Christina Fox, Author at Women.pcacdm.org

Sowing in Tears

GINNY VROBLESKY|GUEST He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. Psalm 126: 6 (NIV) I remember sitting at my computer quietly weeping. I had been unemployed for quite a while. Job hunting has always been one of the hardest things in my life. I felt as though I did not fit anywhere. I had prayed, asking God for help, when suddenly, the phone rang. It was someone I had never met calling from a different state. He was involved in campus ministry and was planning to use some work that I had done years before. I was amazed and touched that God had him call just when I needed some encouragement. But the best was yet to come. He also sent me an email which included some verses from Psalm 126. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. Sowing while Weeping At first, I thought those verses applied to persevering when life seemed to be hard. Send out those resumes and keep knocking on doors. But as I have studied this psalm, I have realized that much more is involved. The song is about people who have returned from exile to the longed-for land of promise. In the beginning, they could not believe what had happened: We were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter. They saw what the Lord had done for them. They were where God had led them. Even though I was looking for a new job, I too was where God had led me...

Sowing in TearsChristina Fox2025-10-24T17:22:34+00:00

Pastor Appreciation Month: Creative Ways to Show Your Gratitude

BETHANY BELUE | CONTRIBUTOR “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!” Anne of Anne of Green Gables gleefully made this statement as the season changed on beautiful Prince Edward Island in the iconic 1980s movie. Although it might be remembered as a funny statement from a silly adolescent girl in a movie, I don’t think Anne is alone in her sentiments about the month. October is a month that many anticipate with cooler temperatures, pumpkin patches, changing leaves, and the cozy feeling that comes with a new season. Although there is much to anticipate about this month, there is something in our churches that we also have the opportunity to celebrate. October has long been known in the local church as “Pastor Appreciation Month.” I grew up with my dad as my pastor. I remember every October, when Pastor Appreciation Month rolled around, a few of the ruling elders would come to the front and take a few minutes of the service to show appreciation to my dad. I have memories as a young girl of them recognizing him as their pastor and leader of our church. It wasn’t that my dad wasn’t thanked or celebrated at other times in the year, but I have very specific memories of October being set aside as special. My dad is now retired, but when October rolls around each year, I’m reminded of those memories and often think about how it impacted him and our family. Pastors play a lot of roles in a church. They prepare weekly to preach God’s Word to the congregation (sometimes multiple times). They shepherd the hearts of the congregants. They counsel hard situations in people's lives. They reach out to the community to connect with those outside the church. They also often complete many administrative tasks that are very rarely known or seen. The role of a pastor is not 8-5, but can often include early mornings and late nights, interrupted meals, and missed bedtimes with children. But my guess is if you asked your pastor why he signed up for the role, he would say something to the effect of “because God called me to it.” My husband is the assistant pastor at our church, and there have been times I have asked him during hard weeks, “Do you think you want to keep doing this?” Even on the hardest days, his response is always a yes!—not because it’s easy, but because he knows the Lord has called him to this role and the Lord is using him!...

Pastor Appreciation Month: Creative Ways to Show Your GratitudeChristina Fox2025-10-03T20:08:41+00:00

Telling the Reformation Story to Our Children

SHERRY KENDRICK | GUEST A year ago, I had the privilege of going on a Reformation tour with fifty people from my church. Several pastors who had both interest and training in church history served as guides. It was a wonderful learning experience for me and deepened my faith. The more I learned about the Reformation, the more I came to treasure the power of God’s Word, the gift of salvation by grace alone, and the steadfast courage needed to stand for gospel truth. This year’s Reformation Sunday is October 26, and I find myself asking: how do we pass this history on to our children? The Protestant Reformation is a story of God’s faithfulness to His church—and it is a story worth telling them. What Was the Reformation? The beginning of the Reformation usually dates to October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther, a German monk, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The 95 Theses was a list of Luther’s arguments against the Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences—which were like "get out of jail free" cards for sins—often sold for money to raise funds for the church. The Protestant Reformation would continue for over 130 years throughout all of Europe. There were many “reformers,” men and women, who with courage stood in the face of persecution and death for believing the five key truths that came from the Reformation. They are known as the Five Solas: Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone Sola Fide – Faith alone Sola Gratia – Grace alone Solus Christus – Christ alone Soli Deo Gloria – To God alone be the glory To prepare for the Reformation tour, my pastor recommended reading The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation by Michael Reeves. He describes the Reformation as a fire that could not be put out—a flame of gospel truth blazing across Europe. That imagery has stayed with me. It is my heart’s desire for the flame of these gospel truths to burn in me and into the hearts of the children we are discipling today...

Telling the Reformation Story to Our ChildrenChristina Fox2025-10-03T19:48:25+00:00

The Faithfulness of God in the Fall of Life

ELIZABETH TURNAGE | CONTRIBUTOR “For everything there is a season, and a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecc. 3:1). Golden yellows, flaming oranges, deep burgundies — the brilliant leaves dance in the wind, announcing the change of season. Sunflower wreaths adorn neighborhood doors; coffee shops beckon with pumpkin spice lattes. Where I live, in the humid South, the dripping heat has relented to slightly drier air. What’s not to love about fall? We love fall, but we know, as Robert Frost reminded us, that “nothing gold can stay.” With shorter daylight hours will come the browning and furling of the leaves, and within a matter of days, a cool wind will loosen their dried-up grip on the branches, and they will slowly fall to the earth, returning to dust. Fall means glorious light and color; fall hints at the winter withering to come. Indeed, as the cynical Preacher of Ecclesiastes suggests, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecc. 3:1)....

The Faithfulness of God in the Fall of LifeChristina Fox2025-09-27T13:21:26+00:00

Welcome Them In: Extending Gospel Hospitality to Our Children

LISA UPDIKE | GUEST They are everywhere in our church. Probably yours too. Running in the lobby. Dropping Cheerios on the carpet. Hiding under the bulletin table. They are adorable. Energetic. Messy. Noisy. And a valued part of the covenant community that will not be ignored. Who are they? Our children! The Bible tells us that children are a blessing from God. Their chubby-cheeked, smiling faces melt our hearts. Of course, we love our children—most of the time—however; if we are honest, I think many of us have felt frustrated with the general commotion that accompanies them. Trying to listen to the sermon with a wiggly whispering seven-year-old behind you in the pew is downright distracting. The Call to Welcome Children Yet Scripture makes it abundantly clear that our attitude toward children is to be two-fold. First, we are to welcome them into the worship of Jesus. We read in three out of the four gospels that Jesus commanded His disciples to let the little children come to him. (Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). Essentially, Jesus was declaring that children are to be welcomed and even valued. “For such is the Kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14) is a bold statement. We are wise to take notice...

Welcome Them In: Extending Gospel Hospitality to Our ChildrenChristina Fox2025-09-27T13:09:43+00:00

Her View from the Pew: Reflections from a Pastor’s Wife

KATIE POLSKI | CONTRIBUTOR I was twenty-three years old, had a two-year-old and a two-month-old, and my husband had just started a new position as a senior pastor at a church where I knew no one. Just weeks into our new calling, I snuck away for a few minutes of quiet while the kids played in my husband’s new office. Sitting in the pew of the quiet sanctuary, I took in my surroundings, reflecting on the weight and wonder of this new calling as “pastor’s wife.” Fast forward nearly twenty-five years, when I found myself in a time of similar contemplation. Sitting in the pew of our church, the surroundings had changed—we were at a different church, and I was in a new life stage—but the emotions of carrying the title of “pastor’s wife” were as familiar and raw as they were so many years ago. Whether you’re serving in a church you’ve known your whole life or one that’s completely new; whether ministry is part of your family’s legacy or something you’re the first to step into; or whether your congregation is overflowing with people or faithfully pressing on in small numbers—the role of pastor’s wife carries a common thread. In all these varied settings and differing seasons, every pastor’s wife can be encouraged by the same thing: Jesus’ kindness in the calling. The Hidden Burden and the Beautiful Calling In my own life, the burdens haven’t changed much through the years. Early in our ministry, I accompanied my husband to the home of grieving parents who had lost their child. As the mother practically collapsed in my arms, I had the thought, “Why am I here?” It felt almost intrusive to step into such tender grief when I barely knew the family. And yet, she wept in my arms. Why am I here? Why am I sitting in a room for a memorial service in memory of a mother I did not know. Why am I invited to a wedding of a couple I only met once? Why am I here, bearing the weight from a difficult session meeting?...

Her View from the Pew: Reflections from a Pastor’s WifeChristina Fox2025-09-21T15:18:16+00:00

Held in His Truth: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness

KATHRYN MANN | GUEST Editor's Note: The following contains Kathryn's story about miscarriage. “Kathryn, it’s not looking good today.” These words still haunt me today. Several months ago, I was eight weeks pregnant. Just a few days earlier, my husband and I had gone in for our first appointment. We were full of nerves and excitement. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. What a privilege to hear our baby’s heart beating–a heart so small yet so strong, creating the most exquisite melody. After a little symptom scare, I went back to the clinic to hear the worst news possible. My baby’s heart had stopped beating. I proclaim God’s goodness every day. Even when my father passed away two years ago, I felt my faith strengthened, and I wanted to encourage others more than ever to trust Him. But the death of my baby shook me. As a mother, you are deeply bonded to your baby from the beginning, and the loss of a baby in the womb is the heartbreaking loss of your child. To the eyes of the world, I do not look like a mother. I have no baby bump. I have no baby in my arms. I do not carry around a diaper bag. Rather, I despair the emptiness of my womb, my arms long to hold my baby, and I carry the weight of grief on my shoulders. From the very moment I found out I was growing a babe in my womb, I never ceased praying for my baby, especially for my baby’s heart. Lord, keep that heart growing and beating strong. And then to hear the heart was beating no more…why had God not answered my prayers?...

Held in His Truth: Pregnancy and Infant Loss AwarenessChristina Fox2025-09-21T15:08:02+00:00

Welcoming Others with Gospel Hospitality

BETHANY BELUE | CONTRIBUTOR When I was in my twenties, I was mentored by a woman in the church where I was on staff. What began as a babysitting job turned into a lasting friendship. She was a mom of three small children with a husband who worked long hours. Often, our conversations occurred during dinner and bath time with small children, while folding laundry, or during a walk to pick up a child from an activity. While I met with her regularly for prayer and counsel, receiving much wisdom from her, I mostly remember how she welcomed me into her home and her life. She likely thought that those moments together were loud and messy, while in my heart, I felt seen and welcomed into the mess with her. She showed me (and continues to show me) gospel hospitality. The Greatest Commandment One of the most well-known passages in the Bible is found in Mark 12:30-31: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” This command speaks two important truths: love the Lord first and love others as yourself. As believers, we are called to not only love the Lord but to love others around us. A very specific way we can do this is by showing hospitality. The Challenge of Gospel Hospitality When we hear the word “hospitality,” we may think only of inviting people into our home. The thought of doing so may create a feeling of panic deep within us as we think about cleaning the house or fixing an elaborate meal. Hospitality can feel risky as we think about letting strangers and even friends in our homes and our lives. But gospel hospitality says nothing about a clean house or fancy meals. In fact, nothing about the gospel is fancy or flashy. The gospel is good news. It is the message of Jesus loving us enough to leave the glory of Heaven and die on the cross for our sins. Everything about this act of Jesus was messy and sacrificial. The gospel says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Living a gospel-centered life puts others first and gives us the opportunity to show our love to friends, neighbors, and strangers...

Welcoming Others with Gospel HospitalityChristina Fox2025-09-13T14:43:22+00:00

The Surprising Relevance of Haggai and Malachi

CHRISTINE GORDON | CONTRIBUTOR Most believers I know don’t regularly quote from Haggai or hang verses from Malachi on their bathroom mirror to be memorized while brushing their teeth. And yet these books sit in the Bible just like Romans or Genesis, important enough to claim a spot in God’s Word. I read through them last year in my annual whirlwind tour of the Bible. And honestly, I didn’t understand much more about them when I was finished reading than I did before I started. With phrases like, “Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel” and “I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated,” these books seemed a little bit like fossils I didn’t have the tools to excavate. But then I began to study them. Turns out, they’re relevant. Wrong Priorities Once I got past the strange names and read some explanation of their context, I found myself relating to God’s people in these books. In Haggai, the people of Judah had gotten their priorities messed up. God called them to rebuild His house, but they were too caught up in their own personal house beautification projects to build the temple. It took God calling out their sin to get their attention. They knew what they were supposed to be doing but were apathetic/too busy/preoccupied. God named their failure. But instead of leaving them in shame, He then promised to be with them as they worked. He stirred their spirits, rousing them to obedience. God’s people built His temple and again had the privilege of coming close to the “God of angel armies” as He’s frequently called in Haggai. We haven’t been called to build God’s physical temple. Instead of needing a building to be near God, God has come near to us in the person of Jesus. By His Spirit, we enjoy His constant presence. But we have been called to build His kingdom so that others might also know His presence and worship Him. We know this, but struggle to put God’s kingdom first. Between children’s doctor appointments, Amazon returns, and work responsibilities, it’s easy for us to have our priorities mixed up like the people of Haggai’s day. The kingdom of God sometimes becomes something we set to the side. We put off the things of God until we feel more settled in all the other parts of life. Giving financially, discipling others, and serving the body of Christ in other ways all take time and planning. We often give that time and attention to other things. We prioritize our own desires and decide we’ll get to God’s kingdom later. We get distracted by all kinds of things – even good things. Weeks or months can pass before we realize God’s kingdom and His call to invest in it has been put aside. But God doesn’t put His people aside....

The Surprising Relevance of Haggai and MalachiChristina Fox2025-09-13T13:36:55+00:00

Why Attend Leadership Training

CATHE CLEVELAND|GUEST If you serve in women's ministry, you may or may not know about the PCA's annual Women's Ministry Leadership Conference, what many affectionately call, "LT." It is not hyperbole to say that the PCA has led the way in providing focused training and resources for women’s ministry and for women who serve in any type of leadership role. You may not know what LT is all about and why you should attend. You might think your role in your ministry isn't significant enough to merit attending or perhaps your ministry is chugging along just fine, and you doubt you'll benefit from it. Or maybe you think you'll be the only one there whose ministry has struggled just to get off the ground. Whatever the state of your ministry, there are important things you can gain from LT as a leader in women's ministry. My favorite definition of a leader is: a person who influences people to accomplish a purpose. There are three parts to this definition: the person leading, the people they lead, and the purpose they accomplish. The action in this definition is to influence. Even if you have a grand purpose, you are not a leader if you have no people you are influencing. If you have the wrong destination in mind, you might have some great relationships, and maybe even conduct some wonderful events, but you are not really leading anyone to a place they should be. There are situations such as the military or law enforcement, where leaders legitimately use some level of authority or force to compel other people to accomplish some purpose even if they would not want to otherwise. But effective ministry leaders influence others to develop proper motivation so that they desire to work towards accomplishing the purpose together....

Why Attend Leadership TrainingChristina Fox2025-09-12T12:13:26+00:00

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