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Blog Orientation for New Readers and Old Friends

I try to run this article every so often to orient new followers (and old friends who havenโ€™t yet explored all the nooks and crannies of the blog) to the various features and information available here. I hope youโ€™ll find these resources helpful.

Welcome Tab If you havenโ€™t had a chance to read the Welcome & FAQs- Start Here tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page, itโ€™s a good way to get acclimated to the blog quickly. Youโ€™ll learn some fast facts about me, my comment and e-mail policies, and more.

Comments, E-mails, Social Media Messages If youโ€™ve sent me an e-mail, submitted a comment on one of my articles, or sent me a private message on social media and I havenโ€™t responded to the message or published the comment, this is why: E-mail, Messages, and Blog Comments Policy (Plus additional helpful information)

The search bar is your friend. If you want to know my take on something or whether Iโ€™ve written on a particular person or topic, the search bar is the best place to start and much faster than e-mailing or messaging me. The search bar is located at the very bottom of every blog page. There’s also a tab labeled Search Bar in the blue menu bar at the top of the blog.

The tabs at the top are your friends, too. The tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of the blog are designed to provide quick information to many of the questions Iโ€™m most frequently asked.

โ€œWhat do you think of Teacher X?โ€ Probably the largest volume of questions I get is readers wanting to know my take on particular teachers and ministries. I would love to be able to respond immediately to each one, but it takes a tremendous amount of time to research these folks. Because I know you need answers right away, and because every Christian should know how to research teachers for herself (you should never just blindly take anyoneโ€™s word {including mine} that someone is a false teacher), if you canโ€™t find the information youโ€™re looking for on a certain teacher at the Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends tab at the top of this page or by using the search bar, Iโ€™ve written this article to help you research teachers for yourself: Is She a False Teacher? 7 Steps to Figuring it Out on Your Own.

โ€œDiscernment is for doody-heads!โ€ I understand itโ€™s not easy to be told that a pastor/teacher/author youโ€™ve grown to love is a false teacher. Iโ€™ve been in that position myself. But Christians are people of the Book. That means we measure everything by Scripture, not by our personal preferences, feelings, or opinions. Iโ€™ve written numerous articles on teachers and ministries which can be found under the Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends tab (and, just a few of the many awesome teachers out there are under the Recommended Bible Teachers tab). I donโ€™t warn against false teachers because Iโ€™m a hater. I do it because itโ€™s Scriptural and because I love the Christian women who are being victimized โ€“ often without even knowing it โ€“ by false teachers. I tend to hear the same objections to my discernment articles over and over and over again. Answering the Opposition- Responses to the Most Frequently Raised Discernment Objections answers, from Scripture, the objections people raise to my discernment articles. (I donโ€™t answer e-mails or publish comments that are answered by this article.)

Church Ladies Complementarianism can be difficult to navigate in a feminist world and an increasingly feminist church. You might find my Rock Your Role article series helpful, since it deals with the Scriptures governing womenโ€™s roles in the church. I keep Rock Your Role FAQs updated, so long time readers might be interested in giving that one a re-read.

Searching for a new church? It can be really hard to find a doctrinally sound church these days, and Iโ€™d like to do everything I can to help. Check out the Searching for a new church? tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page. Youโ€™ll find tons of resources on what to look for in a good church, several church search engines, and churches recommended by readers.

Podcast Need something to listen to? Amy Spreeman and I have a weekly podcast called A Word Fitly SpokenClick the Podcast tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page to check it out.

Conferences/Events Want to see if I’ll be speaking at an event near you? Check out the Calendar of Events at my Speaking Engagements tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page for more information.

Speaking Engagements/Podcasts Iโ€™d love to come speak at your Christian womenโ€™s conference, to the ladies of your church, or on your Christian podcast. Check out my Speaking Engagements tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page for more information.

Let’s Get Social Join me on social media! All of my direct links are at the Contact and Social Media tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page. I’m currently on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. I’m most active on X, least active on YouTube. (I maintain accounts at MeWe and Gab in the event I’m kicked off Facebook and Twitter, but I don’t interact or post on those platforms any more.) At the moment, I have no plans to get on any other platforms. New ones are popping up every day, and it takes an enormous amount of time to maintain the ones I’m already on.

Financial Support I donโ€™t receive any income or compensation from blogging. But if you or your family have been blessed by my work and youโ€™d like to be a blessing to me and my family in return on an ongoing, occasional, or one time basis, please click here.


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3 thoughts on “Blog Orientation for New Readers and Old Friends”

  1. Hello Michelle,
    I have a question on a Carol Mader, our church is a Baptist church and we are using a book called โ€˜kids travel guide to the fruit of the spiritโ€. When I check Carol out I find sheโ€™s Catholic? What are your thoughts?
    Thx Edna

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    1. Hi Edna- I’m not familiar with Carol, but no Christian should be attending a church of any denomination where the pastor is OK with using Bible study, discipleship, etc. materials written by Catholics. Catholicism is not Christianity any more than Mormonism is.

      The first thing I would encourage you to do is to make absolutely certain that Carol is, indeed, Catholic. I Googled her name, and several different Carol Maders popped up, including at least one who’s Catholic (also one who’s a retired Episcopal priest). The results also included the Amazon page selling books similar to the one you mentioned, by someone named Carol Mader. However, I was unable to verify that the Carol Mader who wrote those books is the same person as one of the Catholic Carol Maders. But perhaps you have a more reliable source that unequivocally states that the Carol Mader who wrote the book is Catholic?

      If she’s definitely Catholic, I would encourage you to go to your pastor and kindly and gently ask him if he knows that this woman is Catholic. If he knows and doesn’t care, or tries to make you feel like you’re the bad guy for bringing this up, it’s time to find a new church. If he seems surprised and apologetic, immediately stops the use of the book, this was a one time goof on his part, and everything else about your church is doctrinally sound, forgive him and move on. Here is a resource that may help:

      The Mailbag: How should I approach my church leaders about a false teacher theyโ€™re introducing?

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