Lioness Women: Rooted in Christ

What does it mean to be one Body in Christ when part of that Body is suffering—and we don’t even know it? In this powerful conversation, Jen sits down with Ed Brown, Secretary General of Stefanus Alliance International, to step into the lives of Christians around the world whose faith carries a cost most of us can scarcely imagine. Ed takes us inside the underground Church in North Korea, where believers may gather only two or three at a time and women are quietly carrying the Gospel into places where possessing a Bible can mean imprisonment or death. He shares the unforgettable story of a woman who spent a year reading the Bible again and again, memorizing more than a thousand verses so that when she returned to North Korea, the Bible she carried would not be in her hands—it would be written on her heart. But this conversation is about more than persecution. Ed challenges us to consider whether the Body of Christ is functioning as a healthy body at all. When our physical bodies experience pain, signals travel immediately and the entire body responds. But when our brothers and sisters across the world are imprisoned, displaced, attacked or killed because of their faith—do we feel it? Do we respond? Together, Jen and Ed explore what meaningful response can look like: caring for those who are suffering now, strengthening communities so they become more resilient, and engaging leaders and systems that can prevent persecution before it happens. They also explore what persecuted Christians have taught Ed about faith itself. Perhaps courage isn’t always triumph. Perhaps strong faith doesn’t mean escaping suffering. Perhaps sometimes faith looks like Good Friday. Sometimes it looks like the silence of Saturday. And sometimes the deepest expression of faith is trusting that Christ is still with us—even when He does not immediately remove the pain. This conversation is an invitation to look beyond our own experience of Christianity and remember that we belong to something much larger: a global Body of believers across cultures, denominations and nations. And then to ask: Where am I in this Body? What might God be asking of me? And how can I use the freedom, resources and influence I’ve been given for the sake of someone else? CONNECT WITH ED BROWN + STEFANUS ALLIANCE Stefanus Alliance exists to strengthen the persecuted Church and protect freedom of religion or belief for everyone. Learn more, read stories from the global Church, support the work and sign up for their newsletter and prayer updates: https://www.stefanus-usa.org/ Connect directly with Ed Brown: Email: [email protected] Stefanus Alliance International on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stefanusalliansen/ If your church, small group, university or ministry would like Ed to speak about the persecuted Church, religious freedom or the global human-rights landscape, reach out to him directly. Ed regularly speaks with audiences ranging from youth groups and churches to universities, diplomats and international leaders. CONNECT WITH JEN PORTER Jen Porter is a leadership and career coach helping ambitious, heart-centered women become deeply rooted in who God created them to be so they can live boldly, lead courageously and do the work they were made for. Explore coaching, the Lioness community and Jen’s book, Lioness: Stories to Awaken Your Roar Within: https://www.jenportercoach.com/ And if this conversation stirred something in you, share the episode with a friend, church leader, small group or someone who wants to understand more about our brothers and sisters in the global Church. Awareness is where it begins. Then we can listen for what God may be asking us to do with what we now know.

What if you didn’t have to accomplish one more thing to be worthy? For ambitious, high-achieving women, striving can look a lot like strength. We become capable, dependable, productive women who know how to push through, carry responsibility, and get things done. But underneath all that achievement can live a quieter question: Am I enough? In this episode of Lioness Women: Rooted in Christ, Jen Porter sits down with Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Christian coach, speaker, and podcast host Melissa Gendreau for a powerful conversation about breaking free from performance and learning to live from an identity already secured in Christ. Melissa shares her own journey from perfectionism and proving into what she calls humble confidence—knowing who you are, recognizing that your gifts come from God, and using them boldly without needing them to establish your worth. Together, Jen and Melissa explore the difference between striving and abiding, self-reliance and surrender, happiness and deeply rooted joy, and what happens when we stop trying to control the outcome and allow God to be the one driving our lives. You’ll also hear a beautiful reframe for every woman who has spent her life climbing invisible ladders of achievement and comparison: There is no ladder. There is a table—and you’ve already been invited to sit at it. If you’ve ever wrestled with feeling like you’re simultaneously not enough and too much, this conversation is an invitation to come home to the truth of who God says you are: chosen, loved, worthy, adopted, and His. You don’t have to prove your worth. You get to live from it. CONNECT WITH MELISSA GENDREAU Website: melissagendreau.com Podcast: Forward Path with Melissa: Life and Marriage God’s Way Find Melissa’s free resources, including 10 Bible Truths About Your Identity in Christ, along with her courses, coaching, speaking, and other resources on her website. CONNECT WITH JEN PORTER Website: jenportercoach.com Podcast: Lioness Women: Rooted in Christ Book: Lioness: Stories to Awaken Your Roar Within Leadership & Career Coaching + Lioness Community: jenportercoach.com

What does it look like to keep choosing life after unimaginable loss? In this deeply moving episode of Lioness Women: Rooted in Christ, Jen Porter sits down with Barb Hollace — one of the featured women in the upcoming book Lioness: Stories to Awaken Your Roar Within — for a conversation about faith, grief, resilience, surrender, and the unshakable faithfulness of God. Widowed at just 33 years old after losing her first husband to cancer, Barb shares the heartbreak, questions, and spiritual wrestlings that followed. Years later, after finding love again, she would walk through devastating loss a second time when her husband unexpectedly passed away during the COVID era. And yet, through every season of suffering, Barb’s story is not ultimately one of despair — it is one of extraordinary hope. With wisdom, humility, and profound honesty, Barb opens up about: • what it means to trust God when life does not unfold the way you imagined • how faith is built through relationship, not religion • why God’s faithfulness becomes undeniable through lived experience • the hidden strength of women who quietly endure • and how pain, when surrendered to God, can become purpose This episode is filled with tender moments, powerful truths, and reminders that courage does not always roar loudly. Sometimes courage looks like waking up one more day, trusting God one more time, and continuing to love others through the pain. If you are walking through grief, disappointment, uncertainty, or a season that feels impossible, Barb’s story will remind you that you are not abandoned — and that God is still writing redemption into your story. Chapter 9 of Lioness is Barb Hollace’s powerful story: “Protected by Unyielding Faith: Choosing to Live a Life Marked by Resilience, Where Faith Turns Survival Into Purpose.” Find out more at: https://bereadyministry.org/ Connect with Jen: https://www.jenportercoach.com/

What happens when God calls you beyond comfort, beyond fear, and into something far bigger than yourself? In this powerful conversation, Jen sits down with Meredith Murray to talk about surrender, courage, mentorship, and the life-changing impact of simply showing up for others. Meredith shares her deeply personal journey through profound loss, caregiving, breast cancer, and unexpected transition — and how those seasons refined her faith and awakened a greater calling. What began as a quiet life of serving behind the scenes became a global mission to empower vulnerable children through Allies in Youth Development, now impacting more than 27,000 children across 92 countries through mentorship, education, and humanitarian aid. Together, Jen and Meredith explore: Why “playing small” keeps so many women from fully stepping into their calling What surrender to God actually looks like in everyday life How faith grows through trust, discomfort, and obedience The transformational power of mentorship and human connection Stories from orphan villages in Africa that will move your heart deeply Why empowered people empower people This episode is both deeply emotional and profoundly inspiring — a reminder that God often works through ordinary women willing to say yes one faithful step at a time. Connect with Jen: https://www.jenportercoach.com/ Connect with Allies in Youth Development: https://alliesyouth.org/ linktr.ee/EmpoweredLifePod https://www.facebook.com/alliesyouth Check out Meredith's podcast: Empowered Life Podcast- YouTube youtube.com/@empoweredlifepodcast?si=OPjAPlIU-hN2qJca

In this deeply moving and eye-opening conversation, Jen Porter sits down with Vija Herefoss — theologian, human rights advocate, and global voice for persecuted women of faith — to explore the hidden realities facing Christian women around the world. Through stories gathered from Iran, North Korea, Central Asia, and beyond, Vija shares how women are often the unseen backbone of the global church — courageously carrying faith forward in environments marked by persecution, exclusion, violence, and profound sacrifice. Yet rather than portraying these women merely as victims, she reveals them as resilient leaders, creative change agents, and powerful witnesses of hope. Together, Jen and Vija explore: Why women make up the majority of the global church The radically dignifying way Jesus treated women How faith transforms families and entire communities Why Christian community is essential for survival in persecuted regions The unique forms of persecution women face The extraordinary courage of women leading underground churches The power of prayer, generosity, and global solidarity What the Western church can learn from believers who risk everything for Christ One of the most compelling themes throughout the episode is this: many women around the world are holding onto their faith at tremendous personal cost — losing homes, marriages, safety, inheritance, freedom, and sometimes even their lives — yet still refusing to let go of Christ. Their stories become a profound invitation for all of us to reflect on the depth, beauty, and eternal value of faith. Vija also shares breathtaking examples of women “gossiping the gospel” from house to house, imprisoned believers leading Bible studies behind bars, and exhausted pastors’ wives finally finding rest and encouragement through gatherings supported by Stefanus Alliance. This conversation is both sobering and deeply hope-filled — a reminder that even in the darkest places, the light of Christ continues to shine through ordinary women living with extraordinary courage. To learn more about the work of Stefanus Alliance International, support persecuted believers, or read stories from the global church, visit: https://www.stefanus-usa.org/ Connect with Coach Jen Porter: https://www.jenportercoach.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenportercoach/ Podcast: https://lioness.transistor.fm/