My husband and I have been overseas ministry workers since 2018. In 2020, we experienced some of the most difficult challenges we’ve ever faced, and our whole lives were rocked. My spiritual life, in particular, felt so untethered and uncertain. I knew, as we healed from those experiences and moved forward in other aspects of our lives, that rebuilding a strong spiritual foundation was essential for my life and ministry.

I was cautiously hopeful that setting aside time to study and learn through Pillar would be an opportunity to ground myself in the Word and in truth again. Wow, this experience has done all that and more! It is not an exaggeration when I say that the last few months have been transformational for me.

Fresh Fuel

My passion for studying and reading that Bible has been fueled in a way I haven’t felt in years. When we started in Genesis, I wondered how this class would be different from several other Old Testament survey-type courses I’ve taken. I soon found out that the class is quite different in all the right ways! Preparing for class and engaging in class discussions has been life-giving. I am learning how to read and study the Bible better, instead of just being given all the “right” answers. My confidence in approaching Scripture has increased. I recently lead a Bible study at the student ministry I volunteer at, and I was excited to apply some of the things I am learning to my teaching. It was neat to immediately see how I can put into practice what I’m learning.

The class has also been spiritually growing and healthy for me as an accountability measure to keep digging in the Word regularly, not just reading a quick chapter before bed without thought. I’ve been wanting this sort of accountability and study for a long time, but I haven’t had the structure to make it happen until now. I’m learning more about God’s character, and it’s growing a new love in me for him and for his word.