Our Team
Kelly Arabie currently serves on staff with Grafted Life Ministries, inviting believers into deeper relationship with God through intentional engagement with him and the Body of Christ. Kelly has served in pastoral ministry in the local church and parachurch ministry for more than two decades. She graduated with an MA in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary with a focus on ministry to women.
Kelly enjoys writing, care for the soul, honest heart conversations and a hot cup of tea. You can connect with her at kelly@graftedlife.org.
Kay Daigle
Kay loves to teach the Bible and develop women as servant-leaders. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Beyond Ordinary Women Ministries, purposed to prepare Christian women for leadership by providing resources to inspire and equip them to influence others, from one person to an entire ministry.
Kay spent ten years leading women’s ministries on church staffs, most recently at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, Texas. Kay is the author of From Ordinary Woman to Spiritual Leader: Grow your Influence, a practical and simple guide to help all Christian women apply foundational leadership skills in every area of their lives, and a number of Bible studies for women. Kay earned an MACE from Dallas Theological Seminary and a DMin. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Effective Ministries to Women.
Kay’s family includes her husband Gary, two grown children, a son-in-law, two granddaughters and an entertaining Goldendoodle. She loves Tex-Mex, seafood, books, movies, travel, the Texas Rangers, and especially time with family and good friends. Look for her in the Dallas area driving her sporty little car.
Virginia Grounds
Virginia Grounds is an author, Bible Teacher, former radio host and effective communicator. She has a love for women’s ministry and a passion for God’s Word.
Virginia served with her husband in full-time ministry for twenty years helping to meet the needs of hurting people which motivated her to write her first book, Facing Fears, Quenching Flames, a devotional book for overcoming fear and anger.
Her second book, Rock Solid Trust: Trusting God When Life is Hard is available on Amazon. Her latest released book, co-authored with Donna Skell, is titled Living Your Glory Story and is a Bible study concentrating on knowing God’s Word for sharing your story.
She served on the Women’s Ministry Team at one of the largest churches in the nation for years and writes for the purpose of growing women in their faith and teaching life lessons for survival in our world today.
Virginia is married with three adult children and grandchildren. Her website is Virginiagrounds.net. She has received an honorary Master of Ministry. She also has a Certificate of Biblical Studies from Liberty University and is a Certified Coach for those with a story to tell in writing but unsure of where to begin. You can reach her at vgrounds770@outlook.com.
Kelley Mathews
Kelley Mathews has ministered to the church through writing and editing for over 25 years. Co-author of 8 books, including 40 Questions about Women in Ministry (2022), she also serves on the publishing team at RightNow Media.
A former women’s ministry director and Bible study teacher, she has been married to John, a local school administrator, for 25 years. They are parents to four active, mostly grown children.
Kelley earned her Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2000 and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Women, Theology, and Leadership from Northern Seminary.
Claudia McGuire
Claudia McGuire built a ministry career at Chase Oaks Church in Plano, Texas, beginning in 1997 and served in several roles including Women’s Ministry Pastor, Connections Pastor, First Impressions Pastor and Venue Pastor. She retired as Leadership Development Pastor in 2014. A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Claudia is also a Certified Life Purpose Coach, enjoying coaching others in their various life stages, teaching Bible Studies and speaking at workshops, trainings, seminars and retreats.
Claudia is a native Texan who loves spending time with her two daughters, sons-in-law and five wonderful grandchildren.
Sharifa Stevens
Sharifa Stevens is a conglomeration of intersections: Bronx wisdom and prep-school code-switching; smoke shop Now-and-Laters and church peppermints; hip-hop and hymns. She graduated from Columbia University in New York with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies before earning a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary.
Sharifa is a writer and editor. She contributed to the books Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, & Marginalized Women of the Bible and Rally: Communal Prayers for Lovers of Justice and Jesus.
Sharifa is married to a Renaissance man, and mother to two lively boys.
