Listen In

Building Faith and Friendship Through Conversations That Matter

by Rachael Crabb, Sonya L Reeder, and Diana Calvin

Listen In

Ebook

Length: 159 pages
Published: January 28, 2015
Imprint: IVP
ISBN: 9780830897650

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2015 Readers' Choice Award Winner

We all know how discouraging it can be to share our story with someone who's not really listening. Being engaged in a conversation, just like friendship, is about so much more than simply talking. How can we use words to connect with each other in ways that can do deep and lasting good? How do we have conversations that matter? In these pages Dr. Larry Crabb's wife Rachael and two of her friends in ministry take up this question in a creative and informative way, providing model dialogues with one another exploring the deep issues of their lives. You will be intrigued and informed by learning from their journeys, but most importantly you will learn how you can start similar conversations with your friends.

Reflection and discussion questions provide a guide for you to think about how the themes of these chapters relate to the themes of your own life journey. This makes an ideal book for small groups of women as well as for triads or pairs to read and discuss together. Along the way you will learn new listening skills as well as learning about yourself and your friends. Come along and listen in.

REVIEWS

"As a woman who is emotionally allergic to small talk, I deeply appreciate this book. It's a real-life example of what can happen when friends ask curious questions and cast a hopeful vision. I want to be the kind of friend that Rachael, Sonya and Diana are to one another and I'm thankful that they have generously let us listen in."

"In Listen In, my dear friend Rachael Crabb has given us a glimpse into the way that she builds deep friendships with women. The powerful and transformative conversations between the three women in this book provide a model and an inspiration for those of us who long for real spiritual connection. I highly recommend this book for individuals, prayer partners and small groups."

"This is a one-of-a-kind book. You're invited to listen in as these women speak with rare courage and rich wisdom about how wounds from the past can, through the power of Jesus, be transformed into opportunities to relate well today."

"God works through Christian community to heal and redeem the past, but the question remains, how? How do we engage with the Holy Spirit in conversations that actually redeem the locust eaten years of our lives? In this remarkable book, Rachael, Sonya and Diana invite us to listen in on their conversation as they 'lock arms to face the past' and 'search for and find the truth and beauty in one another.' Listen In is a pocket guide to authentic Christian community—a must-read for every person committed to being formed in the character of Christ."

"Listening in to these richly nuanced conversations is more than just fascinating. It offers the hope that any woman can open her inner self with courage, pursue her friends with kind curiosity, and discover beauty hidden within her story. Rachael, Sonya and Diana beckon us all to similar conversations—with God delightedly listening in."

Foreword by Larry Crabb
Introduction: Three Voices, One Song
Why Listen In Is in Dialogue Form
Five Key Ingredients

1. Hands Over My Mouth: Rachael?s Story
The Day I Lost My Voice
Staying on the Surface
ASecret Revealed
Learning to Listen In

2. Finding My Voice: Rachael?s Response
Speaking with a New Energy
Directing the Universe
The Beauty in Being Outspoken
Learning to Listen In

3. I?m a Girl and I Like Football: Sonya?s Story
Looking for Answers
Trying to Be Tough
Resting in the Tenderness of Others
Learning to Listen In

4. Giving Away More of Me: Sonya?s Response
Living Out of a New Place in My Heart
Feeling Different
Celebrating Uniqueness
Learning to Listen In

5. I Can Do Anything: Diana?s Story
(Little) Girl Power
The Pressures of Power
Hope for an Addict
Learning to Listen In

6. Invitingly Competent: Diana?s Response
The Faces of Competence
The Power of a Competent Grace-Receiver
Learning to Listen In

7. Reflecting on the Process
Vision Letters
Next Steps

Afterword: Man to Man, by Larry Crabb
Acknowledgments

Comfort Detox

Beautiful Feet

ABOUT Rachael Crabb

Rachael Crabb, Sonya Reeder and Diana Calvin are friends whose relationships span two generations and 850 miles. Based in Denver, Colorado, Rachael Crabb is an author and ministry consultant who has spoken for conferences and retreats worldwide for over twenty years. Sonya Reeder, a licensed professional counselor in Longview, Texas, has operated a private practice for twenty-three years, and Diana Calvin serves as connections minister at Trinity Fellowship Church in Richardson, Texas.

ABOUT Sonya Reeder

Sonya Reeder, a licensed professional counselor, has operated a private practice for twenty-three years. She holds a Masters of Biblical Counseling from Colorado Christian University and a Masters of Crosscultural Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary. She lives in Longview, Texas with her husband and three children.

ABOUT Diana Calvin

Diana Calvin is Connections Minister at Trinity Fellowship Church in Richardson, Texas, where she loves to help people connect in small groups and adult ministries. Formerly she served as Director of Women's Ministries at Trinity for over ten years. She is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, where she frequently serves as a resource for women's ministry students. She is an experienced international missionary and lives in Mesquite, Texas with her husband and daughter.

Listen In

Building Faith and Friendship Through Conversations That Matter