Nice to meet you!
I’m Amy (and that’s Tuck).
My passion is teaching God’s Word as a “How To” manual for loving Him and loving others. I learned to explain complex theology in simple, relatable terms by inviting neighbors of all ages and faith backgrounds to a women’s Bible study in my home.
With words rooted in ancient Scripture yet rich in modern application, I guide women toward lasting hope for difficult days—then share it with a neighbor.
Then came 2020. As if this weren’t enough, when we flipped the calendar to 2021 we quickly realized that yesterday’s pandemic, protests, and politics will just be replaced by new problems tomorrow. (I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an alien invasion by the time you read this!)
Beginning long before this hot mess, I minister to people who are being sifted and shaken by intimate suffering that far outweighs the sensational headlines of the day.
Together we’ll find hope, grace, joy, and peace by placing our hope fully in Christ alone.
Welcome to the room where it all began.
This crazy idea of knocking on neighbors’ doors grew into an international ministry called The Neighborhood Café, where I have coached countless women across the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and Australia to overcome their fears and fulfill their calling in their communities.
My first book, How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird, provides even more practical tools, prayerful encouragement and powerful inspiration so you can embrace the people God has carefully placed around your home—the best place for forming new friendships and deepening old ones.
You’re still reading? OK, here’s more…
I married my elementary school sweetheart in 1990 and we have an adult daughter who lives up to her “lively” name. In 2015, we moved from Ohio to a precious mountain town in the the High Rockies of Colorado. We actually live on a dude and guest ranch – come visit us! We rescued our holy dog, who loves his unsaintly cat brother. We’re Florida’s youngest snowbirds and are blessed to spend winters on the Nature Coast.
When asked to describe my religious background, I once replied: “Pagan!” Because I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Ministry, I know a pagan is defined as someone who does not acknowledge God. But because I lived like a pagan for 20 years, I remember how I hardened my heart like a stone and stopped up my ears so I would not hear the Lord’s voice. He stopped up my ears, too, and during a struggle with hearing loss I finally returned to my sweet Savior.
My husband and I helped plant Life Church Vineyard, where I also served as Associate Pastor for over four years. I oversaw communication, website and systems management, social media, small group leadership and development, ministry development, women’s ministry and occasionally cleaning toilets or whatever else needed to be done! My husband and I run a tech and marketing company with a great team of people who provide business consulting and online solutions for entrepreneurs. I lead an incredible Women’s Ministry Team at ClearView Community Church in Buena Vista, Colorado, and am president of the annual BV Strong Community Dinner – a gathering of 3,600 neighbors down the middle of our majestic Main Street!
Writing
How to Love Your Neighbor Without Being Weird was published by Bethany House is 2015. In 2021 I completed The Book Proposal Bootcamp with Lysa TerKeurst, Meredith Brock, and my Writing Coach, Glynnis Whitwer, all of Proverbs 31 Ministries. My book proposal is represented by the incredible Blythe Daniel of the The Blythe Daniel Agency.
The working title of my book-in-progress is Hope Fully: How to Turn Uncertain Times into a Surprisingly Hopeful New Normal, which shows how pain and suffering are transformed into hope and purpose through a study of 1 Peter. Along with his wife, Peter will teach us how to pry apart our hopeless or hopeful feelings and set our hope fully in God’s faithfulness.
In this book the reader will discover how to:
- Express what she feels, identify what is real through the filter of God’s Word, then wisely determine how to deal with her challenges
- Reframe anxiety and uncertainty into hope and purpose using a prayer that never fails
- Make sense of pain that seems endless and pointless by understanding God’s timing and intention
- React to chaos and confusion with a calm, clear-headed, Christlike response
- Apply five simple and effective coping strategies to create her own “new normal” when her world is turned upside down
- Shed the shame of past mistakes as she learns to share her story for God’s glory