Joanne Ellison
Searching for Significance
October 2014
St Andrews Church, Mt Pleasant
We all search for meaning in life. We want our lives to count for something and we each desire to fulfill our purpose in life. But as women, we often find ourselves consumed by thoughts of insignificance, and filled with a sense of unworthiness. God, the Creator, created us in His image and everything He created is of infinite value. Please join us as we learn to recognize the beauty within and walk in the confidence of knowing our God-given potential.
Nationally Recognized Bible Teacher, Speaker and Author
Founder of national nonprofit Drawing Near to God based in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Joanne Ellison helps Christian women navigate their way through the distractions of life and into the presence of God. Ellison has reached thousands through her speaking, books, CDs and DVDs. She is the author of 17 Bible study guides as well as the popular 365-day Bible devotional, Draw Near To God (available at Amazon.com).
Driven by a vision to motivate women to pursue a deeper relationship with God, Ellison founded Drawing Near to God in 2000 and has since reached some 5,000 women through her weekly Bible study and original resources. Her current project, a book tentatively titled Making Space for God, is scheduled to be released soon. In it, Ellison uses a well-known Bible story in Luke 10 about two sisters—Martha, who is frustrated because she is focused on all of the preparations to make her home just right for Jesus, and Mary who is at peace because her focus is simply on Jesus. Ellison wants women to know that to be a better Martha they must first learn to be a better Mary.
Ellison is an engaging speaker, writer and Bible teacher. Her speaking style includes both vulnerability and humor and is rooted in her passion for the Bible.
She is a mother of three, grandmother of 11 and has been married for 40 years to Dr. Blount Ellison. Making her home in the Charleston area for most of her life, Ellison is a graduate of the College of Charleston and an active member of Saint Andrew’s Church, Mt. Pleasant, SC.