Starting Place with Elizabeth Woodson

Starting Place explores what Christians believe and why it matters when it comes to growing in our faith. As Christians, we should know what our Bible is about (not just the individual books but the one unified story it tells from Genesis to Revelation). We should understand the essential theological beliefs we hold to as Christians. We should know what discipleship looks like. We should know about church history, spiritual formation, and so much more. Each season, I will unpack one of these topics, and in every episode I will interview a new guest to explore a bit of what this topic means and why it matters in our daily lives. Because it's one thing to understand theology, and it's another thing to know how it connects to the most ordinary moments of our lives.

Before the Miracle: Why Jesus' Compassion for the 4,000 Matters More Than You Think

There’s so much beauty in revisiting the stories you’ve read many times before. Recently, I re-read the story of Jesus feeding the 4,000—an incredible moment in Scripture of God’s miraculous power on display. There is a detail about this story present in both Matthew 15 and Mark 8 that I missed in the past. “Jesus called his disciples and said, ‘I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them

Leading Across Generations

Have you ever hosted a meal for a large group of people? If so, you likely planned a main menu then added modifications to accommodate the dietary needs and preferences of your guests. As host or chef, you need to be aware of allergies, dietary restrictions, and even customs to make sure everyone enjoys the meal. Leading across generations in ministry settings can be the same way. Leaders should always be in tune with the differences at hand to ensure that each generation

The Surprising Truth About Sodom and Gomorrah: A Warning for Today's Church

Have you ever considered the Bible stories we teach to be “children’s stories”? I didn’t grow up in church, but when I accepted Christ as a teenager, I quickly began serving in children’s church. It became a really great way for me to learn the stories in the Bible because I was learning about who God is alongside these kids. I was shocked to learn that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was in our children’s curriculum—to me, that seemed like more of a source of nightmare

Modeling Christlikeness: The Heart of Discipleship

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (ESV) Living “life-on-life” is a central aspect of discipleship where Christians lead others to grow in their relationships with God. It is a modeling cycle which surpasses providing the transfer of information but leads to demonstration of how to walk obediently in Christ and respond to life’s circumstances. “Teaching others cannot be

Small Group Discipleship Toolkit

Have you ever planned a road trip without using a map or a GPS? It is possible, albeit challenging. You can drive in the general direction you need to go and follow enough signs identifying large cities along the route. You could even rely on your memory and wing it. In both cases, I’m sure you’d have a high percentage of getting to your destination—however, it’s not guaranteed, and you’ll most likely encounter a delay or two, and an unnecessary detour. That can be exactly w

Prepared For The Unexpected: The Hidden Power of Spiritual Habits

Some of the most important spiritual work happens when no one’s watching. Not on stages or in group settings, but early in the morning— in kitchens, living rooms, or during our commute to work. As someone called to write, speak, and build up other disciples in the Body of Christ, I have learned that spiritual habits are non-negotiable in our walk with the Lord. These habits help us place our minds, temperaments, and bodies before God as we seek the grace of his transformation

EP 1 | Creation, Shalom, & Finding Life in God with Yana Jenay Conner

Elizabeth Woodson is joined by Yana Jenay Conner to discuss Genesis 1 & 2. In these two chapters we learn about God and the identity and purpose he gave humans. Questions Covered in This Episode: Genesis 1 & 2 gives us a vision for how the world was in the very beginning. One word that is used to describe this dynamic is shalom. How would you describe shalom and how/where do we see it show up in these first two chapters of Genesis? What is the vision of the life that God desi

A Common Myth About Bible Study: It Should Be Easy

During my time in ministry, there are a few misconceptions I routinely hear people share about Bible study. One of them is the belief that studying the Bible should be easy. However, people don’t usually make that exact statement. Instead, they tell me how they skipped over a Bible passage or stopped working through a study book because it was too hard or it took too much time. In their opinion, the amount of effort Bible study required was unreasonable or unnecessary. Rather

3 Qualities of Faithful Ministry Leaders

I remember my first day in vocational ministry like it was yesterday. I had a makeshift cubicle, an empty file cabinet, a computer with no files on it, and a phone. That’s it. There was no instruction manual. I was going to have to learn how to lead the ministry I was overseeing all on my own. Looking back, that season of my life was extremely formative. It plunged me into the deep end of the “ministry pool” and forced me to learn how to swim quickly! Through this process, I