Today’s guest blogger is Ginger Harrington.
The long winter seemed to close in on me. Cold and dreary days made me long to get out of the house and connect with other women. It was January 2014, and I was determined to pursue my New Year’s goal to develop deeper relationships. I called Kori Yates, a military wife whom I was eager to get to know.
I invited her to lunch, and, in turn, she invited me to join her in fulfilling a vision for a powerful ministry to military women.
Her vision was this: What if wives, active duty and family members came together to worship God, encouraged one another and grew deep roots of faith wherever God sent us?
What if we built meaningful connections through online community and live events? What if we helped each other plant our stability in faith, find purpose in our place, and impacted this world for Christ?
Overall, what if military wives came together with a vision and a God-sized “What if?” When God is in it, amazing things happen!
The result was Planting Roots: Strength to Thrive in Military Life, a new ministry for women associated with the military. Planting Roots seeks to present Christ-centered, engaging events for military women, sharing the gospel of Christ while challenging and equipping believers to flourish in faith.
As of 2012, active duty and reserve women numbered approximately 356,000. Add military wives (active duty and reserve) and the number of women soars to 1,381,000. These numbers don’t include moms of military and retired spouses, but it is clear that military life affects many women.
The current operational tempo of our military and the stresses involved in military life are tremendous. At Planting Roots, we challenge women to plant their roots in Christ in order to thrive in military life.
Planting Roots is led by a team of military women who speak to the challenges and opportunities faced by its members. In a time of diminishing budgets and resources to spiritually strengthen military women, Planting Roots is positioned to meet a compelling need for community and encouragement for women all over the globe.
God has brought together a vibrant team of leaders, writers, speakers, worship leaders and event planners who are experienced in ministering to the military community.
The website blog features the writing of women whose lives have been strengthened by the challenges of military life. Both team members and guest bloggers share experience, encouragement and inspiration.
“Prayer Tuesday” and “Worship Wednesday” are some of the most popular features on both the blog and the Facebook page. Weekly online Bible studies are coming soon.
Planting Roots is currently applying for non-profit status and working to establish a solid financial base of sponsorship.
Registration is open on the website for the first conference on May 2, 2015, in Lawrence, Kansas. Our second conference is in the planning stages for fall.
Daily we walk in faith and watch in wonder as God provides talent, leadership, resources and support structure necessary to build the ministry and bring this dream into reality.
What if Planting Roots is just the encouragement you need today? Whether you are the mom of a soldier, the wife of a warrior or an active duty woman, we all need strength to thrive in the challenges of military life.
Truly, we are stronger together as we seek to impact women with the Gospel of Jesus Christ for victorious living.
Ginger Harrington is a career Marine Corps spouse and mother of three young adults. As a writer and speaker, Ginger inspires women to discover practical ways to grow closer to God. You can read her blog, Ginger’s Corner: Where the Spiritual Meets the Practical, or connect with her through Facebook at Strength to Thrive and Ginger’s Corner and on Twitter.
