This is a brand new series we are starting called “Get To Know” the contributors on Servants of Grace. The basic idea, as you will see is for you our readers, to get to know a little bit about the people who write here on Servants of Grace. Today, we have the privilege of getting to know Vicki Tiede. Thanks so much Vicki, for taking time to answer these questions. The questions are mine, but the answers are Vicki’s.
Can you tell us about your journey with Christ?
As a Christian speaker, author, and teacher, I am passionate about encouraging and equipping women to face the inevitable challenges of marriage, parenting, and walking with Christ. I live in Rochester, MN, with my husband Mike and our three children, whom I homeschool. My husband is a child psychologist at Mayo Clinic and together we lead a small group in our home of couples who desire to grow in the first principles of faith and live their faith out in the context of their families, as well as in a vital church community. Too often today we embrace the gospel and yet fail to pay attention to His instructions concerning how we are to live. Christ’s design for His churches and His families is set forth for a purpose.
When I was in my early twenties, I met and married a man who was addicted to pornography. Because he refused to accept responsibility for his behaviors, did not seek restoration for our relationship, and continued a reckless lifestyle that was putting my life in danger, my pastor and a Christian counselor encouraged me to end the marriage. This was the most difficult thing I have ever done, but God used this time in my life to turn my attention toward Him and to give me a passion for ministering to women who are struggling in their marriages, pointing them toward restoration, which I believe is His desire.
In 1998, God brought Mike into my life. We married and my family grew. Together, we have chosen to seek and trust God in the difficult moments and to praise and thank Him in every moment. Because our marriage is strong and firmly founded in our relationship in Christ, we have often been sought out to meet with couples who need encouragement in their own marriages. As I speak for women’s events, retreats, conferences, and homeschool conferences, I am delighted to share the hope we all have in Christ. I’m especially excited to share God’s Word and the guidelines we have in Scripture for life as a family, especially in light of how those families are to live in the church community.
What projects are you working on?
I just completed a mini-book for New Growth Press called When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography, which will release August 2013. I’m also working on a new book called Women of the Promise (working title), which unpacks biblical womanhood as a natural response to Promise theology.
What ministries are you involved in?
I am very involved in my local church. I recently stepped down from serving as the coordinator of women’s ministries because of the increase in my speaking and writing ministry in the Church. However, I oversee the selection of discipleship materials for women’s ministries and coordinate our meals ministry.
We are also prayerfully seeking God’s direction regarding involvement with an amazing ministry called Tiny Hands International, which is a Christian non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the church in the developing world to help the poor overcome poverty and become lights of the world. They are committed to finding the greatest injustices in the world, and working towards relieving them however possible. They are particularly called to orphans, street children, and the victims of the sex-trafficking industry. They want to find those who are already doing the work, who are called and faithful, and help them do it in greater ways and with more efficiency. We do it all in obedience to, and for the glory of Jesus Christ.
How can we pray for you?
Our family is well aware that when we say “yes” to something, we are saying “no” to something else. It’s our desire to glorify God in all that we do, so we appreciate prayers as we seek God’s direction in our ministry and in our daily lives.
Because of the nature of my book and mini-book, When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart, I am often in the position to minister to hurting women. I covet prayers for discernment, wisdom, and protection of my heart. This topic puts us in the cross-hairs of the enemy and we have a keen sense of being in a spiritual battle for truth and purity. Involvement with Tiny Hands International and their business of intercepting children who are being trafficked will only magnify this battle. We are grateful for prayer.
How can we connect with you online or to any of your other writings, published or other wise?
WEBSITE www.vickitiede.com
MY BLOG www.vickitiede.com/blog
TWITTER www.twitter.com/vickitiede
FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/vtiede
GOOGLE+ www.gplus.to/vickitiedeministries
More of Vicki’s work can also be read here at Servants of Grace
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
