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“…as iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Proverbs 27:17
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Here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour, we enjoy laughing together, sharing, studying the Word, and praying for each other. We try to find a topic that is related to Women, Marriage, Family, etc. It just seems to fit better for this ministry! So pour yourself a cup of hot coffee, or an awesome cup of herbal tea; pull up a chair, and let’s get to know one another.
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Meet Our Founders
Christi Wilson
Founder - Blog Contributor
Meet Christi Wilson. She lives in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Christi is the wife to her wonderful husband Gary, mom / step-mom to her amazing kids Tiffani, Heather, William and Joshua, and grandmother to her awesome grandchildren Michael, Brandon, Makenzie, Brooklyn, Kyler, Alaina, Jayden, Austin, Kylee, and CJ.
Christi has been coordinating Online Bible Study / Prayer Groups on Facebook, since 2011, when she created the first Facebook Prayer Groups for Proverbs 31 Ministries. The Lord led her into starting her own online Bible study ministry, and the rest is history!
After a few years of being empty-nesters, Christi and her husband became foster parents for children in crisis. Although foster parenting can be quite challenging, the rewards are far more numerous! This was truly a God-thing!
Christi has had a heart for Women’s Ministry for many years. Coming from a background of physical and emotional abuse, she can relate to the hurts that many women go through in their life!
She loves spending time with her family and meeting new friends. She also loves to read, study the Word, cook, and play word games.
She gave her life to Jesus on March 23, 1984, when He saved her from suicide, drugs, and alcohol. She believes that without Jesus, we are nothing. He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness in our lives and accepts us right where we are in our lives…..blemishes and all.
Megan Smidt
Megan Smidt, CLC – Co-Founder - Blog Contributor
Megan is a Certified Christian Life Coach specializing in Relationship Coaching and more specifically, Blended Family Relationships. She also works part-time as Personal Assistant to Christian Musician Yancy.
She and her husband Craig have been married 8 years. She is the adoptive full-time mother to Craig’s 5 children from a previous marriage, all ranging in age from 21 years old to 14. Megan is from sunny Southern California, but has lived in middle Tennessee since 2007.
Megan is very active in her church and in ministering to women. She leads a family small group in her home every week along with her husband and she works with teenagers at church on Thursday nights. Megan also regularly does speaking engagements on various topics concerning Christian Women and is a Certified Christian Life Coach with clients all over the world.
Megan loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. She enjoys reading, music, movies, photography, paper crafting, sewing and roller skating. She is silly, fun, and loves making new friends!
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Meet Our Ministry Leaders
Coleen Hayden - Blog Contributor - Prayer Ministry Leader
Coleen enjoys the privilege of being a housewife. She and Robert have been married for 18 years and currently lives in the Capital District area of New York state. They have one beautiful daughter, Kassia, who is married to Matt, and their marriage has produced 3 sweet grandchildren—Elijah, Kaylie Joy, and Levi. They thankfully live close to these sweethearts and spend much joyful time together. Coleen’s hobbies include sewing, cooking, and playing the piano…. and if you need someone to pray with, she would love to do so!
Laurie Ellis - Women’s Ministry Group Leader
Laurie was raised in Southern Illinois. She is the youngest of four children. Currently, she is a single mom of two sons, Elijah (21) and Dalton (11). They are the joys of her life. Along with her boys, her brother Roger lives with them. Laurie has spent over 25 years working in the healthcare field with youth, developmentally disabled and most recently in the Geriatric population. For the past two years, Laurie has spent time in Celebrate Recovery on the ministry T.E.A.M and Exchange (an ex-gay ministry) – leading several women’s groups. She is grateful to be used by God to minister to women searching for recovery from various issues.
Amy Butterfield - Women’s Ministry Group Leader
Amy is from north-central Ohio, where she lives with husband Brian, and her three children (12, 15 and almost 17). She works full-time for a large educational publisher, coordinating bids & contracts with state departments of education. Amy is very active in our church, and also loves to crochet, cook, and read.
Kim Spring – Blog Contributor – Women’s Ministry Group Leader
Kim lives in Pensacola Beach, Florida with her husband of 22 years and four children ages 20 to 8 years old. She’s been a Cheer Coach, a Personal Trainer, and a full-time mom and wife. She has a heart for spreading the hope that’s in Jesus Christ! Her message to others is that no matter what, there’s nothing impossible when God is your driver. Kim loves writing , exercising, loving on her family, and loving Jesus.
Meet our Blog Contributors
Jennifer Mleczynski
Jennifer lives in upstate New York with her husband, Shawn, and three dogs. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology and is currently employed full-time as an Educational Grants Specialist. She is actively involved with her local church, serving on the women’s ministry leadership team and maintaining her church’s website. Jennifer grew up believing in God and attending church, but fully gave her life to Christ in 2010 after nine long years of walking in darkness after an infertility diagnosis shattered her sense of self-worth and identity as a woman. She is happy to say that God rescued her and showed her that her sense of worth can be found in Him alone! Jennifer loves to read, write, blog, watch movies, and play board games. She has also recently discovered a love of running through the completion of the Couch-to-5K program. She looks forward to continuing to run the race God has set before her, with endurance, eyes fixed solely on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Teresa Jones Bolme
Teresa lives in middle Tennessee with David (her husband of 26+ years), eight daughters (23 years – 14 years old) and her Rock Dog, Angus. She has been a not-so-stay-at-home mom for the last 18+ years. She is her family’s biggest cheerleader, devoted counselor and caretaker. Teresa is a full-time student, soccer mom, a dance mom, a tutor for all her girls and a volunteer in the community. She is affectionately called “Mama T” by those who know her and have been loved by her. She balances a very diverse household of strong, intelligent, godly young women and supports an awesome husband and father. God has chosen to use Teresa to reach broken children, teens and women (most who were broken as children). She is currently completing her degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Christian Counseling with Liberty University Online. Teresa has been participating in and leading women in Online Bible Study for a couple of years now. She has a passion for the Word of God and helping others understand the simple truths it holds.
Michelle Graziano
Michelle comes to us from New Jersey. She is the mom to her handsome 5 yr old son, Connor. She is the Women’s Ministry Leader and Youth Leader at her church, where she is also very active with the Praise and Worship Team. Michelle was a teacher for 11 years, where she taught Science to high school kids. Michelle also helps with an online Health / Fitness Group, where she reaches out and encourages other women who are trying to lose weight, or maintain a healthy lifestyle. She herself has lost over 80 pounds along this journey! She gave her heart to Jesus three years ago, and thrives in serving Him in whatever way that she can. Michelle owns a Baking business, and loves crafts, and anything to do with organizing and creating.
Jacqueline (Jackie) Chingawale
Jackie comes to us from Lilongwe, Malawi, in Africa. She has been married to her husband, Allan, for 3 years. She works as an Administrator for a Christian School where she has worked for the last 9 years. Prior to marriage, Jackie led a Singles Ministry at her local church for 3 years, and experience with youth and children’s ministry. Jackie gave her heart to Jesus at the tender age of 19 years old. Jackie has such a heart for reaching others for the Kingdom of God. For hobbies, Jackie enjoys reading, cooking, and watching television. Her hearts desire is to travel the world one day!
Martha Bush
Martha has been married to her amazing husband for 46 years. Together they have two grown daughters, and three grandchildren, of whom she is very proud of! She lives in Orange, Texas. Martha has been involved in ministry with her church for 20 years. This has given her experience in children’s ministry, jail/prison ministry, and leading adults through The Grieving Process, after the loss of a loved one. She is a blogger at www.createdwoman.net, and is currently in the process of writing a children’s book, entitled Helping Hurting Children: A Journey of Healing. Martha’s hobbies include reading, walking, playing with my grandchildren, and just sitting across the table talking with a close girlfriend.
Tonya Ellison
Tonya comes to us from Rio Rancho, New Mexico where she lives with her four favorite people, three kids ages 4, 6, and 9, and her husband of seven years, Jamel. Growing up in church Tonya has always known who God was but in her early twenties she truly began working on a relationship with Him, realizing that it is not only about building relationships with others but first learning and embracing who she was in Christ. Two years ago Tonya earned her BS in Human Services/Management and strives to let God’s love show through her work as a Bereavement Counselor. Her hobbies include writing and reading, crocheting, and spending time with her family.
Carissa Markantone
Carissa joins us from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she’s lived nearly all of her 25 years. Carissa was saved at the age of 5, but recently rededicated her life to Christ a little more than a year ago. She has a huge heart for serving others, especially children with terminal illnesses. Carissa desires to live every day for her King, striving for more of Him and less of her with each waking day. Outside of her analyst duties at a major sporting goods retailer, Carissa enjoys spending her time with friends and family, reading, writing, working out, and singing praises to her Savior.
Diane Meyers
Diane is loving, caring, genuine, and perfectly imperfect. At almost 24 years of age, she lives in Pittsburgh, PA surrounded by a ton of family and loved ones God has given her to share life with. To the world, Diane may be single, but to her she has the best date of all… Jesus! Diane is very involved with the children’s ministry at her church, and is also a spiritual coach for a ministry aimed toward the youth. She desires for every single person to know that they do not have to be perfect; they just need to accept the perfect love of their perfect Savior in Heaven. She knows first-hand how God turns our imperfections into His perfections with His love. She sees HIS beauty, in all of those imperfections.
Dana Kim – Blog Contributor - At Home with GCH
Dana share Ethnic recipes on our Thursday blog. Dana comes to us from Anaheim, California, where she lives with her husband and two children. California is where she inherited her parents’ culinary open-mindedness! She loves trying all different kinds of recipes and is happy to share those recipes here!!
Crystal Bush Breaux — Blog Contributor – At Home with GCH
Married for 17 years to her wonderful husband Tim, Crystal has two children, Hannah 9 and Zach 5. She and Tim serve in their church as small group leaders and in marriage ministry. Crystal loves spending time with her family and friends, running, teaching and coaching her daughter’s softball team. As a Wellness Coach and Fitness Designer, Crystal work’s with busy women to design an exercise and eating plan to fit their personal schedule and lifestyle. With over 20 years in the fitness industry, Crystal has worked in commercial fitness as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, an educator in corporate wellness, and in an executive leadership position in a hospital wellness center. She has a passion for teaching and encouraging women to have balance in their life physically, mentally and spiritually.
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Our Prayer and Encouragement Team:
The women in this group are responsible for showering women in our Facebook groups with prayer. We are very blessed by this amazing team of women.
