AYSF Transformative Teaching
At AYSF, we often hear from women that they want to dive more deeply into God’s Word. The daughters of God are hungry for “meaty” bible study and robust biblical teaching, particularly by women, but find it hard to come by. Churches often resort to purchasing study materials with video recordings. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bad theology to sift through out there, and among the studies that are theologically sound, meaningful application to real life tends to be an afterthought, at best.
We are left with the unspoken questions:
What difference does all this bible study really make as we dive back into the challenges of parenting, marriage or dating, work, ministry, friendships and more? We may have gained more biblical knowledge, but have we been truly equipped to live better in concrete ways that really matter??
AYSF Transformative Teaching offers
“Real Theology For Real Life”
At AYSF, we provide “solid food” not just “milk.” (Hebrews 5:13-14)
In fact, you will glean so many fresh insights as we dive into Scripture that we must warn you: your hand may cramp from how many notes you will be eager to take! You will be amazed at both the depth and scope of AYSF Transformative Teaching as we mine the riches of God’s Word together. Not only that…
At AYSF, we are all about asking: SO WHAT??
What difference does Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and
impending return actually make in the details of your life?
How do you wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
so that instead of being overwhelmed you are able to overcome?
(Ephesians 6:17; Romans 12:21)
At AYSF, we show you how to connect the dots between what God has revealed in His Word and the practical implications for how you get to live now. We help you hone your battle skills so you can “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12) with increasing victory. Every concept we teach has been tested “in the field.” That is, we have been developing and refining all our content in the context of helping real people with their real problems for over 15 years. All the insight and instruction offered in AYSF Transformative Teaching has been implemented by countless clients who joyfully attest: “This stuff really works!”
What Difference Does LIVE Teaching Make?
Another way AYSF Transformative Teaching is “real” is that it is conducted live. With AYSF you are not purchasing a product (a book and/or access to a video series) but a service that involves engagement with a human being who sees you, hears you, and responds to your needs in real time. AYSF Teaching provides the opportunity for participants to engage with the instructor and ask whatever questions you have been grappling with (perhaps for years!) in regards to the topics we are exploring. Students often express deep gratitude for the theologically rich and compassionately presented answers they receive through AYSF Teaching.
Meeting live also enables our unique personalities to shine through. While a video can feel “cold” because there is no relational engagement, the quality of AYSF’s live teaching is warm, dynamic, and even fun. Another benefit of joining a live, AYSF-hosted course is the opportunity to connect with sisters-in-Christ from around the country (and sometimes other countries). This is an important way to enlarge our perspective beyond our usual circles and engage as citizens of a big, beautiful kingdom, led by our mutual Father and King.
Also: While courses take place online, retreats and single-day teaching engagements may be conducted on location (availability permitting) so you can experience AYSF Transformative Teaching not only live but “in person.”
Here are just a few examples of AYSF courses:
I Am Who You Say I Am
In a world that barrages us with confusing messages about who we are and “should” be, we desperately need to be anchored in an identity that is accurate and is activated in our heart in such a way that it profoundly shapes how we navigate this life. Many of us have heard, and even used, the term “identity in Christ,” but what does it really mean and what difference does it really make? Each week, we are going to unpack a different dimension of our identity in Christ in ways that are theologically rich, emotionally compelling, and highly practical.
Prepare to be amazed afresh at the goodness of God as we explore the true implications of being an image bearer of God, a beloved child of the Father, clay in the Potter’s hands, a member of Christ’s body, a warrior, a royal priest, an ambassador for the King, and much more!
How to Prevail Over Perfectionism
Perfectionism is detrimental to our emotional, physical, spiritual, and relational health…and it is an epidemic among women. Women are crushed by the pressure to perform and enslaved to largely self-imposed standards and expectations. This leaves us feeling anxious, exhausted, and if we’re really honest, resentful. Whether or not we can name it, we are drowning in the shame that is inevitable when we work so hard to do it all “right” and yet somehow it never feels like enough. Sound familiar? Well, it’s time to rise up and fight back against this favorite ploy of the enemy and this course will equip you to do just that.
We are going to pull back the veil to reveal the deep roots beneath the surface of “perfectionism” and learn how to wield the powerful sword of biblical truth to “slice & dice” the lies that have been holding our sisters in bondage to this toxic dynamic. Seriously: it’s freedom or bust. Let’s do this!
Defining Your Life
The Christian life is all about love, right? But what is love really? How about freedom? It’s a basic human value. But what does it really mean? Then there’s success: how would you define it? Everyone wants peace, but are you clear about what leads to it and what cannot? And while we’re asking… What is money for? How about sexuality or gender? What is work really supposed to be about, anyway? What about power? And what does it mean to “honor” or to “obey”? Why, when and how?
Defining Your Life is an in-depth exploration of the key life concepts that shape the choices we make.
Together we will discover what God’s good design is in each area and how we can get into better alignment with it. Because here’s the deal: we flourish to the extent that we are in alignment with God and his good design for all he has made. Not only will this course be transformational for you, it will equip you as a friend, as a parent, as an ambassador for the Kingdom, to offer others clear and compelling definitions and explanations of these critical concepts that undergird every choice we make.
The Forgiveness Project
How to Get Free of Bitterness
& Finally Forgive Whoever has Harmed You
The Forgiveness Project is a game-changer for anyone who has struggled to forgive (that’s all of us!) Together, we will do a deep dive into the why’s and how’s of forgiveness that are designed to dissolve all the obstacles that have kept you from moving forward. (We guarantee you will hear some fresh material on this classic topic.)
But this isn’t just “head knowledge”: at the end of the course you will be equipped and invited to actually do it – in a way you can be sure it’s done – and finally walk in the freedom that only God’s good design for forgiveness can facilitate.
How To Experience AYSF Transformative Teaching
AYSF offers live, online courses, typically twice a year. Grab a friend or come solo and join Christian sisters from all over the US and beyond for “theology for real life.”
As a representative of your church or other Christian organization, invite AYSF to design a custom teaching experience for your group. We can teach your whole congregation or organization or any group within it, such as your leadership team, women’s ministry, bible study group(s), community group(s), and more. Co-ed groups are welcome!
This option allows you to customize your experience by selecting a topic from our incredible array of options (see above and below), as well as the format that works best for your group: a full course, retreat sessions, or a one-off teaching engagement.
For example, you can invite AYSF to:
Invite AYSF to come to you!
More AYSF Teaching Topics
The following content is available as full-length courses (6-12 sessions),
retreat sessions, or a single teaching engagement:
The Power of Processing Emotional Pain:
How to Heal from:
- Disappointment
- Grief
- Shame
- Rejection or Betrayal
- Loneliness
So They Don’t Wreck Your Life
(Without you even realizing what’s causing the chaos!)
The 5 types of pain may be taught together
OR any of the types may be selected individually.
For example: You could select “shame”’ as the topic of a weekend retreat (with multiple sessions), a 6-12 week course, a one-time presentation, or whatever length or format you need.
Conquering the Killer A’s:
How To Navigate the 3 Primary Responses to Pain
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Apathy
(feeling “stuck” or passion-less)
The 3 responses to pain may be taught together
OR any of the types may be selected individually
For example: You could select “anxiety”’ as the topic of a weekend retreat (with multiple sessions), a 6-12 week course, a one-time presentation, or whatever length or format you need.
Tackling Toxic Dynamics:
How to be an Agent of Redemption in Challenging Relationships
The Beloved Body:
How to Live Free of Body Hatred & Finally Flourish in Your Own Skin
Better Than Busy:
How to Overcome Overwork & Overwhelm and Create a Life You Love with God
Even More Topics to Choose From…
(These are currently available in 1-3 sessions only)
- Marriage
- Parenting
- Singleness
- Intimacy with God / Relationship with The Church
- Sexual: abuse, assault, harassment
- Sexuality: orientation, gender, health/ wellness
- Substance abuse
- Financial Flourishing
See a topic that would be perfect for your group?
Invite AYSF to teach your next retreat, course, workshop…
Here’s what our clients are saying about AYSF Transformative Teaching:
“There have been a few big instances when God’s grace, mercy, and love have overflowed in my life… and I Am Who You Say I Am is one of them. Some sessions were so powerful that for days I couldn’t stop praising God and getting emotional about “why Jesus is worthy of our praise for life.” It solidified for me that God doesn’t want my outward perfection: He wants my gaze, my ear, my trust, and the rest will follow. What I have learned has helped me be more encouraging to my friends and colleagues, affirming their specialness, as well as my own. As a parent, I want more than ever to direct my kids’ gaze to Christ so they don’t have to struggle in their identity, so they don’t have to wait until they are in their 30s like me to really get how much God loves them and how special they are, as I do now.”
“I grew up in a Christian community. However, after a few life-changing experiences, I ended up fading away. It had been years since I had been part of any sort of study group, but Defining Your Life looked intriguing. I was very interested to see what a bible-based course designed and led by a biblical counselor would be like, as I had never experienced that perspective before. Ultimately, I wanted a deeper understanding of why I believed the things that I was taught growing up. That is what led me to register for Defining Your Life, and I’m so thankful I did!”
“Perfectionism plagues so many of us, with roots in our upbringing, our culture, and lies from the enemy that we’ve been repeating and believing. In How to Prevail Over Perfectionism Susan hits perfectionism at so many angles: unpacking Scripture, explaining what is really behind our behavior, building in time for silent journaling and group discussion, and offering very practical tools on how to handle different situations. Susan sticks closely to God’s word and God’s heart, while teaching in fresh ways that turn my old thinking upside down. She has a beautiful way of never being condemning, yet never feeding your pity party. She is gentle yet emboldening and empowering. Her answers are never trite, but teach us to go deeper, while always directing praise to God for showing us a better way to live. In all matters she leads you to the central question: “What difference does Jesus make?” This course provides an entire arsenal of weapons to slay the beast of perfectionism and trains you how to use them effectively. It is a true necessity!”
“The Forgiveness Project has been a tremendous eye-opener. Susan has the God-given ability to present biblical truth in a way that is clear, logical, and memorable. She makes the Bible come alive as she connects it to our personal lives for immediate, practical use. Following the steps of the forgiveness process outlined in this course led to a surprising experience for me. God brought to mind someone from my past whom I thought I had forgiven, but through this process I discovered deeply-embedded emotions that had held me back for a long time. It was so empowering to have it fully disclosed and addressed with God. For the first time I was able to fully experience forgiveness as it is described in the Bible. The results were astonishing: I truly feel free and filled with joy to be able to sincerely pray for the one who had wronged me after many years. The whole experience was a blessing I will cherish for the rest of my life!”
“I Am Who You Say I Am has helped me see that when my identity is tied to what I do, what I look like, and who I think I should be, I will never feel like I’m enough. I get now that who I understand myself to be really impacts my decisions and how I show up in the world. I am ready to make choices that are befitting who God says I am. Being more rooted in my worth has given me confidence and enabled me to make better choices in dating, for example. Also, in a situation in which someone questions my character, I am finally able to call out the false narratives and move forward in peace. You will not be disappointed with this course! If you dare to believe and receive what God says about your identity in Christ you, too, will be set free!”
“A family member started counseling with Susan about a year ago and I started noticing great changes in them. When they told me Susan was offering an open course for women I was all in! Defining Your Life has opened my eyes in a way I never thought possible. I left every class more and more hungry to learn how to be even closer to our heavenly Father. So many things in these classes have touched me, but discovering that peace, love, and forgiveness are not feelings hit me like a ton of bricks! I have lived my whole life on “feelings”: that’s how I have made decisions! To learn how these are actions that we choose -and how to do that well- was mind blowing. I am no longer at the mercy of my feelings. I have a sense of power and control I have never had before. God has used this course to liberate me as a woman, wife, mother, and first and foremost, as his beloved child.”
“I thought I knew about love, peace, work, success, power. But Defining Your Life has imparted a depth of wisdom that has ministered to my soul and activated my resolve to live in alignment with God in ALL areas of my life. There is Holy Spirit power in Susan’s words, all presented with wit and energy, joy, and stories – love the stories! She challenged us to pour over the Word and truly apply it to our lives. I have resources & tools now that I am using in all my relationships. I’ve felt equipped in ways I never was before in conversations with my daughters, with friends… I have grown by leaps and bounds! And all the women in the course were so great. We are younger and older; seasoned believers and seekers. We loved being together each week. By the power of His Spirit we would learn, grow, and more deeply absorb the amazing grace of the gospel. What a gift!.”
“I immediately knew from the title that I needed to register for How to Prevail Over Perfectionism as I had stamped the title of “perfectionist” on myself for as long as I could remember. Was there a way out of this? Could I really change? I came in looking for some practical tips but I ended up getting a whole paradigm shift – a new way of thinking, and a powerful, biblical perspective on the spiritual realities at play in my life. The very first session of How to Prevail Over Perfectionism was so rich, I couldn’t imagine what else Susan could say about the topic – in 7 more sessions! But as I sat through each session, I found myself furiously taking notes. I loved how some sessions were anchored in specific Bible passages, how Susan wove in real-life stories, and how we would learn to “peel back the layers” to understand the realities underneath common perfectionistic murmurings such as “I’m not enough,” “I’m harder on myself than I am on anyone else,” “I feel like I’m an imposter” and more..”
“How to Prevail Over Perfectionism has given me so much hope. I CAN be free, and I CAN choose a different way! These days, I am much more aware of when the enemy is whispering lies in my ear. I used to beat myself up, hating myself for not being “better,” wishing I could just figure out how to BE PERFECT ALREADY! Now I’m holding onto truth and reminding myself that I’m in exactly the place God wants me to be and resting in the camaraderie of Jesus. This course will change you. You’ll find hope and freedom from the never-ending hamster-wheel of mistakes and self-recrimination. You’ll see that you’re not alone, that GOD is truly for you -and so is Susan and every other sister-in Christ taking this amazing course with you!”
