Opening Day - September 23, 2006
Launch Date
Note from Sandy:
Sept 23/06
This is an exciting day! After almost two years of prayer and labor we are bringing you this source of encouragement - mentorsofministry.com. We are so happy to have the opportunity to cheer you on as you run with God and do all that He is calling you to do. Our prayer at "M.O.M" is that you would be given wisdom and encouragement from God's Word and from our testimony of His faithfullness. We've been there and can honestly say "God is able" and He is willing and waiting to show Himself strong in your life. He started the good work - you can know that He'll finish it.
In this first edition of "M.O.M" I want to give special honor to the author of the article under the "Support" heading. Her name is Dorie Meendering and she is the woman who poured the love and mercy of God into my life at a time when I wasn't too sure I wanted anything more of God or the church (am I getting too real for anybody?) In short, I was living for the approval of other people, I was a "hurting unit". Her influence in my life pointed me in the right direction and reminded me that I am to live first for God; not others and not myself. I began the journey of realizing that the true source of fulfillment is God and the deepest source of joy is knowing His love for me. I was finally able to have peace within myself and give love freely to others, while finding purpose and fulfilling my destiny. It's Dorie's ministry to me that has inspired this ministry to you.
Another dear mentor of mine who will be featured in future editions is Betty Southard. Betty has been my email mentor for almost two years and it's while I was emailing her a question one day that God dropped the vision for this ministry into my heart. Thank you Betty for your continual encouragement, despite my fears and weaknesses, you have kept Him and His Word before me - and fearlessly, selflessly poured outrageous levels of encouragement into me! God has used you to heal me! You are a true mentor! Bless you!
To my own dear mother, June Newman, who has proven what a great women is really like. Widowed at a young age, raising three kids alone, she taught me how to work through tears and fears; how to stand strong in adversity. I would not be the woman I am if it had not been for her love and instruction. "Her children arise and call her blessed!" You, Mom, are blessed! I love you! Thank you (1,000,000 X)
To Mom and Don, who have given great encouragement to Kev & I and loved our kids so dearly and lived the life before us. Thank you! Don - Thanks for answering my "deep" questions so patiently. Mom - thanks for demonstrating a faithful life of obedience to God! I am greatful for you! You break all records for wonderful in-laws.
Special honor and deepest gratitude to Kirsti for her brave heart tenacity and passion for God's work. I would not and could not do this alone. You are amazing and I'm glad you are willing to run with me in this thing! You make me smile just thinking about you!
Dawn - it's a scary thought, the thought of Kirsti and I on our own. Two dreamers blowing in the wind.....LOL - thanks for your incredible intellect and insight and for laughing even when we're not that funny! When Dorie first put us together for the Bible study.... who knew?!?!?
Karen - I'll have to start a whole new page, wow.... Was Kevin right or what! We are meant to run together. It is an honor to have you as my dear friend. Thank you for making our team even better.
Polly for always believing in me (even when I didn't) Bob for encouragement and teaching me to put a high value on people, Sandie, Sandy R., Tara, Camille, Steve and Lisa, Steve and Heather, Jeff & Linda, Dale R., Mark & Stacy, Luke & all the Flowers, all the Mentors of Ministry team members; prayer partners, Lisa, Bonnie Ruth, our writers and forum mentors - THANK YOU FOR SERVING YOUR GENERATION and making this job so much easier and fun!!!
To my best friend, Kevin, our treasured kids, Lauren, Kristen, Brennan - you are my travelling buddies! And my favorite place to be is always with you!! Thanks Kev - for never letting me give up, and when you were right, not rubbing it in!! I adore you! Estes - Here we come!!
Okay, enough mushy stuff.... We believe that you desire to be passionate, pure hearted women of God, who seek to serve their generation excellently and we delight in cheering you on! Continue to love Him and His people and your joy will be full! We want to encourage and help you by pointing you closer to God. He will amaze you if you will just keep pressing in toward Him. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." As you draw close to Him, even living out your dreams will pale in comparison. And that's the way He intended it to be.
Blessings and courage,
Sandy Ohlman
Mentors of Ministry Co-founder & President
Ps 68:11 (AMP) The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host.
Note from Kirsti:
Sept 23/06
A little over two years ago a dormant desire I had to encourage women to go the distance with God was awakened. What was interesting is I had a thought to do something over the internet but dismissed it since I didn’t even know how to turn the computer on! (Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating.) I signed up to attend a conference to freshen up my communication skills and wondered if there was anyone else who might like to go. Sandy Ohlman’s name popped into my mind. I only knew Sandy casually; a smile and a “Hi” were the extent of our interactions. However, one afternoon two years ago I was sitting next to her at a gathering. As clear as day I heard, “Ask Sandy”, so, I leaned over to this woman I barely knew and asked, “Do you want to go to a conference with me?” As I told her the name of the conference her whole face lit up! She had wanted to go to this for a couple of years! We went to the conference together and it was here that we met Betty. As Sandy said, it was while emailing Betty that God poured the vision for this ministry into Sandy’s heart. God is awesome, isn’t He?
Thank you Sandy for your persistence and the gift of running beside you. Your passion and desire for God are contagious. The importance you place on the Word challenges me to do the same. You are an amazing child of God and I am a better woman having you as my sister! Plus you get my humor and make me laugh!
Special thanks to Dawn. EG, you are a blessing! Your gifts and talents are the very thing needed to keep us grounded! Thank you for your patience, creativity and the excellence you bring to every task. I can’t wait to see all that God has for you!!!
Thanks also to Karen. You are truly an answer to prayer! Thank you also for teaching me how to worship the Father. You are a beautiful woman of God.
Tara, thanks for being my friend for soooo long! You’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly! I cherish our friendship and I am honored to work along side you!
To Luke (Nitro) and to Stacy& Mark at Innovative Technology Solutions. Your expertise and vision have been invaluable. Bonnie-Ruth and Lisa (our focus group), Sandie M., Susie, Sandy R., Deb K., Steve and Lisa, Lori V., Dad and Phyllis, Jodie Beth, Prayer Pillars, prayer partners,the article/forum mentors, legal aid, Thank you! We could not have gotten this far without you!
And to Mike, Abby and Noah. You are my favorite people in the whole world! I love you guys! MP, thanks for everything. I love being your wife! You are the best!!
In conclusion, with this first issue of “ M.O.M.” I would love to pay honor to three groups of Godly women whose impact on my life has been far reaching. You see, four days before I was to marry, after a hard fought battle with cancer, my mother, Joyce Stroom, went home to be with her Lord. She was my one true confidant and her home-going left an incredible void in my life. But God is far more incredible than any void I might have and He surrounded me with countless women who have taught, sharpened and cheered me on through the years. These women, knowingly and unknowingly, have been my mentors.
I wish to give honor to the dear friends of my mother who, with strength and grace, surrounded a grieving family. These women treated me like their own daughter and did everything humanly possible to ensure that my wedding was a joyful, blessed celebration. They guided me through an extremely difficult and painful time in my life and through their prayers, support and wisdom my wedding to Mike was a true celebration!
As a young wife and mother I was blessed with the Godly council of so many women. The example and training of my mother-in-law Arlene, Grandma H, Grandma B, Aunt Carol, Auntie Wanda and many women of all ages at First Church of Grandville helped lay a Godly foundation for my marriage and parenting. The influence these women have had on my life is priceless.
Finally, special honor to the Women’s Ministry Department at Resurrection Life Church. Under the leadership of Dorie Meendering and Jeanie Vander Klok, the women of this ministry genuinely cared for me at a time when I desperately needed a loving touch of God. I have grown incredibly through the excellence and teaching of this ministry. They have modeled what it means to seek and worship God above all else. Thank you for holding the Word of God up as the standard and for not compromising. My life is forever changed!
And now mighty women of God. May you be encouraged to keep running the race marked out for you! It is time to Rock our world!!
Blessings in abundance,
Kirsti Haverdink
Mentors of Ministry Co-Founder & Chairman
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith..” Hebrews 12:1-2
