Lori is the Director of Women's Ministries at Henderson Hills Baptist church where she has been a member for 15 years. Her deepest passion is studying God's Word and then sharing with other women what the Lord has taught her.  Lori's other hobbies include scrapbooking (or wishing to do it), cross-stitching and reading. 
Lori has seen God fulfill two distinct callings on her life in the past few years.  One is developing and leading the "Keepers of the Home" ministry, which has been active for 7 years at her home church.  The ministry teaches women what God's Word says about their role and encourages them to fulfill that role no matter what age or stage they are in their life.  God has spread this ministry into other churches here in Oklahoma and in the United States during the last few years.  "I am blessed beyond words as I teach this study and witness the awesome power of God's Truths changing womens lives," she states.  Henderson Hills has videotaped Lori's teaching so the Bible study can be used in other churches more easily.     
The second calling is the step of obedience to write the Bible study, "Jesus, Our Perfect Example."  The Bible study teaches about the example of Christ in everyday living and how we can live in our "daily-ness" so that God is glorified and others are drawn to Him. 
Lori can be found teaching Bible study at Henderson Hills regularly or speaking to local Christian groups for seminars or retreats. 

Lori's prayer for the Keepers ministry is for God to spread it to women everywhere so their lives will be changed to reflect God's plan for women.  Lori says, "When this happens, these women impact all the lives of those around them by the power of the Holy Spirit which brings glory to God and peace into their lives!"   

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How Keepers Began...

Many years ago God began to form this ministry in Lori Merrill's mind through circumstances and promptings from others.  "After having many women ask me to teach them a particular skill I began to form a list with a promise to each person that I would teach that skill to a group someday," she said.  "As time went by and the list became longer I began to toy in my mind of how great it would be to have other women do this for me as well.  Then I began to realize that the skills that I possess for managing my household, scheduling, studying God's Word, enhancing my home, and living out my priorities have all come from what I have learned from others through one on one instruction, studying God's Word or from reading Christian books." 

 "That is when I began to dream about how wonderful it would be to have an opportunity to get together with other like-minded women to study His Word, learn, support, and encourage one another in our roles as Keepers of the Home.  I realized that there were so many times in my life that I wished I had someone to call, someone to teach me, someone to say, "You are doing a good job and what you are doing does make a difference" and "you will survive this!"  God was always faithful.  He was always there with an answer in one form or another.  And every time (before I lost my mind) He sent someone to encourage me, or I heard something on the Christian radio, or He showed me a book to read.

So, as Lori began to dream and talk to the Lord about this, He kept nudging her by simply saying, "Don't forget where you have been".  You see I am in a very different phase of my life and yet, I am still expected to live out my priorities before the Lord.  I am still expected to manage my household and minister to those in my home.  I want to continue to improve my skills and learn new ones, but I also desire to be there for those women who are struggling or are frustrated, or who simply feel alone in this role.  I want to be that Titus 2 woman that understands her role is to teach and model God's priorities to women all around her.  The world tells us that this role is NOT important and yet every woman has been given this role whether we accept it or not.  It is exciting to fulfill the commands that God has given us.  To be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind,  "..so that the word of God will not be dishonored (Titus 2:5).  I want women to KNOW that!  God has given us the responsibility to live out His priorities no matter our age or stage in life.  He has given us instruction through His Word in Titus 2:3-5 and Proverbs 31:10-31.  Nothing can give us more joy and satisfaction than to know that we are fulfilling that role in a way that is pleasing to Him and that draws others to Him!"

Finally the dreams turned to reality with Lori as she sought God's perfect timing and ?shape? of the ministry.  "What began as a dream in my mind quickly turned into a passion of the heart as I sat at lunch with two friends and wrote the purpose statement of the ministry," says Lori.  "To be a Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 woman is a hard job, but a wonderful privilege to have it!  This Bible study changes lives each time a woman delves into God's Word and sees that the Lord really does have a wonderful purpose and plan for her at every stage of her life.  And that is something very exciting to see!"  Lori said.  God has grown the ministry beyond what Lori could have ever imagined by expanding it beyond her own church home.