Good News - May 2022

COVER STORY 28 May 2022 www.goodnewsfl.org Good News • South Florida Edition “Many women do noble things, but… a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised,” declares Proverbs 31:29 -30. This well-known chapter describes a remarkable woman involved in all facets of her community, active in the marketplace, involved in charity and managing the affairs of her household. She is a woman of distinction. This month, in conjunction with Mother’s Day, Good News applauds five women of distinction who are leaders in our faith community. Read their thoughts on their calling along with a few words of advice. Elizabeth Mitchell Boca Raton Community Church A talented author and speaker, Elizabeth Mitchell is part of the leadership team at Boca Raton Community Church, where she serves alongside her husband, Pastor Bill Mitchell. She posts weekly “Journey for the Heart” devotionals to her blog (ElizabethAMitchell.com), has written three books and frequently travels overseas as part of the faculty of WorldLead to encourage leaders involved in the nonprofit world. Bill and Elizabeth have five children, who they home educated from pre-school through high school. They also have four grandchildren. Their youngest son, James, passed away almost 16 years ago after battling congenital heart disease, which required multiple open-heart surgeries, pacemakers and a heart transplant at the age of four. Elizabeth described those years as “a time when God taught us more about himself than at any time in our life.” Elizabeth wrote Journey from the Heart – Hope When Life’s Unfair following this loss to share their testimony of God’s limitless provision and grace. An updated edition of the book, which includes a Bible study guide, is set to be released in July. What do you believe is God’s calling for you? My calling is to let men and women know that Jesus is enough no matter what, and to call them to incorporate the spiritual disciplines into their lives - things like time alone with God and prayer and silence or solitude. Is the role of women changing in the faith community? I do think it’s changing in a very positive way. I see more churches giving women a platform to use their gifts. Now there are strong women's voices in almost every area of Christian ministry. And I think it's critical because on the world stage in our secular culture, women are being looked up to far more than they used to. So for a Christian woman to have a place and a voice, with her character and her lifestyle, she can declare just how wonderful Christ is in her own life, the life of her family, and in whatever she's doing. What Bible verse has encouraged you? “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done…” (Psalms 105:1 – 5 NKJV) What was your most challenging time as a mother? The most challenging time was when our son died, and we had to walk through grief with the other four children. We were struggling as parents, as a mother and a father, with this great loss and then helping our children navigate the loss of their precious brother. What was your most rewarding time as a mother? Whenever I hear from others how our children are blessing them, I think that's the most incredible reward. Whether its people they're leading in a Bible study or someone they’ve helped or given counsel to in a business or spiritual relationship, when I know our children are being a blessing to other people, nothing else quite compares to that. Advice for women and mothers: As a woman, whether you're a wife, a mother or single, develop your own relationship with Christ. Make that relationship the number one priority in your life, then everything else falls into place according to his plan. For wives, enjoy walking beside your husband, encourage him in whatever God is calling him and don’t hold him back. For mothers, try to enjoy the season you’re in and don’t long for the next season too quickly. Enjoy every season, the good and the bad, because it will help prepare you for the next. Every single morning there is enough grace, enough of His mercy and enough of His wisdom for right where you are. Yvokia A. Davidson New Mount Olive Baptist Church Yvokia A. Davidson is First Lady at New Mount Olive Baptist Church where she serves as membership and ministry coordinator alongside her husband, Reverend Dr. Marcus Davidson, lead pastor. The Davidsons have a 16-year-old daughter, Layla, and moved to South Florida for the ministry 12 years ago from Alabama. With a membership of more than 12,000 and 35 ministries, Yvokia said, “Our church is well rounded because we have something for everyone.” Having attended Alabama A & M University, Davidson ultimately received a master’s degree in human service counseling from Liberty University and offers life coaching and mentoring as president and CEO of Yvokia Davidson Ministries, Inc. An avid fitness trainer and aerobics instructor, Davidson helps transform people’s lives for healthy living, training both at the church through the Faithfully Fit program she initiated and in the community. “It’s work and a hobby for me that I love,” she admits. Davidson also leads the women’s ministry at the church. “Last year we were virtual, but I had started this quarterly fellowship called ladies night in, and there were three components- soul care, self care and savings care - because we have to make sure we take care of our finances as well. We had a hundred plus ladies on zoom each time.” What do you believe is God’s calling for you? God is first and then my family, but I do believe that God has equipped me and called me to be there to support my husband in the ministry, to be there for my family and be there for the women of the church as well. Is the role of women changing in the faith community? I do think that it's changing, and I think it's changing for the better. We are stepping out doing things that we would not do. We're leading in areas where we would not have led before. We're leading ministries. We have women out there leading churches, so I feel like we're stepping up to the plate doing mentorship and things like that for our younger ladies in the church. What Bible verse has encouraged you? “I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV). What was your most challenging time as a mother? Our daughter was bullied in middle school and it was a very tough time for us as a family. Layla was 11 or 12 and really wanted to just give up on school friends and everything. It was serious. The young lady was getting physical with Layla and we dealt back and forth with the school. Finally God changed things for us was when we started praying for the young lady that was bullying her. Good NewsApplaudsWomen of Distinction 2022 The Davidson Family From left to right: Yvokia A. Davidson, Layla Davidson and Rev. Dr. Marcus Davidson The Mitchell Family - Back Row: Bill Mitchell III, Bill Mitchell, Jacqui Mitchell; Front Row: Liam Mitchell, Gracie Mitchell, Elizabeth Mitchell, Anna Mitchell, Kimberly Mitchell, Greg Mitchell, Bella Mitchell and Joshy Mitchell

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