Women at Magnify Church

09/25/2026

So well said! We are excited for our next one on October 24th! Registration closes on October 2nd. Hope to see you there!

09/21/2026

Such a great way of explaining the grace we all do not deserve!

For a long time I believed I had to earn my worth. Climb higher, push harder, and maybe then I would finally be enough.

It is an exhausting way to live. There is always another summit, another test, another way you have fallen short. You never quite arrive.

The thing that finally set me free was grace.

Grace is the wild, almost unbelievable idea at the very heart of the Christian faith. That we are already loved, fully and completely, not for what we have achieved, but in spite of every way we fall short. That Jesus meets us exactly as we are, mess and all, and calls us friend anyway.

I did not have to become impressive for God to love me. I did not have to summit anything. I simply had to stop striving long enough to accept a gift I could never have earned in a thousand lifetimes.

And that truth changed how I see everyone else too. If I am loved like that, undeserving and all, then so is the person in front of me. It makes you gentler, slower to judge, quicker to forgive.

We are so hard on ourselves, and so hard on each other. Grace is the medicine for both.

Where in your life have you been striving to earn something that has been freely yours all along?

09/18/2026

Each verse of Scripture is like a scalpel in the hands of an able surgeon, opening us up and revealing disobedience, calling us to repentance and correction, and thus restoring us to a place of joy and obedience. -Mary Wiley, everyday theology.

Man did this hit hard when I read it!!

What is something you read in "In View of God's Mercies" or "Everyday Theology" that was convicting this week?

09/14/2026

Join us for Deeply Rooted, a special one-day women’s retreat designed to refresh your soul, deepen your faith, and encourage meaningful connection with other women in our church family. Together we will spend the day in biblical teaching, worship, prayer, and fellowship, focusing on what it means to remain rooted in Christ and flourish in every season of life. Whether you’re feeling spiritually full or running on empty, this day is designed to encourage you and draw your heart back to Christ.

Link to more information and to register below in the comments!

Want to make it an overnight?? Contact The Shack and book a room for October 23rd! (This would be on your own, but how fun??)

09/10/2026

We had an amazing Gather and Grow last Tuesday! We had a panel on prayer and wow, it was so good! I wanted to share our Magnify Prayer page, with different groups to join, like Grandmas and Moms in prayer, as well as resources and handouts that we gave out at this event. This webpage is loaded with amazing resources and we hope you will have a look!

This means that we pray for every person, event, and aspect of our church. Tap a button below to be involved in the prayer movement of Magnify or to make a request and leverage hundreds praying on your behalf.

09/05/2026

A Fictional book review from Tammy Veldkamp:

I read Bible stories but often never think about what the times or trials would actually be like if I experienced them. These fictional stories take place after Israel started to populate the Promised Land. The times were terrifying and the trials were real. “Cities of Refuge” were to be designated for a person who has killed someone accidentally. In these cities, they were to be kept safe from anyone avenging the death. Trials and justice were still involved but when called for, there was grace, mercy, and refuge (Numbers 35:6-34). These books are all interrelated through one family but also stand alone with separate main characters. They are engaging and hold your attention well. Highly recommended. NOTE: these are fictional works and do not replace the Bible nor necessarily accurately reflect what did happen- only a “may have happened like this.” Read responsibly :)

08/25/2026

You are invited to our fall launch at Women's Ministry!
In this Gather & Grow session, we’ll be hosting an honest and encouraging panel discussion on prayer. Have you ever wondered if you’re “doing prayer right”? Maybe you struggle with knowing where to begin when you come before the Lord. Perhaps you’ve wondered how to teach your children to pray in a way that feels natural and meaningful, or you’ve experienced the vulnerability and tension that can come with praying with your spouse. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts God has given us, yet many of us feel intimidated, inadequate, or uncertain when it comes to practicing it in our daily lives.

As we begin our fall, we will also announce our focus for our year in women’s ministry and other exciting things God is moving us towards.

08/22/2026

Supporting Families, Building Belonging

At Magnify, we believe everyone is created in the image of God and has a place in the local church. Our Disabilities Ministry partners with families to create a welcoming environment where children and their families can flourish, experience belonging, and grow in their faith.

We’re currently looking for buddies who can provide one-on-one support to children during church. You don’t need special training or experience. All you need is a willingness to learn, a heart to serve, and a desire to show the love of Jesus to others.

If you’d like to become a buddy, or if you know a family who could use support related to disability or chronic illness, we’d love to connect with you.

Everyone belongs at Magnify. Learn more at magnifychurch.org/kids.

08/13/2026

A Review from Susanne DeJong, our Global Partner Support:

We are sort of obsessed with read alouds at my house. Maybe it's the fact that I was an English teacher for 11 years, but I'm all about exposing my kids to good books. Together. Out loud. Beyond what their level might be. AND the shared experience of mutually diving into a world together as a family, interacting with characters, journeying with them through conflicts and coming out on the other side together, better people, is absolutely rewarding. Of course, that's only when we nail a book. Sometimes, it's a disaster. Or we miss some days or weeks and forget why we started the book in the first place... but the books that we love - that we quote later, , that everyone is begging for more read aloud time, that cause us to think and wonder and discuss - those are the reasons I keep coming back for more.

I recently picked up the classic missionary biography "God's Smuggler" by Brother Andrew for a read aloud. I sort of expected it to be a "middling" sort of book. I'd read it myself (perhaps a decade ago), but wondered if it would be beyond their reach (especially for our 6-year-old - our other two are 10 and 12). I also wondered if it would be too slow or boring. I needn't have worried. It was a slam dunk. We laughed, we worried and wondered for him, we were in awe of God and His crazy amazing answers, and the discussions that ensued were powerful.

It's the story of Brother Andrew, a Dutch missionary who smuggled Bibles behind the iron curtain. It begins with his adventurous, wandering young adulthood, follows him as he meets Christ, and then continues into his subsequent ministry. We see him living on the edge, skirting prison, crossing borders and, just generally, being led by God's spirit to trust, love, preach and watch God do amazing things. He prays for money, and God provides. He prays his "smuggler's prayer" as he crosses borders and he watches God make "seeing eyes blind." It challenged our entire family in our faith and prayer life, and caused some beautiful discussions, even with the six-year-old.

08/06/2026

You are a Theologian
J.T. English & Jen Wilkin
Published 2023

Book Description (found on Amazon)
Theology can be intimidating. Perhaps questions like these have kept you from engaging with it: “What is theology?” “Who does theology?” “What happens if I get something wrong?”

Theology can be intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. Whether conversations about theology have felt out of reach, over your head, or irrelevant, consider this book an invitation to the dialogue.

The goal of theology is knowing and loving God well. This is a lifelong endeavor, a never-ending pursuit, not for the sake of knowledge, but for an ever-deepening relationship with God Himself. Authors Jen Wilkin and J. T. English invite you to become not merely a consumer of theology, but a contributor to the conversation, and to grow in faithfulness to the Great Commission’s call to make disciples.

You are a theologian.

You Are a Theologian addresses theological questions such as:
*Who is God? The Doctrine of the Trinity
*What is God like? The Attributes of God
*What is the Bible? The Doctrine of Scripture
*Who are we? The Doctrine of Humanity
*What went wrong? The Doctrine of Sin
*What has God done? The Doctrines of Christology, Atonement, and Justification
*To whom do we belong? The Doctrine of the Church
*How does the story end? The Doctrine of Last Things

Darcia’s Review
I just finished this book—or rather, listened to it, since that's usually how I "read" these days—and it truly lives up to its description. The authors remind us that we are all theologians, whether we realize it or not, and they help us understand what that means by walking through the different aspects of theology in a clear and approachable way.
I really appreciated J.T. English's knowledgeable yet accessible writing style. This is the first of his books I've read, and after finishing this one, I'm looking forward to exploring more of his work.
Jen Wilkin once again does an incredible job of blending solid biblical doctrine with personal stories and practical illustrations that make theology feel relevant to everyday life. I've read several of her other books and continue to appreciate the depth of her study of Scripture and her ability to communicate profound truths with clarity and warmth.
By the end of the book, I found myself with even more questions about theology—but in the best possible way. More importantly, I was left with a deeper desire to study the Bible, better understand what I believe, and continue growing in my faith. That's exactly where J.T. English and Jen Wilkin hope to leave their readers.
In fact, I've already downloaded two more theology books because I can't wait to keep learning! You'll have to stay tuned for future book reviews to see which titles have captured my attention next.