Introduction

Hope Springs is the epitome of small-town life?a place filled with quiet streets where families have been friends for generations, a place where not a lot changes . . . until now.

Janelle Evans hasn’t gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn’t long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened.

Becca Anderson is finally on the trajectory she’s longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she’s been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women’s conference. But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father’s church in Hope Springs. Will small-town living affect her big ministry dreams?

Stephanie London is married to a doctor in St. Louis and living an ideal life. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels compelled to do the same. It’s a decision that will forever change her.

As these women come together, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches that have long been divided along racial lines. God's plan for them in Hope Springs?and for Hope Springs itself?is bigger than they ever imagined.

"Kim Cash Tate draws us into a world where the dreams, desires, missteps, and matters of the heart we discover mirror our own. She is a master at crafting characters who make you forget you're reading fiction. By the end of Hope Springs, you'll feel as if you're cheering on members of your extended family." ?Stacy Hawkins Adams, bestselling author of Coming Home and The Someday List

“Tate expertly crafts an intriguing narrative that explores unrequited love, true faith, and the complicated politics of change in the Christian church . . . [an] affecting tale about forgiveness and following God’s call.” ?Publishers Weekly

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Excerpt

Chapter One
Wednesday, December 23

Stephanie Sanders London sulked with all the fervor she could muster as she and Lindell rode the escalator up to security in St. Louis's Lambert International Airport. She stared vaguely at the moving stairway, lips pursed, sighing displeasure with rhythmic regularity. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Stephanie heard a sermon that inspired her to do something selfless for Christmas. But the sermon “wore off,” and she wanted to change her mind. When you receive inspiration from above to step outside your comfort zone, do you follow through? Is it hard?
2. Todd’s death motivated him to stop dragging through life and live full-out for Jesus. Do you ever feel that you are dragging through life? Would you say you’re living full-out for Jesus?
3. Sensing God might be at work, Becca agreed to support Todd’s call to pastor Calvary Church and move to Hope Springs. But she secretly prayed that God would close the door. Do you ever “agree” to something openly, while praying in secret that it doesn’t happen?
4. Stephanie wanted to get to a point where she had a heart to do whatever He called her to do, without resisting. On which end of the spectrum do you more often find yourself, resisting or having a heart to do God’s will?
5. When her grandmother had to be rushed to the hospital, Janelle felt overwhelmed by all she’d taken on. Though she knew the Lord was her help, the crisis took her focus off of Him. Do you remember that the Lord is your help when a crisis hits?
6. Sara Ann didn’t feel qualified to lead the diner Bible study, though she had a deep relationship with God and studied the Bible regularly. If you feel God is calling you to do something, do you focus on your own qualifications? Or do you trust God to equip you?
7. At the diner Bible study, Gina found it hard to “sit down in her disappointment.” When you’re disappointed with God, do you admit it to Him and yourself?
8. Because of past hurts, Libby had built a protective shield around her heart and didn’t want to commit to anyone, not even God. Have you ever been there?
9. In Becca’s mind, Worth & Purpose was “big” ministry, the platform she’d been working toward as she moved through all the “lower tiers” of ministry. Do you tend to think of some forms of ministry as more or less significant than others?
10. Janelle let Kory go, telling him she didn’t want to be what stood in the way of God healing his marriage. Would you have made that choice?
11. Have you ever felt like God was taking you through a spiritual boot camp? Describe.
12. Do you seek humility—being emptied of self and allowing God to fill you totally?
13. Though several decades had passed, Aunt Gwynn couldn’t bring herself to forgive her mother for the pain she had caused. Have you ever held onto unforgiveness? How did you get past it? If you’re holding onto unforgiveness right now, are you willing to seek help in breaking free?
14. Stephanie got to a point where she was open to doing God’s will, whatever it might be. Can you say the same?

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