Valuing & Supporting Women for their Unique Seasons Of Ministry

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Parakaleo is a Christian nonprofit that comes alongside women in church planting, including wives of church planters.

Through learning experiences and supportive groups, we grow a woman’s ability to see her story in light of God’s redemptive story, leading her to unmask idols and embrace her true identity and calling. Her transformation has ripple effects through the church, inviting others to experience the beauty and freedom of Jesus for themselves.

Parakaleo history Video

What We Value

Meet Our Team

  • Denine Blevins

    Executive Director

    Denine is a proud New Yorker with a gift for uniting diverse groups. She has two decades of experience helping organizations turn ideas into implementation. Prior to Parakaleo, she worked at Redeemer City to City and Mission to North America supporting programs for leaders.

  • Smita Donthamsetty

    Program Director

    Smita’s gifts in encouragement and facilitating learning have led to thousands growing in their God-given abilities to address their own challenges. Smita is passionate about supporting people to better know how loved and valued they are by their heavenly Father.

  • Angie Woodall

    Operations Manager

    Angie loves using her gifts in organization and administration to support others as they achieve their goals. Her strength is in normalizing the hard everyday experiences women face and reminding them of their gospel footing.

Board Members

  • Shauna Froelich

    Board Chair

    A Communications professor in Wisconsin, Shauna holds two law degrees and has participated in three church plants. She finds her greatest joy in prayerful communion with God, sharing redemption stories, and hosting student gatherings at her home.

  • Chris Zurbach

    Treasurer

    After almost two decades serving ministries focused on planting churches and clean water projects in remote parts of Africa and Asia, Chris now serves as Director of Philanthropy & Marketing at Geneva Benefits Group. She holds a B.A. in English, is a Certified Fundraising Executive, and currently working toward an Executive MBA. She is passionate about seeing women thrive holistically in church planting.

  • Lauren Brown

    Secretary

    Lauren Brown serves as the Director of Community Formation & Spiritual Care at Central Presbyterian Church on NYC's Upper East Side. A former Parakaleo participant, she enjoys creating opportunities for people to connect with one another and engage deeply in church life.

  • Chris McNerney

    While working as a clinical psychologist in NYC with young HIV+ patients, Chris was transformed by the gospel preaching and community he experienced at his church. He shifted to full-time ministry, moving to Los Angeles to plant Providence Church.

  • Joy Benton

    Joy holds a B.S. in Psychology from Texas A&M University and a M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. She serves as the Internship Coordinator with Serge and is passionate about equipping the next generation of leaders.

  • Holley Gregory

    Holley has spent 15 years as a pastor’s wife in rural revitalization and urban church planting. Shaped through Parakaleo, she now supports church planters as Executive Assistant with the Tennessee Valley Network.

  • Gina Sink

    Gina holds a nursing degree from UNC Charlotte and worked alongside her husband to plant churches in both North Carolina and Japan. During their time in Japan, she was introduced to Parakaleo and then began using those tools to come alongside the wives of church planters, encouraging them to find rest and strength in the Gospel for their own lives and families. She now serves with Serge as a renewal specialist.

  • Confidence Mokgatle

    Now residing in Florida, Confidence and her husband planted a church in South Africa, where she shepherded women's ministry within a multicultural, gospel-centred congregation. Her accounting and consulting skills bring financial acumen and operational discipline to complement her pastoral instincts.

  • Abhishikth Babu

    Originally from Bangalore, Abhishikth Babu holds a Master of Divinity and is the Pastor of Community Groups at Grace Presbyterian Church (Silicon Valley). Abhishikth loves cricket, the Ole Miss Rebels, and talking about movies over a cup of coffee.

The Founders Who Started The Ministry:

Shari Thomas

Among the many plans Shari had for her life, being a catalyst for change in church planting was not one of them! After doing almost everything wrong in the church planting spousal relationship, Shari researched and then started what is becoming a global ministry of support, healing and change. With an educational background in theology, education and international church planting, Shari co-founded Parakaleo in 2005.

Tami Resch

Taking the hope of the gospel to the hearts of women is Tami's work and play. Unlike her professional football coaching family, Tami coaches women! In 2005, she cofounded Parakaleo on the condition that she would never speak publicly. Today, she explains theological truths at Parakaleo training events with whiteboards, flip-charts, metaphors, movie clips, storytelling, dot-connecting, and napkin drawings.

Discover Your Way to Get Involved

  • Find Your Program

    We offer two choices of programs led by trained facilitators. Sign up for a theme-specific learning experience or join a group to gain support.

    Programs

  • View Our Partners

    We collaborate with church planting organizations that are looking to build a system of support for women in their context, culture, and language.

    Partnerships

  • Explore Our Impact

    We build gospel-centered community and support women globally. Explore our impact, and consider expanding our reach through your generosity.

    Global Impact