Women & Work: Stepping into Kingdom Productivity

Laureen Mgrdichian, Associate Professor at Biola University.

Laureen Mgrdichian is an Associate Professor at the Crowell School of Business at Biola University. She teaches courses in marketing, entrepreneurship, consumer behavior, promotions, and women in leadership. She also oversees an annual student-led conference designed to encourage women in the workplace. 

Laureen was president of a start-up video production company, placing product domestically as well as licensing internationally. In addition, she owns her own baking business specializing in corporate gifts. Her corporate work includes marketing for Universal Studios. 

Laureen received her M.B.A. from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at U.C.L.A. focusing on marketing and organizational development. Laureen and her husband are the parents of triplets who are in their mid-twenties.

In this episode, Laureen discusses:

• Her role as an associate professor at Biola University
• What she’s learned about navigating work in various seasons of life, including becoming a mom of triplets after 18 years in the workforce
• What it means to honor and worship God with your gifts through your work
• How to persevere in a job that you don’t love and wish you could leave
• How to work with men well for the common good
• How she images God in the classroom as she teaches and mentors students

 

Resource Mentioned:

• Women & Work Podcast, Episode 54 with Biola University’s Dr. Joanne Jung and Dr. Richard Langer for their book, The Call to Follow
• Chapter 9 in our book, Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work
• Shaunti Feldhahn’s The Male Factor: The Unwritten Rules, Misperceptions, and Secret Beliefs of Men in the Workplace 

Thank you for listening! Ways you can support Women & Work:

• Purchase our book, Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work
• Become a Women & Work partner

 

Lauren France, Founder, The Lydia Network

Lauren France is passionate about connecting other people's passions and resources to meet greater needs. As the Director of Development and Marketing at Equipping Leaders International, she forges meaningful relationships with donors and builds the organization's Annual Fund. 

About a year ago, Lauren founded The Lydia Network, a giving society of Christian women solving the global leadership crisis in the Church. This vibrant community funds the training of global church leaders across 38 nations in the global South. The Lydia Network funds critical initiatives but also nurtures a network of women committed to the discipleship of Christ. 

Lauren believes in a mission-driven approach to philanthropy that prioritizes donors' hearts and identity in Christ. She believes fundraising is, first and foremost, a ministry. When she's not listening to Mozart or boxing at the gym, Lauren is spending time with her husband Jake and her two precious toddlers, Amelia and Lydia. She resides in North Carolina.

In this episode, Lauren discusses:

—The Lydia Network, what it is, and how it came to be
—Who Lydia was in the Bible and how women today can become modern-day “Lydias”
—The urgency of the global leadership crisis among pastors
—How God can use women for His kingdom purposes around the world
—How to view fundraising from a more biblical perspective
—Tips and tools to help you succeed at fundraising

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
To join The Lydia Network: CLICK HERE 

Fundraising Resources:
DonorBox
Building a Case for Support
Building a Fundraising Plan
Webinar on Planning and Goal Setting for Nonprofit Fundraising 
Building a Communications Plan for Fundraising
A Spirituality of Fundraising: The Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series
In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character
None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing)

Follow The Lydia Network on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and thelydianetwork.com

Thank you for listening. If this content is helpful to you as you seek to live out your God-given calling to His glory, please donate today to help us continue to produce more inspiring content. Purchase our book, Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work.

 

Amy-Jo Girardier, Women’s Minister, Former Girls' Minister, Author

Amy-Jo Girardier loves getting to disciple girls and women in her local church. She has served as Girls Minister for 19 years at Brentwood Baptist in Brentwood, TN. She currently is serving as the Women’s Minister. She is an author of 3 Lifeway bible studies for teen girls and an upcoming contributor on a devotional for women. In addition to ministry, Amy-Jo loves all things technology, drinking coffee, running, serving on staff with her husband
Darrel and being with their two boys: Scout and Skylar. She is a graduate of Southwestern Theological Seminary.

In this episode, Courtney and Missie ask Am-Jo these questions:
—How did you first sense that you were called into ministry? 
—Tell us about your passion for teen girls. Why do you love this age in particular?
—What have you learned about the differences in the various generations: how they serve the Church, how to lead them well, how to wisely incorporate them into leadership, and how they show up in the workforce?
—How have you prepared your church as you have been a part of starting a women’s ministry from scratch?
—For those who may feel called to serve as a women’s minister on staff at a church, what should they expect? 
—What has helped you maintain such longevity in ministry? 
—Tell us about your newest Bible study.
—What is one final piece of advice you would leave with women who want to honor God through their vocational calling?

Resources Mentioned:
The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes
James - Teen Girls' Bible Study Book: Experience Abundant Life
Authentic Love - Bible Study for Girls: Christ, Culture, and the Pursuit of Purity
Faithful One - Teen Girls' Bible Study Book: A Study of 1 & 2 Thessalonians for Teen Girls

Follow Amy-Jo on Instagram.

Thanks for listening. Support our work by giving today and by subscribing to our show.

 

 

Kylie Collins, Walk With You Founder

Kylie was born and raised in the Midwest and currently resides in central Iowa with her husband of 9 years, Aaron, and their 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son. She holds a Bachelor of Science Nursing degree from the University of Iowa and began her nursing career in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, caring for its most vulnerable and critically ill babies. 

In the fall of 2022, she founded Walk With You and now works full-time, walking with families in their deepest and most desperate moments of grief - leading up to, during, and following the loss of their beloved child. 

Kylie is passionate about weaving together grief and the Gospel, being an advocate for women to fulfill their God-given callings, be that at home or in the workforce or some combination of the two, and working in secular spaces to see the Good News of Jesus Christ brought to everyone, everywhere.

 

LINKS:
Kylie on Instagram
Walk With You on Instagram
Walk With You Website

 

In this episode, Kylie shares:

— What it’s like being a NICU nurse

— How she has seen God use her specific gifting to serve parents of NICU babies in the hospital

— How the Women & Work Podcast is a part of her story of founding Walk With You

— The beautiful ways Walk With You serves parents who have lost a child

— How the gospel intersects with grief

— How she practices self-care so she can be faithful to the mission of Walk With You

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Women & Work Podcast:
Episode 19 Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher, Part 1
Episode 20 Elyse Fitzpatrick & Eric Schumacher, Part 2

Just Be Honest: How to Worship through Tears and Pray without Pretending
Therefore I Have Hope: 12 Truths That Comfort, Sustain, and Redeem in Tragedy
Every Moment Holy, Volume II: Death, Grief, & Hope
The Last Thing Sufferers Need to Hear, TGC article by Christ Davis
Resources on Grief and Suffering by Nancy Guthrie

Naná Castillo and Claudia Lotti, Co-authors of Toda Mulher Trabalha

Naná Castillo is the creator and mentor of the Filipenses Quatro Oito ministry (Philippians 4:8), which aims to transform the everyday lives of women through the truths of the gospel. She is a speaker, blogger, and co-author of the book Toda Mulher Trabalha (Every Woman Works). She is also a registered nurse with a master’s degree in pediatric nursing and a PhD in health sciences. She taught for years at a university before dedicating herself exclusively to ministry and her family. She lives with her husband and two children in São Paulo, Brazil, where they are members of the Igreja Batista Maranata. You can learn more about her and her ministry at @filipensesquatrooito or reach her at nana@filipensesquatrooito.com.

Claudia Lotti is a medical doctor specializing in neurology and a university professor. She grew up in a Christian home as the daughter of a minister in the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. She is a Sunday school teacher at her church and a Bible counselor. She began her public Bible teaching ministry in 2019. Claudia is married to Rinaldo, they have 3 children and live in Brazil.

Follow Naná on Instagram.
Follow Claudia on Instagram.

In this episode, Courtney and Missie asked Naná and Claudia these questions:  
—Claudia, how did God lead you to become a doctor and a professor?
—Nana, how did you transition from pediatric nursing and teaching to founding Filipenses Quatro Oito?
—What is Filipenses Quatro Oito, and how did it begin?
—How did you two meet? 
—What is Christian culture like in Brazil for women and particularly for women working outside the home?
—What did you learn about the Brazilian women who participated in the research you did in your book?
—Chapter 2 in your book is entitled (in English), “Created to Serve.” What is God’s design for women especially as it relates to what we’re called to do?
—What do you say to those who think a woman’s place is solely to bear children and tend to the home? How does the Bible validate women’s work outside the home?
—How do you both manage all of your God-given responsibilities well (serving family, women, patients, students)? 
—How should Christians respond to the frustrating moments in our work?
—How can we work for the glory of God instead of for our own names and recognition or as those striving out of fear?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Toda Mulher Trabalha 
Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work
La Mujer Y El Trabajo: Portadoras de la Imagen de Dios Y Unidas a Su Misión Mediante Nuestro Trabajo
The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference 2024
Nancy Guthrie

Thank you for listening. Please support our work by giving today and by subscribing to our show.

Courtney Doctor, Dir of Women's Initiatives at TGC

Courtney Doctor received an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary and currently serves as the Director of Women’s Initiatives for The Gospel Coalition. She is a Bible teacher and author of From Garden to Glory as well as several Bible studies including In View of God’s Mercies, Behold and Believe, and Remember Your Joy. Courtney and her husband Craig have four children and five beautiful grandchildren.

Follow Courtney on Instagram.
Visit courtneydoctor.org

In this episode, Courtney answered these questions from Courtney Moore and Missie Branch:

—How did God lead you to this point as the Director of Women’s Initiatives at TGC? 
—How would you encourage women trying to discern where God is leading them career-wise? 
—What are some of the difficult things you’ve experienced in ministry to women? How did you overcome those?
—As director, where do you see your gifting and daily tasks align? 
—How does your team decide on each TGC Women’s Conference theme such as “Behold & Believe?”
—For women who are looking to plan and host their own events or conferences, what should they know?
—What does it look like for you to prepare a message or write a curriculum/book? 
—How do you distinguish (or do you?) your own personal time with the Lord vs prep time for teaching/writing?
—How old were you when you published your first book? What should our younger listeners who’d like to publish know?
—How do you balance serving in a parachurch organization which may involve traveling, etc. vs serving in your local church?
—What’s 1 piece of advice you’d leave with women who want to honor God through their vocational calling?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The Working Genius Assessment
The Gospel Coalition Women’s Conference 2024
Shane & Shane’s “Behold & Believe” Song
Courtney’s TGCW ‘24 Message 

Thank you for listening. Please support our work by giving today and subscribing to our show.

 

Ask Us Anything, Courtney Moore and Missie Branch

Courtney Moore founded the nonprofit organization Women & Work in 2018. She is co-host of the Women & Work Podcast and general editor of Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work (B&H Publishing, 2023). Courtney received her BA in Religious Studies from the University of Mobile and an MA in Biblical Counseling from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is passionate about seeing Jesus Christ honored by women as they steward their gifts and leverage their unique potential for His glory. Courtney, her husband Brent, and their 3 kids now live in Birmingham, Alabama after serving for 5 years in El Paso, Texas.

Missie Branch serves as CEO of My BLVD and is a graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary with a degree in Ethics, Theology, and Culture. She is passionate about women seeing themselves as theologians and disciples first. Missie is the author of Guided Prayer Journal for teen girls and is a contributing author to Women & Work and The Whole Woman. She also serves as co-host of the Women & Work Podcast. Missie is married to Duce Branch and together they have four children.

In this episode, Courtney and Missie give life updates and answer these questions from listeners:

— How do you deal with male co-workers presenting your ideas as their own or as new insights they've come up with?
— Outside of treating people with kindness, what practical ways do you suggest bringing your faith into your workplace if you do not work for a Christian company? 
— As a mother who recognizes her first priority is to the family given to her by the Lord, how do you keep in check the balance of raising kids, but also pursuing the passions the Lord has given you?
— What is the Lord revealing to both of you through His Word?
— What are key practical steps that high-capacity women must take to increase their margin?

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Bible in 90 Days: Cover to Cover in 12 Pages a Day 
Wisdom's Call: 100 Meditations for a Life in Christ

The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction 
Women & Work Podcast Episode 56: Justin Earley, The Common Rule Book Discussion
Habit Kit app 
Guided Prayer Journal (For Teen Girls) 
The Whole Woman: Ministering to Her Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength 
Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work  

Thank you for listening. Please support our work by giving today.

 

Krystal Wilson, Former Police Officer

Krystal has been blessed to live a life full of experiences. She's a former D1 softball player, saved at age 23, a former police officer, mother of 2 on earth, 1 in heaven and 1 in the womb. She's worked in finances, been an event planner for a Southern Baptist seminary, and is currently a project manager for a pro-life, whole life Christian ministry.

 

In this episode, Krystal shares mostly about her time as a police officer. She discusses:

• What led her to desire this profession
• What police academy was like, especially as a woman
• What a typical day looks like as an officer
• How she viewed her work as a police officer through the lens of the kingdom of God
• How she responds to critiques that women should not serve in this role
• What the average citizen should know about this work

Thank you for listening. If this content is helpful to you as you seek to live out your God-given calling to His glory, purchase Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work, or donate today to help us continue to produce more inspiring content!

Whitney Pipkin, Journalist & Author

Whitney K. Pipkin is a journalist and writer living with her husband and three kids in Northern Virginia where they are members of Grace Bible Church. She serves as the written content coordinator for the ministry Women & Work and the author of We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us, releasing February 2024 from Moody Publishing. Find her @WhitneyKPipkin on Instagram and Twitter, and read more of her work at WhitneyKPipkin.com.

In this episode, host Missie Branch and Courtney Moore interview journalist and writer Whitney Pipkin. They discuss the importance of curiosity and hard work in journalism, the role of relationships in the industry, and Whitney's personal experiences with grief and loss. They also cover topics such as the presence of God in difficult times, the process of writing, and the challenges of balancing work and family life.

In this episode, Whitney shares about:

• The importance of curiosity and hard work in journalism
• Building relationships and maintaining connections in the industry
• Her personal experiences with grief and loss
• The process of writing and the role it plays in processing emotions
• Balancing work and family life with three young children

Read more of Whitney's work on the womenwork.net blog, including articles like Why You Need a Hard Stop, How to Think about Work When You Get Overlooked, and (Re)considering the Proverbial Woman.

Whitney's new book, We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us, will be released in February of 2024.

Thank you for listening. If this content is helpful to you as you seek to live out your God-given calling to His glory, purchase Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work, or donate today to help us continue to produce more inspiring content!

Caroline Cobb, Singer-Songwriter

Caroline Cobb is a singer-songwriter who before her 30th birthday, set a goal to write a song for every book of the Bible in one year. That year set a new calling into motion: to tell God's Story through music, helping you rehearse it and respond to it as you go about your everyday. 

 

Her latest album, Psalms, released in May of 2023. Before that, A King & His Kindness (2021), zoomed in on Jesus and built on Caroline’s previous Story-telling projects: A Seed, A Sunrise (2019), The Blood + the Breath (2013), and A Home & a Hunger (2017). 

 

Caroline has been featured by Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Risen Motherhood, and many more, with a Home & a Hunger being named among “The Best Albums of the 2010s Decade” by The Gospel Coalition. Caroline and her husband live in Dallas, TX with their three children Ellie, Harrison, and Libby. Listen to Caroline’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, and all other streaming services. 

 

In this episode, Caroline shares:

• How she began her work in music
• What she loves most about it
• Why storytelling is so important in music and art
• How she was led to focus on the Psalms for her latest album
• Her songwriting process
• Tips for women just starting out 
• How she manages her schedule with work, touring, being a mother

 

Thank you for listening. If this content is helpful to you as you seek to live out your God-given calling to His glory, purchase Women & Work: Bearing God’s Image and Joining in His Mission through our Work, or donate today to help us continue to produce more inspiring content!