Two ladies sat praying at a coffee shop table after one of them shared the challenges she is facing in her church.
In the resource center of an evangelical conference, women visited a table where they could browse through books and Bible studies, ask questions about the materials, and connect with someone who lives in their area for further support.
A weary pastor’s wife hung up the phone, encouraged by the call that just came from someone who just wanted to pray for her without knowing that prayer was needed at that exact moment.
An excited young mom was nervous about attending a women’s conference where she would not know anyone, but then she got a phone call from someone who thanked her for registering, offered to pray for her, and invited her to meet up in person at the conference, and suddenly she didn’t feel quite so alone.
A group of women’s ministry leaders, previously unknown to one another, sat in a restaurant for hours, amazed at the instant friendship they found when they were brought together by their Revive Our Hearts area Ambassador.
What do these scenarios all have in common? They are all true stories of how God used my role as a Revive Our Hearts Ambassador to minister to pastors’ wives and leaders in my state.
The Revive Our Hearts Ambassador team exists to connect, encourage, and equip leaders to build up the body of Christ.
We are leaders connecting leaders, and we do this in a variety of ways, including but not limited to the examples above. I became an Ambassador for Kentucky in April 2015, and I have seen God open doors for me to connect with women to encourage and pray for their various ministries. But it’s not just in Kentucky. We currently have forty-four Ambassadors serving in nineteen states and eight countries. We recently interviewed three of them from around the United States and asked them to share some of their experiences with us.
Tell me a little bit about how you decided to apply for the Ambassador program:
Julie Clum, GA: I had been listening to ROH podcasts since 2013, and my husband and I came to a recording of the program last year. There I met an Ambassador from Georgia who explained the Ambassador ministry to me. We were given a tour and were so impressed by the obvious hand of God in this ministry. I think being in that setting and seeing what God was doing all over the world through Revive Our Hearts revived my heart. It was like watching a train rush by, and I had the opportunity to jump on board. God gave me a burden early on for ladies, and I feel He has been preparing me for this my whole life. I grew up in a pastor’s home and see the need for a ministry to pastors’ wives and women’s leaders.
Beth Ask, PA: I had been following Revive Our Hearts for many years and noticed information in the Revive Our Hearts newsletter for seeking women interested in serving as an Ambassador. My first child would soon be leaving the nest. This would free up some of my time, so I was looking to fill that time with what the Lord would have me do in this next season of life. After much prayer and asking my husband and a few friends to pray for me, I decided to apply.
What was the week of training like?
Julie: Wow! It was great being with like-minded ladies, making new friends, and getting even more of a burden for what I would be doing. We learned so many things during those days, but it wasn’t just four days of training. It was a time of seeking the Lord through prayer together on our knees. I appreciate the approach that the leaders in this ministry take. There is an attitude of letting God lead and choose our path. We did “Box Talks” (a method used to introduce ourselves), were trained in the goals and the how-tos of the ministry, received computer training, were given a guided tour, and had lots of great food and fellowship with each other and with those who work at the ministry. It was a great week!
Can you tell me a specific story of how you have seen God at work through your role as an Ambassador?
Liz Rauh, TX: I worked at the Revive Our Hearts booth with another Ambassador at a local conference in 2018. I put a piece of paper on the table, inviting the local women to sign up if they were interested in meeting with me later to do a Bible study together. Ten women signed up, and several of us began True Woman 101. One lady, Yeni, was immediately impacted by the truths she discovered as she read what God has to say about biblical womanhood. Her husband and her pastor noticed the effect this study was having on her life and encouraged her to share it with the women in her church. Before we even completed our own study, she had already begun leading a group of women from her church through it. After that study was completed, she began leading a group of her friends from another state through the study on Facebook. She has now led six groups of women through True Woman 101.
Beth: I invited a group of women to a local coffee shop, most of whom were familiar with Revive Our Hearts. It was exciting to see the ladies sharing ministry ideas, joys, and challenges. One of these ladies had written a book. Another lady was organizing her church’s women’s retreat, and she ended up asking the author to speak at the retreat. These two ladies did not know each other before this gathering, but God had arranged this time together. One woman was able to organize a speaker for the retreat, and the other was given the opportunity to teach at the retreat! As an Ambassador, I was blessed to be used by God to connect these two ministry leaders together!
What has been a challenge in your role as an Ambassador?
Liz: Time management. There are so many names to contact, so much I could do. I have to remember that I am serving Christ and loving people, not checking off names on a checklist. As an Ambassador, God has given me opportunities to reach women in my own backyard and to love them as they are serving Him. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but I don’t have to know everything. I just have to be willing to reach out, and God does the rest. I have also seen some resistance to the message of biblical womanhood. One leader received encouragement to begin the True Woman 101 study in her church, but she was not able to complete it because there were some who were upset by the content.
Beth: My biggest challenge is knowing what to do next! This is a fun and interesting challenge, in that this ministry is so led by the Holy Spirit. It’s being sensitive to where the Lord is working and how He wants to use me in that plan. It definitely involves lots of prayer!
What are you asking God to do in your area through the Ambassador program?
Beth: I’m asking Him to reach more women with the message of biblical womanhood, women of all ages. We need to reach the next generation with this message, too! How wonderful it would be to see more women mentoring others to share how they have grown in the Lord, how the Lord has strengthened them, and how they are helping other women grow in their faith by sharing their experiences of Christian growth.
Julie: I am praying God will lead me to the ladies that need to be encouraged, and praying that He is preparing hearts to receive Scripture and to be willing to let me pray for them. I’m praying for victories to be seen in these leaders’ lives and that God would help me to connect them with each other. I’m praying that they could be encouraged through interaction with each other and through the resources of ROH. I am also praying that God would raise up more Ambassadors. My heart is burdened for states that have none. Since I’ve become an Ambassador, I’ve heard of three specific ladies—one each in New Mexico, Washington, and Utah—who lead women’s groups and have needs, but there are no Ambassadors in their states.
What would you say to someone who is considering applying to become an Ambassador?
Liz: I would encourage her to really find out all she can about what an Ambassador is and does. Also, I would talk with her about the differences between someone who simply volunteers to help out at a ministry and someone who is called by God to join the ministry in a specific role. After she knows this is a call she can't ignore, then she should begin the application process, and if accepted, she should work at it with the strength that God provides. There will be rewarding moments as she ministers, but she should remember her ultimate reward is in heaven!
Julie: I would tell her the same thing that was said to me: contact an Ambassador, and ask her about the Ambassador program. She will help answer your questions and pray with you. After that, seek the Lord for at least a month to see if this is how He is leading you. God will show you if this is His calling for you.
Beth: Seek the Lord’s direction. Familiarize yourself with the Ambassador program. Talk to your state Ambassador, or contact Revive Our Hearts, and they will put you in touch with an Ambassador. Ask others, including your husband, to pray for wisdom as to whether or not this is where the Lord would have you serve. If the Lord is leading you to serve say “Yes” to Him, trust that He will equip you with everything you need. He is faithful!
These ladies and their stories are only a fraction of what God is doing through the Ambassador program.
Nehemiah 2:18 says, “And they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ So they strengthened their hands for the good work.” In the following chapters of Nehemiah, as it lists those who worked to rebuild the wall, it says multiple times that the people repaired the portion of the wall that was beside their own house. That is the foundation of the Ambassador program.
As Ambassadors, we constantly pray that God would connect us with the leaders and influencers in our own cities and states that need encouragement, prayer, and resources to help them in their work, and that He would raise up more women who are called to serve in this specific way.
Maybe you are feeling weary in the battle or like you are the only leader in your city who longs to see women impacted by solid truth and doctrine. There are Ambassadors who would love to connect with you, even if there is no Ambassador in your state.
Or, maybe you read the responses from these Ambassadors and sense that God may be calling you to step out and serve in this way. We would love to hear from you! Whether you want to connect with an Ambassador or become one, you can find out how to reach us through the Ambassador page on the Revive Our Hearts website.
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