introducing a new columnist:: AMY

Amy Foote Minett writes from the West Coast of the United States as a PW who is fairly new to all this, since her husband changed careers to become a pastor after they were already married with children.

The last couple of years have brought my husband (Brad) my 4 beautiful children and me through some big life changes. After 9 years of working in schools with teens, God impressed us to pursue pastoral ministry. 

So now we live in South Lake Tahoe, CA where we juggle my husband's college classes towards a theology degree and his work as assistant pastor of our church, my homeschooling the kids and my home biz with Usborne Books, and all the other things we just seem to say "Yes" to (including my first 1/2 marathon in May!!!).

© CLUTCH, 2010 unless otherwise sourced.
Use allowed by express written permission only.
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introducing a new columnist:: LaRAE

LaRae Coleman Papendick is our second new columnist. LaRae writes as a missionary wife and young mother serving in West Africa.

I was born into a family that was uniquely positioned to give me the best of so many worlds. I am the youngest of four kids by eight years, so I had the best of siblings and the best of being an only child. My dad is a pastor and  was a chaplain in the Air Force, so I had the best of pastoral ministry in its usual sense as well as the wonderful side of military life. 

We lived in many places but always visited our relatives who never moved, so it was like coming home every time we visited them, while still being able to see the world.

My whole life has been one of twists and turns so that at each new phase I start to see the fitting together of the jigsaw puzzle of my life. For example, I met my husband once while in high school. We had a half hour walk together and then did not meet again for seven years. Just under two years later we married. It will be five years here this May and I am increasingly thankful to God for working with my stubbornness to bring us together because we are a perfect match. He is also a pastor’s kid and we have many common experiences and friends from our growing up years, though we lived in different states and countries.

We have a two and a half year old 100% boy. Need I say more? He is super amazing and constantly amuses and frustrates me all at the same time! Why God would ever allow us selfish humans to raise another human boggles my mind. My constant prayer is that God will change my heart so I can be the mother He wants me to be.

My husband and I are Public Health Professionals currently starting a project in West Africa. It is a project the evolves from day to day as we learn to wait on God for His leading. Maybe someday I can share this aspect of my life journey with you. Though we are not exactly a pastoral team, we find that due to our upbringing and personal experiences we identify more with our friends who are in pastoral ministry than we do with being parishioners.

I have so many interests that sometimes it is hard for me to focus. I love piano, horses, beaches, sunrises, sunsets, reading, organizing, traveling, experimenting and my nephews and nieces. I'm also learning to love sewing, cooking, writing, and inventing. And I am taking up the new interest of language learning. French, Arabic and some tribal languages are on my plate for the next few years.

© CLUTCH, 2010 unless otherwise sourced.
Use allowed by express written permission only.
Tweets, trackbacks, and link sharing encouraged.

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introducing a new columnist:: RACHAEL

Since Delina has had to step down, and I'm managing the PW life, a new baby, and CLUTCH all by myself, I've decided to share some of the writing responsibility with other gifted PWs.

So CLUTCH is getting some new columnists.

Columnists commit to writing about a niche subject at least once a month. Their columns will show up as regular blog posts, or you can search your favorite columnists by their name or their column's name, if you'd like to catch up on old posts.  Or you can click on the columns button and see the profiles of all the columnists as we add them.

Rachael is our first new blogger. She'll be writing a column called In Her Shoes::taking a walk in real life ministry. Here's her bio:

 Writing a bio about myself feels so silly! I'm married to an amazing man, musician, leader and mentor. I like to refer to him as Preacher Dude. This year we'll celebrate 8 years of marriage; only by the grace of God.


Preacher Dude and I have three babies, (well they're not all babies but I like to call them that). Madalynne Noelle is 6, Connor Benjamin is 4, and Ellianna Rejoyce is almost 2! I have the privilege of homeschooling them. This year has been a stretch and a challenge and I often plead with the big yellow bus going by to stop and pick them up!


I grew up in Indiana but have lived in several states including Michigan and Louisiana. I went to school to be a nurse, and worked in ICU for a few years. I also got my degree in Urban Church Planting in New Orleans. What an experience that was!


I have been in full time ministry for 9 years and would love to say that it's all been rosy but it hasn't. Preacher Dude and I just spent 5 1/2 years at an amazing church in Michigan. That's when God placed a call on us to go back to my husband's home town and plant a church. We moved here the beginning of November 2009. Our plan is to launch the church on Easter Sunday, 2010.


In my spare time when I'm not helping at the church, homeschooling or being a domestic diva I enjoy being outside, preferably by the ocean. I love shopping, decorating, and book stores with Starbucks. I absolutely love to entertain! I enjoy the cooking and the cleaning and the organization of it all. I love to garden, make crafts and sew. I love candles and herbs and freshly made soaps.

I love praise and worship music, and enjoy sipping sweet tea on a front porch. Oh, and vacations (who doesn't like them?)! I enjoy old-time movies like Anne of Green Gables. And I'm a reality TV junkie (yes, I know that's horrible). I enjoy local eateries and don't frequent them enough.


One of my real passions is women - the women in ministry. Yup. There are many who are hurting and have no where to go. I have suffered thru post-partum depression twice, and had a marriage on the rocks because of ministry woes. I am now whole by the grace of God and I want to give to others what others have given to me.

© CLUTCH, 2010 unless otherwise sourced.
Use allowed by express written permission only.
Tweets, trackbacks, and link sharing encouraged.

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