Sample Chapter

About

Is there someone you know who needs encouragement? Are you afraid to get involved, worried that you might do or say the wrong thing? Sharon Betters offers inspiring stories, key principles, and specific examples of how to build up each other—and the church as a whole—through a ministry of encouragement empowered by a secure identity in Christ.

Visit www.treasuresofencouragement.org to access free companion resources for Treasures of Encouragement.

Endorsements

“People often ask me how to walk alongside friends who are hurting. Practical, honest, and steeped in Scripture, this book provides better answers than anything else I have read. I have turned to it again and again, both for comfort in my own suffering as well as for ideas for ministering to others. I read the original twenty-three years ago, shortly after my son died, and it was truly a treasure of encouragement to me. Sharon’s words shaped my thinking and helped me to press into the Lord as I wrestled with questions, doubts, and fear. I am indebted to her for this work, and after you read Treasures of Encouragement, you will be too. I highly recommend it!”

—Vaneetha Rendall Risner, Author, Walking through Fire and The Scars That Have Shaped Me

“While reading Sharon Betters’s passionate appeal to practice the privilege of God-glorifying, Spirit-empowered, biblical encouragement, my heart was arrested. I closed the book to contact a hurting friend. Treasures of Encouragement has the potential to transform churches into powerhouses of Christ’s compassion and love. May it be so!”

—Leslie Bennett, Speaker, Author, Leader Connection (Blog) Content Manager, Revive Our Hearts; Editor, Women’s Ministry Leader Survival Guide and 10 Truths to Set Leaders Free

“Treasures of Encouragement is a timely reminder of the power of God’s Word to change a life and to make the impossible doable. I appreciated the encouragement to look around and see that I have a part in helping the Lord to comfort the wounded and restore the hurting. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience more of the grace of God.”

—Annie Chapman, Singer; Speaker; Author, Letting Go of Anger and The Mother-in-Law Dance

“Out of personal and profound grief, Sharon Betters has written a classic that is a must-have for every Christian’s library. In it, she lays out the essential aspects of a church whose culture is fueled by biblical encouragement and shows what it means to be part of a congregation that is a safe place of grace—that allows Christians to make mistakes, fall down, get up, and continue to grow together in Christ.”

—Melanie Cogdill, General Editor, Beyond the Roles; Member, The Pelican Project

“Biblical encouragers helped me to climb out of a dark depression, so I love how this book reminds readers that all God’s children are called to be encouragers. In a self-centered and broken world, the combination of real-life personal stories and biblical focus reminds us that coming alongside one another is a privilege. I am grateful for the emphasis Sharon places on the power of Scripture to comfort others when we don’t know what to say. I hope that many read this book and know that they too are equipped and called to be God’s promise keepers through the practice of biblical encouragement.”

—Jan Dravecky, Cofounder, Endurance with Jan and Dave Dravecky; Author; Speaker 

“Encouragement is a gift, a treasure both to give and to receive from the body of Christ. Sharon Betters unpacks what this biblical encouragement looks like in the life of a believer. Using personal stories of those who entered into her own sorrow or who received this treasure from the godly, as well as Christ-centered teaching from Scripture, Betters equips readers to walk beside the hurting. May we show the world who Christ is as we encourage one another with the mutual hope we have in Christ.”

—Christina Fox, Counselor; Speaker; Author, Closer Than a Sister  

“With practical wisdom that nourishes the parched and brittle soul, Sharon introduces us to real women with real struggles. Through their stories she challenges us to think biblically about our own struggles while infusing the hope needed to navigate them.”

—Vanessa K. Hawkins, Director of Women’s Ministry, First Presbyterian Church, Augusta, Georgia; Speaker; Cohost, Something to Talk About podcast  

“To encourage is to inspire courage, hope, or confidence. Twenty-five years ago, I picked up Treasures of Encouragement as a young pastor’s wife who was desperately looking for these comforts. The truths contained within these covers have stood the test of time and personally sustained me. I am delighted to endorse this new edition of Treasures of Encouragement.”

—Karen Hodge, Coordinator of Women’s Ministries, Presbyterian Church in America; Author, Transformed and Life-giving Leadership  

“Sharon’s theological integrity and her personal pilgrimage through pain harmonize into a glorious doxology.”

—Susan Hunt, Author, Spiritual Mothering and Aging with Grace  

“Deeply moving, compelling, and extremely practical.”

—Stephen Smallman, Author, Beginnings and The Walk  

“Sharon Betters taught me about lament. This book is a discipleship treasure for practical encouragement in hard seasons. It equipped junior-high girls to boldly serve one another and me when my sister passed away. Treasures of Encouragement still gives me courage. I am a debtor to the way God faithfully uses Sharon’s suffering by His mercy for the ministry of encouragement in my life.”

—Barbara Thompson, Author, Equipping the Church for Kingdom Prayer; Coauthor, The Legacy of Biblical Womanhood

The Author

Sharon W. Betters

Sharon W. Betters is a pastor’s wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, as well as MARKINC Ministries’ cofounder and director of resource development. She is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement and Treasures in Darkness, and the coauthor of Aging with Grace. She also writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.

More by Sharon W. Betters