Hi, I'm Connie.
Let's Encounter the God of Hope Together.
Journey with me through my story and a few stories of people in the Bible.
When my first husband died suddenly in 2004, I spent days, weeks, and months journaling: writing to God and asking Him to “write back” (or say something). I poured my heart out to Him on paper, and He poured His heart out to me through His Word and through the gift of family and friends who loved like Jesus.
Nine hundred pages and a few years later, I was invited to speak at a retreat on hope. Returning to my journals revealed what I'd become intimately familiar with: what to do when hope is lost, where to find it, why it's needed, and how to sustain it. These healing considerations are now compiled into Encountering the God of Hope.
"Drawing on her own experiences and decades of teaching and pastoral care, Connie Milchling offers steady encouragement, biblical truth, and practical guidance for hearts struggling to hold on to hope."
Georgia Shaffer
Licensed Psychologist, and author of A Gift of Mourning Glories: Restoring Your Life after Loss
"Tears are an ordinary part of the Christian story. For my friend and fellow pastor, Connie, this is a lived reality. What she offers here is guidance for grieving loss and living with the hope of Christ."
Aaron J. Anderson
CEO of Logos Works and Logos Academy, and Lead Pastor of Living Word Community Church
"Friends for decades, I rejoiced at Connie and Brad’s wedding and cried at his funeral. Ever since I read her heartfelt journal, I knew God would amazingly use her pain to encourage others. This book confirms Connie’s calling as someone caring and wise enough to point you to Encountering the God of Hope."
Lynn Eib
Bestselling author of When GOD & Cancer Meet and When GOD & Grief Meet
"Encountering the God of Hope is a profoundly moving work that feels sacred to read—born of lived grief and grounded in Scripture. With pastoral wisdom and honest faith, this book gently invites readers to keep trusting and seeking, and to discover that hope is much closer than they think."
Aaron Kunce
Pastor, Congregational Care, Living Word Community Church
I was raised in a faith-filled family in West Virginia,
moved to Ohio in 7th grade, and then to Pennsylvania in 8th grade. After graduation, I entered the business world and accepted a promotion that led to a transfer to California. I continued working while taking college courses, graduated from USC in 1986, and returned to PA in 1988, where I served as VP of Customer Relations for Topflight Corporation before joining Living Word Community Church staff in 2000. In the 25 years since, I have enjoyed helping guests settle into a new environment, leading the Worship Arts team, developing engaging ministries for women, being ordained, and now serving as one of the pastors as I transition into the semi-retirement phase of my life.
I am married to Greg, a stepmom to Garrett and Victoria (now living in Florida), and we live on a 36-acre farm in Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, where we enjoy spending time with the Creator in His creation and with nearly all He has created.
If hope is a topic you're considering for an upcoming event and you need help conveying the message, consider inviting me to speak.
Over two decades have passed since that first weekend retreat, and I have returned to these lessons repeatedly throughout my life, both for myself and with others. I have had the privilege of sharing this message of hope at special events, in classes, at retreats, and in other settings.
As a pastor, I often find myself in conversations with people who have experienced significant loss: a loved one, a relationship, health, a job, a home, or other losses. Sharing elements of these lessons can offer comfort and hope when life is hard.
Still, the most important piece of wisdom I can impart is that there's no single scripture or solitary answer for life's difficult times. Yet there is a singular focus that can make all the difference in the world: placing our trust in the God of Hope. Our part is trust; His part is everything else.