Christy Wold

I have been transformed by God thru NEWIM.

I am in humble awe as I ponder all God has done for me through the women of NEWIM. Decades ago, I moved to the Bay Area with my new husband to reintegrate into the lives of our California family and friends, start our careers, and enter into church-life as a couple. In those first years, I was doing everything I thought I should do to be the “perfect” wife/daughter/genetic counselor/friend/sister/Christian/etc, and the stress of it all caused my anxiety to escalate into a debilitating panic disorder. At the same time, I wasn’t finding the meaningful connections I had longed for in church, and I was saying yes to church activities while dreading actually doing them. Enter Luann Budd… my Pastor’s wife and the current President of NEWIM. After numerous invitations, I finally joined her at the NEWIM-sponsored semiannual Springs retreat in Southern California. I was forever changed…deeply touched…grateful…hooked.

After a few years attending those retreats, Luann asked me to join her and a group of AMAZING women to start a semiannual Springs retreat in Three Rivers, CA. I was the youngest person she asked, seriously unqualified, and not a typical “woman in ministry,” but God knew this would be how he would transform me in uncountable ways. He used the Springs to connect me to his Kingdom on Earth, connect me to himself, and give me the tools and relationships I would need to survive and thrive through the major hardships in my life. I have now attended over 40 Springs retreats. My testimonies about those experiences with God and his daughters would fill books (and have filled journals). Highlights include:

·       A hike that revealed my own journey from “Much Afraid” to “Grace and Glory” (if you are curious what this means, read “Hinds Feet on High Places.”)

·       Forgiving those who wounded me deeply, and forgiving myself for wounding deeply.

·       Imperfect but significant freedom from fantasy, need for perfection, control, anxiety, and many other harmful coping mechanisms. 

·       Being strengthened to fight for a failing marriage being destroyed by addiction and complacency, and having opportunities to strengthen other women in similar situations.

·       Having a group of women who are my “first call/text” when tragedy or brilliance happens in my life, and being that person for others.

·       Being able to honestly say: “I’m God’s unconditionally loved daughter,” “I have a relationship with Jesus,” “I’m led by the Holy Spirit when I listen and allow.”

And through the decades of being involved with NEWIM I’ve been able to define and live-out my calling to encourage God’s daughters into a deeper relationship with him. I’ve been able to co-lead/train leaders of other contemplative retreats, co-lead regular mini-retreats at my house, plan small group retreats, co-lead the annual NCal Pastors’ Wives retreats, and participate in numerous leadership trainings along with the Fuller Spiritual Formation course.  Each of these experiences has brought joy and depth to my life.

As anyone who knows me can testify… NEWIM has been used by God to make me more like him, and has provided the resources and relationships to bring other women with me on that journey. I have deep gratitude for the original group of women who started NEWIM out of their need for resources and connection with Jesus and each other. I am just one woman of so many who have benefited from their decision to go beyond meeting their own needs by working to bring so many women to NEWIM.