On today’s episode of the Journeywomen podcast, I chatted with Kristie Anyabwile about what to do when church gets hard. We ran the gamut on what kind of stuff makes church difficult and why it’s important that we press in, even when it’s challenging.   Kristie is a pastor's wife, mom, Bible teacher and author of His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God, which will be released in September. She works with the Charles Simeon Trust as the Associate Director of Women's Workshops, helping to equip women Bible teachers. She joyfully supports her husband of 27 years, Thabiti, as he pastors Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC. KRISTIE’S RESOURCES What Is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti M. Anyabwile The Compelling Community: Where God's Power Makes a Church Attractive by Mark Dever Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul David Tripp KRISTIE’S SIMPLE JOYS Earl Grey tea Snickers Cooking   CONNECT WITH KRISTIE Twitter DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Use 3-5 words to describe your personal experience with church over your lifetime. What would it look like to engage in church while working through the things that can make church hard? How can you exhort and encourage those in your circle to engage in church when it is hard? How have you seen God’s provision for you through hard times? What role did the Church play? How have you seen God use your pain and hard times to minister to others? What are you going to do or implement as a result of what you’ve learned this week?   SPONSORSHIP DETAILS Crossway's new book called Competing Spectacles by Tony Reinke helps us stop and consider what consequences the world's never-ending stream of digital images has on our minds. Reinke is the author of 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You. In this book, he invites us to ask ourselves hard questions about how our digital habits affect how we view Jesus stabilizes. Learn more about Competing Spectacles and find other resources at Crossway.org/Journeywomen2. FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription box, with full size beauty, fitness and lifestyle products. Each box retails for $49.99 but always has a value over $200. To check it out, go to fabfitfun.com and use the code JOURNEY so you can save $10 off your first box. Westrock Coffee works with farmers on a personal level to help them grow high-quality coffee. They use direct trade to cultivate long-term relationships with the farmers who grow Westrock Coffee. You can find Westrock Coffee at a local Kroger, Bed Bath and Beyond, or go to Westrockcoffee.com to find out where to buy Westrock Coffee near you.   FOR MORE EPISODES OF JOURNEYWOMEN:   SUBSCRIBE Subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to the Journeywomen Podcast. On Android, click this podcast RSS feed link and select your podcast app. You may need to copy the link into your favorite podcast app (like Overcast or Stitcher).   WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other women on their journeys to glorify God find and utilize the podcast as a resource.   FOLLOW JOURNEYWOMEN Like/follow Journeywomen on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for the latest updates.   *Affiliate links used are used where appropriate. Thank you for supporting the products that support Journeywomen!