Zebra Ministries

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Good morning Zebras,

I love you.

It may seem odd to you that I start these posts that way. You might think “That’s stupid how can she love me, she doesn’t even know me!” And I get it, because that’s what I would have thought too just a few short years ago.

But I do love you in the same way I love everyone, with the love that is given to me through Jesus Christ.

You can’t love anyone unless God gives you the power to do so. Even people you really “love,” like your family, can drive you crazy when you’re walking in the flesh.

I once heard someone say it was impossible to be with someone in spirit. Their point was we are physical beings and we can only be in one place at a time. Which is true but the Spirit God has placed inside of us isn’t a physical being and He can be wherever our heart is.

My daughter lives in South Korea. My son is in Chicago. But everyday God allows me to be with them in Spirit as I pray for them to remain strong in their faith and to serve God wholeheartedly. If it was possible for Paul, I figure it’s possible for me.

Colossians 2:5 (NIV84) “For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”

Colossians 2:5 (NLT) “For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.”

That’s how I feel about all of you. I pray for each of you every day. I pray you are staying strong and encouraged, that your eyes are firmly fixed on Jesus Christ, that you walk in an way that honors God and that everything that’s robbing you of the joy that should be yours is brought to light and dealt with.

It’s the same things I pray for myself.

I heard a Bible teacher once say “Life is tough and then you die.” After class I asked her if she was kidding. Christianity isn’t about gritting your teeth and suffering until you get to heaven.

Life can be tough, but Jesus is “tougher.” He has overcome this world and all the evil in it which means we too can overcome our sins and live in joy and peace. “Heaven” isn’t just for tomorrow, it’s for today.

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

I do love you Zebras and I want only the best for you, because this isn’t a ministry about me, it is about us and we are stronger if everyone is up and running for God.

Love,

Jill

No comments:

Post a Comment

Why Zebras?

In the summer of 2008 I was looking at a herd of zebras in a wild animal park and commented to my son that I didn’t understand why the lions didn’t just eat the zebras because their markings make them so obvious. He told me that the opposite was actually true. God has marked zebras so when they hang together in a herd, their stripes create the illusion they are one large animal and therefore too big to attack. It is the lone zebra that is usually eaten. The same is true of Christians; we must hang together and encourage each other to fight off the lions. The lone Christian is easy prey.

1 Peter 5:8
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Therefore:

Zebras was started to encourage women who desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who want their lives to be transformed to honor God and who are willing to be “zebras” in a world of “horses”. Zebras exists to reassure you that you are not alone and that God has called you to be peculiar. As a peculiar person you should look different than the world

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pastor Endorsement

Jill Getchell speaks from her heart and from God’s word in a way that brings encouragement and hope to God’s people. I’ve been blessed to hear her at Awana conferences, a women’s retreat, and from the pulpit of our church. I am confident your people will be equally blessed by spending the day with Jill at We Have Hope...your church will be blessed as well.

Pastor Al Marks

First Baptist Church Vallejo

I have known Jill for many years now. She truly desires to encourage the churches in our community and to strengthen the believers that attend our churches. Her passion for Jesus comes out in her ability to speak, and her heart is to encourage all those that attend to go back into their churches and be a blessing.

Pastor Kelly Patchin

New Harbor Community Church, Benicia

I believe women are vital to the unity and health of the church. They bear the image of God and serve Him in a great way within His church. Zebras has the ability to unite and excite women to grow in their faith and in their relationships with each other. In John 17:20 Jesus says, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” One of Christ’s last prayers for His church is that they would be one as He is with the Father. And through our unity the world can come to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. Unity is essential for a healthy church and healthy relationships between women. Zebras can stimulate healthy growth in the spiritual lives of the women in your church too. It is a blessing at New Harbor and I believe it would be a blessing for any pastor to have in their church.

Kelly Patchin, Pastor
New Harbor Community Church

Testimonies

The Zebra herd has given me the opportunity to be myself. I think we all have a face we put on for others, especially on Sunday. We don’t want to let anyone see the pain or hurt we’re suffering because we feel that it’s a reflection on our walk with Christ. I now have a group of loving Christian women with whom to share the joys and sorrows equally… Without the Zebras, I’d still be wearing my Sunday face. ...............Dawn C.

The Zebra ministry has deepened my relationship with Christ and the women at my church beyond what I thought possible... Most importantly, it has given me a safe place to be very, very real… I have learned how to be transparent and allow my fellow Zebra sisters to support me in prayer and God to minister to the deepest part of my soul--the part that needed it the most.................... Jennifer H.

When I came to New Harbor Church I was so lonely. I knew I needed the fellowship of other Christian women but did not know if I could break out of my self-imposed isolation. I felt unworthy of anyone’s friendship, let alone" godly people"... But Zebras has made me feel the true acceptance of these wonderful women. I have slowly opened my heart to them, with their encouragement and love! I don't have that heavy ache of solitude anymore. ................Barbara B.

I was with you in the beginning meetings of the herd and watched it evolve into a place where we as sisters in Christ could share our burdens without judgment. Being a Zebra helped me through a very trying time- Leap of Faith– leaving a relationship, selling my home and trusting in God. It was encouraging to know that I was not alone and being a part of a group where women could feel understood, comforted, and lifted up spiritually. .................Tracy M.

Zebra Events

Contact information