Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away

Natalie Runion's Raised to Stay seeks to bring healing to the very heart of the church by addressing areas very few dare to venture into - church hurt. She answers questions by defining a term so loosely used in today's culture by bringing clarity to church hurt, church offense, and church abuse. Natalie helps us navigate these areas by illustrating with her own personal mistakes and experiences in those three areas. Natalie does not shy away from calling her readers to the carpet by shining light on our own heart postures. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to healing and moving forward is ourselves, our pride and our unforgiveness. All the while, she maintains a sensitivity to those who have truly experienced the worst kind of abuse at the hands of other believers. Natalie helps us understand when to and when not to quit, showing us that sometimes perseverance in the hard can reveal the "glory among the gory" and a deeper knowledge of the goodness of our Savior. There is hope. There is a reason to stay, a reason to go, but Natalie does a beautiful job of pointing us toward the discernment that lies with a comforting and wise Holy Spirit. Natalie Runion was anointed and appointed to write this book for such a time as this. Not only would I recommend this book to other ministry leaders and church goers, I would also say ANYONE has a lot to gain by adopting the transformative mindset that Jesus provides and Natalie writes about. START A COVERSATION, get on the road to healing, and share what God is doing in your heart along the way!

I've followed the @raisedtostay account for 35 weeks now. I still can't remember how I came across it, but I'm grateful I did. All I know is that it was definitely sent from my Heavenly Father. Natalie and her black boxes have been a blessing to my life. As a PK (Pastor's kid) and someone who has seen a lot and been through a lot, I can relate to her very, very much. Many times I've said, "Now that's something I would write!!!" I appreciate her boldness, passion, candor, transparency and honesty. She doesn't beat around the bush and if you know me, you know that I love that! She is the REAL DEAL. I pre-ordered my book a few weeks ago. Since I couldn't wait to receive my copy, I got the audio book on the release date (July 4th). Well, I've already listened to it twice in one week. I have never done that, and I have never tracked the delivery of a book like I tracked this one! 🤣 If you're a PK or were raised in the church, this book is especially for you. If you have served in the church, this book is for you too! "We stay for JESUS. We stay to remember that original yes to a God who loves us and a family that isn't perfect but it's ours." - Natalie Runion Natalie, THANK YOU...❤️ Don't ever stop speaking the truth. I will continue to pray for you as you continue to step into all that God has for you.