Have you ever wished you could sit down in a casual coffee shop with one of our authors and speakers and chat? We are so thankful for the amazing women of God we have the privilege of working with regularly. And while we can’t all gather in our favorite downtown coffee shop, we want to give you the opportunity to know them a little more personally.
Introducing our new series: Get to Know our Authors! Every other month we will share a fresh “coffee chat” with a member of the Lifeway Women family to give you the opportunity to get to know her a little better.
First up: Kelly Minter.
Kelly Minter is an author, speaker, songwriter, and singer. She is passionate about women discovering Jesus Christ through the pages of Scripture. Whether through song, study, or spoken word, Kelly desires to authentically express Christ to the women in a culture where so many are hurting and broken. She is driven to share the healing and strength of Christ through the Bible’s truth.
Kelly’s newest Bible study, Encountering God, is available as an online Bible study experience beginning January 13. Find all the details here.
Lifeway Women: Tell us about your writing process. Do you have any favorite pens, locales, teas to drink, or music to listen to?
Kelly Minter: I wish my writing process was more exciting than it is, but the reality is writing is hard work no matter how you slice it. I do like to have a clean space. So whether I’m at my house or my office, I need the space around me to be clear so my head can be, too. I almost always have a cup of coffee or tea with me. A heavy diner mug is a must. I typically have a candle lit or some essential oils diffusing—anything for a pleasing environment if possible. I positively cannot listen to music or have any noise around me. I need to be able to concentrate, and quiet helps me do this best.
Lifeway Women: What is one of your favorite travel destinations? Is there somewhere you haven’t been that is on your wishlist?
Kelly Minter: I love England. It has so much of the goodness of Europe, and I can speak the language. I love the history, the quaint streets and shops, the rolling hills and countryside, the tea, clotted cream, and scones. I love the whole thing. I haven’t been in a few years and am hoping for the opportunity to go back soon.
Lifeway Women: What is the best advice you have ever received? Tell the truth.
Kelly Minter: My parents instilled in my sibling and me a deep respect for honesty. Having integrity was one of the most important values of our home and that has carried with me into adulthood. I’m grateful my parents put such a premium on honesty because we have always trusted one another.
Lifeway Women: What’s something God has been teaching you lately?
Kelly Minter: That without Him we can do nothing. I’ve been spending time in Luke’s infancy narrative and recently recognized the activity of the Holy Spirit all over the story. Zechariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, Simeon, Anna … they all encountered the Holy Spirit, and He was the catalyst for everything that happens in Luke 1–2. It reminds me that we can’t buy the Holy Spirit, brand Him into existence, or earn Him, but we can position ourselves in His pathway through obedience and holiness. I’ve been reflecting on this.
Lifeway Women: You have a new Bible study that was released in November. Why did you write the Encountering God Bible Study? Who is it for?
Kelly Minter: I can say emphatically that it’s for anyone. Seasoned Christ-follower or new Christian, the spiritual disciplines are for all of us. My prayer is that this is a solid introduction into what it means to be a Christ-follower as well as a deepening journey for those who have walked with Christ for a long time. I wrote Encountering God because there seems to be a renewed interest in the spiritual disciplines. We seem to be longing for what has been tested and tried versus what is hot off the shelf. So it was a journey back into these ancient disciplines through the lens of what Scripture has to say about each of them and how we can practice them in our lives.
Lifeway Women: We are excited to partner with you for the Encountering God online Bible study experience this January! What are you most excited for the women who will be joining us?
Kelly Minter: I’m excited for women to take a deep dive into these practices that God has given us to know Him better. The disciplines are actually gifts. They’re expressions that fill us with joy, peace, wisdom, and mostly help us experience God’s presence. I’m also excited for women to have connections with other women from all over the world through the online Bible study. It’s a really exciting platform that gives you video access and the opportunity to study with others virtually, with people physically in your community, or both. So it’s really the best of both worlds.
Who do you want to chat with next?
Read a free sample, view teaching clips, and learn more about Kelly Minter’s new study, Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith Through the Spiritual Disciplines, at lifeway.com/encounteringgod. Plus, we’d love to have you join us for the Encountering God online Bible study, starting January 13.
Kelly Minter is passionate about teaching the Bible. When she’s not singing, writing, or speaking, you can find her picking homegrown vegetables, enjoying her six nieces and nephews or riding a boat along the Amazon river with Justice & Mercy International. A Southern transplant, she delights in college football, long walks, and a diner mug of coffee with her closest friends.
