If you’ve ever felt the weight of discipling your kids—but struggled to stay consistent—you’re not alone.

In this episode of the Ministry Wives podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with Melissa Kruger, Vice President of Discipleship Programming at The Gospel Coalition, to talk honestly about a common tension among many ministry families: wanting to lead your children spiritually while feeling overwhelmed, inconsistent, or simply worn out.

Together, Amy and Melissa share how to move from guilt to grace in family discipleship—and why faithfulness, not perfection, is what truly shapes your home.

Whether you’re a pastor’s wife, ministry leader, or parent longing to build meaningful spiritual rhythms, this conversation offers practical encouragement to help you take simple, sustainable next steps.

Because every prayer, every conversation, and every moment spent pointing your kids to Jesus is forming a spiritual legacy—one God can use in ways you may not see for years.

• A healthier, grace-filled approach to family discipleship (without feeling like a failure)
• How to build simple, sustainable rhythms of Bible reading and prayer with your kids
• Practical ways to respond to resistance from your children—especially teens
• What it looks like to make an eternal impact in your child’s spiritual life, one day at a time
• And more!

• The Good News Family Devotional by Michael and Melissa Kruger
• Women’s Initiatives at The Gospel Coalition
• Turn Your Eyes: TGC Women’s Conference 2026 (June 11–13 in Indianapolis, IN)
• Send Relief

Connect with Melissa
Instagram // Website

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If you’ve ever felt the tension between ministry demands and soul-deep exhaustion, this conversation is for you. In this episode of the Ministry Wives podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with worship leader, songwriter, author, and podcast host Christy Nockels for an honest conversation about burnout, calling, and what it means to move from living for God to living from God.

Join Christy as she shares her personal journey through a season of extreme exhaustion that led her to step away from her career for five years—and how God used that interruption to reshape her understanding of identity, rest, and what it means to truly receive the love of her heavenly Father.

Together, Amy and Christy unpack what it looks like to slow down in a life that still feels full, how to discern the yeses and no’s of ministry, and how to practice simple, daily rhythms of consecration, confession, and communion with God.

If you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, or are quietly wondering if rest is even possible for you, this conversation will help you re-center your life on the “bullseye” of God’s presence—and lean into His grace in the middle of the unknown.

• Why rest often feels impossible in ministry life
• The difference between living for God vs. living from God
• What it means to feel like a “commodity” in ministry—and how God restores identity
• Simple, daily practices for abiding with God in the midst of a full life
• And more!

• The Life You Long For: Learning to Live from a Heart of Rest by Christy Nockels
• The Glorious in the Mundane Podcast
• Christy’s Substack—launching soon!

Connect with Christy
Facebook // Instagram // Website

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Waiting is one of the hardest parts of following Jesus… especially when you know you’re supposed to trust God, but your heart is struggling to catch up.

In this episode of Ministry Wives, Amy sits down with speaker, author, podcast host, and ministry wife Rebecca George to talk about what it really looks like to trust God’s timing in a hurry-up world. Drawing from her book You’re Not Too Late, Rebecca shares how seasons of waiting—whether in singleness, marriage, ministry, or motherhood—can shape our faith, reveal our hearts, and deepen our dependence on God.

If you’ve ever wrestled with comparison, felt forgotten by God, or wondered why your prayers seem delayed, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

• Why trusting God’s timing is a lifelong struggle—even in ministry
• The danger of tying God’s goodness to our desired outcomes
• Practical ways to build resilience in a “hurry-up” culture
• Why God’s work in others is not at the expense of His work in you
• And more!

• You’re Not Too Late: Trusting God’s Timing in a Hurry-Up World by Rebecca George
• Radical Radiance Podcast

Connect with Rebecca
Instagram // Website

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In this powerful and deeply relatable episode of the Ministry Wives podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with ministry wife, author, and speaker Rachel Lovingood to talk about the tension we so often feel between knowing what God is asking—and actually stepping out in obedience.

For many ministry wives, the struggle isn’t whether God is calling—it’s navigating the fear, discomfort, and uncertainty that inevitably come with saying yes.

If you’ve ever thought, “I know I should step out in faith, but…”—then this conversation is for you.

• What’s really happening beneath your hesitation, fear, or resistance
• How to step into new seasons, transitions, and unknown spaces with faith
• Practical ways to initiate friendships and build relationships in new environments
• Why not every step of faith leads to visible results (and why that still matters)
• And more!

• In Our Shoes: Real Life Issues for Ministers’ Wives by Ministers’ Wives by Rachel Lovingood and Jennifer Landrith
• Playbook for Parents: Praying Powerful Prayers Over Your Athlete by Rachel and Jeff Lovingood

Connect with Rachel
Facebook // Instagram // Website

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What does it look like to stop striving for perfection and start living in the freedom of Christ? In this honest and encouraging episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with mom, Bible teacher, and pastor’s wife Annie Locke to talk about the tension many women feel: “I know I shouldn’t strive for perfection, but…” Whether in ministry, motherhood, marriage, or leadership, the pressure to perform and “get it right” can quietly steal our joy and leave us exhausted.

Annie shares vulnerably from her own experience as a pastor’s wife and ministry leader, unpacking how perfectionism often disguises itself as faithfulness. From the expectations of church life to the desire to model authentic faith at home, she speaks to the weight many ministry wives carry—and the freedom found in remembering that our identity is rooted in Christ alone, not in our performance.

Through biblical truth and personal experience, Annie reminds us that we were never meant to be perfect or to be everything for everyone. Instead, we are called to abide in Jesus, allowing His love to shape our lives and overflow into the lives of others.

This conversation offers hope for ministry wives, leaders, and women who are tired of striving and ready to experience the grace, rest, and joy found in simply being with Christ.

• Why perfectionism often stems from a desire to be faithful
• How performance-driven faith leads to burnout and comparison
• The difference between productivity and true faithfulness
• What it means to live from your identity in Christ, not for it
• And more!

Connect with Annie
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What does it look like to keep fighting for your marriage when life gets hard? In this powerful episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman to talk about the reality of marriage after more than 40 years together. Marriage can feel like a great adventure—beautiful, meaningful, and deeply rewarding—but it can also be far harder than we expected. For ministry wives and couples serving the church, the pressure to appear like everything is fine can make those struggles feel even heavier.

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth share honest stories from their decades of marriage, including the role of grace, forgiveness, prayer, and perseverance in sustaining a relationship through both the great joy and deep grief. Drawing from their new book Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home, they remind us that lasting marriage isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing to remain faithful, even when the road is long.

This conversation offers encouragement for ministry wives, pastors’ families, and any couple wondering if their marriage is worth fighting for.

• Why lasting marriages require learning to “bear with one another in love”
• The real challenges behind long-term Christian marriage
• How grace and forgiveness sustain a marriage through conflict
• The role of prayer and faith in navigating grief and hardship
• Why staying committed matters even as people change over time

• Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman
• Show Hope

Connect with Steven Curtis Chapman
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

Connect with Mary Beth Chapman
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

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If you’ve ever thought, I know I should talk about my faith more… but I don’t know how, you’re not alone.

In this episode of the Ministry Wives podcast, Amy sits down with speaker, former missionary, and Director of Relational Evangelism Melanie Ratcliffe to talk about the real reasons many followers of Jesus hesitate to share their faith. From fear of saying the wrong thing to feeling unprepared for spiritual conversations, many ministry wives quietly wrestle with the tension between wanting to share the gospel and not knowing where to begin.

Melanie offers practical encouragement for women who want to grow in confidence, authenticity, and intentionality when talking about Jesus in everyday life. Instead of relying on scripted approaches or pressure-filled methods, she shows how gospel conversations can flow naturally through relationships, hospitality, and genuine care for others.

If you’ve ever struggled with fear, awkwardness, or uncertainty when it comes to evangelism, this conversation will remind you that God is faithful to use ordinary moments—and ordinary people—to point others to His Son.

• Why so many Christians feel hesitant to talk about their faith
• Common fears that keep believers from sharing the gospel
• How ministry wives can approach evangelism with authenticity instead of pressure
• Simple ways to open the door for meaningful spiritual conversations
• And more!

Connect with Melanie
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What does it really mean to live set apart as a ministry wife? In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, Amy Petersen sits down with wife, (grand)mom, author, and women’s minister Tasha Calvert to talk honestly about holiness, sanctification, and the pressure that so many ministry wives feel to “have it all together.” If you’re a pastor’s wife or ministry wife who has ever thought, I know I should be more holy… but I’m exhausted, struggling, or just trying to survive, then this conversation is for you.

Tasha shares her personal journey of moving from a checklist-driven view of holiness to a relationship-centered understanding of what it means to follow a holy God. Together, she and Amy explore the unique expectations placed on women in church leadership, the importance of biblical community, and why vulnerability isn’t weakness—but a pathway to real spiritual growth.

Instead of striving to look set apart, this episode invites you to surrender, rest in Christ, and pursue the personal holiness that’s rooted in grace alone.

• What it truly means for a ministry wife to live “set apart”
• Why holiness is about relationship with God—not performance
• How Scripture shapes your pursuit of personal holiness
• The vital role of biblical community in spiritual growth
• And more!

• Set Apart for More: The Transformative Power of Living Your Whole Life for a Holy God

Connect with Tasha
Instagram // Facebook // Website // Prestonwood Women’s Bible Study Resources

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