NavPress Authors to Speak at SBC 2009 Annual Conference
In May 2009, NavPress released Quiet Influence: The Romans 12:1 Woman by Diane Strack (general editor), Deb Brunson, Jeane Floyd, Donna Gaines, Susie Hawkins, and Lisa Young. This six-week Bible study profiles the lives of six remarkable women whose influence was rooted in their surrendering to God's call on their lives. Strack, along with Brunson, Floyd, Gaines, Hawkins, and Janet Hunt, will open the 2009 SBC Ministers' Wives Luncheon on Tuesday, June 23, as part of the SBC 2009 Annual Conference at the Kentucky Exposition Center (Louisville, KY). They will present "The View from the Pew," a humorous look at ministers' wives' most embarrassing moments. This will be followed by the "The Romans 12:1 Woman" program, which highlights many of history's most influential Christian women.
Strack, a popular speaker, writer, and teacher, recently discussed Quiet Influence and her hopes for this study.
How did you come up with the idea for Quiet Influence?
Diane: I faced four different heart procedures. When you go through a life-altering experience as I did, everything in life immediately sorts itself into new priorities. Instead of thinking of present challenges, you begin to focus on living a life that will go on to impact generations long after you are gone. I began to study the lives of women I admired and found that none of them knew of the influence they would have. They faced great discouragement and overcame it. Today we can reap the benefits of their testimonies of faithfulness. For them it was not about the “doing” but about the “being” presented to the will of God.
Did you select your co-authors?
Diane: As I considered co-authors, I thought of dear friends whom I admire. They are deeply spiritual women, compassionate, and humble servants, even though each has a great platform in ministry. When I offered the list of historical women from which to choose, each author immediately knew whom she wanted to write about and had a passion for the subject. The Lord literally went before us and gave them the desire before I had even created the project!
How did God lead you in this study?
Diane: The idea for a project about Christian women in history had been in my heart for over a year. Due to my medical procedures, I was frustrated because I felt that I had lost so much time. One morning as I was recovering, I sat at the computer in my pajamas and prayed. The Lord said, Send in the idea to NavPress. I fought with Him for a moment because I had not yet even contacted the co-authors! But I felt compelled to do so and clicked “Send.” Thinking it would be weeks or maybe even longer before I received a reply, I was shocked when that same day I had a response in my inbox. I began writing down the vision for the study and calling my friends. All of these wonderful women agreed to write and even knew which woman they wanted to write about. The Lord clearly explained to me, You might have been ill and in the hospital, but I wasn’t! He had been working in all of our hearts before we even knew about the idea for Quiet Influence.
How did you and your coauthors choose the women studied in Quiet Influence?
Diane: My friend and coauthor, Susie Hawkins, was completing her Master’s at seminary, and we discussed the women in history she was impressed with. She gave me the idea of Monica, which turned out to be an amazing chapter! Deborah and Mary were studies I had been working on for some time; they are both personal heroes of mine. Then, as I researched Lottie Moon’s letters, I was impressed with her compassion and daring and knew we had to include her. As I continued to pray about which other women to include, I visited a friend who had read a book on Sarah Edwards and I immediately borrowed it. It so inspired me that I knew we needed to include her. And Shirley Lindsay was a personal choice; she was one of the most Romans 12:1 women I have ever met. At a pastors' wives lunch, each woman began to speak of Shirley and the influence she had had in their lives. I knew she had to be included. She has perhaps touched more people one on one, quietly behind the scenes, than anyone else I know.
What do you hope readers will take away from Quiet Influence?
Diane: I hope women will experience Scripture through this study and come away with the understanding that no matter how small we feel our influence is today, we have the opportunity to leave behind a great testimony of faithfulness. The way we handle our challenges and celebrate our joys will impact others for generations to come. The six women profiled in this book never knew of the great stories that would be passed down about them. They lived ordinary lives and faced difficult circumstances yet they lived supernaturally, filled with the power of our personal God. It has been said that presentation is everything and it is certainly true of Christian women. To present ourselves to His will is to worship Him and His promised result is that we will be transformed. Present yourself and get in on the adventure God has for you!
About the Authors
Diane Strack is the author of New Start for Single Moms and Worship in the Storm, a contributor to The Impact Bible, and cofounder of Student Leadership University. She lives in Florida with her husband, Jay.
Deb Brunson serves as an International Mission Board trustee and serves with her husband, Mac, at First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida.
Jeana Floyd is the author of The Uninvited Guest. She lives in Arkansas where she and her husband, Ronnie, minister through two vibrant church locations.
Donna Gaines, M.Ed., is the author of There’s Gotta Be More and several women’s Bible studies. She and her husband, Steve, minister in Tennessee, where he is the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church.
Susie Hawkins, M.Th., lives in Texas with her husband, O.S. She is the author of From One Ministry Wife to Another and has served in women’s ministries for more than thirty years.
Lisa Young is a coauthor of The Creative Marriage. She hosts Flavour, an event designed to help women realize their true worth. She and her husband, Ed, minister in five locations through Fellowship Church.