The bible is God's written word and Jesus is His only begotten son sent to earth to pay the penalty for our sin that we may receive the free gift of eternal salvation.  Both God's word and His Son are given to us as a gift to be cherished every moment of our lives.

But a spiritual battle rages on each and every day.  In our own ways, we all face challenges that Satan throws in our path to try to rob us of our rightful heritage in God's kingdom.  We need fellowship together to encourage each other in our daily walk, to lift each other up when we stumble, to pray for each other when the fight seems overwhelming and to help each other apply God's truths to the specific situations in our own lives.  Together we are strong.

We are living in an era that is approaching the end of the age.  Soon, Jesus will return.  As our Savior said in Luke 10:2, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Time is growing short and God's message must be preached throughout the whole world.  We all have a part to play in that plan.  Some are called to be missionaries in foreign lands.  Others are called to take leadership roles in their local church and community.  Then, there are those, such as myself, who are called to be authors.

As one of Christ's laborers, it is my mission to help people apply God's word to their daily lives and develop strong fellowship bonds within the body of believers.  We all need encouragement, guidance and support to fulfill the beautiful plans that God has designed for each of our lives. 

Christine Tate, originally a Midwest native, grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The only child of a successful floor trader and an Indiana farm girl, she was strongly influenced by conservative, “Bible Belt” Christian theology. She started college at the age of fifteen and graduated from USC with honors at nineteen earning a degree in Cinema-Television. After various career experiences and many years living on the west coast, she met and married the love of her life. From there, she embarked on the travels and adventures that come with being a military spouse. As a Sunday School teacher, she loves God, gardening, green tea and all things creative in nature. Christine and her husband have one daughter and are currently stationed in Virginia Beach, VA. She spends much of her time home schooling her daughter, writing, and being active in church life. She is a contributing writer for www.successstory.com as well as other online venues. Additionally, she is the producer of the annual Virginia Beach Christian Authors Festival.

In 2013. the church I was attending started a new women's bible study  group.  When it came time to choose our first study, we unanimously decided we wanted to get to know each other on a personal, fellowship level and we definitely didn't want weekly homework.  We all looked for something that met our requirements, but everyone came up empty handed.  I had a idea and offered to write what has now become the Group Hug series.  We had a lot of fun "testing" this study in our small group.  Everyone enjoyed it so much that I decided to publish it so others could benefit as well. 

The response to the first Group Hug book was so positive that I decided to expand it into a series.  I test each lesson in real world focus groups before the material is published.  This process allows me to meet many new Christian sisters and grow in my walk with the Lord.  I am so grateful for the women who have participated in my focus groups and helped me bring you a fun, fellowship building series.  

I hope you have just as much fun using the Group Hug series with your small group as we did with ours.  Even if your group is more established, this study will add new dimensions to those relationships.  My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will be present in each and every group and guide both the group and the individuals within the group in the direction they need to go.  I truly hope you enjoy your small group experience with the "No-Homework Women's Bible Study: Group Hug" series as much as our small group enjoyed our journey.   May you grow in your walk with the Lord, develop lasting and supportive relationships with other Christian women, and be blessed in your spiritual growth.

Married since 2001, my husband Rick is my soulmate and best friend.  Our daughter, Tabitha, was born in 2005.  God has blessed me with a wonderful family and I praise Him for the wonderful life He has given all of us together.