The Future of Journeywomen
November 21, 2022 • By Hunter Beless
Almost a decade ago, I filled the hours my husband, Brooks, spent training with the U.S. Army by listening to podcasts. Back then, people hardly knew what a podcast was, and Christian shows were mostly limited to two extremes: sermon audio or small talk. So, while walking the streets of Fort Hood, I dreamt of creating a podcast for women that bridged the gap between the two. And from the floor of my very tiny closet, this dream came to fruition with the launch of the Journeywomen podcast in June of 2017.
At first my vision was to share biblically-rich conversations with mentors who had strengthened my own relationship with the Lord. But as I matured, my vision for the podcast developed too. Now, Journeywomen exists to come alongside women to move them to know and love God and his Word, to find hope in the gospel, and to invest deeply in their local churches as they go out on mission for the glory of God.
“Journeywomen exists to come alongside women to move them to know and love God and his Word, to find hope in the gospel, and to invest deeply in their local churches as they go out on mission for the glory of God.”
Since our launch, you’ve journeyed with us through some major highs (and a few lows). To recap a few:
Early listeners probably remember the time my laptop crashed after it was baptized by the water from my children’s kiddie pool. I lost hours upon hours of content because of it. But the incident turned into an incredible display of just how many people truly cared about the work we do at Journeywomen. Within 24 short hours, our listeners crowdsourced and funded a brand new computer. I still cannot believe that happened.
When Journeywomen launched, I quickly learned I wouldn’t be able to sustain the pace of production on my own. At the time, my friend Kimberly “Kimbo” Wootten was working as a virtual executive assistant for megachurch pastors. So, I contacted Kimbo to inquire how much her help would cost. Kimbo’s services were way beyond my meager budget, but she graciously donated her time, free of charge, for about six months until we could sell enough ads to compensate her. Without Kimbo, I don’t know if Journeywomen would exist today.
In the early days of Journeywomen advertising, a few of our ad reads were questionable, including an ad featuring feminine products. My mom still teases me about the way I enunciated, “Maximum absorbency.” If you don’t know what I’m referencing, good (insert face palm emoji here).
Since our launch over five years ago, my family has lived in four different locations and added two kiddos to the mix (we now have four total). That said, one of the great challenges of Journeywomen has been finding a quiet place to record podcast episodes. I’ve set up my mic in a child’s teepee, under a blanket in a hotel room, on an ironing board, and in a soundproof closet constructed by my husband, but somehow, I always end up back in my closet.
At first, Journeywomen guests were my personal friends and mentors, but as the podcast grew, we expanded to host conversations with more widely-known voices, many of whom I had looked up to for years. A few of those include Jen Wilkin, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Nancy Guthrie, David Platt, and Joni Eareckson Tada. What a privilege to now get to call these guests friends!
It has been an incredible journey, and now, by God’s grace, tens of thousands of women tune into the Journeywomen podcast every week, and the Lord is using these conversations to reach individuals in almost every country around the globe. Since its early days, the Journeywomen team has expanded, launched a blog, recorded live podcasts, hosted pop-up shops, and produced free downloadable resources that serve churches worldwide. More importantly, we’ve received countless messages from women who have come to faith, plugged into a local body of believers, or grown in their hunger for the Word of God as a result of listening to the podcast.
Since the launch of Journeywomen, the costs affiliated with producing the podcast have been sustained through advertising. But as Journeywomen continues to grow, so do the expenses associated with the operation and expansion of the ministry. That—paired with a desire to see Journeywomen live beyond myself—drove me to take steps towards establishing Journeywomen Ministries as a non-profit organization. Today I am delighted to share that after much prayer, loads of paperwork, and weeks of waiting, Journeywomen Ministries is officially a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
“As Journeywomen continues to grow, so do the expenses associated with the operation and expansion of the ministry. That—paired with a desire to see Journeywomen live beyond myself—drove me to take steps towards establishing Journeywomen Ministries as a non-profit organization.”
So, what does this mean for the future of Journeywomen? It means that we want to increase the level to which we can produce content that will move women to know and love God more. It means we plan to put out more podcasts, more blogs, and create more resources in order to press our listeners and readers to more deeply understand God’s Word, to have tools to serve their local churches, and to be better equipped to go out on mission to glorify God. It also means that Journeywomen will be able to live beyond our current team, and that we will have the wisdom of a governing board to help us make decisions for the organization.
Each month there are various fees affiliated with producing the podcast, maintaining and developing the website, compensating our team, and creating additional resources for Journeywomen followers. We would love for you to consider making a tax deductible donation to Journeywomen to help us come alongside women to move them to know and love God. Thank you for the many years you have listened to, shared, and supported this work. As we always say, it’s a joy to journey alongside you guys!
Much love,
Hunter (and the Journeywomen team)
Hunter Beless s the founder and host of Journeywomen, the author of Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It, and a homeschooling mama, who loves doing ministry in her local church context. Hunter and her husband, Brooks, have four amazing kiddos who memorize Scripture way faster than their mama! When they’re not reading, seeing, saying, or singing the Bible, you can find the Beless family camping, riding bikes, or snuggling up with a good book. You can find her on Instagram .
MORE FROM JOURNEYWOMEN
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen articles are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select writers each week, articles shared on the Journeywomen website do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the authors or any other resources mentioned.
