“Give thanks in all circumstances.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In Paul’s benediction in his letter to the Thessalonian church, He gives this instruction with urgency. He writes the church that he prays for them with thanksgiving at the beginning of the letter and then urges them to pray with thanksgiving at the end. He bookends this letter and so many others with thanksgiving. Let’s read it with the surrounding verses. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This is God’s will for us. Paul states it plainly. Now this is not the sum total of God’s will for us, but this is most clearly part of it. God’s will is for us to give thanks in all circumstances. Maybe this imperative was not a problem for you in other years, but you may be wondering what there is to give thanks for in this year, in 2020.

It’s the all of the verse that gets us; ALL circumstances. 2020 has been dark for many of us - for the country, for the world. Our team has felt it all too- the anxiety, the division, the angst, the brokenness, the suffering. We have felt perhaps more than any other year the longing for Jesus to return and make all things new. But here the Word says all, so we know that whatever circumstances we find ourselves in at the end of THIS year, there is reason to praise the Lord. That does not mean we are ignoring the suffering, but rather coupling our prayers for healing with thankfulness and giving God the glory He is absolutely due.

As our team reflects on what God has done throughout our ministry year, we find much for which to give Him glory. Will you join us in thanking God for these praises? We invite you to join us by reflecting on all there is to thank God for in your own life.

• We want to start by thanking God for His life-giving Word! We do not have to wonder what God is saying, for He has already spoken. He has given us what we need for today, and for endurance for this year, in His Word and through His Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus.

• We are thankful for YOU! The women in Dayton hungry for God’s Word, who God has given us to serve. We love to dwell richly with you. And we are thankful for the generosity of the many who support DWITW both financially and through prayer that allowed us to do so this year.

• We are thankful for the mission God has given us to be women helping women read their Bibles. We are thankful for the team He has given us, and the growth and pruning He has done amongst the team. We are thankful for our founder Natalie mentoring new leadership and grateful for her continued support. We are thankful for our 2020 team lead, Brittany, and her leadership during this unprecedented time. We are thankful for a team who is Christ-focused who has sought God’s will and way with each new curve ball served up by 2020. Although our team is diverse in our thinking, our team has fought for unity and has been able to love one another through a difficult season.

• As we approached the conference date in March, God gave our team discernment and unity to navigate decisions about the conference in light of COVID. We praise God for the trust He grew in our hearts and for the preparation of the conference main session and workshop teachers. We know God spoke so much to these women and that Word will not return void.

• As we reflect on our summer study, we know it looked very different this year, but God blew us away by going before us and providing for our needs. Over 500 women from all age groups around the globe studied with us. We are thankful for the technology God provided to study safely with loved ones near and far in this unprecedented year. Many previous participants took on a leader role this year in their individual areas of influence (friends/family/church/etc), and more women participated in summer study in the context of their local churches than ever before.

  Much work goes into summer study that is unseen every year. We know the Lord sees it and is honored by it, and we believe this work by these saints has furthered the gospel. We are thankful for the summer study teacher team and for their dedication to the Word. We are thankful for the generosity of volunteers who donated their gifts and time to the ministry, especially in filming the summer study videos and providing every graphic for the study.

• Our podcast and blog teams also put much effort into content that reflected and celebrated God’s faithfulness this year. We see that God went before us in choosing these topics that He wanted us to reflect on in 2020. This spring, God spoke to us about the ways He breaks barriers to His Word through our podcast guests and writers. This fall, we learned about several Messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled with His time on earth through our podcast and blog. Our content team also led our social media audience in a sermon prep challenge, calling women to engage in the Word through study in the week leading up to hearing their pastor’s sermon.

• We want to thank God for continued opportunities to equip women in His Word, such as church workshops and teaching collective, as well. Many new faces who joined the collective this year to learn more about God’s Word and how to share it in their areas of influence. Nine women have taught us in 2020’s collective, and we heard from two teaching panels in February and August. Our ministry also sponsored four women to attend a workshop with Nancy Guthrie this fall, where they were equipped further in their Bible teaching gifts.

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We feel so tested by this year, but as we reflect on all God has done, we are immensely strengthened and joyful. We know God has grown us in endurance as we have clung to His life-giving Word in 2020. We pray the same for you, dear ones. Hold tightly to the truth and to our good Father. Together, let us persevere in prayer and practice the presence of God with a grateful sort of grit.

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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

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Dear friends of DWITW,

It’s been another year of rich blessing. In a lot of ways for us at DWITW, that feels like business as usual! God is always showing up, always providing, always with us in this work, but we never want to take that for granted or forget it. God has been good, and we make it our aim to recount His goodness regularly. So here, at year’s end, we’ll repeat the practice.

The lyrics of Bethel Music’s ‘Goodness of God’ are ringing in my heart and mind as I write these words to you:

“All my life you have been faithful
All my life you have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God”

Here are some ways God has shown His goodness and faithfulness to us this year:

• God made a way for the DWITW team to re-write, film, edit, and launch our At Home in the Word video series and accompanying practice PDFs. This was a project we labored over for several years and were overjoyed (still are!) that it’s out in the world for all to use. (Special thanks to Laura Walters, Molly Bellanco and Kristen Whitt for their help on this one!)

• God provided our team a stable office space at Keystone Church for much of this year. It was extremely helpful to have a home base, especially during the wild and wonderful months of summer study!

• God brought more women and children than ever before to our 5th annual summer study through Mark. He gave us an amazing set of teachers, a reliable team of volunteers, and a gracious host church (Keystone) for both sessions. We also saw several satellite groups start up in homes around the city (see Caitlin’s story.)

• God allowed us to celebrate five years of His faithfulness with a worship night at FCF at the close of summer study. What a joy it was to say thank you to God for the last five years and to remember (much like we are doing now!) how much He’s done. Women all over Dayton have been revived and made alive by His Word. We couldn’t help but sing.

• God provided all the finances we needed (and more!) as is His custom! He did that through many of you, who gave sacrificially to see this ministry of the Word thrive and reach more women in 2019. Thank you to all of you who graciously partner with us financially! It spurs us on to stay faithful in the work.

• God gave us encouragement through the writers of our DWITW Blog. We got the privilege of reading and learning from our sisters through Team Journals, the Nameless series, and several submissions from women in our network.

• God brought two more seasons of the DWITW Podcast to the airwaves - the At Home in the Word series on Biblical Genres and Good News, our series on sharing the gospel. We were encouraged by hearing more stories of how women in our city follow Jesus. We continued to focus on diversifying our guest list to represent a fuller picture of the women of Dayton.

• God refocused and reenergized our efforts at Teaching Collective! We switched our format to include more equipping and more personal engagement. God’s been regularly calling up this group of gals to teach about Him and proclaim His name boldly. They are being deployed for the gospel! It’s been a joy to watch them grow into their gifts and face their insecurities in a safe space.

• God provided us not one, but two conference co-directors! Our directors felt led toward hosting a conference, but no one was able to take on the task. We prayed for God to bring us a gal with experience who could take it on. We got more than we could have asked or imagined in Melanie Newhouse and Kacey Dixon, and we started the initial work planning Yet Even Now: A Weekend in Joel. God also answered our prayers for a conference venue and teachers for the main sessions in beautiful ways that showed off His kindness toward us.

• God was exceedingly generous to us by filling up our DWITW team for 2020. We’ve been praying over this transition in particular for not just months, but years, as 2020 marks a year of big changes for us as I transition out of my role as Team Lead. I couldn’t be happier with the women He’s brought to the team for next year and my heart swells with gratefulness thinking of God’s care for us and for His Word ministry in Dayton.

• Lastly, God brought us through many difficult personal challenges this year. Our DWITW family walked through some painful seasons together and continue in them, even now. God has sustained our team and strengthened us in faith in 2019, and given us a fresh longing for His return.

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“But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come,
I will remind them of your righteousness alone.” Psalm 71:14-16

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On a more personal note, the end of this year has been quite tender and sentimental for me. As many of you know, I am transitioning out of the Team Lead position and preparing to leave Dayton in June as our family relocates with the Air Force. Know it has been a joy to lead and serve you these past five years. There isn’t enough space on this blog to tell you all the ways I’ve seen God revitalize our city by His grace.

Dayton has been a place that others have looked down on, forgotten, or made assumptions about. As it was said about Nazareth (John 1:46), it has been said about Dayton: “What good can come from it?” But we know better. We know all about the restoration, and redemption, and renewal God has brought, and continues to bring, to our city. God has not forgotten Dayton, Ohio, and this ministry is just one little proof! We see proof every time you share your excitement about something you read in the Word. We see it as we watch you use your influence for the gospel. We see it when you teach the kids class at your church, or host the teen Bible study, or give a talk at Collective, or share what you’ve been learning on Instagram.

Evidences of grace and growth are all around, my friends.

Let’s remember what we’ve seen in 2019, express our thanks to God, and believe for more in 2020 and the years to come.

Our great God has come near! Let’s spend our whole lives pursuing Him and sharing Him with others.

It was a number of weeks ago I felt the Spirit of God pushing me to explore the book of John a little deeper. This was both frightening and encouraging, because I always enjoy reading the book of John, but felt less prepared to really “study.” Recently, while listening to the Bible Project Podcast, I learned John wrote his gospel from a reflective mindset. Perhaps this explains his poetic style or his ability to constantly point back to Jesus being the Christ, one with God. But God wasn’t asking me to read the whole book.

As I began reading, I found myself constantly traveling back to the first five verses of the Book of John. It was like a tick, I didn’t feel satisfied until I read those verses: once, twice, move on, come back. It was hard to go through the day without thinking of those verses. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  … “In the beginning” … “In the beginning”... I knew that phrase! So I decided to flex my study skills (something I’m not so confident in) and go back to Genesis.

Genesis 1 opens with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The use of this phrase in John would have prompted his readers to return to or remember this opening line. They would have had the same reaction as me, thinking “Oh! I know this. God created in the beginning, and somehow the “Word” was there with Him. How could that be?” From this point, I did a side-by-side comparison of the first five verses of both passages to find other connections.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome itIn the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
John 1: 1-5

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5

Some initial similarities I saw where

• Both passages open with “In the beginning”

• Both passages deal with light (physical and spiritual)

• Both passages deal with creation

My question became: What is the connection between “the Word” and God speaking? Is there a connection? 

Enter the dragon! I mean...word study. A tool I think is great... for other people -mainly because I am not so confident in using it, but it was something God was asking me to do.  I waited a few days and then started the process. (Honesty is important, right?) As long as I’m being honest, I did not solely focus on this connection while studying, and I do not do well with Greek/Hebrew, so I relied on Logos and Blue Letter Bible to help me examine these things.

One of the key pieces of information I found was the Greek used by John when he wrote “the Word” implies “speech in action,” which agrees with the English translation of the Hebrew used in Genesis, “God said.” Both mean this speaking is active. Then, the Blue Letter Bible blew my mind OUT OF THE WATER by connecting these two sections for me. They know this is a common connection and I’m just a little late to the party. The commentators stated John implies that God is speaking in the present, but has also been speaking in ETERNITY PAST (the Word was with God) and will continue speaking into ETERNITY FUTURE.

In short : God has always been talking to himself, and at some point He decided to speak into creation and give us this world and life. INCREDIBLE.

Then, I froze. This was all amazing, and I was so excited, but I didn’t know what to do with it. I started a new job, I was stressed, and I stopped listening to the God who is always speaking.

BUT GOD….

I knew I needed to  read the Bible, even if I was stressed, and decided to pick back up in 1 Samuel. I skimmed through Hannah’s prayer, and reread Samuel hearing  from God for the first time. As I read, I saw Samuel responding three times to the wrong voice. He would run to Eli, the Priest in charge of the temple and say “Here I am!” But Eli wasn’t calling. It took Eli until the THIRD time to say, “Samuel, you are hearing the voice of God. The next time this happens, respond to Him.”

The God who is constantly speaking into creation wants to participate in a true conversation with you.

Wow, God is persistent. And boy, are we blessed by that. Even this man of faith, one who had devoted his life to being in God’s presence, wasn’t sure who Samuel should be responding to until the third time.  Samuel, knowing it was God, then changed his response. He says, “yes, Lord, I am listening.” To me, Samuel went from active to peaceful, from talking to listening. He decided to hear what God was calling him to do.

I was deeply encouraged by this, because I was reminded of the times I fail. I will look for a response in my work, in my relationships, in trying harder, rather than being still to listen for the voice of God. Sometimes I hear Him calling, and I actively run away, like Jonah. Sometimes I am waiting for Him in the fire and thunder, rather than a whisper, like Elijah on the mountain. I need to be practicing my listening skills, to become more familiar with the voice of my shepherd, like Jesus says in John. How can I do that? I’ve thought of a few ways and would like to invite you to join me. Whether it is in preparation for Summer Study, or a simple desire to hear God more clearly.

1. Pray. This sounds easy, but it’s not the prayer where we spend all the time talking, it’s the prayer where we sit down and tell God, “I’m listening.” Practice with me taking time without your phone, without music, without distraction, to focus on God and His voice. If you find yourself struggling, tell Him. There is such power in admitting our weakness! He must become greater, and I must become less.

2. Read your Bible and Use your tools. Again, easy? Maybe. Difficult to do consistently? For sure! I would encourage you to start with a passage you know well and do some cross referencing. Or discover the context of the passage/book. Know what you’re reading, who it’s to, and why they wrote it. If you feel adequate in that (Not perfect, just comfortable) move into a passage that feels unfamiliar. Practice feeling out of your depth and go to the Lord. Then start using your tools before going to a commentary or your study notes. This is SO HARD and can make me feel like I’m not doing anything, but not all waiting is bad or disobedient. If you aren’t sure if your waiting is disobedient to the Lord and you are struggling to hear Him, try the next “step.”

3. Ask a friend! Maybe not just any friend, but one you trust is also working on hearing from the Lord. Often, my husband helps to redirect me when I’m just feeling “lost” to see my unbelief or doubt that is leading me to resist the voice of God. If He was speaking to you from YOUR beginning, He is speaking to you now.

The God who is constantly speaking into creation wants to participate in a true conversation with you. One with a call and response. One where we allow Him to speak, knowing His words are true, full of grace and mercy, dripping with forgiveness as sweet as honey from the honeycomb. Let us practice stillness and listening in a world so full of busyness and monologuing. Peace be with you (and also with you.)

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Kate Haas wants to live in a world with free coffee, hugs, and deep conversations. When she isn’t in class, you can find her at home with her husband and four-legged toddler reading a book or watching a detective show. Her favorite scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [Amen? Amen!]”

Something she finds comforting when reading the Bible (esp. the OT) is in this verse: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29:29 (comforting to know God has given us what we need, and He is over all the things we don't understand.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of “going and telling” in the last few months. This, I must admit, is heavily influenced by our sister in Christ, Jess Connolly and her Go + Tell Gals ministry. As I’ve thought about what going and telling looks like in my own life, I’ve gone back a few times to study what it looked like in Matthew 28 for Mary and Mary. Where were they supposed to go? Who or what were they supposed to tell? I’ll recap the story for you here in my own words:

Mary and Mary are at the tomb of Jesus, post-Sabbath. They’re in mourning. Just two days before, they had watched Jesus die. They had seen Joseph of Arimathea prepare His body and bury Him. They watched Joseph roll a giant stone in front of the tomb and took what they thought was their last glimpse at their Lord. Now they’re back at the tomb, with the painful addition of a few Roman guards. The mood is somber, to be sure.

All of a sudden, there was a crazy earthquake! An angel of the Lord had come down out of heaven, rolled back the stone of Jesus’ tomb and was sitting on it. The guards were scared to death, almost literally. But our gals, Mary and Mary, are alert and addressed by the angel. He tells them, “Don’t be afraid, I know you’re looking for Jesus. But guess what, sisters? You won’t find Him here! He’s risen! He’s alive- just like He said He would be. Come, check it out and then go, quick- tell the others!! Jesus is back and you’ll all see Him soon!”

So the Marys do just that. They RUN. They’re a little afraid, but also full of joy. Can you imagine them, out of breath, ready to burst into a room full of disciples and share the news? But before they even get there, the words of the angel come true- they meet Jesus. He greets them and they fall to His feet in worship. They’re met by their Lord in the middle of their mission. And what does He do? He repeats the mission again. “Don’t be scared, girls. Go and tell the brothers to meet me in Galilee.” Jesus trusted these women with His message. He believed in their ability to proclaim the truth!

The gospel of Matthew closes shortly after this story with the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee. The Marys are no longer mentioned, but we know from Mark 16 and Luke 24 that Mary and the gals told the disciples Jesus was back and they didn’t believe it. It took Peter running to the tomb himself to see and believe.

On the mountain, Jesus gave the disciples the very same mission as the ladies: go and tell.

Go, make disciples all over God’s world! Baptize them in the name of the triune God and teach them how to keep Jesus’ commandments. And remember- He is always with you, until the end. (my paraphrase)

The women were called to go somewhere specific: back home, back to their fellow believers in the family of God. They were called to tell something specific: Jesus is alive! The disciples were given a more general call to the nations (which we share,) but the message was the same - Jesus is alive. He meant what He said. Everything He promised has come true!

Sisters, we may not get directions as specific as Mary and Mary, but we can know with confidence that we are called to go and tell others the good news. And this good news is so worth telling, isn’t it?

If we don’t think of sharing the gospel with the same fervor, perhaps we need to revisit why the good news is so good.

We don’t need the approval or commissioning of others to start telling people about Jesus. We don’t need the perfect words. Think again of Mary, out of breath, bursting into the disciples’ room. We don’t know for sure, but maybe the only words she could get out were, “He’s here.” or “Jesus is alive.” She ran and she told others because the news was so good! Her beloved Lord was back! If we don’t think of sharing the gospel with the same fervor, perhaps we need to revisit why the good news is so good.

I want to be a woman who agrees with what Matthew 28 tells us: Jesus trusts women with His message. Jesus sends out women to be proclaimers of His good news. In my life, that looks like sharing what Jesus is teaching me with everyone in my influence: my husband and kids, my house church, the DWITW network, and my friends on social media. It could be as simple as texting a quick encouragement or squeezing a friend’s hand and saying, “He is here.” It could be more involved, like writing a blog post, or leading a Bible study, or sharing the gospel with someone for the first time. Whatever it looks like, the story of Matthew 28 reminds us Jesus has commissioned us, and opportunities to tell others about Him are all around us. Let’s ask for eyes to see those opportunities and the courage to get up, go, and tell whenever he asks.

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​Natalie Herr wants to live in a world where all people experience the freedom and joy of the gospel, and where we all just get to sit at the feet of Jesus. When she's not caring for her husband and four kids, you can find her leading the DWITW team, co-shepherding a house church, dreaming up adventures, and reading as often as possible.

Her favorite Scripture at the moment is Psalm 52:8-9, ESV.

As an editor, one of my favorite verses has always been Hebrews 12:1-2. A section of it reads:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”

You would think it would be the word “Author” that catches my eye, and while it does resonate with my editor-heart, the more striking word to me in these verses has always been the word “eyes.”

Eyes are a fascinating thing. You see, many days what my eyes are focused on is where my heart is focused. My bet is, you are similar. When you see a good sale, do you pine longingly for that treasured item? Or, like me, when you see fresh chocolate chip cookies or a mouth-watering steak, is that all your heart (or maybe your stomach) wants? Or, on a more serious note, when you stare deeply into the eyes of a loved one, does your heart soar with gratefulness?

This year, I’ve seen the truth of the saying ‘the eyes are a window into the soul.’ They show us where our focus is. To summarize Jesus’ words in Matt. 6:19-23, for where your eyes are fixed, there also will be your heart. But, the question I keep coming back to in pondering this word, eyes, is this: What are my eyes fixed on? Jesus, or other things?

the question I keep coming back to in pondering this word, eyes, is this: What are my eyes fixed on? Jesus, or other things?

I can honestly say it’s been a mixed year. There’s been a lot of change, transition, and questions this year - and my eyes have gotten diverted from Jesus more than a few times. It’s been a daily journey to keep turning away from other things and back to my King. But I praise God for His relentless pursuit and ever-beckoning call in my life. He continues to place measures of grace that enable me to keep fixing my eyes on Him.

One of the measures of grace He has used this past year was that of my volunteer role with the Dayton Women in the Word team. Serving as the Content Editor, I had the great privilege to help steward over many words this year. Words that informed, words that told stories, words that spoke life - words, ultimately, that we hope and pray gave God back some of the glory He is due.

I saw this role as an active practice of stewardship. A stewardship of truth. And through this role, I saw that God is the Steward over my life. I won’t lie to you, 2018 has been a hard, confusing year in many ways, but one thing I have definitely had is ample opportunity to choose to trust Him. Trust Him, even when I cannot see. Trust Him, even when I don’t have answers or specific direction. I’m learning, albeit slowly,  that this is what faith is, choosing to trust - not because you “get it all,” but because God is sovereign, good, and wise.

As a sermon I listened to recently reminded me, I’ve seen God say to me over and over again: “I didn’t ask you to have all the solutions, I asked you to have faith.” That is what this role has taught me - to have more faith. Faith that God can do abundantly more than I can ask or imagine. Faith that He uses broken people and situations for His glory. Faith that He can be trusted. Faith that He will do what He says He will do. Faith that He is faith-FULL, even when I fail in faith.

So, now as I close this chapter and move on to work on some other things the Lord is calling me to, I think about all that God has done in the past year through DWITW, and I am humbled. I’m humbled to have been to have taken part in this weighty work of stewarding truth - it has taught me once again to fix my eyes back on Jesus and choose to trust Him. This has been a true and pure gift.

My goal was always to lift high the name of Christ and to encourage other women to do the same. And I know  this is the goal of our new Content Editor, Stephani Duff. So, as I close this chapter, that is my encouragement to her and to you dear readers of the DWITW blog community: Fix Your Eyes on Jesus. He will never fade. He can be trusted with your yesterdays, todays, and tomorrows. He is a good Steward. He is a good Author and will continue perfecting you, growing you up into His likeness, for the sake of the gospel!

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Bekah Brewer wants to live in a world where travel is quicker & cheaper, people are wisely vulnerable, and where discipleship is not just a concept but a thriving heartbeat of the whole Church. When she’s not editing for DWITW or her business (Words Redeemed), you can find her playing soccer, pouring into friends & family, or planning out more times of fun, rest, and growth. Her favorite Scripture is Philippians 1:27a: Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (HCSB)

Another year has come and gone, and we here at Dayton Women in the Word want to mark it the best way that we know how: by proclaiming God’s faithfulness to us.

We started 2018 with lots of big plans. Not all of them were fully realized in this calendar year, but as we walked in faith and obedience, we could see His greater mission going forward. We can say with confidence that He is at work in the city of Dayton!

Here are some ways that God has proveN Himself faithful through DWITW this year:

• Women (and men!) across Dayton participated in the DWITW365 Chronological Bible Reading Plan! We experienced a full year of bible reading within community, 52 weekly encouragements on the blog by our dedicated 365 blog team, and 66 video introductions to each book of the Bible on Instagram - not to mention the countless messages about the awesome things God was doing and the connections He was making as we read His Word together.

• Our extremely talented podcast team also put out two seasons of the DWITW Podcast (plus all of our Hosea recordings and a few special episodes spaced throughout the year). We had the privilege of hearing from over 30 guests combined in both the “Transformed” and “Timelapse” series’!

• We celebrated our 100th podcast episode and hosted the DWITW Podcast Live event, gathering local women together and calling them to remember God’s faithfulness and goodness to us in the stories of the podcast and in our own lives as well.

• We launched the Teaching Collective, allowing women a safe space to practice teaching and talking about Jesus. We saw much growth in the regular attendees, many of whom have stepped up to teach in their churches, in small groups, or within the DWITW community!

• We hosted our 4th annual Summer Study by walking through the book of Hosea. God brought hundreds of women and as many kids as our classrooms could hold! We hosted a morning and evening study and extended our resources to include an at-home guide, which many women used to follow along with us from both near and far away from Dayton.

• We launched an updated version of this website to make it easier to access our resources.

• The DWITW Traveling Bible made it’s way (slowly, but surely!) around the city, getting read, marked up and beautified by lots of women in our network.

• The Directors shared regularly (and vulnerably!) on the blog in our bi-weekly Team Journals blog series.

• We began the behind the scenes work for a video series about bible study tools that we hope to finish and put out to the public in 2019.

• God showed up for the ministry once again on Giving Tuesday and blessed us financially, in addition to the provision of many monthly givers that started in 2018.

Overall, we’ve seen God giving women confidence and depth in their relationships with Him. We’ve seen Him sending women out into their churches and areas of influence to teach and read the Bible with others. We’ve seen women’s ministries and bible studies start in churches which did not previously have them. We’ve seen church leaders take notice of the movement God is doing among the women in our network and ask them to take on leadership roles in their churches. It has been a year of growth and excitement.

It has also been a year of much transition on our leadership team. Several of our leaders were called out of the ministry throughout the year, which caused us to lean on the Holy Spirit for help and provision more than ever. God provided several new team members at the right times and continues to be the One who carries us individually and as a team. As the Team Lead, I wish you knew what I know and could see what I see! These devoted volunteers give many, many hours of their time to make Jesus’ name great among you. Your DWITW Team does so much behind-the-scenes work to keep our network alive and well. From graphic designers to content editors, blog contributors to Summer Study volunteers, babysitters to administrators — many hands, minds and hearts are at work to help the women of Dayton read their Bibles and know God better.

We are prayerfully expectant for 2019 and can’t wait to see what God does among us in the coming year.

God is good. we are grateful. We give him all the glory.

“With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise Him in the midst of the throng.”

— Psalm 109:30

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Natalie Herr is the founder and team leader of Dayton Women in the Word. She is a servant of God, a wife, a mom of four and a God-sized dreamer. She loves teaching and equipping women with God's Word. 

We are excited to introduce DWITW's newest team member, Kaitlyn Carl. She will be serving as our DWITW Treasurer. Get to know all about this sister below!

Kaitlyn is a wife of 5 ½ years and a mama to two precious little girls. She is a University of Michigan grad (GO BLUE), but she has come to love Dayton as her home. She wears many hats at her church, the most common being that of worship leader. She is also a group leader with Bible Study Fellowship.   

Kaitlyn loves to see God work in big ways when people walk in faith with Him. She is passionate about sharing life with others. What does this look like in Kaitlyn's world? She loves spending time with people, getting to know them on a deep, personal level, or as Kaitlyn likes to say, "just being real." Some of Kaitlyn's greatest joys in life include brunch/lunch/coffee/play dates, over-sized sweatshirts, coloring books, and having to double recipes because her table is so packed with people that she had to put the leaf in! She would love to have you over for dinner!

Favorite Scripture: Luke 22:31-32, John 17, II Corinthians 4:16-18

To learn more about our other team members, visit our 'Who We Are' page.

We are so excited to welcome two new team members to the DWITW leadership team! Get to know them below!

Kelly Gwin

Kelly is a Dayton transplant who grew up military, but has come to call this city "home". She's a worship leader, treasurer, and all around multitasker at FCF Dayton, while running a business as a fashion consultant and raising (soon to be) 3 little girls alongside her husband. Laughing, time with other women, and a completed to-do list are some of her favorite things outside of her passion for the work and Word of God, and according to her, the Christmas season starts before Thanksgiving. 

Kelly is no stranger to DWITW. She has joined us twice in leading worship at our gatherings and was the first guest on the DWITW Podcast! You can listen to the episode where she describes her current walk in God's Word here. Kelly will be joining us as our social media coordinator come January. With her bubbly personality and big heart for Jesus we are excited for her to join us! 

Favorite verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Samantha Hudgins

Samantha, "Sami," Hudgins is a wife and fur baby mama to Charlie.  Sami will be serving as our new event coordinator. Sami is passionate about all things discipleship and is looking forward to infusing our gatherings with this heartbeat. 

Sami is a Colorado-native, raised on an alpaca ranch in the small town of Elizabeth. She fell in love with Jesus while going to college in Colorado Springs, where she also met her husband, Jack.  They are now adventuring around the world as they embrace their love for travel together. The Air Force brought them to Dayton, and after only living there for 1 short year, Sami has grown a heart for the city.  She finds great joy in welcoming people into their home for great food and fellowship.  Her heart longs for women to join together to seek and find truth in the Word.  She works in the ER at Dayton Children's Hospital and is currently chasing her dream of becoming a physician assistant; Sami hopes to use her professional training to be a servant in her community through health care, and also to spread the Word through international medical missions. Sami has a special love for cozy coffee shops, large bowls of oatmeal for breakfast, mornings, CrossFit, reading, and changing seasons.

Favorite Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 1 Peter 2:16, John 6:38