Hello friends! I hope you had as much fun this weekend as I did. I am enriched and feeling fortunate to know you all. Many of you asked for the declaration we made at the end of the conference, so here you go! Put it on your mirror and say it to yourself often. Be sure to let me know how God uses this in your life. See you next year – March 4-5, 2011.

I need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. John 9:4 The Message

I will not SETTLE. I will not FALL or GO TO THE BOTTOM. I will not RESOLVE, RELAX, REMAIN, STAY or SET-UP HOUSE where I am now physically, emotionally or spiritually. I will not SETTLE.

I refuse to be AVERAGE, REGULAR, USUAL, TYPICAL, OR COMMON. I will not be satisfied being a MIDDLE OF THE ROAD or RUN OF THE MILL worker, mother, wife, daughter, friend, or Christian. Average is a Dime-a-Dozen, but I am one-of-a-kind, unique, uncommon and remarkable!

I am not afraid to be different, strange, out of the ordinary, surprising, perplexing, unusual or curious. I am peculiar, odd, strange, irregular, and uncharacteristic just like my Savior Jesus Christ.

I am a Catalyst, a channel, a vehicle, and a medium for the message of the Gospel and the work that I am here to accomplish. I am important to my family, my work, and my world.

I am Avant-garde! I am forward-thinking, advanced, ahead of my time, futuristic!

I will be physically fit, healthy, robust, well, in shape, and vigorous!

I am ready, prepared, set, equipped, and organized.

I am willing, eager, and enthusiastic!

I am Legendary, famous, renowned, celebrated.

I am Alive! I am lively, active, perky, vivacious, and full of life!

I am bold, brave, daring, courageous, and valiant!

I am fearless, courageous, unafraid, unshakable, and filled with faith!

Stephanie Wolfe Ministries is officially 10 years old this month!

Over the past 10 years in full time ministry as a speaker, writer, mentor, leader, and consultant for women's ministry I have been asked this question many, many times, so I thought I'd blog my recent answer here for all to see.

First, find a church and get plugged in.

It is my very strong opinion that you need to be involved in your local church on a ministry level before you can take your gifts on the road. There are two reasons for this: 1) If it doesn’t work at home don’t export it! Your local church can affirm your gift. If you can’t draw a crowd there, or you can hold the interest of an audience there, then maybe you are on the wrong track. 2) You will need a “covering” for your ministry and the local church leadership should be that for you. They should encourage your gift and help it to grow. If they are New Testament leadership, they will anyway. If the leadership (pastor, women’s ministry director, whoever) seems threatened by your gifts, or seems to stifle your creativity, then you need to talk to them about their philosophy of ministry. Paul told Timothy to “stir up the gift within you” and ministry minded people were sent into ministry equipped, trained, supported, and often funded. Again, if they feel you have a gift that the world needs to hear, and then if they have a mind to send and not keep. J

Second, discover where your ministry gifts are – speaking, writing, leading, counseling, etc.

I do all of these, but I started with writing. It was and still is my passion and my strongest gift but it is the most difficult to build a ministry off of. You must be able to speak and then with the engagements you can sell your writing and other resources at the resource table. Each time you speak, ask for the message to be recorded and then make copies for distribution. Some people will like to hear you first and then decide if they would like to have you for a speaker for their event.

Third, give your gifts away until people insist that you take money for your ministry.

Do not charge for your engagements until you are experienced. I spoke for just a love offering at first and most of the time it didn’t even cover my expenses, but it was a learning phase for me and it just wouldn’t have been right to charge for my ministry. As my ministry began to flourish people were happy and blessed to contribute to my needs so that I would keep doing what I was doing. That was a blessing, since a “worker is worthy of his wages” according to the Word of God.

Forth, write for some newspapers, or magazines, anywhere you can get your name out there and share your heart.

Local papers are always looking for something interesting, even if it is a school paper or employee company newsletter – anything and everything. If you have something to say, say it! It will end up in print and if it is good, they will ask for more and more. I have written for many magazines, from local papers like Atlanta Christian Magazine to international ones like, Focus on the Family, Just Between Us, Spirit Led Woman, and Effervescence.

Fifth, utilize technology as much as possible.

Get a simple website, a facebook page, a myspace page, a twitter acct, and start a blog – this is easy and there will be people at your school that can show you what to do. Upload some things to You Tube. (I don’t do this like I should, and my website is currently behind in a big way. Too busy ministering to keep up with the business side of it I guess, but I’ve always had more of a gift for ministry than for business!)

Sixth, network, network, network.

Meet people everywhere. Don’t go to “sell” yourself. Go to meet people and learn from them. Every year I choose some women that I admire in ministry, business, or life and just call them an ask for 90 minutes with them. I pick their brain. I listen intently to their answers and I ask God to sow in me.

Lastly for now, don’t become obsessed with having your own ministry. Just minister!

Your gifts will find a way for themselves. I could never have been a good teacher without being a good student. I could never be a writer if I wasn’t a reader. I could never have been a good mentor without being a good mother. I could never be a great leader without being a great follower. I’m simply a follower of Christ, doing what Christ did, and helping others along the way.

Notice, I didn’t say, find a name for your ministry, set up a 501C3 for donations, get a business plan written up, or write a mission statement, etc. etc. etc. This will come later. It is not a bad idea, it is just a bad idea to start with. Most do this and fail. Nothing wrong with a business plan, or a mission statement, don’t get me wrong, I have them. But I didn’t start there. I hope this helps a bit as you seek the Lord on your ministry path for His glory sake.

Every day, since the day Mom went to heaven, I have put on her jewelry, her shirts, and her socks. So many of these items have Mom’s name on them. This was the procedure of the nursing home, Mom’s last home on earth. Ann Sachen. My mother.

I proudly wear each item. It was my mothers. With it comes identity. With it comes security. With it come memories. Like the shirt I have on now, is one that she wore a lot. It has a flap that has to be tucked inside the front, and it was always out instead of in. She would say, “this dumb thing” as she tucked it back in.

At Mom’s funeral, the eulogy was shared by us all. We honored Mom with our memories of her. We didn’t share of worldly accomplishments or corporate success. The memories that were shared by so many were of who Mom was, and how Mom lived. The personal characteristics that came up over and over again were generosity, love, faith, kindness, patience, perseverance, gentleness, and on and on the list could go. Mom did not lack in character worthy of honor.

I could get up each day for the rest of my life and physically put on something of Mom’s and though it will have some value to ME, it is not her clothes that create the legacy, it is her character. If I become more patient, then she lives on in me. If I am more generous because she was generous, then she lives on in me. Her legacy will live on if her character lives on in me.

Certain things will forever be an “icon” of sorts that will speak to me of who she was. Like the cross around my neck is hers. It is not real gold, the chain is tarnished, the scrolling rubbed off, but it means something to me. It was worn by a woman who knew what the cross stood for and lived under its power. She wore it because it is a testament to her faith in Christ. I wear it today because it is a testament to my faith. Her legacy lives on. Not in the cross, but in the faith.

Christ lives on in the legacy that is in us as believers. His life is not made visible by our steeples or our pulpits; our bibles or our bumper stickers. If His life is to be made visible at all, it will be made visible in our character; our Christ-likeness.

If you look closely at me you may see some physical resemblance of my Mom. If you know me well you may also see some emotional resemblance, or hear her in my laugh. And though I am grateful for all of these, I don’t want to just “look” like my Mom, or even “act” like my Mom. I don’t want to simply “wear” Mom’s clothing. I want to have her characteristics, live her character, be who she was. Who she was, was a follower of Christ. I will follow her as she followed Christ. Her attributes are worthy of following, because she followed Christ. Christ inside made Mom who she was. Mom’s character, which we praised at her passing, resembled Christ, because Mom didn’t merely put on Christ’s clothes, she was clothed in Christ. We saw it. We spoke about it.

Similarly, I could do what Christ did, and not be a follower of Christ. I can mimic His moves, imitate His voice. I can wear His clothes. But those external things will never create a character worthy of praise. It is only when Christ is inside that our life outside is worthy of praise. Mom would modestly be flattered that I find such value in wearing her clothes, but she would be more proud that because of her I am clothed in Christ.

I love wearing Mom’s clothes, and I will hold her close as I do. In a way, it will always be a part of keeping her alive in my memories, but the clothes will wear out, so I will seek to keep her alive through living a legacy of love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, generosity, grace . . .