The Strong Women Podcast

If everything belongs to God, how do we manage the things He’s given us in a way that honors Him and blesses others? How can we find out where He’s calling us invest our time, talents, and energy? Today’s guest, Dana Wichterman, joins me to answer these questions and encourage us to invest everything we have in the Kingdom of God. Impact Foundation  Crown  Stewards Not Owners: The Joy of Aligning Your Money with Your Faith by Dana Wichterman and Bill Wichterman   In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin  None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing) by Jen Wilken  The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn  The Pilgrim's Progress by Paul Bunyan    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them. Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/. Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc

When Danielle Grandholm’s daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome, she and her husband found themselves without adequate support. This experience led them to start Rising Kites, a nonprofit dedicated to helping parents of children with Down syndrome. What began as an unexpected journey became a source of blessing as Danielle witnessed God’s providence and grace throughout the process, demonstrating how God can transform challenges into opportunities to serve others and experience His care.  Rising Kites  We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, Pam Devito (Illustrator)  The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton  The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese    Are you a Christian educator? If so, I’m guessing you want to do more than just impart knowledge to your students. You want to help them develop genuine faith and a Christian worldview that will shape their character and their life. If this resonates with you, I want to encourage you to check out the “Worldview Formation 101” course from the Colson Educators. This free online course will help you understand the purpose of worldview formation and give you practical steps to craft lesson plans that incorporate the Christian worldview. Even better, it will equip you to foster a school culture where your students’ faith is nourished. You can sign up for “Worldview Formation” today at colsoneducators.org.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

We will all face hard things. Will we be the sort of people who resist the challenges and become resentful and bitter? Or will we see suffering as an opportunity to be open to the Lord and trust him? Today, my friend Maggie and I both share how Christ is meeting us in the suffering of a broken engagement and a loved one’s Alzheimer's diagnosis. We also dive into the habits of faith that prepare us to suffer well and how God redeems our suffering to help us know Christ more intimately.    The Secret to Joy-Filled Suffering with Joni Eareckson Tada  The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis  Another Glimpse by Sean Curran  The Book of Common Prayer    On Strong Women, we celebrate God’s good design for women in every season of life. It’s all part of a bigger mission: to help the Church be the Church—by celebrating what’s good, resisting evil, restoring what’s broken, and contributing what’s missing. As we approach our June 30 fiscal year end, we need your help to keep that mission going. You can support the next year of Strong Women, as well as all the other resources from the Colson Center, by making your best gift today at colsoncenter.org/swchurch.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Kori Pennypacker is the founder and CEO of Bible2School. Today she joins me to share her journey from navy wife to ministry leader, demonstrating how women can lead with biblical conviction while keeping Jesus at the center. I know you’ll be encouraged by her testimonies of children encountering Jesus and how the program is creating ripples of faith in schools across the country.  Show Notes:  Bible2School  colsoncenter.org/SWMonthly  Little Book of Forgiveness: A Pathway to Freedom by Kenward Jones  Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise by Horst Schulze    On Strong Women, we celebrate God’s good design for women in every season of life. It’s all part of a bigger mission: to help the Church be the Church—by celebrating what’s good, resisting evil, restoring what’s broken, and contributing what’s missing. As we approach our June 30 fiscal year end, we need your help to keep that mission going. You can support the next year of Strong Women, as well as all the other resources from the Colson Center, by making your best gift today at colsoncenter.org/swchurch.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

In a culture that increasingly devalues children and mothering, Rachael Carman challenges us to rediscover the profound beauty and value of motherhood, including the moments that feel tiring or even mundane. The vulnerability, sacrifice, and invisible acts of motherhood aren’t just duties to endure but sacred opportunities to meet Jesus and become more like Him.  Show Notes:  Apologia Curriculum  The Kristin Lavransdatter Trilogy by Sigrid Undset    Hey, listeners! You’ve probably heard me talk about the Colson Fellows Program here on Strong Women. I'm excited to let you know that the Colson Fellows team hosts one-hour, live, informational webinars that allow you to hear an overview of the program and get your questions answered. The webinars are hosted by the Vice President and Dean of the Colson Fellowship – my good friend, Michael Craven. If you enjoy the conversations we have on Strong Women and want to think more deeply about your place in God’s story of redemption, the Colson Fellows Program might be for you. Colson Fellows will take you on a deep dive study of Christian worldview through books, devotionals, meetings with likeminded peers, and more. If you’re interested, but have questions about the workload, cohort formats, or anything else, I encourage you to sign up for the next live, Colson Fellows informational webinar. You can find a full list of webinar dates and register today at colsonfellows.org/webinar.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Billy Hutchinson, an Educator Specialist at the Colson Center, passionately equips educators to shape a Christian worldview in their classrooms. He shares practical strategies for fostering deep roots of faith in young people before they enter the world. The conversation covers the critical role of teachers as role models and guides, the importance of integrating faith with education, and offers resources for effective youth development. Hutchinson also discusses empowering young women to navigate modern challenges and choose partners who share their faith.

The words we sing matter. They ‘catechize’ us, training us to see the world in a certain way and set our affections on something. Today I’m talking with Caroline Cobb, whose Scripture-saturated songs combine Truth and melody. Tune in for a conversation about the formational power of music and being intentional about the narratives we allow to shape our lives.   Psalms: The Poetry of Prayer by Caroline Cobb  Advent for Exiles by Caroline Cobb  Song: A Breath of a Prayer by Michael Card  The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien  The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson  The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom    You can provide foundational support to the Colson Center by becoming a Cornerstone Monthly Partner. The support of dedicated Monthly Partners helps us invest in believers worldwide as they seek to live with clarity, confidence, and courage. Monthly Partners provide our most dependable level support and get exclusive benefits from the Colson Center in return. To become a Cornerstone Monthly Partner, go to colsoncenter.org/swcornerstone.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Christianity isn’t based on blind faith, but on the reality that Jesus lived, died, and rose again. Today I’m joined by apologist Sean McDowell to talk about all the evidence we have for the resurrection of Jesus, and how we can wisely engage with seekers and skeptics about the hope we have in Christ.    Show Notes:  Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture by Sean McDowell  Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage by Sean McDowell   Evidence for the Resurrection: What it Means for your Relationship with God by Sean McDowell and Josh McDowell  The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas  More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe On the Resurrection series by Gary Habermas   The Church Affiliate program brings the Colson Fellows Program to your local church. Pastors and church leaders can go through the Colson Fellows Program for free, so they are able to launch a Church Affiliate cohort and bring worldview training to their church members. For more details, visit colsoncenter.org/church.    Summit Ministries’ 12-day Student Conferences are for young adults who refuse to settle. It’s for those ready to take risks, ask big questions, and push past what’s comfortable. There, you’ll find friends who understand and mentors who will help you discover what it truly means to live with purpose. Register for Student Conferences using code STRONG25 for $200 off. Go to summit.org/promotions/strong women.   Educators—your worldview matters. It shapes your school. It shapes your classroom. It shapes your students. Are you cultivating a thoroughly Christian worldview? The Rooted Educator Worldview Summit is designed to help you do that. Join ACSI and the Colson Center June 16-18 in Grand Prairie, TX for this year’s Worldview Summit. The lineup of speakers is one you don’t want to miss: Dr. Larry Taylor of ACSI, author and speaker Brett Kunkle of Maven, author and speaker Alisa Childers, and more! This event is designed to help you cultivate your worldview so you can shape your students’ faith for a lifetime. Time is running out to register! Secure your spot today at acsi.org/rooted.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Phylicia Masonheimer, a theologian and founder of Every Woman a Theologian, shares her insights on the intersection of theology and a passionate faith in Christ. She emphasizes that studying theology is accessible for everyone, especially women, and encourages listeners to engage deeply with Scripture. The discussion also highlights the challenges women’s ministries face, advocating for more profound teachings rather than superficial ones. Phylicia stresses the importance of including family in faith conversations, fostering community, and enriching personal growth.

Brooke Colón, the Director of the Colson Fellows Program, leads discussions on faith and cultural engagement, sharing how the program transforms participants’ perspectives. Martha Borders, a current Fellow, reflects on navigating empty nest challenges alongside her daughter. Together, they explore the journey of discovering personal calling and courage in a chaotic world, the power of community support, and the importance of a biblical worldview. Their personal stories underscore that engagement isn't just about answers, but about becoming who we are meant to be in faith.