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4word Blog

When My Church Community Let Me Down

"Community" is a buzzword we hear everywhere we turn. In the media today, we see examples of both good community and bad: the racial unrest plaguing America and much of the world on one side, and countries rallying behind their Olympic teams on the other. Every individual experiences many… Read More

War Against Your Family

Raising children in this present world can be a daunting task. As parents, you watch your children become exposed to and combat issues, situations, and temptations that you never would have seen when you were their age. How can you guide your family steadfastly through the muck and… Read More

Don’t Wait For Opportunity To Knock

When you’re a professional, your work schedule tends to dictate your personal schedule, which means you might not have as much time as you’d like to get involved in activities and organizations outside of your office. Reagan Cannon, Assistant Vice President for AT&T Call Centers, has expertly navigated… Read More

Strangers In Their Own Church

A hot topic among Christians lately has been single or childless women in the church and how they "fit in." Church small groups, classes, and weekly activities seem to cater either to men or stay-at-home moms. Everyone else in the congregation either gets clumped together into a generic… Read More

Look Out: Smart Christians Ahead

Most of what I really needed to know about operating a business I learned working at the family orchard and fruit stand starting around age five. Later in life, I also earned a degree from Harvard Business School. My time at Harvard was hard and wonderful, and I’m… Read More

The Church's Muddled Approach to Singles

Single working women in the church face pressures, anxieties, and possibilities that are endless. They have important stories to share with the church about God’s grace in the midst of conflicting and disempowering messages about stereotypical measurements of women's success: beauty, youthfulness, marital status, and bearing children. Today we… Read More

Does the Church Know How To Love Childless Women?

I read a pair of articles this week that touch on this topic from two very different perspectives. One from a married woman in her 40s who has struggled with infertility, and one from an unmarried 28-year-old. Both present a rather stark picture of just how lonely and… Read More

How to Build Real Community

Meet Kate Cavanaugh: National Business Development Officer for Stewart Information Services, mother of four and new wife of Chip Cavanaugh. She also just moved for the 27th (yes, you heard us correctly) time! Kate has led a working women’s Bible study for the past few years, and we… Read More

Making Space in the Church for Working Women

So often, we hear working women around the country lament that they cannot find a niche in their churches. Many of us here at 4word have felt the same, but we are glad to watch this trend changing. This week’s interview features a woman who is helping facilitate… Read More

Equipping Women Leaders

She led a corporate career at companies like Booz and Exxon. She even taught in Beth Moore’s Sunday School class. Now, Anita Carman is the Founder and President of Inspire Women, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that inspires women across ethnicities, denominations, and economic levels to connect their lives… Read More

Pressure to Be the Perfect Christian

Feeling like you have to put on a good show at church? There’s a fine line between wanting to do your best, and feeling like you need to be perfect. It’s pretty natural to want to put your best foot forward, but putting too much emphasis on the… Read More

Surviving as a Single in a New Church

Meet Jessica Bufkin. A former junior high English teacher, Jessica currently serves as Editor for SingleRoots, a website that encourages Christian singles to be intentional with their lives and offers many resources to assist them, including a free eBook, When Will I Get Married? This week, we chatted… Read More

Raising Middle Schoolers

As an area director for Young Life and step mother to two girls aged 17 and 20, LaTonya Stevenson has a good deal of experience with the challenges facing today’s middle schoolers. Last week, she shared some of her insight with us. -------------------- 4word: So you work at Dallas… Read More

Comparison: the Thief of Joy AND of Community

Today we’ll introduce you to Emily Rudolph. She’s been married to Travis for three years. Although working at a church wasn’t her plan, God led her to a position as Women’s Equipping Director at Watermark Church in Dallas, where she uses the gifts He has given her to… Read More

Without God in Your Heart…

Today, we continue our series with Sandra Crawford Williamson. The last two weeks, Sandra shared about wrestling with infertility; read part one and part two if you missed them. Today, Sandra shares how legalism affected her life and faith. -------------------- 4word: Tell us about the church you were… Read More

What a Difference Community Makes

Today, we’re introducing you to Mandy Castro (Jason Castro's wife). Mandy has a degree from OU inCommunication Sciences and Disorders (Speech Pathology) and a daughter named Madeline (pictured above).Mandy shared part of her story with us and told us how instrumental her disciplers and faith community have been… Read More

Don't Miss 'Em: Our Top 5 Interviews

Welcome to Wednesday, ladies. Did you know that last week we posted our 50th interview? To celebrate, we’re mixing things up a bit today and posting a list of our five favorite interviews from the past eleven months. Of course, we think all of the women we’ve interviewed… Read More

Alone in a (Church) Crowd

Feeling isolated at church? I go to a great church, one where I feel spiritually fed and uplifted every Sunday. But even though my church does a lot of things right, there have been times when I feel like people there, including the church leadership, just don’t “get”… Read More