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Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away
USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller
An honest exploration of disappointment with the Church, Raised to Stay is for anyone weary of God’s people but longing to keep their faith in God.
God might seem silent right now. God’s people might seem not worth the wounds. But hold on as Natalie Runion embarks on a journey for all who are wandering, wondering, and wrestling. Together, we will move toward trusting God again, knowing that even though Christian community may fail us, the love of God never fails.
When we say yes to God, we don’t say yes to church politics, ladder climbing, or burnout. We say yes to Jesus. We say yes to hope. We say yes to much that we can still embrace. Through honest words and deeply personal story, Runion challenges us to be part of a generation known for the passionate pursuit of Christ. To be remembered for loving one another, forgiving one another, and persevering with one another in our hunger for God.
We aren’t quitters. We are the stayers.
An honest exploration of disappointment with the Church, Raised to Stay is for anyone weary of God’s people but longing to keep their faith in God.
God might seem silent right now. God’s people might seem not worth the wounds. But hold on as Natalie Runion embarks on a journey for all who are wandering, wondering, and wrestling. Together, we will move toward trusting God again, knowing that even though Christian community may fail us, the love of God never fails.
When we say yes to God, we don’t say yes to church politics, ladder climbing, or burnout. We say yes to Jesus. We say yes to hope. We say yes to much that we can still embrace. Through honest words and deeply personal story, Runion challenges us to be part of a generation known for the passionate pursuit of Christ. To be remembered for loving one another, forgiving one another, and persevering with one another in our hunger for God.
We aren’t quitters. We are the stayers.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2023
265 people are currently reading
1076 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
August 15, 2023
Runion will hopefully find her audience among those tempted to give up on the church, and perhaps some will stay and praise God if her words can help them do that.
I found this book difficult to enjoy for several reasons. First, she cares more about alliteration than careful exegesis, and she is far too eager to use her own life as a roadmap for others. Also, I have a distaste for books that use first person plural (we, us) as if I’m feeling what she’s feeling and she can presume to know my motives. And I don’t trust people who tell me that I am the characters in the Bible. I didn’t keep records, but I recall her telling me that maybe I was a Joseph, a Peter, a Moses, or that people out to hurt me were my Judas, etc.
Mostly, though, I was turned off by her personal examples. She writes a chapter about not quitting, but the chapter’s main content is the story of how she quit a job… but, like, stayed a few extra weeks to make sure she transitioned well. In fact, she had a lot of examples of quitting considering it was a book about staying. She quit her church, even though her dad was the pastor, and she remains confident she could not have grown had she not left. She puts too much emphasis on changing circumstances and not enough on how God can teach us and shape us even in our current circumstances. Perhaps she was trying to highlight that she stayed in the faith even while she moved jobs and churches. However, I’m not going to be able to recommend this book to my friends. I know many people who’ve showed incredible perseverance and faith in God as they have stayed through challenging ministry seasons, and I’d prefer their wisdom about staying over Runion’s any day.
She’s eager and wants to help, and I appreciate that. She just comes off as someone who has spoken about herself far more than she’s listened to others, and this almost reads more like an apologetic for her life’s choices to describe how a life of leaving for greener pastures was ACTUALLY a form of staying.
I found this book difficult to enjoy for several reasons. First, she cares more about alliteration than careful exegesis, and she is far too eager to use her own life as a roadmap for others. Also, I have a distaste for books that use first person plural (we, us) as if I’m feeling what she’s feeling and she can presume to know my motives. And I don’t trust people who tell me that I am the characters in the Bible. I didn’t keep records, but I recall her telling me that maybe I was a Joseph, a Peter, a Moses, or that people out to hurt me were my Judas, etc.
Mostly, though, I was turned off by her personal examples. She writes a chapter about not quitting, but the chapter’s main content is the story of how she quit a job… but, like, stayed a few extra weeks to make sure she transitioned well. In fact, she had a lot of examples of quitting considering it was a book about staying. She quit her church, even though her dad was the pastor, and she remains confident she could not have grown had she not left. She puts too much emphasis on changing circumstances and not enough on how God can teach us and shape us even in our current circumstances. Perhaps she was trying to highlight that she stayed in the faith even while she moved jobs and churches. However, I’m not going to be able to recommend this book to my friends. I know many people who’ve showed incredible perseverance and faith in God as they have stayed through challenging ministry seasons, and I’d prefer their wisdom about staying over Runion’s any day.
She’s eager and wants to help, and I appreciate that. She just comes off as someone who has spoken about herself far more than she’s listened to others, and this almost reads more like an apologetic for her life’s choices to describe how a life of leaving for greener pastures was ACTUALLY a form of staying.
April 18, 2023
This book and the author’s little black boxes on Instagram are words every single person who was wounded and abused by the church needs to hear. The Lord has used Natalie’s personal testimonies to help me feel seen and has named the shameful situations I was fearful to name. I’m in year 32 of ministry and “Raised To Stay” has empowered and liberated my soul while prompting me to embrace my Rock Ram self. If you’ve been silently existing due to church disappointment, you’ll be biblically encouraged after reading this book. If you’re harboring bitterness due to church pain, be ready to heal and be relieved of the anger. I highly recommend church leadership read this cover to cover so that you’ll have a staff that is proactive to help those wounded by a place where wounds shouldn’t exist. As a R2S cohort participant, I’m blessed even more by Natalie’s weekly videos, homework and monthly Zoom meetings. Get this book or gift this book to an injured soul as it’s full of hope and will help navigate the healing journey.
July 6, 2023
Reading simply the title of this book might lead you to think that it’s a book about toughing it out through church hurt from someone who doesn’t know your story. And it’s true, the author doesn’t know every single person’s story. But she writes this as someone who has endured her own pains from the church. Natalie tells her story with honesty and transparency. She calls out the wrong the church has done/is doing, but she also calls up the reader to healing and freedom. She does it with grace, truth, understanding and wisdom. Natalie’s voice is one that needs to be heard right now. The book was salve to some deep wounds. It held convictions for my hard heart. It was tender in all the right spots. Can’t recommend enough.
Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy.
Thank you to the author for an advanced reader copy.
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March 13, 2024Had to dnf. This just wasn’t it imo.
October 15, 2023
Very helpful for ANYONE in ministry, whether vocational or not. You don’t have to agree with all doctrine to gain some real encouragement and fuel to persevere from this book. Also, if you’re on Instagram, this is a good account to follow.
July 31, 2023
I truly loved much of this book. The first few chapters really spoke to me and brought me to tears more than once. I enjoyed the energy and motivation throughout.
A few things knocked it down to three stars for me:
The frequent use of the term “church hurt” — this expression in general can feel dismissive, used to minimize the deep wounds caused by spiritual abuse and coverups in the church.
The Judas chapter — this chapter seemed to lack understanding of abuse dynamics and trauma. The sin-leveling, warnings against “bitterness,” and admonishing of readers to “lay down their rights” read like a long string of trite Facebook memes.
A red flag — the author admonishes readers to not “gossip” about their hurtful experiences to anyone except one or two trusted mentors or authorities. While I agree that gossip is wrong and hurtful, speaking truth about your experiences to warn others, report abuse, or defend your integrity/reputation/safety is not gossip. Anytime I see a church leader warning people not to “gossip” about their hurt, I wonder what they are trying to hide. (That is not an insinuation about the author at all, just a red flag in general.)
All that said, there really are a lot of positive things to be said about this book. I loved her heart for the underdog and abused. I appreciated what she said about “moving isn’t quitting.” I appreciated her emphasis on clinical counseling and mental health. I enjoyed her story and her vulnerability, and I could relate to her quite a bit.
If you’re in a place on your spiritual journey where you’ve been hurt but had to time rest and heal and are looking for some encouragement to get back out there, Raised to Stay may be that last-ditch motivational speech you need to get up and try again.
If you’re in a place of deep hurt or disillusionment and needing someone to simply sit with you, empathize with you, or offer you trauma informed words of healing, this book may feel instead like a judgmental scolding.
I would recommend balancing this book with Rebecca Davis’s book series, Untwisting Scriptures.
A few things knocked it down to three stars for me:
The frequent use of the term “church hurt” — this expression in general can feel dismissive, used to minimize the deep wounds caused by spiritual abuse and coverups in the church.
The Judas chapter — this chapter seemed to lack understanding of abuse dynamics and trauma. The sin-leveling, warnings against “bitterness,” and admonishing of readers to “lay down their rights” read like a long string of trite Facebook memes.
A red flag — the author admonishes readers to not “gossip” about their hurtful experiences to anyone except one or two trusted mentors or authorities. While I agree that gossip is wrong and hurtful, speaking truth about your experiences to warn others, report abuse, or defend your integrity/reputation/safety is not gossip. Anytime I see a church leader warning people not to “gossip” about their hurt, I wonder what they are trying to hide. (That is not an insinuation about the author at all, just a red flag in general.)
All that said, there really are a lot of positive things to be said about this book. I loved her heart for the underdog and abused. I appreciated what she said about “moving isn’t quitting.” I appreciated her emphasis on clinical counseling and mental health. I enjoyed her story and her vulnerability, and I could relate to her quite a bit.
If you’re in a place on your spiritual journey where you’ve been hurt but had to time rest and heal and are looking for some encouragement to get back out there, Raised to Stay may be that last-ditch motivational speech you need to get up and try again.
If you’re in a place of deep hurt or disillusionment and needing someone to simply sit with you, empathize with you, or offer you trauma informed words of healing, this book may feel instead like a judgmental scolding.
I would recommend balancing this book with Rebecca Davis’s book series, Untwisting Scriptures.
August 3, 2023
Great exhortation to the Church. Despite how people are, God does not fail us. Ever.
December 26, 2023
I received this book for free from Jentzen Franklin’s church. I like Natalie Runion, but I just wasn’t the intended audience for this book.
August 28, 2023
I’ve really resonated with some of the authors posts on Instagram so I was eager to read her first book. It felt quite charismatic for me… the word “assignment” was used a lot. Like oddly so. I was a bit confused with her examples of calling people Judas or Paul and her words tried a bit too hard to be poetic.
The validation she’s offering on church hurt is good! How despite it all we should not leave the Church or it’s Savior is solid and encouraging but the execution was lacking.
The validation she’s offering on church hurt is good! How despite it all we should not leave the Church or it’s Savior is solid and encouraging but the execution was lacking.
September 15, 2023
There were some parts that def brought healthy tears, I didn’t know I was harboring. A very cleansing book. There were some aspects I felt were very familiar, but there were also some impressively bold affirmations & revelations that felt fresh & active!
January 6, 2025
This book was on my TBR for wayyyyy too long. Devoured it in a day and my heart and soul are better for it. It’s honest and raw without tearing down.
August 25, 2023
This book stays focused on Jesus of the Bible while acknowledging church hurt. It was timely and exactly what I needed as I wrestled my own personal church hurt. I would definitely recommend this book!
July 8, 2023
We’re all just broken people trying to let some light shine through us to bring something beautiful from our shattered pieces.”
- Natalie Runion, #raisedtostay
During a season of brokenness, a dear friend of mine introduced me to Natalie's writing. I can’t count the number of tears I cried; the number of times her words filled me with comforting hope; or the number of times I believe her words were literally an orchestrated Godsend.
I didn’t even make it through the introduction without crying. Therapeutic crying. Healing tears. Good tears.
I can’t describe what a blessing Natalie’s words and this book have been to me! I know they’ll be a blessing to you, too! If you’ve ever felt broken or shattered, this book is for you!
As Natalie writes, “The light of God shines through us to reveal a beautiful mosaic of shattered hearts that will make a masterpiece of redemption and reconciliation.”
"Raised to Stay" will remind you that you can still shine!💖
- Natalie Runion, #raisedtostay
During a season of brokenness, a dear friend of mine introduced me to Natalie's writing. I can’t count the number of tears I cried; the number of times her words filled me with comforting hope; or the number of times I believe her words were literally an orchestrated Godsend.
I didn’t even make it through the introduction without crying. Therapeutic crying. Healing tears. Good tears.
I can’t describe what a blessing Natalie’s words and this book have been to me! I know they’ll be a blessing to you, too! If you’ve ever felt broken or shattered, this book is for you!
As Natalie writes, “The light of God shines through us to reveal a beautiful mosaic of shattered hearts that will make a masterpiece of redemption and reconciliation.”
"Raised to Stay" will remind you that you can still shine!💖
December 30, 2023
I wanted to love this because I have a HUGE heart for those who are called to stay in the church despite it's brokenness and their hurt.
This book was not for those people. This was a bragging memoir about someone whose parents changed churches when she was in elementary school and how amazing she is to have overcome that.
It's more of a pithy women's ministry alliterating blog post with so much trite evangelical "truths" for people in the church already and annoyed with people who are leaving.
It's very fear based and "if you quit it's because the devil is using you" and "don't quit or you'll never see the beautiful restoration you want to see.
There were some good lines but overall this was a huge loss for me.
This book was not for those people. This was a bragging memoir about someone whose parents changed churches when she was in elementary school and how amazing she is to have overcome that.
It's more of a pithy women's ministry alliterating blog post with so much trite evangelical "truths" for people in the church already and annoyed with people who are leaving.
It's very fear based and "if you quit it's because the devil is using you" and "don't quit or you'll never see the beautiful restoration you want to see.
There were some good lines but overall this was a huge loss for me.
May 2, 2023
This is the book the Church needs (aside from the Bible, of course)! Natalie Runion has a message of encouragement to persevere in ministry; in church, that we all need to hear whether we've been at this for four or 40 years. She examines both the hurt many of us have experienced, as well as the hurt we may have caused, as each one of us is prone to taking our eyes off of Jesus. She reminds us of God's faithfulness, whether we are in a pit or a palace. We are the runners in a marathon, and the author is running alongside us to cheer us on so that we don't quit. This book was so timely for me this year, and I'm so thankful that I was able to receive an advance reading copy.
May 17, 2023
Raised to Stay is a book that encourages readers to keep moving forward with their eyes on Jesus through transition, hurt, healing, and restoration. This book is for men and women in all capacities of leadership and servanthood.
Natalie will provide practical advice in abiding in Christ as we live out our calling to love God and His people. Loving people can be messy, and many leave the church and ministry burned out for many reasons. The mission is urgent and critical, so how can you stay in the game while you don’t lose yourself or your faith?
Reach for this book, and you will find encouragement, purpose, validation, and, above all, the heart of Jesus.
Natalie will provide practical advice in abiding in Christ as we live out our calling to love God and His people. Loving people can be messy, and many leave the church and ministry burned out for many reasons. The mission is urgent and critical, so how can you stay in the game while you don’t lose yourself or your faith?
Reach for this book, and you will find encouragement, purpose, validation, and, above all, the heart of Jesus.
September 2, 2023
Section 3 seemed to be where my connection increased in the book. This book is great about hitting the hard topics about surviving and thriving in struggling church cultures and how to own if you are contributing to it negatively. It's real. It's helpful. It's honest. It's applicable in many situations.
August 3, 2023
Solid book. Not full of answers, but full of hope and stories of why we persevere. It resonated with me and left me laughing and crying at different points. Definitely a good read for people in ministry or those who are considering walking away from their faith.
August 23, 2023
3.5 Most of it was a bit too fluffy. If you’ve been a Christian for any time, there is not much new info or insight.
December 4, 2024
Despite desperate attempts to sounds genuine, nothing about this feels genuine.
November 22, 2024
Written from the perspective of both a preacher’s daughter and a minister she speaks through the challenges of living life on the inside of a system that is supposed to represent God that often injures people in its midst.
A few of my favorite quotes
I didn’t say yes to lights, programs, or big stadiums. I said yes to Jesus in the most simple way. In my bedroom by the foot of my bed.
I want to hear the roar of the resurrection over my experiences, doubt and loneliness.
One day we will be healed and whole- that’s why we can’t quit. Because we haven’t seen the fulfillment yet.
We aren’t looking to go rogue we are looking to be heard, validated, and understood.
The beauty of wandering is that it leads us to spectacular places we would never have found otherwise.
Ch 2
Will we allow our disappointment and disillusionment in people to deconstruct a faith we don’t have the strength or support system to put back together?
Why do we give people that much power?
My need for my church family is greater than my need to be right or for my need for justice or to be understood.
God always shows up. If you have one foot in and one foot out, you aren’t alone. God doesn’t abandon us in our healing process.
Healing might not be what you thought it would be but God is faithful to father is when all is good and when all is falling apart.
What he has called us to can wait for our healing. He doesn’t pass us by, deny our call, or leave us behind. Whatever the particular path He wants you to tread, will you walk in it? Trust him in the consequences? We shall know we are safe in His hands.
If you find yourself alone and afraid, look for the church. Look up, beyond people and buildings. Stop attaching a perfect Jesus to imperfect people.
Remember why you said yes to Jesus in the first place. Why are we still here? The only answer is Jesus. Our reason our example.
Ch 3
Little boy giving his lunchable and becoming part of a potluck.”I’d rather surrender my title of worship leader than have him pry it from my cold dead hands.
Ch 4
Church pornography in the age of technology
Paul exhorts us to handle life one shipwreck at a time
It was weird going to church i found it hard to must be in the pew worshipping and not assess, assign, or critique. Did ai even know Jesus as anything besides my boss? Did I see my coworkers merely as that or as colaborrees
It’s easy to show up and work be productive make decisions and feel important.
Self preservation is not a fruit of the spirit sometimes we get disappointed with God because we’re looking for a palace and we end up in a pit Don doesn’t always do what we want him to do, but he always does what he is promised to do.
Unfavorable places are where we find favor with God
The favorite of the Lord has nothing to do with our circumstances
“Maybe what I thought was an exile was really an exodus”
A few of my favorite quotes
I didn’t say yes to lights, programs, or big stadiums. I said yes to Jesus in the most simple way. In my bedroom by the foot of my bed.
I want to hear the roar of the resurrection over my experiences, doubt and loneliness.
One day we will be healed and whole- that’s why we can’t quit. Because we haven’t seen the fulfillment yet.
We aren’t looking to go rogue we are looking to be heard, validated, and understood.
The beauty of wandering is that it leads us to spectacular places we would never have found otherwise.
Ch 2
Will we allow our disappointment and disillusionment in people to deconstruct a faith we don’t have the strength or support system to put back together?
Why do we give people that much power?
My need for my church family is greater than my need to be right or for my need for justice or to be understood.
God always shows up. If you have one foot in and one foot out, you aren’t alone. God doesn’t abandon us in our healing process.
Healing might not be what you thought it would be but God is faithful to father is when all is good and when all is falling apart.
What he has called us to can wait for our healing. He doesn’t pass us by, deny our call, or leave us behind. Whatever the particular path He wants you to tread, will you walk in it? Trust him in the consequences? We shall know we are safe in His hands.
If you find yourself alone and afraid, look for the church. Look up, beyond people and buildings. Stop attaching a perfect Jesus to imperfect people.
Remember why you said yes to Jesus in the first place. Why are we still here? The only answer is Jesus. Our reason our example.
Ch 3
Little boy giving his lunchable and becoming part of a potluck.”I’d rather surrender my title of worship leader than have him pry it from my cold dead hands.
Ch 4
Church pornography in the age of technology
Paul exhorts us to handle life one shipwreck at a time
It was weird going to church i found it hard to must be in the pew worshipping and not assess, assign, or critique. Did ai even know Jesus as anything besides my boss? Did I see my coworkers merely as that or as colaborrees
It’s easy to show up and work be productive make decisions and feel important.
Self preservation is not a fruit of the spirit sometimes we get disappointed with God because we’re looking for a palace and we end up in a pit Don doesn’t always do what we want him to do, but he always does what he is promised to do.
Unfavorable places are where we find favor with God
The favorite of the Lord has nothing to do with our circumstances
“Maybe what I thought was an exile was really an exodus”
January 3, 2024
"Let the hope of Christ, not hurt from man, be your testimony."
I'm going to be a little vulnerable for a second. A few years I was part of a ministry that really hurt me. I got hurt so bad that even thinking about it now makes me tear up, and I'm not a crier. After that, I went through a long season of being lost, broken, and bitter. I was trying to keep my relationship with God together the best I could, but it was so hard because the people who showed me the goodness and love of God was no longer in my life. They were gone in an instant, and it felt like God left with them. I began questioning how authentic the relationships were before the downfall, if God really cared, and if I even wanted to do this whole God thing anymore. And honestly, deep down, my answer was no. But I kept trying to fight not for myself but for the people who looked up to me. For my sister and my mom (who doesn't have the best relationship with God). For the girls that I had discipled over the years. I fought for everyone but myself, but I still was fighting.
Here recently God has came in and wrecked my life in the best way possible. I have found new christian friends, a church I feel comfortable in, and am working on growing my relationship with Jesus every day. One of my friends gave me this book to read, and it happened to be about church hurt. I'm not saying reading this book was a heal all situation, but it opened my eyes, and now, with the help of God and some great people, I can begin to start the healing process. Being bitter is a bigger burden than what you realize. It weighs you down. But this is me fighting. This is me getting out of that painful, season.
If anyone is struggling with church hurt or have bitterness towards an old friend, I recommend reading this book.
I'm going to be a little vulnerable for a second. A few years I was part of a ministry that really hurt me. I got hurt so bad that even thinking about it now makes me tear up, and I'm not a crier. After that, I went through a long season of being lost, broken, and bitter. I was trying to keep my relationship with God together the best I could, but it was so hard because the people who showed me the goodness and love of God was no longer in my life. They were gone in an instant, and it felt like God left with them. I began questioning how authentic the relationships were before the downfall, if God really cared, and if I even wanted to do this whole God thing anymore. And honestly, deep down, my answer was no. But I kept trying to fight not for myself but for the people who looked up to me. For my sister and my mom (who doesn't have the best relationship with God). For the girls that I had discipled over the years. I fought for everyone but myself, but I still was fighting.
Here recently God has came in and wrecked my life in the best way possible. I have found new christian friends, a church I feel comfortable in, and am working on growing my relationship with Jesus every day. One of my friends gave me this book to read, and it happened to be about church hurt. I'm not saying reading this book was a heal all situation, but it opened my eyes, and now, with the help of God and some great people, I can begin to start the healing process. Being bitter is a bigger burden than what you realize. It weighs you down. But this is me fighting. This is me getting out of that painful, season.
If anyone is struggling with church hurt or have bitterness towards an old friend, I recommend reading this book.
March 20, 2024
Where to begin.
The first and last chapters wrecked me. I don’t know what it was but something about remembering ones childhood in a church you loved struck a deep emotional chord in me. These were not about theology or focused Biblical ideas. It was about what it feels like to be a Christian who loves the church.
She had many very good points and insights that anyone in public ministry, and any Christian for that matter, could benefit from applying to their lives.
That being said, I also found her writing style somewhat distracting. She’s a worship leader and a songwriter and that gifting bleeds through in her writing.
Much alliteration, much poetic language, much metaphor.
I identified with her at many points and her experiences and reactions resonated throughout. I would recommend for anyone who loves the church and wants to continue loving the church and her people.
The first and last chapters wrecked me. I don’t know what it was but something about remembering ones childhood in a church you loved struck a deep emotional chord in me. These were not about theology or focused Biblical ideas. It was about what it feels like to be a Christian who loves the church.
She had many very good points and insights that anyone in public ministry, and any Christian for that matter, could benefit from applying to their lives.
That being said, I also found her writing style somewhat distracting. She’s a worship leader and a songwriter and that gifting bleeds through in her writing.
Much alliteration, much poetic language, much metaphor.
I identified with her at many points and her experiences and reactions resonated throughout. I would recommend for anyone who loves the church and wants to continue loving the church and her people.
November 26, 2024
A very poetic and colorful book, I enjoyed Natalie’s writing and the stories and convictions she shared. I did feel she swung both ways- like “sometimes you need to GO!” but then also “sometimes you need to stay and trust the process” and then “sometimes it’s just a small assignment”— so the book could be a little confusing. However, the point wasn’t just to stay and be sure to attend church, but to KEEP the faith. People will always disappoint us and church hurt is sadly quite common, but God is forever faithful and perfect.
I was reminded that God is sovereign and we must place our hope in Him over our circumstances. Sometimes God allows us to be placed in the pit or go on a journey, but we must trust Him with the process and what He is teaching us. We must unpack to truly make a home and be faithful to what we have in front us- trusting He has called us to it and will be faithful to complete it!
I was reminded that God is sovereign and we must place our hope in Him over our circumstances. Sometimes God allows us to be placed in the pit or go on a journey, but we must trust Him with the process and what He is teaching us. We must unpack to truly make a home and be faithful to what we have in front us- trusting He has called us to it and will be faithful to complete it!
January 18, 2024
An honest and encouraging read filled with nuggets guiding the reader to focus on Jesus. No excuses made for those in the church who hurt and have hurt others, but healthy and godly ways to approach those situations and pursue healing in Jesus. I hope many find encouragement here and draw closer to God on their healing journey.
“Satan hates the melodic worship that exudes from the brokenness of our lives because it reminds him that he lost and will never defeat our living God."
"I didn't say yes to emotional hype, programs, lights, worship concerts, big stadiums, large corporations, ladder climbing, or ditch digging. I said 'Yes' to Jesus…I didn't say 'Yes' to religion or church politics or an organization. I said 'Yes' to a Jesus who made me and loved me and who is proud of me. I said 'Yes' to a hope of what that empty tomb stands for even on the days I doubt the most.
“Satan hates the melodic worship that exudes from the brokenness of our lives because it reminds him that he lost and will never defeat our living God."
"I didn't say yes to emotional hype, programs, lights, worship concerts, big stadiums, large corporations, ladder climbing, or ditch digging. I said 'Yes' to Jesus…I didn't say 'Yes' to religion or church politics or an organization. I said 'Yes' to a Jesus who made me and loved me and who is proud of me. I said 'Yes' to a hope of what that empty tomb stands for even on the days I doubt the most.
September 3, 2024
This book gives a biblical framework of how reconciliation in the church and ministry should look while being able to see others personal story of how they are working through the adversity that comes with operating in a fallen world. HIGHLY recommend all believers to read this and if you’re questioning your faith, read it!
April 1, 2025
I really enjoyed this read! I have the privilege of listening to the author at a conference last year and loved her presentation. I do not hold a ministry position within a church but think this book could be a great resource for leaders and staff as well as volunteers who serve or have served within their church. I found the layout to be very insightful and relatable!
November 23, 2023
This book was amazing. It didn’t just help with church hurt, it helped with people hurt too. I learned a lot through this book and can officially say I am a Stayer.
January 3, 2024
This book was a balm for these last 6 months of my life. I picked it up when I needed to and it spoke to me when I did. I’m thankful this work is being done right now,
Right when I needed it.
Right when I needed it.
February 29, 2024
I loved this book. So many many twists and turns - much like the emotions in contemplating quitting a ministry or position. Natalie is transparent and authentic in wrestling with this game changer topic. Read this book.
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