefer to donate by check, send it to the address below. Your envelope must be postmarked by December 31 to receive a donation receipt for the 2024 tax year. Whole Heart Ministries is a 501(c)(3) federally tax-exempt religious organization.

Thank you for partnering with Whole Heart! Your generous gift will help to enable some strategic aspects of this ministry—new staff to help expand and enrich core ministry initiatives; research, editorial, and design assistance for writing and publishing new books and resources; funding for key employees and contract workers; funding to help update our online presence and international reach. Thank you for investing in Whole Heart Ministries and in Christian families! Grace and peace to you and your family.

Wholehearted blessings in Christ,

Clay and Sally Clarkson

Whole Heart Ministries
PO Box 3445 | Monument, CO 880132
admin@wholeheart.org