July 16, 2025 • 40 mins
What happens when God calls you into a completely new season of ministry after decades of faithful service? In this powerful episode, Micah sits down with Michelle Frank, co-founder of Safe Places for Women and author of "Leading After Loss," to explore the journey of navigating major life and ministry transitions.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- How to discern when God is calling you into a new season
- The vital importance of processing change and transition well
- Why walking through difficult seasons with Jesus is essential for healthy leadership
- Practical steps to find mentors and champions in your ministry journey
- How season changes can position you for greater kingdom impact
Whether you're walking through your own season of transition or simply want to build resilience for leadership changes ahead, Michelle's hard-won wisdom will encourage and equip you to lead with hope through any season.
Michelle Frank has been in anti-trafficking ministry for nearly 20 years. She co-founded Safe Places for Women, which grew to serve survivors across multiple states. Now in a new season of ministry, she coaches and consults with ministry leaders nationwide through InPower Partnerships. Her book "Leading After Loss: How to Navigate Grief and Brave New Beginnings" is available on Amazon.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Micah (00:00):
Well, welcome back to the Elijah Rising podcast.
I am your host, micah Gamboa,and today we have an incredible
guest.
Her name is Michelle Frank.
She has written a book calledLeading After Loss and I highly
recommend it.
It's called Leading After Losshow to Navigate Grief and Brave
New Beginnings.
She'll be sharing a little bitabout her ministry journey
(00:23):
through crisis, through trialsand tribulations, and on to
victorious living, overcomingand really success on the other
side, and I believe theseprinciples can be applied to any
of us who are walking throughministry, walking through hard
times.
But that's not your whole story.
You have an amazing coachingprogram which we'll get to story
(00:44):
.
You have an amazing coachingprogram which we'll get to.
But just to intro you a littlebit, you know, michelle and her
husband, ked, have been doingministry gosh almost 30 years
now, and you, specifically, havebeen working in the
anti-trafficking field foralmost 20 years, or about 20
years now.
You're a co-founder of SafePlaces for Women, which is a
(01:05):
housing, restorative careprogram for women who have
survived sex trafficking, sexualabuse, exploitation, all of
those things.
So, without further ado, I giveyou Michelle.
Michelle, why don't you share alittle bit about yourself and
your history?
Michelle (01:19):
Yeah, sounds awesome.
Well, micah, thank you.
It's an honor to be a part ofthis today with you all and so
excited to just share thegoodness of God beside you guys.
So thank you so much.
Yeah, so Kat and I we met inBible college and we knew that
the Lord had kind of paved apath for us in full-time
(01:42):
vocational ministry and wereally thought it was going to
be inside the walls of the localchurch.
He'd be a pastor, I'd be apastor's wife and it would be
just a match made in heaven.
And while it has been a matchmade in heaven, we celebrate 27
years of marriage this year,with three amazing kiddos and a
beautiful new daughter-in-lawlove.
(02:03):
So it has been a beautifuljourney, but it hasn't always
kind of panned out from aministry perspective like we
thought.
And we went into full-timeministry as really young leaders
, serving as a children's pastorfor myself and a compassionate
ministries care pastor for Ked,and we journeyed with the Lord
(02:25):
and took a leap of faith abouttwo years into marriage and
moved to Kentucky, lexington,kentucky, to serve the Lord.
I was on staff there at ourchurch, he was at the seminary
and really just startedwrestling with what we know as
this kingdom assignment orcalling, and the Lord sent us to
go serve at a men's restorativecare housing nonetheless a 24-7
(02:49):
ministry center that served menthat have been incarcerated and
dealt with addiction andrecovery.
And, oddly enough, the Lord sentus there to serve and learn a
model of ministry that we wouldbe later called back to Kentucky
to birth and build in faith.
And so it's been this remove,relocate, replant kind of
(03:10):
journey in those early years ofour marriage and ministry side
by side.
And then, about 2006, 2007, theLord radically, radically broke
our hearts for women that havebeen trafficked and exploited
and we thought, moving back toKentucky, we would be opening a
restorative care housing for menbecause that's where we trained
(03:31):
under.
But nonetheless the Lord said,yes, the model, but a different
audience.
And it became very apparent in2006, 2007, that the Lord was
leading us to open our veryfirst home there in Lexington,
kentucky, on our best friend'sfarm, to serve women that had
been exploited and trafficked inwhat we knew then and what we
(03:55):
know now as a restorative carehousing experience.
And so that's kind of where wegot started in the fight and in
the faith and in the work was inthose early years the Lord
really started to break ourheart for the things that broke
His.
Micah (04:14):
That's beautiful.
You said 2006, 2007.
That is so early in thetrafficking space,
anti-trafficking space.
It was obviously going onacross the country, but many of
us didn't have any clue, didn'thave a name for it.
Really, exactly how did youguys?
(04:34):
You know, I know there's awhole journey with the Lord of
how you established that firsthome, how it exploded and kind
of went nationwide.
You know how did you feelstepping into a field that was
you were literally pioneering.
You did not have anyone to kindof look to, any guidance or
manuals or anything out there atthe time.
(04:56):
How did that feel?
And I imagine you were stillfairly young, right?
Michelle (05:00):
Whenever you're launching into this, yes, we
were in our early thirties.
We were just babies.
Our kids were babies when wemoved back from experiencing the
men's mission.
We moved back.
Our daughter was three and ourson was five and we both were on
(05:22):
staff at our church and we knewthat it was going to require a
full-time focus to till theground to pray into.
Okay, lord, we've never donesomething like this, we've
observed something like this,and all we had to go on was what
we experienced at the men'shome.
Well, serving women and servingmen are very different, and so
(05:44):
we learned a lot.
We fell on our face, but I tellyou, we experienced a measure
of faith that we had neverexperienced.
I remember when the Lord reallyimpressed through the night,
this vision and mission on Ked'sheart.
He went to our very bestfriends and he said buddy, I
know that you bought this plotof land, um, and I know you
(06:07):
bought it for your family, tobuild your family a beautiful
home.
And he and they went to CrackerBarrel.
The Lord woke them both up inthe night at Cracker Barrel,
went to Cracker Barrel.
They would often go they're oldsouls, but they would often go
there to have a cup of coffee.
Well, the Lord woke both ofthem up in the night and and our
, our best friends, tim andDwayna they own this land.
(06:28):
And and Ked said I got to askyou a really awkward question.
And Tim's like, well, no, letme start the conversation.
The Lord told me that that landis not my own, that that that
that land is for ministry.
And Ked said I'm so glad hetold you because I was going to
ask you for your land.
And it was there that westarted to see this apostolic
(06:51):
calling emerging in Ked and thisfaith, radical faith anointing,
emerging in Ked.
And we just started.
And so it was really wild thatthis old, dilapidated farmhouse
that was like a hundred yearsold, we were praying over it
like Lord, we have zero money tostart a mission, a 24-7
(07:14):
restorative care housing mission.
We have zero money.
And someone asked OK, ked,what's your vision of how to
open this home?
Like this home is not well andwe can't, you can't just put
people in this home.
And he said, okay, well, I'llget a little money.
And I found $1,200 and I'm notafraid to use it.
(07:36):
And his project manager saidbuddy, that'll buy a door.
And that's where it all began.
And so it was blind faith.
It was going on the father'sheart day after day bread come
after bread comes seeking theLord.
And it was like these early,early days of faith.
(07:58):
And then it just grew all overthe country from that that
initial faith moment.
But we didn't know, we made somany mistakes, we had way too
many women in a home at the sametime in building the staff and
building the program andbuilding the model and, oh my
word, it's had probably ahundred iterations since then.
But it took one step of faith.
(08:18):
It took the Lord entrustingthis vision to a man of faith.
It took the Lord entrustingthis vision to a man, but this
man of God calling an army anarmy to come beside to fortify
this work and to see it come tofruition.
(08:40):
You guys multiplied so many safehomes, how many did you have by
?
We had 11 homes across thecountry, with four construction
projects on the way in abouteight different cities across
the country, and had a staff ofabout 120.
Wow, and so the goal was 21homes by 2025.
(09:01):
But the Lord obviously hadplans which we'll dive into.
But yeah, there were 11 homeswith four on the way.
That's incredible In 2022.
Micah (09:12):
Yeah, that's a huge stop.
So you know, I know we're kindof skipping over so much of your
story, you know, but I do wantto make sure that we get to the
takeaway right, like your, whatyou've gleaned over all of your
years of experience, because youguys went from literally zero,
zero staff, zero money to 120staff.
(09:35):
Like I know that there were somany lessons that you learned
along the way, so many formativeexperiences that crafted and
galvanized your leadership.
So, throughout the years, onething that I've really noticed
about you is that you have likethis bent or this drive, this
like inherent I don't knowdesire to exhort leaders, to
(09:57):
raise up and build staff, tostrengthening, like to
strengthen teams.
So can you share a little bitabout the work that you're doing
right now?
We'll get into the whole howthe work transitioned, but what
are you doing right now aroundthat kind of?
Your ministry has changed alittle bit to where you're
(10:18):
focusing on raising up leaders.
Can you share a little bitabout that?
Michelle (10:23):
Yes, yes, yes, and we'll and we'll talk more.
But you know, when you gothrough pain, grief, loss,
crisis, tragedy, trauma, youfind yourself in this, really
this space of disorientation.
And you get away with thefather, you get away to heal,
but you get away to hear.
And I think that those are twoincredibly vital postures of the
(10:47):
heart getting a way to heal andgetting a way to hear.
And when I went away to healand I went away to hear, what I
heard the Lord speaking into myheart was what's in your hand,
daughter?
Look in your hand.
(11:11):
I've put things in your handand I said okay, okay, well, I
don't have a lot, but what Ihave is I have a passion for
leadership and a passion forexhortation.
Can you do anything with thosetwo things?
We're just in such a place ofdisorientation, in a desert kind
of scenario, and I look in myhands and I see the Lord say
(11:35):
leadership in one, exhortationin the other.
And I then saw this vision ofyou.
Know, ket and I we're in adifferent season of ministry
today and it's really like we'reon the sidelines, like we're
watching the players run theplays for the kingdom of God.
It's like, oh man, come overhere.
(11:55):
Come over here, let me standbeside you.
Okay, let's coach you up, let'sencourage you, let's exhort you
, and it's like whoa Lord, I'mseeing this whole new realm of
opportunity.
Yeah, because the work in thefield, the work in the landscape
is hard, it's heavy, it's deep,it's dark, just in the fight
(12:18):
we're fighting, not to mentionall the other onslaughts and
sabotage that go on to preventand derail us from the work at
hand.
And so my heart, now in my 50sand now it's's Lord, every day I
see a leader, every day theLord puts a leader on my radar,
(12:39):
and the Lord has graced us andgifted us with so many
relationships across the countrythat every day I'm texting,
every day I'm praying, every dayI'm interceding, because our
heart is to see these leadersexhorted and equipped and
empowered for the work ofkingdom ministry.
Because we know, if the leadersdepleted and discouraged and
(12:59):
despondent, the work can't goforward, because the work is
propelled by the workers.
And so it's like whoa Lord, weare called to the work, but also
we're called to the workers,and there is a new realm of
serving the workers.
And that is my heart If everyday I can exhort and encourage
(13:20):
and edify at least 10 leaders.
It's been a good day, because Iknow that that's how the
kingdom of God gets advanced isthrough his faithful, faithful
workers.
So that's really what hasreally exponentially
strengthened the assignmenttoday.
Micah (13:40):
It's amazing.
I want to time out real quickand whoever's editing this,
lorenz, I want to cut that lastquestion and put it after
probably the next one or two,because I don't think that we
laid a good foundation of Ithink I I think we skipped, so,
like people are going to go wait, wait, what's happening?
I'm going to go back and I'mgoing to talk about your book,
(14:05):
um, or kind of intro your book,and then you can explain okay,
but that season ended and nowwe're doing this new thing,
cause we need to lay thatfoundation.
Okay, so I'm going to cut andthen we'll flip back.
Okay, that's okay, that was myfault.
Michelle, you've written a bookthat is specifically dealing
(14:28):
with how to lead after loss andafter grief.
So you know it's a lot aboutthe redemption of your ministry
story.
You and Ked encountered anincredible betrayal, loss.
You know devastation in yourministry life and even in your
personal life.
Can you share briefly aboutwhere this book came from and
(14:50):
what is the purpose of themessage that you're sending
through this book?
Michelle (14:57):
Absolutely.
You know, like I said, um Katand I have been in the in the
landscape, um for about the last20 years, from the grassroots
incubation kingdom.
Yes to an assignment we did notsee with our natural sight,
taking leaps of faith to tillthe ground to build our first
(15:20):
home with an army of teammatesand then fast forward to see
that growth and exponentialgrowth all across the country
into 2022, with the homes andthe staff and just
multiplication and scaling the,the model all across the country
with the full continuumemergency, long-term
(15:42):
transitional living, evendipping our toe into social
enterprise.
So it was like the Lord wasreally breathing on this work.
And then 2022 came.
In 2022.
We were hit with the mostintensified tragedy and ministry
trauma we had ever experienced,with great loss, through a lot
(16:10):
of hardship and trial.
Through a lot of hardship andtrial, we lost our organization
at the hands of some difficultyand it was a very grievous time
for us.
In 2022, we were hit at anall-time low.
At an all-time low and it camewith much, much, much counsel
(16:40):
from very wise and giftedleaders in the landscape doing
all we could do to preserve andprotect the fortified work that
the Lord was doing and thevision that it was the Lord's
really trying to steward what heentrusted us.
It became apparent that we weregoing to have to salvage the
organization and to spare theorganization.
(17:02):
Ked ended up resigning from thevery thing he birthed and it
was a very painful experienceand I tried to stay on for a
couple months, but what washappening in the organization
was just so oppressive that theLord was calling me to go and
(17:24):
follow Him and we really wereleft.
I remember it was the week ofThanksgiving when we had to give
our answer to his board.
It was a very painful time andI will never forget that night
him writing his resignationletter.
We cried and cried with ourchildren.
(17:47):
After 20 years, my God, after20 years, my God.
And so really, after that time,we were very, very.
We were in a very low place inour hearts and the Lord led us
(18:13):
to follow him into a new workand into a new city, into a new
land.
And here we go again, justreally trusting the Lord.
So we pack up our little whiteRAV4 with our sweet little
Kentucky license plate and weload up our baby and we
literally leave behind 23 yearsof life, our big kids, 23 years
of life, our big kids, ourministry, our work, our known,
(18:36):
our familiar everything to loadup our car and drive 18 hours
across the country in faith andto heal.
And I remember the Lord spokevery clearly to me.
I journaled everything that washappening in that 2022 year.
I journaled everything that wasmy healing oasis, my place of
(18:57):
sanity, was my journaling,through the night and in the wee
hours of the morning.
And the Lord spoke so stronglyinto my heart honey, you're
going to want to take thosejournals.
And I said, lord, I want to bedone with this season, I don't
want to be reminded of any ofthis trauma.
And the Lord said no, you'regoing to want to take those
journals.
And so I did.
(19:17):
And it wasn't long when wearrived into Colorado, denver,
colorado, where the Lord spokeso sweetly to me um, in January
of 2023, um, it's time to writethat book, to write that book.
(19:39):
And I said, oh Lord, I don'tknow.
And so I I really just sat withhim and started to kind of put
pen to paper, and the role thatI had when I moved out here was
serving leaders all across thecountry, helping them in their
restorative care housing, andI'm sitting on call after call,
zoom, call after Zoom call, faceto face after face to face, and
realizing, you know what?
(19:59):
Our story's not unique.
Our story's not unique at all.
Every leader in this landscapehas been through pain, grief,
loss, suffering, betrayal,hardship, oppression.
Every leader, we're not alone,and so the Lord spoke very
clearly to my heart.
I've positioned you to encourageand exhort hurting leaders, and
(20:20):
this book is not about the pain.
This book is about the goodnessof God, that we would not lower
His nature to the level of ourexperience, but that we would
raise our experience to thelevel of his nature, and this is
a tool and a resource and amessage of hope and redemption,
to not give up, to see thefather's heart, to go the
(20:42):
healing journey with Jesus, onyour own, with him, and let him
revitalize that dream, thatdream.
And so really it's become aministry platform and a tool of
redemptive story to encourageand exhort leaders that have
been through the same thing.
(21:03):
So it really it came out ofloss, but it was a leveraged
tool that the Lord is using nowas a space of relatability to
other leaders, and it doescreate an opportunity for just
kingdom, empathy and compassion,to not just say I understand,
(21:23):
but I want to sit on the curb oflife with you and cry or speak
into this, or however I cancarry the Father's heart to you,
with you, for you.
So he used the writing of thatbook to do a lot more healing in
my heart, in our heart, in ourfamily, but, moreover, as an
anthem of the goodness andfaithfulness of God even in the
(21:47):
bleak, even in the dark, even inthe night, he's good.
Micah (21:52):
Yeah, that's really powerful and we can.
I think our listeners and I cansee it in just the message that
you're sharing is like you'veactually gone the you've gone
through the valley.
Like you've you've paid theprice to to face the pain you
know, gone through it and comeout on the other side.
So you know how would you theother side, so you know how
(22:17):
would you like when youencounter these leaders and, to
your point, so many people.
This is not a unique story.
Everyone has been church hurtin some way.
And if you live in the world,you're going to face betrayal.
You're going to face pain,grief, loss.
So what would be your kind ofexhortation or encouragement?
Maybe there's somebody outthere who's listening, who
literally is in that place ofpain right now.
(22:38):
No matter what it is right thatthey're facing, how do you
encourage them to like get backup again, like journey, this
journey with the Lord in yourgrief?
What would you say to them?
Michelle (22:50):
Yes, I would say a few things.
Number one, I would say go onthe pilgrimage through the pain
with Jesus.
Go on it.
Go on the pilgrimage throughpain with Jesus.
Enter the gateway of grief,because if you don't, you will
(23:11):
find yourself.
You may start to minister outof your woundedness and that
won't be effective and it won'thonor God.
So do the hard, hard workbetween you and Jesus.
Go there first, because at theend of the day, you want to
minister from a place ofwholeness and you want to
minister from a place of victoryand seeing these experiences
(23:35):
through his eyes.
And so that's one thing I wouldsay is go on the pilgrimage.
Number two, I would say findfour really good friends, like
the ones that lowered theparalytic man to Jesus.
Find four really good friendsto carry you and lean on their
faith when you don't have it,because I did, I did, and these
(23:57):
leaders much like you guys.
You don't realize how much youneed other leaders in the faith
and in the fight until you walkthrough something and they
literally carry you.
You cannot walk, but those finefour friends, safe, trusted
friends, that can lower you toJesus when you can't lower
yourself to Jesus and then beginto let him fortify your heart.
(24:23):
When we go through things likethis, our heart gets fractured,
and so let him fortify yourheart.
Fortify your heart and bereminded that you're not done.
He's doing a greater work inyour heart and you will walk in
more power, more authority, moreanointing, more joy, more peace
(24:45):
, more faith.
I would say, today my prayerlife is stronger than it was pre
tragedy.
My, my exhortation of the wordspeaking into circumstances has
has strengthened it's, it's thisjourney with Jesus that I would
(25:06):
say and I would.
I would say go on thepilgrimage.
I would say find safe, trustedfriends that will walk with you.
Get the father's heart,remember you're not done.
Soak in and dream.
You will dream again.
You will dream again and youwill be used in more and more
(25:33):
and more ways to further andadvance his kingdom, and you'll
just have a different posture bywhich you're able to serve and
lead others.
Micah (25:39):
You're already exhorting, like all of our listeners are
already encouraging them Likeand you know, michelle, the
little bit of time that we'veknown each other like, I have
seen this gifting in you toreally look at people and see
them, um, not for what's goingon in their circumstances, but
you really see what God isseeing over them, you see their
(26:01):
potential and you have, like,this gift of exhortation, of, of
encouragement.
You know, in Acts it talksabout Barnabas being like a son
of encouragement, um, and I seethat over you, and so this is
similar to what you are doingnow, even though you've gone
through this really difficult,challenging experience.
The work that you're involvedin now is so designed, I feel
(26:25):
like it's so uniquely designedfor who you are.
But can you share a little bitabout the role that you're
finding yourself in now?
You know, after the journey,after the overcoming, like after
the grief, how are you usingwhat you've gone through to
further the kingdom in thisspace?
Michelle (26:46):
Yes, yes.
So now, where the Lord has meis really I coach and consult,
exhort and encourage leaders inorganizations strategically
shepherding, and it's reallybeen a powerful thing being able
to sit beside a leader todayministry leaders, church leaders
(27:07):
, anti-trafficking, nonprofitleaders, crisis maternity
housing leaders to be able tosit with leaders in any genre of
their particular kingdom laneand be able to sit and empathize
.
I think that's probably thebiggest piece.
And then to extend wisdom andthen to, almost like with Jesus,
give them a little shoveforward in their anointing and
(27:31):
to say no, come on, come on,come on.
And it was so interesting.
But it also I was just sittingwith a leader yesterday who's
walking through something very,very similar, and it was so
powerful because one of thethings that I would encourage
leaders in and what I've seen isa lot of leaders will kind of
(27:51):
quiet their grief because peoplerun away.
They don't know how to handlesomebody's grief.
And it was so powerful.
I felt so honored to sit besidethis leader yesterday,
virtually, and let this leaderprocess, and I said to this
(28:12):
leader your pain will not makeme run away.
I love being able to say thatbecause in this season of
serving leaders whether it'sstaff retreats, strategic
development days, executivecoaching, helping with their
staffing models, encouragingthem in their calling ideation,
(28:36):
anything Like.
I feel like it's so funnybecause in all my years of
ministry some people have onerole and they do it for a
hundred years where I feel likeI've had so many different roles
, but the one constant commondenominator is exhortation and
leadership.
And while the audience or theage, I was on a phone call
(28:58):
yesterday as well with fiveyoung ministry leaders, so it's
like I'm finding I guess I'mmore of like I'm not really a
specialist, I'm more of like autility player and it's like,
okay, lord, bring a leader,bring a need, and let's go to
the throne room and let's seethem exhorted and catapulted to
(29:18):
advance your kingdom.
That's it.
And so really that's what I getto do all day, every day now,
through empower partnerships,coaching, consulting, exhorting
leadership, strategicdevelopment for organizations
all across the country, and itis an honor.
It's an honor because healthypeople create healthy staffs and
(29:42):
healthy staffs create healthyorganizations.
And we know values shape DNA,dna shapes culture, culture
shapes organizations.
So to me, we have noorganizations if we don't have
mighty warriors, an army ofleaders carrying out the heart
of God, we don't have them ifthere aren't healthy leaders.
(30:02):
And so my heart and my mind andin my heart it's let's raise up
healthy leaders so that ourorganizations experience radical
, radical advancement.
And it's so funny.
I was praying about thismorning and I said, lord, I'm at
such a place in my journeytoday that if my role across the
(30:24):
country and all theseanti-trafficking, restorative
care, housing movements is go inand just make lunch for every
home across the country, go intotheir home today and make lunch
for the residents and sit andpray with a leader, I'm like
Lord, are you kidding me?
That would be amazing.
And that's really.
(30:45):
My heart is to see leadersthrive in their kingdom,
colleagues, and it pains me whenthey're not thriving, like
let's dig, let's investigate,let's sit with the Lord, but
when you thrive you'reunstoppable.
And that I want to take groundand abolish the work of the
(31:08):
enemy, that is my heart's cry inthis hour.
And so it begins and ends withhis workers, with his servants,
with his called army.
So fortifying the army, that'smy passion.
Micah (31:23):
I love that You're so good at that too.
I mean, I just see it all overyou.
Obviously, I've been able,privileged to see you do that in
a professional capacity.
You know through Elijah Rising,and it's been amazing to watch,
even the um, the growth of thatright, the growth trajectory
for your.
You have a consulting businessnow, which is incredible.
(31:44):
I'd love for you to share aboutthat in a minute but you know,
um, practically speaking, we seeso many times that leaders are
isolated.
Um, they feel and I, you knowI'm speaking really in the NGO
kind of nonprofit world, but Isee this in pastors too.
My pastor friends are, like man, I just feel so alone.
(32:05):
I feel like, as a leader, I'mdoing this alone.
I really don't have those fourfriends or like that committed
group of people who are runningafter the Lord, similarly maybe,
or just sharing in the sameburdens that ministry brings.
So, practically speaking, howwould you counsel these leaders
(32:27):
to find somebody to, I wouldlike to say, mentor them, or
just be that kind of person, tobe that coach, be that champion,
like I'm cheerleading you inthe work that you're doing.
How do we do that?
Michelle (32:44):
Yes, yes, yes.
That is a great question.
The number one thing I wouldsay is believe you are worth the
investment.
Believe you are worth that kindof investment.
I think it is the hardestposition being a coach for any
(33:06):
leader, all leaders that we arespeaking and encouraging today.
When you're a coach to coaches,a leader to leaders, a shepherd
to shepherds, when you're inthat seat it is very hard one to
believe you're worth thatinvestment.
But two, take the time andreally realize Paul, timothy and
Barnabas.
When you look at thoserelationships, when I look back,
(33:30):
I'm like I didn't really have alot of Pauls because I was too
busy, worried about the Timothysand I was at best average with
Barnabases.
But I fueled and filled my lifewith all the Timothys.
And then I realized, when youstart to grow and go through
things, you're like, okay, I doneed friends Community is
(33:54):
critical and I do need peoplespeaking into my life.
And so, number one, believeyou're worth the investment.
Ask the Lord to give you thatconviction.
I would say three things takeinitiative, observe the profile
by which you want to be pouredinto, write down.
If I was to pray and ask theLord to give me somebody,
(34:16):
embrace me with somebody todaythat would be not in a mentor
kind of way, but like a championof me.
That's another level and I lovewhat you said earlier, micah,
about that.
It's like, lord, I wantsomebody, and that sounds
selfish and all that.
We're like, oh, I can't be.
Yes, in this instance, yes, beselfish.
(34:37):
I need a champion.
I need somebody in my cornerthat's in the boxing ring with
me, that is in the corner,because when I get pelted, I
don't want to lay there bleedingalone.
Who's in my corner, ask who'sin your corner, who's in your
corner?
And if you don't see somebody,I would, I would write down a
(34:58):
profile of what would I need asa champion.
I'm seeking, knocking, asking,observing.
I want a champion to walk withme, somebody that believes in me
, and it's, and it's a and it'sa more zealous kind of
investment Champion is onethat's going to fight with you.
That is what you need, we need,and so I would say write the
(35:23):
profile down.
What are you looking for in achampion?
Keep your eyes wide open, seekthe heart of the Father, pray,
observe, take the initiative andgo to them and ask them.
I want you to invest in me.
That's what I did.
I said this is who I need in mylife.
And the Lord graced me with a65 year old woman that walks
(35:46):
with me.
And I'm telling you what thereare people in their sixties,
seventies, eighties that arepraying that you come and ask
them.
And it's interesting because inour age right now, we're kind
of in that we're kind of in thehalftime middle.
We're not 80 yet, but we're not30 or 40 anymore and you're
(36:09):
kind of on the cusp of you'renot, you're not the quarterback
anymore, you're you're the coach, you're on the sidelines,
you're coaching the quarterbacks, but you're also not in a
different season yet.
And so my empathy for thoseleaders that are 80, they want
to invest in you and they wantpurpose, they want legacy too,
(36:31):
they want to know that they'restill having kingdom ripple
impact.
So I would say ask the Lord,believe you're worth it, take
initiative, write down theprofile, observe who those
people are and ask and this isradical, but call me, I'll help
you find somebody.
I believe in you.
I will take a text message andI'll help you find somebody.
(36:53):
That's how much I care.
Micah (36:56):
She's not lying.
That's, that's, that's real.
I know you can take that to thebank, michelle.
There's so much gold and somuch you know that we could dive
into about how you would coachsomebody, how you would walk
them through scenarios, eveneven down to the nitty gritty of
leadership, right.
But we don't have time for allof that.
So where can our listeners findyou?
(37:19):
Do you have a website?
Where's your coaching programhoused All of that good stuff?
And, even more importantly,where can they find your book?
Michelle (37:30):
Yes, yes.
So yes, my book you can go onAmazon and it's just Leading
After Loss, Navigating Grief andand braving new beginnings by
Michelle Frank.
You can hit that on Amazon.
And then, as far as the EmpowerPartnerships, it's brand new,
so a lot is emerging anddeveloping.
I just launched it on January2nd of this year, so I actually
(37:54):
have a meeting today to buildthe website.
So that's so funny.
So, but where you can find meis either Michelle Frank 717 at
gmailcom.
You can find me on LinkedIn,michelle Frank, or you can email
me at empower partnerships I np o w e r partnerships at
(38:16):
gmailcom.
So stay connected with me,email me, and I can also put you
on my monthly newsletter list.
I can send you a monthlynewsletter as a leadership
nugget podcast, those kinds ofthings.
So those are just in theinfancy stages of this new
ministry venture.
(38:36):
That's how you can getconnected with me today.
So, yeah, thanks, micah.
Micah (38:43):
We've been so blessed to have you.
Michelle is a repository ofwisdom and she walks in like a
godly.
If you get connected with her,she will intercede for you, she
will go to bat for you.
So I highly recommend herservices to you guys and just as
an amazing person.
We also do some work togetheralong with some others across
(39:05):
the country, to host anabolition summit which is coming
up this year that you guys arehosting in Denver, so that's
going to be August andmid-August this year, 2025.
If you are listening to thisand this is still in the future
I highly recommend that you joinus.
It's for anyone who isinterested in anything
anti-trafficking, making surethat Jesus is preeminent in this
(39:28):
work that we're doing.
So, Michelle, what a pleasure.
Thank you for joining us today.
It has just been such a gift tohave you on.
Well, welcome back to the Elijah Rising podcast.
I am your host, micah Gamboa,and today we have an incredible
guest.
Her name is Michelle Frank.
She has written a book calledLeading After Loss and I highly
recommend it.
It's called Leading After Losshow to Navigate Grief and Brave
New Beginnings.
She'll be sharing a little bitabout her ministry journey
(00:23):
through crisis, through trialsand tribulations, and on to
victorious living, overcomingand really success on the other
side, and I believe theseprinciples can be applied to any
of us who are walking throughministry, walking through hard
times.
But that's not your whole story.
You have an amazing coachingprogram which we'll get to story
(00:44):
.
You have an amazing coachingprogram which we'll get to.
But just to intro you a littlebit, you know, michelle and her
husband, ked, have been doingministry gosh almost 30 years
now, and you, specifically, havebeen working in the
anti-trafficking field foralmost 20 years, or about 20
years now.
You're a co-founder of SafePlaces for Women, which is a
(01:05):
housing, restorative careprogram for women who have
survived sex trafficking, sexualabuse, exploitation, all of
those things.
So, without further ado, I giveyou Michelle.
Michelle, why don't you share alittle bit about yourself and
your history?
Michelle (01:19):
Yeah, sounds awesome.
Well, micah, thank you.
It's an honor to be a part ofthis today with you all and so
excited to just share thegoodness of God beside you guys.
So thank you so much.
Yeah, so Kat and I we met inBible college and we knew that
the Lord had kind of paved apath for us in full-time
(01:42):
vocational ministry and wereally thought it was going to
be inside the walls of the localchurch.
He'd be a pastor, I'd be apastor's wife and it would be
just a match made in heaven.
And while it has been a matchmade in heaven, we celebrate 27
years of marriage this year,with three amazing kiddos and a
beautiful new daughter-in-lawlove.
(02:03):
So it has been a beautifuljourney, but it hasn't always
kind of panned out from aministry perspective like we
thought.
And we went into full-timeministry as really young leaders
, serving as a children's pastorfor myself and a compassionate
ministries care pastor for Ked,and we journeyed with the Lord
(02:25):
and took a leap of faith abouttwo years into marriage and
moved to Kentucky, lexington,kentucky, to serve the Lord.
I was on staff there at ourchurch, he was at the seminary
and really just startedwrestling with what we know as
this kingdom assignment orcalling, and the Lord sent us to
go serve at a men's restorativecare housing nonetheless a 24-7
(02:49):
ministry center that served menthat have been incarcerated and
dealt with addiction andrecovery.
And, oddly enough, the Lord sentus there to serve and learn a
model of ministry that we wouldbe later called back to Kentucky
to birth and build in faith.
And so it's been this remove,relocate, replant kind of
(03:10):
journey in those early years ofour marriage and ministry side
by side.
And then, about 2006, 2007, theLord radically, radically broke
our hearts for women that havebeen trafficked and exploited
and we thought, moving back toKentucky, we would be opening a
restorative care housing for menbecause that's where we trained
(03:31):
under.
But nonetheless the Lord said,yes, the model, but a different
audience.
And it became very apparent in2006, 2007, that the Lord was
leading us to open our veryfirst home there in Lexington,
kentucky, on our best friend'sfarm, to serve women that had
been exploited and trafficked inwhat we knew then and what we
(03:55):
know now as a restorative carehousing experience.
And so that's kind of where wegot started in the fight and in
the faith and in the work was inthose early years the Lord
really started to break ourheart for the things that broke
His.
Micah (04:14):
That's beautiful.
You said 2006, 2007.
That is so early in thetrafficking space,
anti-trafficking space.
It was obviously going onacross the country, but many of
us didn't have any clue, didn'thave a name for it.
Really, exactly how did youguys?
(04:34):
You know, I know there's awhole journey with the Lord of
how you established that firsthome, how it exploded and kind
of went nationwide.
You know how did you feelstepping into a field that was
you were literally pioneering.
You did not have anyone to kindof look to, any guidance or
manuals or anything out there atthe time.
(04:56):
How did that feel?
And I imagine you were stillfairly young, right?
Michelle (05:00):
Whenever you're launching into this, yes, we
were in our early thirties.
We were just babies.
Our kids were babies when wemoved back from experiencing the
men's mission.
We moved back.
Our daughter was three and ourson was five and we both were on
(05:22):
staff at our church and we knewthat it was going to require a
full-time focus to till theground to pray into.
Okay, lord, we've never donesomething like this, we've
observed something like this,and all we had to go on was what
we experienced at the men'shome.
Well, serving women and servingmen are very different, and so
(05:44):
we learned a lot.
We fell on our face, but I tellyou, we experienced a measure
of faith that we had neverexperienced.
I remember when the Lord reallyimpressed through the night,
this vision and mission on Ked'sheart.
He went to our very bestfriends and he said buddy, I
know that you bought this plotof land, um, and I know you
(06:07):
bought it for your family, tobuild your family a beautiful
home.
And he and they went to CrackerBarrel.
The Lord woke them both up inthe night at Cracker Barrel,
went to Cracker Barrel.
They would often go they're oldsouls, but they would often go
there to have a cup of coffee.
Well, the Lord woke both ofthem up in the night and and our
, our best friends, tim andDwayna they own this land.
(06:28):
And and Ked said I got to askyou a really awkward question.
And Tim's like, well, no, letme start the conversation.
The Lord told me that that landis not my own, that that that
that land is for ministry.
And Ked said I'm so glad hetold you because I was going to
ask you for your land.
And it was there that westarted to see this apostolic
(06:51):
calling emerging in Ked and thisfaith, radical faith anointing,
emerging in Ked.
And we just started.
And so it was really wild thatthis old, dilapidated farmhouse
that was like a hundred yearsold, we were praying over it
like Lord, we have zero money tostart a mission, a 24-7
(07:14):
restorative care housing mission.
We have zero money.
And someone asked OK, ked,what's your vision of how to
open this home?
Like this home is not well andwe can't, you can't just put
people in this home.
And he said, okay, well, I'llget a little money.
And I found $1,200 and I'm notafraid to use it.
(07:36):
And his project manager saidbuddy, that'll buy a door.
And that's where it all began.
And so it was blind faith.
It was going on the father'sheart day after day bread come
after bread comes seeking theLord.
And it was like these early,early days of faith.
(07:58):
And then it just grew all overthe country from that that
initial faith moment.
But we didn't know, we made somany mistakes, we had way too
many women in a home at the sametime in building the staff and
building the program andbuilding the model and, oh my
word, it's had probably ahundred iterations since then.
But it took one step of faith.
(08:18):
It took the Lord entrustingthis vision to a man of faith.
It took the Lord entrustingthis vision to a man, but this
man of God calling an army anarmy to come beside to fortify
this work and to see it come tofruition.
(08:40):
You guys multiplied so many safehomes, how many did you have by
?
We had 11 homes across thecountry, with four construction
projects on the way in abouteight different cities across
the country, and had a staff ofabout 120.
Wow, and so the goal was 21homes by 2025.
(09:01):
But the Lord obviously hadplans which we'll dive into.
But yeah, there were 11 homeswith four on the way.
That's incredible In 2022.
Micah (09:12):
Yeah, that's a huge stop.
So you know, I know we're kindof skipping over so much of your
story, you know, but I do wantto make sure that we get to the
takeaway right, like your, whatyou've gleaned over all of your
years of experience, because youguys went from literally zero,
zero staff, zero money to 120staff.
(09:35):
Like I know that there were somany lessons that you learned
along the way, so many formativeexperiences that crafted and
galvanized your leadership.
So, throughout the years, onething that I've really noticed
about you is that you have likethis bent or this drive, this
like inherent I don't knowdesire to exhort leaders, to
(09:57):
raise up and build staff, tostrengthening, like to
strengthen teams.
So can you share a little bitabout the work that you're doing
right now?
We'll get into the whole howthe work transitioned, but what
are you doing right now aroundthat kind of?
Your ministry has changed alittle bit to where you're
(10:18):
focusing on raising up leaders.
Can you share a little bitabout that?
Michelle (10:23):
Yes, yes, yes, and we'll and we'll talk more.
But you know, when you gothrough pain, grief, loss,
crisis, tragedy, trauma, youfind yourself in this, really
this space of disorientation.
And you get away with thefather, you get away to heal,
but you get away to hear.
And I think that those are twoincredibly vital postures of the
(10:47):
heart getting a way to heal andgetting a way to hear.
And when I went away to healand I went away to hear, what I
heard the Lord speaking into myheart was what's in your hand,
daughter?
Look in your hand.
(11:11):
I've put things in your handand I said okay, okay, well, I
don't have a lot, but what Ihave is I have a passion for
leadership and a passion forexhortation.
Can you do anything with thosetwo things?
We're just in such a place ofdisorientation, in a desert kind
of scenario, and I look in myhands and I see the Lord say
(11:35):
leadership in one, exhortationin the other.
And I then saw this vision ofyou.
Know, ket and I we're in adifferent season of ministry
today and it's really like we'reon the sidelines, like we're
watching the players run theplays for the kingdom of God.
It's like, oh man, come overhere.
(11:55):
Come over here, let me standbeside you.
Okay, let's coach you up, let'sencourage you, let's exhort you
, and it's like whoa Lord, I'mseeing this whole new realm of
opportunity.
Yeah, because the work in thefield, the work in the landscape
is hard, it's heavy, it's deep,it's dark, just in the fight
(12:18):
we're fighting, not to mentionall the other onslaughts and
sabotage that go on to preventand derail us from the work at
hand.
And so my heart, now in my 50sand now it's's Lord, every day I
see a leader, every day theLord puts a leader on my radar,
(12:39):
and the Lord has graced us andgifted us with so many
relationships across the countrythat every day I'm texting,
every day I'm praying, every dayI'm interceding, because our
heart is to see these leadersexhorted and equipped and
empowered for the work ofkingdom ministry.
Because we know, if the leadersdepleted and discouraged and
(12:59):
despondent, the work can't goforward, because the work is
propelled by the workers.
And so it's like whoa Lord, weare called to the work, but also
we're called to the workers,and there is a new realm of
serving the workers.
And that is my heart If everyday I can exhort and encourage
(13:20):
and edify at least 10 leaders.
It's been a good day, because Iknow that that's how the
kingdom of God gets advanced isthrough his faithful, faithful
workers.
So that's really what hasreally exponentially
strengthened the assignmenttoday.
Micah (13:40):
It's amazing.
I want to time out real quickand whoever's editing this,
lorenz, I want to cut that lastquestion and put it after
probably the next one or two,because I don't think that we
laid a good foundation of Ithink I I think we skipped, so,
like people are going to go wait, wait, what's happening?
I'm going to go back and I'mgoing to talk about your book,
(14:05):
um, or kind of intro your book,and then you can explain okay,
but that season ended and nowwe're doing this new thing,
cause we need to lay thatfoundation.
Okay, so I'm going to cut andthen we'll flip back.
Okay, that's okay, that was myfault.
Michelle, you've written a bookthat is specifically dealing
(14:28):
with how to lead after loss andafter grief.
So you know it's a lot aboutthe redemption of your ministry
story.
You and Ked encountered anincredible betrayal, loss.
You know devastation in yourministry life and even in your
personal life.
Can you share briefly aboutwhere this book came from and
(14:50):
what is the purpose of themessage that you're sending
through this book?
Michelle (14:57):
Absolutely.
You know, like I said, um Katand I have been in the in the
landscape, um for about the last20 years, from the grassroots
incubation kingdom.
Yes to an assignment we did notsee with our natural sight,
taking leaps of faith to tillthe ground to build our first
(15:20):
home with an army of teammatesand then fast forward to see
that growth and exponentialgrowth all across the country
into 2022, with the homes andthe staff and just
multiplication and scaling the,the model all across the country
with the full continuumemergency, long-term
(15:42):
transitional living, evendipping our toe into social
enterprise.
So it was like the Lord wasreally breathing on this work.
And then 2022 came.
In 2022.
We were hit with the mostintensified tragedy and ministry
trauma we had ever experienced,with great loss, through a lot
(16:10):
of hardship and trial.
Through a lot of hardship andtrial, we lost our organization
at the hands of some difficultyand it was a very grievous time
for us.
In 2022, we were hit at anall-time low.
At an all-time low and it camewith much, much, much counsel
(16:40):
from very wise and giftedleaders in the landscape doing
all we could do to preserve andprotect the fortified work that
the Lord was doing and thevision that it was the Lord's
really trying to steward what heentrusted us.
It became apparent that we weregoing to have to salvage the
organization and to spare theorganization.
(17:02):
Ked ended up resigning from thevery thing he birthed and it
was a very painful experienceand I tried to stay on for a
couple months, but what washappening in the organization
was just so oppressive that theLord was calling me to go and
(17:24):
follow Him and we really wereleft.
I remember it was the week ofThanksgiving when we had to give
our answer to his board.
It was a very painful time andI will never forget that night
him writing his resignationletter.
We cried and cried with ourchildren.
(17:47):
After 20 years, my God, after20 years, my God.
And so really, after that time,we were very, very.
We were in a very low place inour hearts and the Lord led us
(18:13):
to follow him into a new workand into a new city, into a new
land.
And here we go again, justreally trusting the Lord.
So we pack up our little whiteRAV4 with our sweet little
Kentucky license plate and weload up our baby and we
literally leave behind 23 yearsof life, our big kids, 23 years
of life, our big kids, ourministry, our work, our known,
(18:36):
our familiar everything to loadup our car and drive 18 hours
across the country in faith andto heal.
And I remember the Lord spokevery clearly to me.
I journaled everything that washappening in that 2022 year.
I journaled everything that wasmy healing oasis, my place of
(18:57):
sanity, was my journaling,through the night and in the wee
hours of the morning.
And the Lord spoke so stronglyinto my heart honey, you're
going to want to take thosejournals.
And I said, lord, I want to bedone with this season, I don't
want to be reminded of any ofthis trauma.
And the Lord said no, you'regoing to want to take those
journals.
And so I did.
(19:17):
And it wasn't long when wearrived into Colorado, denver,
colorado, where the Lord spokeso sweetly to me um, in January
of 2023, um, it's time to writethat book, to write that book.
(19:39):
And I said, oh Lord, I don'tknow.
And so I I really just sat withhim and started to kind of put
pen to paper, and the role thatI had when I moved out here was
serving leaders all across thecountry, helping them in their
restorative care housing, andI'm sitting on call after call,
zoom, call after Zoom call, faceto face after face to face, and
realizing, you know what?
(19:59):
Our story's not unique.
Our story's not unique at all.
Every leader in this landscapehas been through pain, grief,
loss, suffering, betrayal,hardship, oppression.
Every leader, we're not alone,and so the Lord spoke very
clearly to my heart.
I've positioned you to encourageand exhort hurting leaders, and
(20:20):
this book is not about the pain.
This book is about the goodnessof God, that we would not lower
His nature to the level of ourexperience, but that we would
raise our experience to thelevel of his nature, and this is
a tool and a resource and amessage of hope and redemption,
to not give up, to see thefather's heart, to go the
(20:42):
healing journey with Jesus, onyour own, with him, and let him
revitalize that dream, thatdream.
And so really it's become aministry platform and a tool of
redemptive story to encourageand exhort leaders that have
been through the same thing.
(21:03):
So it really it came out ofloss, but it was a leveraged
tool that the Lord is using nowas a space of relatability to
other leaders, and it doescreate an opportunity for just
kingdom, empathy and compassion,to not just say I understand,
(21:23):
but I want to sit on the curb oflife with you and cry or speak
into this, or however I cancarry the Father's heart to you,
with you, for you.
So he used the writing of thatbook to do a lot more healing in
my heart, in our heart, in ourfamily, but, moreover, as an
anthem of the goodness andfaithfulness of God even in the
(21:47):
bleak, even in the dark, even inthe night, he's good.
Micah (21:52):
Yeah, that's really powerful and we can.
I think our listeners and I cansee it in just the message that
you're sharing is like you'veactually gone the you've gone
through the valley.
Like you've you've paid theprice to to face the pain you
know, gone through it and comeout on the other side.
So you know how would you theother side, so you know how
(22:17):
would you like when youencounter these leaders and, to
your point, so many people.
This is not a unique story.
Everyone has been church hurtin some way.
And if you live in the world,you're going to face betrayal.
You're going to face pain,grief, loss.
So what would be your kind ofexhortation or encouragement?
Maybe there's somebody outthere who's listening, who
literally is in that place ofpain right now.
(22:38):
No matter what it is right thatthey're facing, how do you
encourage them to like get backup again, like journey, this
journey with the Lord in yourgrief?
What would you say to them?
Michelle (22:50):
Yes, I would say a few things.
Number one, I would say go onthe pilgrimage through the pain
with Jesus.
Go on it.
Go on the pilgrimage throughpain with Jesus.
Enter the gateway of grief,because if you don't, you will
(23:11):
find yourself.
You may start to minister outof your woundedness and that
won't be effective and it won'thonor God.
So do the hard, hard workbetween you and Jesus.
Go there first, because at theend of the day, you want to
minister from a place ofwholeness and you want to
minister from a place of victoryand seeing these experiences
(23:35):
through his eyes.
And so that's one thing I wouldsay is go on the pilgrimage.
Number two, I would say findfour really good friends, like
the ones that lowered theparalytic man to Jesus.
Find four really good friendsto carry you and lean on their
faith when you don't have it,because I did, I did, and these
(23:57):
leaders much like you guys.
You don't realize how much youneed other leaders in the faith
and in the fight until you walkthrough something and they
literally carry you.
You cannot walk, but those finefour friends, safe, trusted
friends, that can lower you toJesus when you can't lower
yourself to Jesus and then beginto let him fortify your heart.
(24:23):
When we go through things likethis, our heart gets fractured,
and so let him fortify yourheart.
Fortify your heart and bereminded that you're not done.
He's doing a greater work inyour heart and you will walk in
more power, more authority, moreanointing, more joy, more peace
(24:45):
, more faith.
I would say, today my prayerlife is stronger than it was pre
tragedy.
My, my exhortation of the wordspeaking into circumstances has
has strengthened it's, it's thisjourney with Jesus that I would
(25:06):
say and I would.
I would say go on thepilgrimage.
I would say find safe, trustedfriends that will walk with you.
Get the father's heart,remember you're not done.
Soak in and dream.
You will dream again.
You will dream again and youwill be used in more and more
(25:33):
and more ways to further andadvance his kingdom, and you'll
just have a different posture bywhich you're able to serve and
lead others.
Micah (25:39):
You're already exhorting, like all of our listeners are
already encouraging them Likeand you know, michelle, the
little bit of time that we'veknown each other like, I have
seen this gifting in you toreally look at people and see
them, um, not for what's goingon in their circumstances, but
you really see what God isseeing over them, you see their
(26:01):
potential and you have, like,this gift of exhortation, of, of
encouragement.
You know, in Acts it talksabout Barnabas being like a son
of encouragement, um, and I seethat over you, and so this is
similar to what you are doingnow, even though you've gone
through this really difficult,challenging experience.
The work that you're involvedin now is so designed, I feel
(26:25):
like it's so uniquely designedfor who you are.
But can you share a little bitabout the role that you're
finding yourself in now?
You know, after the journey,after the overcoming, like after
the grief, how are you usingwhat you've gone through to
further the kingdom in thisspace?
Michelle (26:46):
Yes, yes.
So now, where the Lord has meis really I coach and consult,
exhort and encourage leaders inorganizations strategically
shepherding, and it's reallybeen a powerful thing being able
to sit beside a leader todayministry leaders, church leaders
(27:07):
, anti-trafficking, nonprofitleaders, crisis maternity
housing leaders to be able tosit with leaders in any genre of
their particular kingdom laneand be able to sit and empathize
.
I think that's probably thebiggest piece.
And then to extend wisdom andthen to, almost like with Jesus,
give them a little shoveforward in their anointing and
(27:31):
to say no, come on, come on,come on.
And it was so interesting.
But it also I was just sittingwith a leader yesterday who's
walking through something very,very similar, and it was so
powerful because one of thethings that I would encourage
leaders in and what I've seen isa lot of leaders will kind of
(27:51):
quiet their grief because peoplerun away.
They don't know how to handlesomebody's grief.
And it was so powerful.
I felt so honored to sit besidethis leader yesterday,
virtually, and let this leaderprocess, and I said to this
(28:12):
leader your pain will not makeme run away.
I love being able to say thatbecause in this season of
serving leaders whether it'sstaff retreats, strategic
development days, executivecoaching, helping with their
staffing models, encouragingthem in their calling ideation,
(28:36):
anything Like.
I feel like it's so funnybecause in all my years of
ministry some people have onerole and they do it for a
hundred years where I feel likeI've had so many different roles
, but the one constant commondenominator is exhortation and
leadership.
And while the audience or theage, I was on a phone call
(28:58):
yesterday as well with fiveyoung ministry leaders, so it's
like I'm finding I guess I'mmore of like I'm not really a
specialist, I'm more of like autility player and it's like,
okay, lord, bring a leader,bring a need, and let's go to
the throne room and let's seethem exhorted and catapulted to
(29:18):
advance your kingdom.
That's it.
And so really that's what I getto do all day, every day now,
through empower partnerships,coaching, consulting, exhorting
leadership, strategicdevelopment for organizations
all across the country, and itis an honor.
It's an honor because healthypeople create healthy staffs and
(29:42):
healthy staffs create healthyorganizations.
And we know values shape DNA,dna shapes culture, culture
shapes organizations.
So to me, we have noorganizations if we don't have
mighty warriors, an army ofleaders carrying out the heart
of God, we don't have them ifthere aren't healthy leaders.
(30:02):
And so my heart and my mind andin my heart it's let's raise up
healthy leaders so that ourorganizations experience radical
, radical advancement.
And it's so funny.
I was praying about thismorning and I said, lord, I'm at
such a place in my journeytoday that if my role across the
(30:24):
country and all theseanti-trafficking, restorative
care, housing movements is go inand just make lunch for every
home across the country, go intotheir home today and make lunch
for the residents and sit andpray with a leader, I'm like
Lord, are you kidding me?
That would be amazing.
And that's really.
(30:45):
My heart is to see leadersthrive in their kingdom,
colleagues, and it pains me whenthey're not thriving, like
let's dig, let's investigate,let's sit with the Lord, but
when you thrive you'reunstoppable.
And that I want to take groundand abolish the work of the
(31:08):
enemy, that is my heart's cry inthis hour.
And so it begins and ends withhis workers, with his servants,
with his called army.
So fortifying the army, that'smy passion.
Micah (31:23):
I love that You're so good at that too.
I mean, I just see it all overyou.
Obviously, I've been able,privileged to see you do that in
a professional capacity.
You know through Elijah Rising,and it's been amazing to watch,
even the um, the growth of thatright, the growth trajectory
for your.
You have a consulting businessnow, which is incredible.
(31:44):
I'd love for you to share aboutthat in a minute but you know,
um, practically speaking, we seeso many times that leaders are
isolated.
Um, they feel and I, you knowI'm speaking really in the NGO
kind of nonprofit world, but Isee this in pastors too.
My pastor friends are, like man, I just feel so alone.
(32:05):
I feel like, as a leader, I'mdoing this alone.
I really don't have those fourfriends or like that committed
group of people who are runningafter the Lord, similarly maybe,
or just sharing in the sameburdens that ministry brings.
So, practically speaking, howwould you counsel these leaders
(32:27):
to find somebody to, I wouldlike to say, mentor them, or
just be that kind of person, tobe that coach, be that champion,
like I'm cheerleading you inthe work that you're doing.
How do we do that?
Michelle (32:44):
Yes, yes, yes.
That is a great question.
The number one thing I wouldsay is believe you are worth the
investment.
Believe you are worth that kindof investment.
I think it is the hardestposition being a coach for any
(33:06):
leader, all leaders that we arespeaking and encouraging today.
When you're a coach to coaches,a leader to leaders, a shepherd
to shepherds, when you're inthat seat it is very hard one to
believe you're worth thatinvestment.
But two, take the time andreally realize Paul, timothy and
Barnabas.
When you look at thoserelationships, when I look back,
(33:30):
I'm like I didn't really have alot of Pauls because I was too
busy, worried about the Timothysand I was at best average with
Barnabases.
But I fueled and filled my lifewith all the Timothys.
And then I realized, when youstart to grow and go through
things, you're like, okay, I doneed friends Community is
(33:54):
critical and I do need peoplespeaking into my life.
And so, number one, believeyou're worth the investment.
Ask the Lord to give you thatconviction.
I would say three things takeinitiative, observe the profile
by which you want to be pouredinto, write down.
If I was to pray and ask theLord to give me somebody,
(34:16):
embrace me with somebody todaythat would be not in a mentor
kind of way, but like a championof me.
That's another level and I lovewhat you said earlier, micah,
about that.
It's like, lord, I wantsomebody, and that sounds
selfish and all that.
We're like, oh, I can't be.
Yes, in this instance, yes, beselfish.
(34:37):
I need a champion.
I need somebody in my cornerthat's in the boxing ring with
me, that is in the corner,because when I get pelted, I
don't want to lay there bleedingalone.
Who's in my corner, ask who'sin your corner, who's in your
corner?
And if you don't see somebody,I would, I would write down a
(34:58):
profile of what would I need asa champion.
I'm seeking, knocking, asking,observing.
I want a champion to walk withme, somebody that believes in me
, and it's, and it's a and it'sa more zealous kind of
investment Champion is onethat's going to fight with you.
That is what you need, we need,and so I would say write the
(35:23):
profile down.
What are you looking for in achampion?
Keep your eyes wide open, seekthe heart of the Father, pray,
observe, take the initiative andgo to them and ask them.
I want you to invest in me.
That's what I did.
I said this is who I need in mylife.
And the Lord graced me with a65 year old woman that walks
(35:46):
with me.
And I'm telling you what thereare people in their sixties,
seventies, eighties that arepraying that you come and ask
them.
And it's interesting because inour age right now, we're kind
of in that we're kind of in thehalftime middle.
We're not 80 yet, but we're not30 or 40 anymore and you're
(36:09):
kind of on the cusp of you'renot, you're not the quarterback
anymore, you're you're the coach, you're on the sidelines,
you're coaching the quarterbacks, but you're also not in a
different season yet.
And so my empathy for thoseleaders that are 80, they want
to invest in you and they wantpurpose, they want legacy too,
(36:31):
they want to know that they'restill having kingdom ripple
impact.
So I would say ask the Lord,believe you're worth it, take
initiative, write down theprofile, observe who those
people are and ask and this isradical, but call me, I'll help
you find somebody.
I believe in you.
I will take a text message andI'll help you find somebody.
(36:53):
That's how much I care.
Micah (36:56):
She's not lying.
That's, that's, that's real.
I know you can take that to thebank, michelle.
There's so much gold and somuch you know that we could dive
into about how you would coachsomebody, how you would walk
them through scenarios, eveneven down to the nitty gritty of
leadership, right.
But we don't have time for allof that.
So where can our listeners findyou?
(37:19):
Do you have a website?
Where's your coaching programhoused All of that good stuff?
And, even more importantly,where can they find your book?
Michelle (37:30):
Yes, yes.
So yes, my book you can go onAmazon and it's just Leading
After Loss, Navigating Grief andand braving new beginnings by
Michelle Frank.
You can hit that on Amazon.
And then, as far as the EmpowerPartnerships, it's brand new,
so a lot is emerging anddeveloping.
I just launched it on January2nd of this year, so I actually
(37:54):
have a meeting today to buildthe website.
So that's so funny.
So, but where you can find meis either Michelle Frank 717 at
gmailcom.
You can find me on LinkedIn,michelle Frank, or you can email
me at empower partnerships I np o w e r partnerships at
(38:16):
gmailcom.
So stay connected with me,email me, and I can also put you
on my monthly newsletter list.
I can send you a monthlynewsletter as a leadership
nugget podcast, those kinds ofthings.
So those are just in theinfancy stages of this new
ministry venture.
(38:36):
That's how you can getconnected with me today.
So, yeah, thanks, micah.
Micah (38:43):
We've been so blessed to have you.
Michelle is a repository ofwisdom and she walks in like a
godly.
If you get connected with her,she will intercede for you, she
will go to bat for you.
So I highly recommend herservices to you guys and just as
an amazing person.
We also do some work togetheralong with some others across
(39:05):
the country, to host anabolition summit which is coming
up this year that you guys arehosting in Denver, so that's
going to be August andmid-August this year, 2025.
If you are listening to thisand this is still in the future
I highly recommend that you joinus.
It's for anyone who isinterested in anything
anti-trafficking, making surethat Jesus is preeminent in this
(39:28):
work that we're doing.
So, Michelle, what a pleasure.
Thank you for joining us today.
It has just been such a gift tohave you on.
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