Jenny Dorsey - Coaching & Virtual Support Groups

Looking for a good read? Wondering how to navigate urban ministry? Check out MARIA GARRIOTT’S new book
Stronger Together

It feels like a minute since I met Maria. She’s been a dear friend and peer in ministry and one of my go to people when I get stuck and don’t know what to do next.

Her first book, A Thousand Resurrections, gave me courage and helped me be curious in engaging the urban culture that surrounded me. I could not have parented my kids through their public school setting or engaged with their friends or embraced the city to the extent that we did as a family. You can checkout a great basketball documentary that my husband put together and our son Julian had the privilege of being a part of the team. It will give you a pretty good picture of our life and all of the things we came to care about and loved deeply.

We Are Family tells the story of the Arsenal Technical High School (Indianapolis, IN) basketball team that came together as a family and against all odds won the state championship and inspired a city in doing so. You can watch the movie here on YouTube. https://youtu.be/Nn0juZIPE80

Don’t forget to check out Maria’s website and get her book!

https://mariagarriott.com/books

Maria Garriott and her husband Craig planted Faith Christian Fellowship, an urban multiethnic, socio-economically diverse church they served for 38 years. In 2018, they founded Baltimore Antioch Leadership Movement (BALM), a ministry to multiply cross-cultural disciple-making leaders. Maria has a M.S. in Professional Writing and is the author of A Thousand Resurrections and numerous published articles, essays, and poems. Maria is a certified coach and network leader for Parakaleo, a global ministry to church planting women. Maria and Craig have five adult children and seven grandchildren.

Tonight my denomination (PCA) is hosting a live event with giveaways for Wives of Elders. You can checkout pcacdm.or/we for more info. 5pm PT / 8pm ET

Sometimes you need to become a Relational Riparian Buffer. Coaching can help you become this. Riparian buffers are the natural vegetation from the edge of the stream bank out through the riparian zone. The vegetative zone serves as a buffer to pollutants entering a stream from runoff, controls erosion, and provides habitat and nutrient input into the stream.

The Marta…. Last time I rode this train in Atlanta was 22 yrs ago. Jason and I were on our way to Simpsonwood and attending MNA’s Church Planter Assessment Center. Here I am today….helping assess the next generation of church planters. I had no idea how one train ride would change my life!

Lunch date last week with ….we had such a relaxing time sitting in the sun I totally forgot to get a pic….anyway, here’s to my friendship with Wendy and all the years we spent collaborating, strategizing and encouraging one another mostly over the phone or zoom! And by the way, I happened to go to New City Eastlake, Chattanooga with my kids where her son, Cooper, was leading worship. Check out his single “Love on Hold”. It’s a fun song!

Lunch date last week with ….we had such a relaxing time sitting in the sun I totally forgot to get a pic….anyway, here’s to my friendship with Wendy and all the years we spent collaborating, strategizing and encouraging one another mostly over the phone or zoom! And by the way, I happened to go to the church with my kids where her son, Cooper, was leading worship. Check out his single “Love on Hold”. It’s a fun song!

It was a good day…..I had the chance to catch up with Mary Lu Strawbridge and talk about how we both provide care for church planter/pastors wives through local and virtual support groups! If you can’t find a local group…..message me and I’ll let you know how to join one of my virtual groups starting up in January!

Meet Meaghan May and read why I’m celebrating her today!

I met Meaghan several years ago at MNA’s Church Planter Assessment Center. Meghan and her husband Reverend Paul May were attending in order to assess whether or not they had the skills and gifts for church planting. It was my privilege to be a part of discerning their call.

They moved to Ashburn, VA to plant King’s Cross Church six years ago. This Sunday, October 17, King’s Cross Church will particularize. ⛪️ This simply means the church they birthed is now official! And it’s quite an accomplishment! 🥳

What a privilege it’s been to walk alongside of her these last couple of years as her coach. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried and now today we celebrate. 🤩

Meaghan has also recently accepted the role of PCA Elders’ Wives Liaison with PCA’s Discipleship Ministries (CDM). Check out the link as I know this will be an amazing support for wives of elders.

Meaghan is grateful for the gospel and loves inviting women to live in light of the good news of the steadfast love of God in their current season.

She currently serves on the Committee on Discipleship Ministries (CDM) National Women’s Ministry team as a Regional Advisor to women in the Northeast. She is also a trainer with Parakaleo and leads the local network with the Potomac Presbytery. She has been in ministry for two decades: serving in children’s ministry, youth ministry, special needs ministry, women’s ministry, conference planning, retreat speaking, coaching, and church planting. Meaghan, I’m so proud of you and not just for your accomplishments but for the way you’ve entered into the brokenness of life and fixed your eyes on Jesus.

Have you lost your MUCHNESS? This is one of my favorite scenes in Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” where the Mad Hatter turns to Alice and sees she’s not at all herself.

“You're not the same as you were before," he said. “You were much more... muchier... you've lost your muchness.”

Sometimes in life you need Mat Carriers that hold your faith while you flounder around and are completely unable to take your self to Jesus. That’s why the friends of the paralytic (in the Bible story) carried him to Jesus and lowered him through the roof for healing.

Other times you need a HUG w/o RESSQ. Just like the Mad Hatter with Alice. He simply gave her a HUG. (Hear, Understand and Give words….you were much more much over…..)

So many time we want to fix and RESSQ (rescue) those around us. Why? I know the answer for myself - I just don’t like to feel uncomfortable! It hurts to sit with someone in their pain and I want to feel better as fast as possible.

So….don’t RESSQ. Avoid these 5 things.
- Reassure (you don’t actually know if it will get better)
- Explain the problem
- Share a story about yourself (we either try to build a connection or usually end up one upping each other and it doesn’t help)
- Solve the problem
- ask unnecessary Questions (this goes into a persons head and skips their heart)

So what can you do? Give the gift of LISTENING! Ask your friend instead:
1. What is wrong, and
2. How can I help?

If they say they don’t know then go back and ask:
1. do you need me to REASSURE you?
2. Can I help EXPLAIN what’s happening to you?
3. Would it help if I SHARED a STORY on how I handled that?
4. Would you like to brain storm ways to SOLVE the problem?
5. Would it be helpful to process more if I asked you QUESTIONS?

Several summers ago I was walking on the beach and I sunk deep into the mud flats. I needed help. Today I get to go help my daughter. I don’t know what she needs but I do know that being alongside and sitting with someone in their pain is just about the best gift you can give anyone!

Do you have someone who can sit with you?

It’s not always as easy as it sounds…..but I want to anticipate God’s rescue with delight. It’s coming….. be at peace my soul.

CONGRATULATIONS! Jane Hermerding 🎉🥳🎊 Join me in celebrating the particularization of King’s Cross Church in Cypress, TX this Sunday! Little did I know that in 1994 I would meet Jane and her husband Denise at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. Both of our husbands were in seminary and working on their M Div. Our paths would cross years later when Jane sent me an email inquiring about coaching. It’s been an honor and privilege to walk alongside her the last several years through the ups and downs of church planting and her role as a pastor’s wife. We’ve cried, we’ve laughed and today I get to celebrate this big milestone in her churches history. What a privilege it’s been for me to be her coach! Jane, I’m so proud of you. Well done! 🥰🤩😘

Dorst & Dorsey, 2000-2021
What do the two of us have in common? Rachel is an amazing and talented woman as well as fellow partner in ministry. We met back in Atlanta in 2000. Both of us were attending the PCA’s Church Planter Assessment Center with our husbands in order to discern whether we had the gifts and call to church plant. Rachel and Jonathan went on to plant in Kansas while Jason and I ended up planting in Indianapolis. Over the years we’ve stayed in touch as we’ve continued attending Assessment but now as Assessors! There’s nothing we love more than helping other couples discern whether or not they have the call, gifts and skills needed to plant a church. This past week I had the opportunity to meet up with Rachel again but this time in Boca Raton, Florida where the Spanish River Church hosted September’s 2021 Assessment! And I got to hangout with some amazing people….and have a lot of fun!