By Brent Taalur Ramsey
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jackie Kendall is a mother of two, a grandmother, a wife and a best-selling author. She is also the president of Power to Grow Ministries and a self-admitted "fellow struggler", as well as this year's guest speaker for the SBC Ministers' Wives Luncheon at noon on Tuesday, June 15, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
For almost four decades, Kendall has not only experienced the transition her two children, Ben and Jessica, have made into adulthood and recent parenthood, but she has also witnessed the power of God in rehabilitating and healing the hearts, minds and lives of youth, college students and single, married, divorced and widowed adults.
With the help of her husband Ken serving as the vice president, COO of Power to Grow Ministries and supportive friend, Jackie Kendall has formed a ministry teaching the power of forgiveness and encouragement to a variety of ages, introducing a multi-faceted outreach, including books, devotionals, CDs and DVDs.Some of her several books include The Mentoring Mom, Lady in Waiting and Free Yourself to Love (The Liberating Power of Forgiveness).
As a highly desired speaker, her speeches and presentations are said to be "hard-hitting, humorous and healing," according to her website, jackiekendall.com.
The theme for this year's luncheon is "Mentoring Ministry Marriages," where wives of ministers - pastors, church staff members, chaplains, missionaries and denominational workers - will be listening to Kendall speak on the importance of mentoring and encouraging their fellow ministers' wives.
"We all know the verse in Matthew 28:19 where Jesus said ‘go into the world and make disciples.' In that passage, literally, make disciples, is the only imperative in that whole little verse," said Kendall, a resident of West Palm Beach, Fla. "Well, I looked up the word disciple, and do you know what the first word translated in Greek is? MENTOR. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, mentor is not just a 21st century cliché.'"
"Another aspect of the word disciple/mentor is: STAMP AN IMAGE-Make an Impression," continued Kendall. "I hope to encourage every Pastor's wife about her daily privilege of stamping an image of Jesus upon not only her family and but also her church family."
"[During the speech] I will touch on the things that limit our effective mentoring, for example in the area of unforgiveness-unresolved offense, etc. My husband and I have been married 35 years, and we are still very much in love because we are both good forgivers," added Kendall. "I am going to encourage them to consider the ‘impression' they are making on the lives of those they encounter-pausing to evaluate the effectiveness of their mentoring."
The theme, "Mentoring Ministry Marriages," comes from Titus 2: 3 - 5 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), that "older women are to be reverent in behavior... [They are] to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, pure, good homemakers, and submissive to their husbands, so that God's message will not be slandered."
"Once a year, Southern Baptist Ministry Women from around the country and even the world gather for fellowship and inspiration at the Ministers' Wives Luncheon," said Rhonda Kelley, president of the Ministers' Wives Luncheon. "It is always a personal highlight for me."
"This year's program will encourage older ministry wives to mentor younger ministry wives so their marriages and ministries will be strengthened. I have been blessed to have many godly mentors to guide me, and I want to do the same for others," added Kelley, whose husband Chuck Kelley is the president of the New Orleans Baptist theological Seminary.
Singer, wife and mother, Tiffany Coburn will be the special music prior to Kendall's speech. Coburn has been sharing the power of testimony and voice for more than 20 years and has toured with Sandi Patty, Bill Gathier, TRUTH and the Day of Discovery Singers. She currently sings for the Walt Disney's Voices of Liberty and attends First Baptist church in Orlando, Fla.
The luncheon will take place at noon on Tuesday, June 15, in the Valencia Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased by calling 800-254-2022 or visiting lifeway.com Click Here.
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For more information about the luncheon, contact Rhonda Kelley at 800-662-8701, ext. 8588 or rkelley@nobts.edu.
To learn more about Jackie Kendall and Power to Grow Ministries or to purchase her books, visit jackiekendall.com.