About Us
Calling, Equipping, and Encouraging Women to Know Jesus and Follow Him in Faith-Filled Obedience
OUR STORY
It all began in a pink living room…
After fifteen years of being in Bible study, praying daily, and serving in my church, I still didn’t know how to live the Christian life. I didn’t know how to take God’s Word to heart and bring it to life in my walk with the Lord, within my marriage, with my children, and in my community. I desperately wanted to know how to live what I believed. I sought out women in my church who could mentor me. They loved the Lord, but they didn’t know how or didn’t have the tools to help me. I cried out to the Lord for years, asking for help. I waited patiently for the Lord—(well, the psalmist said he waited patiently, but me…not so patiently). Even though there were times when I wasn’t faithful, He was faithful and brought a mentor to me who cared about me and who obediently upheld God’s command in Titus 2 for the older women to teach the younger women how to love their husbands and their children. She cared enough to take the time to come alongside of me, open up God’s Word with me, and teach me how to know God in His Word. She taught me how to apply the Word so that I would be able to take it to heart and bring it to bear in my heart, in my life, and in all of my relationships.
My husband witnessed the transformation of my heart and my life and the impact it had upon our marriage and our family. He longed to see other women’s lives impacted in a similar fashion and envisioned women sitting in our living room being taught what the Lord had taught me. So he painted our living room pink, believing that the Lord would bring women for that very purpose. And the Lord brought the women!
Since that day, many mentoring and discipleship Bible studies have been written, many women have been mentored and gone on to mentor others. The Lord has formed an entire ministry from my original heart’s desire. We pray that the Lord answers the cry of your heart as He answered mine. Our passion and goal continues to be to help women take God’s Word to heart and bring it to life. May that be true of you!
Laurie Aker
What Is a Biblical Mentor?
God Changing Lives
Through Thistlebend Studies
Our Growth Since 2007
4,118
Daily Subscribers to Daily eMoments
53
Reading Plans on YouVersion
8,942,500
Subscribers to Our Reading Plans on The Bible App/YouVersion
How Our Bible Studies Work
Within Your Local Church
Thistlebend mentoring and discipleship Bible studies work effectively within the existing context of a traditional church Bible study or home group, as well as within our virtual small group or individual online discipleship options.
Online
Online options meet the growing demand of those with challenging schedules and life circumstances, those in non-traditional settings, and those who find themselves away from their home church: missionaries, college students, church planters, military personnel, hospital or home bound, single moms, off-shift workers, etc.
Made for Your Schedule
Not only is the Thistlebend approach simple and easy to use, it is designed to serve each unique person and circumstance and is integrated into all of our discipleship curriculum.