What does it look like to keep fighting for your marriage when life gets hard? In this powerful episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, host Amy Petersen sits down with Steven Curtis Chapman and Mary Beth Chapman to talk about the reality of marriage after more than 40 years together. Marriage can feel like a great adventure—beautiful, meaningful, and deeply rewarding—but it can also be far harder than we expected. For ministry wives and couples serving the church, the pressure to appear like everything is fine can make those struggles feel even heavier.

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth share honest stories from their decades of marriage, including the role of grace, forgiveness, prayer, and perseverance in sustaining a relationship through both the great joy and deep grief. Drawing from their new book Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home, they remind us that lasting marriage isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing to remain faithful, even when the road is long.

This conversation offers encouragement for ministry wives, pastors’ families, and any couple wondering if their marriage is worth fighting for.

• Why lasting marriages require learning to “bear with one another in love”
• The real challenges behind long-term Christian marriage
• How grace and forgiveness sustain a marriage through conflict
• The role of prayer and faith in navigating grief and hardship
• Why staying committed matters even as people change over time

• Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman
• Show Hope

Connect with Steven Curtis Chapman
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

Connect with Mary Beth Chapman
Website // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

Connect with Amy Petersen
Facebook // Instagram // Podcast

Connect with NAMB
Facebook // Instagram

If you’ve ever thought, I know I should talk about my faith more… but I don’t know how, you’re not alone.

In this episode of the Ministry Wives podcast, Amy sits down with speaker, former missionary, and Director of Relational Evangelism Melanie Ratcliffe to talk about the real reasons many followers of Jesus hesitate to share their faith. From fear of saying the wrong thing to feeling unprepared for spiritual conversations, many ministry wives quietly wrestle with the tension between wanting to share the gospel and not knowing where to begin.

Melanie offers practical encouragement for women who want to grow in confidence, authenticity, and intentionality when talking about Jesus in everyday life. Instead of relying on scripted approaches or pressure-filled methods, she shows how gospel conversations can flow naturally through relationships, hospitality, and genuine care for others.

If you’ve ever struggled with fear, awkwardness, or uncertainty when it comes to evangelism, this conversation will remind you that God is faithful to use ordinary moments—and ordinary people—to point others to His Son.

• Why so many Christians feel hesitant to talk about their faith
• Common fears that keep believers from sharing the gospel
• How ministry wives can approach evangelism with authenticity instead of pressure
• Simple ways to open the door for meaningful spiritual conversations
• And more!

Connect with Melanie
Instagram // Facebook

Connect with Amy
Facebook // Instagram // Podcast

Connect with NAMB
Facebook // Instagram

What does it really mean to live set apart as a ministry wife? In this episode of the Ministry Wives Podcast, Amy Petersen sits down with wife, (grand)mom, author, and women’s minister Tasha Calvert to talk honestly about holiness, sanctification, and the pressure that so many ministry wives feel to “have it all together.” If you’re a pastor’s wife or ministry wife who has ever thought, I know I should be more holy… but I’m exhausted, struggling, or just trying to survive, then this conversation is for you.

Tasha shares her personal journey of moving from a checklist-driven view of holiness to a relationship-centered understanding of what it means to follow a holy God. Together, she and Amy explore the unique expectations placed on women in church leadership, the importance of biblical community, and why vulnerability isn’t weakness—but a pathway to real spiritual growth.

Instead of striving to look set apart, this episode invites you to surrender, rest in Christ, and pursue the personal holiness that’s rooted in grace alone.

• What it truly means for a ministry wife to live “set apart”
• Why holiness is about relationship with God—not performance
• How Scripture shapes your pursuit of personal holiness
• The vital role of biblical community in spiritual growth
• And more!

• Set Apart for More: The Transformative Power of Living Your Whole Life for a Holy God

Connect with Tasha
Instagram // Facebook // Website // Prestonwood Women’s Bible Study Resources

Connect with Amy
Facebook // Instagram // Podcast

Connect with NAMB
Facebook // Instagram