A year-old women’s evangelistic training ministry developed out of the gospel-spreading Multiplication Network is equipping participants of Global Coffee Break groups to effectively reach unchurched friends, neighbors, and family members. About 20 women at Lakeside Community Christian Reformed Church in Alto, Mich., including the congregation’s Coffee Break leaders Cheryl Cooper and Pam Ardrulis, have taken Anna’s Circle training.
Anna’s Circle is a ministry that trains Christian women in the United States to effectively share the good news of Jesus. Last Spring, Cooper and Ardrulis were approached by the president of the ministry, Sandra Tolsma, who asked if they’d be willing to share information with their Coffee Break participants about the ministry’s online training. Many were interested, and two eight-week training sessions have since taken place at Lakeside Community.
Each week participants watch a 15-minute video and answer questions on a handout. They then gather to discuss, pray, and complete activities together. “Each Anna’s Circle group becomes a supportive, encouraging, and secure base for the women as they go out to develop relationships with unbelievers,” Ardrulis said.
Cooper and Ardrulis are trying to create as many opportunities as possible for women to be encouraged, supported, and equipped to reach out to other women. “Anna’s Circle is one ‘answer’ God provided to our quest,” Cooper says. They are also studying the Discover Your Bible series, “The Joy of Sharing Jesus” in their Coffee Break program, which has about 34 women in three groups.
Cooper and Ardrulis hope to have all the women in Lakeside Community’s Coffee Break go through the evangelistic training, which they believe complements Global Coffee Break’s inductive Bible study methods. Anna’s Circle trains women to effectively spread what they’ve studied with their neighbors. One participant said, “In Coffee Break, we encourage each other in our faith journeys. In Anna’s Circle, we encourage and support each other to reach out to others to begin a faith journey.” Another participant explained that the training has increased her desire to reach out to women, especially non- and new believers, so they can experience both the love of God and of other supportive women friends. “Anna’s Circle has given me more confidence and tools to learn how to reach out,” a participant wrote in an evaluation.
Sandra Tolsma, who has been the president of Anna’s Circle for about a year, knew Cooper and Andrulis from when she worked as a fundraiser for Multiplication Network, a Michigan-based global Christian leader training. Until last summer, Anna’s Circle was a program of Multiplication Network, with the focus on training women in the U.S. to share their faith more effectively. “Ultimately, we determined it was best for Anna’s Circle to be its own nonprofit organization, and we are now ministry partners,” Tolsma said.
After starting Anna’s Circle, Tolsma reached out to Sam Huizenga, the former Learning Programs leader for Resonate Global Mission. “We immediately saw the beautiful synergies between Anna’s Circle and Global Coffee Break as Sam wanted to ignite a passion for evangelism in Global Coffee Break leaders and participants, and I knew Anna’s Circle trainees would need excellent Bible study materials for those exploring Jesus or new to Christianity. So the two organizations entered into a ministry partnership agreement,” Tolsma said. Knowing Lakeside CRC had a thriving Coffee Break ministry, Cooper and Andrulis were among her first contacts. The ministry agreement is still in place, effective through June 30, 2027.
Anna’s Circle is named after a woman from Tanzania who put her faith in Jesus after hearing the gospel and went on to plant a church through the Multiplication Network. When Tolsma met her in 2019, she shared how she sold everything she owned to move to a predominantly Muslim community so she could share the hope of Jesus. “Her courage, obedience, and passion to share the life-changing power of Jesus ignited a deep desire in me to encourage women in America to live out their faith with the same boldness and intentionality,” Tolsma said.
In addition to the session training, Anna's Circle offers short Zoom meetings each month with a trained Anna's Circle leader for women who might be unable to commit to a multi-week session but want to gain new skills and tools to help them to better share their faith. It also offers onsite workshops for churches wanting to introduce Anna's Circle to their women's ministries. “Our training is offered through various channels as we want it to be as accessible as possible,” Tolsma said.
About the Author
Callie Feyen is a writer living in Ann Arbor, Mich. She attends First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor. Callie writes news for The Banner and contributes to Coffee+Crumbs, and T.S. Poetry Press. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is the author of The Teacher Diaries: Romeo and Juliet, and Twirl: My Life in Stories, Writing, & Clothes.