Episode 38: Here To Stay
An interview with Natalie Runion
Natalie shares the in-process story of her love for God’s people, the local church, and her ministry “Raised to Stay.” Find out why Natalie almost quit the church, and her heart behind the words she shares daily on social media.
The Seeds
Name: Natalie Runion
Age: 43
Where do you call home: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Relationship Status: Married
Season of Work: Author, Speaker, Founder of ‘Raised to Stay’
Hobbies: Writing, Spending time with my girls, traveling with the family
Jesus Journey: Accepted Jesus at 7. I tried really hard not to be in ministry after growing up as a Pastor’s kid but fell in love with the church, worship, and being with the family of God.
The Branches
Natalie, you're a Pastor’s kid and been in church your entire life. In one of your website videos you mention growing up saying you’d never be in ministry YET here you are. How’d you get here?
The moral of the story is, “you can run but you can’t hide” LOL. I majored in Kinesiology at Miami University and had no plans to be in ministry like my parents. I saw my parents get hurt pretty badly by the church during my senior year of high school and I just didn’t want to be in ministry. I’m thinking if THIS is the church why would I keep doing this?! However, Campus Crusade for Christ was on campus during the late 90’s- early 2000s. Campus Crusade invited me to lead worship and that struck the cord in me again of how much I really loved ministry and the church. It was cool because it was on my time, not my parents. I was bi-vocational up until I was 33 when I decided to step into full-time ministry.
Your Instagram bio tagline says, “Why we should have quit, and why we choose to stay.” What made you almost quit the church and why have you chosen to stay?
I question it every day if I’m honest. ‘Raised to Stay’ came from being “40” and seeing some of the same patterns and trends in the local church that grieved me and thinking, “why are people still doing this?!” ‘Raised to Stay’ came from my own season of wanting to tap out. What it came down to for me was JESUS. I believed so deeply that the God I saw doing all the miracles growing up was the same God who I encountered on my own. I think that’s why the local church is so powerful. We get in the trenches with one another and we see people healed, marriages restored, and you can’t deny it happened…you witnessed it first hand.
There are women in the Olive Us community who have left the local church for one reason or another and have no plans to step back in. Perhaps they’re grieving and hurting from the harm done to them or others in their local church by way of bad leadership and just frustrated, weary, and OVER IT. What would you say to those sisters?
When I say “Raised to Stay” I don’t mean stay in environments that are abusive, toxic, or dangerous. What I mean is “to abide in Christ.” Jesus is the reason we are here…that we love…that we feel loved…and have comfort. John 15 talks about how He is the vine and we are the branches. Pruning is done to produce good fruit. Not to cut us from the vine, but to help us grow. We know in life we will come up against really uncomfortable things that will question our faith, question Jesus, and the church. That isn’t wrong. I would say #1: There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Healing is not linear. As long as we’re abiding with Christ and surrounding ourselves with community who will walk us to healing…take the time you need to find the right church home and community. Seek out healing. Go to counseling because church hurt is real. Once we’ve been hurt, then healed, find your community.
There are also those who have left their church, want to step back in, but can’t seem to find a new local church and feel downright discouraged. Any advice?
On Sunday if you’re feeling called to, get up and go to church. Find one close to you and just go visit. Sit in the space, walk the foyer, be gentle with yourself and know that you’re on a healing journey. Remember there might be triggers or open wounds when you show up. Be gracious with the church…they don’t know what you’ve been through. For churches, first impressions is everything. We need to be ready to care for the wounded walking through our doors.
Is it ok to wrestle with God?
God is one of the greatest wrestlers ever. Remember Jacob?! As the Big “C” church we are not good at wrestling with people. It is inconvenient, messy, and not a 9 to 5. When we say ‘YES’ to ministry we are saying ‘YES’ to 24/7. For those wrestling, we need to know it’s okay to go to the church with our questions. As leaders, we need to be better at inviting people to the table that are wrestling and being ok with not having all the answers.
Your Instagram account. The words you write in white placed on a black background. Thank you. You Pastor ‘olive us’ with love, grace, and the truth of the Gospel. You speak to hearts and comfort the wounded & hurting. You wipe tears, lament, and grieve virtually with God’s children. Why is showing up on social media platforms important to you?
I started this platform because I wanted to quit. I know there is abuse, hurt, and things we’ve ignored in the church.I know we have not been wise stewards of people. My hope is that my Instagram space is a safe place for people. Out of obedience, I keep showing up. I hope to minister to people that God has put into my sphere.
You talk often about spiritual mothers and fathers. Who have been some of your spiritual mothers and fathers that have loved and discipled you along your journey?
Being a Pastor’s kid you have a bunch of spiritual aunts and uncles. Over the years they have been my first phone call when I’m making decisions. Having said that, we must pursue these relationships. We sometimes forsake accountability because we’ve been hurt. But for every Judas there is a Paul. There is no way any of us can do the hard and Holy work God wants us to do without having spiritual mothers and fathers in our lives.
As we look at the younger generation, why is it imperative we become spiritual mothers and fathers to them and take ownership of this responsibility in the church?
For those of us raising up the Gen Z generation, we must know they are about authenticity and transparency. We need to model what we’re preaching, otherwise we will loose all credibility. We need to allow Gen Z to do things on their own terms.
You wrote a book called, “Raised to Stay- Persevering in Ministry When you have a Million Reasons to Walk Away” that’s set to come out in July. What is the heart and hope for writing this book?
“Time is too short to be afraid, we have to do the things God calls us to”…these are the words my friend/mentor said to me when I told her all the reasons why I didn’t want to try writing a book again. I feared rejection and I just didn’t have it in me. This book is a response to my friends and family of HOPE. I take us on a journey with what it looks like when we stay and see a reconciled God do a reconciled church thing. I tell our story, my story, God’s stories, and the disciple’s stories. It comes out July 4th! You can pre-order HERE.
The Olive Tree
Finish these statements:
God is…protector
The Local Church/The Bride of Christ is… God’s very best idea
Saying “YES” to God means…limitless possibilities
‘Olive Us’ are better when… we have each other
Olives to Go
“Raised to Stay” has two different Facebook pages and cohorts you can join. Check out the “Raised to Stay” website for future events and speaker inquiries.