Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.
Hebrews 12:1 (The Message)
Hebrews 11 takes us down a remembering of the holy men and women in Bible who show us what it means to live faithful lives for Jesus. And Hebrews 12 encourages us to live as these men and women. Reading about men and women who have followed Jesus throughout history can encourage us in our own walk to keep the faith. Below, I have listed 15 men and women who have inspired me in my faith, along with resources we can use to learn from them and to learn about them with our children! Let us follow them as they followed Christ, and be encouraged to continue living for Jesus.
1. Jarena Lee
Jarena Lee was the first woman preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Jarena Lee petitioned the head of the denomination, Richard Allen, for a license to preach. He originally declined her request, but after hearing her preach, he approved her ministry.
Resources for Parents
- Religious Experience and Journal of Mrs. Jarena Lee, Giving an Account of Her Call to Preach the Gospel by Jarena Lee
Resources for Kids:
- Jarena Lee coloring page
2. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
Before there was Beth Allison Barr or Dorothy L. Sayers, there was Sister Juana Ines de la Cruz. She was an intellectually bright child who loved to read and study. In her teens she joined a convent where she continued to read, study, and write. She wrote many great works of her time, including pieces advocating for the education of women, and women’s leadership within the Church.
Resources for Parents:
- Poems, Protest, and a Dream: Selected Writings by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
Resources for Kids:
- A Library for Juana by Pat Mora
- Conoce a Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz by Edna Iturralde
- Sor. Juana Ines de la Cruz Coloring Activities
3. Jeanette Li
Jeanette Li was a Chinese woman who came to know Christ at a young age. Throughout her life she felt God’s call to become an Evangelist, and when she finally took ahold of that calling, it lead her to teaching, to leading an underground church, to finally ministering amongst the Chinese American community of Los Angeles.
Jeanette Li’s story has several twists and turns along the way, but she was quoted as saying ‘In every period of life, I have found God sufficient for my every need, for my help in every weakness.’
Resources for Parents
Jeanette Li: A Girl Born Facing Outside by Jeanette Li
Resources for Kids
4. Betsey Stockton
Betsey Stockton was born into slavery, but over came every obstacle to become one of the first single female missionaries of the modern age. She is responsible for opening schools in Maui, Philadelphia, and Canada. She also helped found the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church which she later used to teach night school.
Resources for Parents:
- She Calls Herself Betsey Stockton by Constance K. Escher
Resources for Kids:
- Betsey Stockton by Laura Wickham
5. Saint Óscar Romero
Saint Óscar Romero advocated for the poor in his home country of El Salvador. He denounced the way the government oppressed those in poverty. He preached that God cares for the poor, Jesus radically cared for the poor, and we as Christians must do the same. He was martyred for his faith.
Resources for Parents
Voice of the Voiceless by Oscar Romero
Resources for Kids:
Saint Óscar Romero Coloring Page
Telegramas al Cielo/ Telegrams to Heaven by René Colato Laínez
6. Shi Meiyu (Mary Stone)
Shi Meiyu was one of the first female doctors in China to recieve western medical training. Her father, a Methodist preacher desired Shi Meiyu to become a medical missionary, and funded her education. She opened several hospitals, and also over saw the training of nurses. She didn’t just train nurses in medical procedures, but in shining the love of Christ. On top of this, she was a great faith leader in China. She was the first female to become an ordained minister in central China. She also helped found the Chinese Missionary Society, an organization devoted to raising up Chinese leaders in the Chinese church.
Resources for Parents
The Chinese Medical Ministries of Kang Cheng and Shi Meiyu by Connie Shemo
Resources for Kids
Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God
7. St. Martin de Porres
St. Martin de Porres was a Peruvian friar. Starting at age 15 he began volunteering in the monastery infirmary, having trained as a barber surgeon, he cared for the poor and sick. During his life he faced racism due to his mixed-race heritage. Racism also almost kept him from being able to join the Peruvian order, because people of mixed-raced heritage were traditionally barred from joining the church order. However, seeing his devotion and work ethic, the leaders of his monastery made an exception, and allowed St. Martin to take his vows. St. Martin continued to face racism throughout his life, even within the Church. However, he continually responded in love and faith. This has made him the Patron Saint of Mixed-race people and pursuers of racial justice.
Resources for Parents
St. Martin de Porres: Apostle of Charity by Giuliana Cavallini
Resources for Kids:
- St. Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt
- Saint Stories for Kids
- Love God, Love Me, Love You
8. Dr. Mary Verghese
Source: Anandtmc, Used under Creative Commons License.
Dr. Mary Verghese was a doctor of medicine in India. Shortly after graduating college, she was in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. This was devastating to the plans she had for herself, but she trusted Jesus and in his plans for her life. Her doctor knew her concerns about the future of her career, and encouraged her to join his team. He trained her in preforming reconstructive hand surgery on leprosy patients. This made her the only paraplegic surgeon in the world at the time. Also, because of her physical condition, she was able to minister to her patients in a way other doctors could not. Seeing someone in a wheelchair be successful gave her patients hope that their lives could have purpose too. Following a course of rehabilitation in Australia, she gained a fellowship in the field. She returned to India after her training and became the head of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at Christian Medical College, Vellore. There she founded the first physical rehabilitation unit in the country.
Resources for Parents
Take My Hands: The Remarkable Story of Mary Verghese by Dorothy Clarke Wilson
Resources for Kids
- 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls: Unforgettable Tales of Women of Faith
- ‘She Persisted Around the World‘ by Chelsea Clinton
9. Corrie Ten Boom
Corrie Ten Boom was a watchmaker in the Netherlands. Her faith inspired her to care for the poor and sick in her community, and gave her the belief that everyone is created equal. During World War II, Corrie and her family hid Jewish people in her home, protecting them from the Nazi regime, and helping them honor the Jewish Sabbath. She became a leader in the Dutch underground network, helping Jewish refugees escape to safety.
Eventually Corrie and her family were arrested. Corrie and her sister were sent to a women’s labor camp. While in the camp, they began leading worship services using a Bible they had smuggled in. Because of their teachings and example of charity and hope, many people came to know Jesus.
Sadly, Corrie’s sister died in the camp. However, shortly before she died, she told Corrie ‘There is no pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still.’ Twelve days later, Corrie was released. Until the end of the war, she continued to open her doors to people with disabilities fleeing the Nazi Regime.
Resources for Parents
- The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
- Tramp for the Lord by Corrie Ten Boom
- God Is My Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Resources for Kids
Corrie Ten Boom by Laura Wickham
10. C.S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis was an English writer and theologian. His faith largely influenced his work, both fiction, non-fiction, and a Christian radio program he hosted during World War II. He is most well known in Christianity for his conversion from atheism and his work of apologetics there after. One of his most famous works is The Chronicles of Narnia (Spanish: Las Crónicas de Narnia), an allegorical series for children with themes of the Christian faith women throughout.
Resources for Parents
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (Spanish Edition)
Resources for Kids
Through the Wardrobe: How C.S. Lewis Created Narnia
11. Fanny Crosby
Fanny Crosby was a celebrated composer, writing many hymns that are still sung today. Having been struck blind at 6 weeks old, she is quoted as saying:
“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”
-Fanny Crosby
Resources for Parents
Fanny Crosby: Queen of Gospel Songs by Rebecca Davis
Resources for Kids
- Fanny Crosby by Laura Wickham
- Fanny Crosby Playlist on Spotify
12. Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was born into Slavery. She was separated from her family at age 9, and was enslaved by several masters until the age of 30 when she fled. While running through the woods, she felt weak, but was strengthened when she had a vision of Jesus and was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Shortly after, she became a Pentecostal Preacher and travelled sharing her perspective of the Bible as a woman and a former enslaved person. She continually advocated for Black American rights and rights for women.
Resources for Parents
- Ain’t I A Woman by Sojourner Truth
- Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Sojourner Truth
Resources for Kids
- Daughter of the Trees: Walking in the Woods with Sojourner Truth by Dele
- Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride by Andrea Pinkney
13. Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu was a South African Archbishop and theologian in the Anglican church. He was an Archbishop in Johannesburg and Cape Town, both times being the first Black person to hold the position. He was one of the the most prominent voices against Apartheid and white minority-rule in South Africa. He was known for his advocacy for non-violent protest. All of this lead to him winning the Nobel Peace Prize.
Resources for Parents
- The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu and Mpho
- God Has A Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time by Desmond Tutu
Resources for Kids
- Mothers and Fathers of the Faith Coloring Book
- God’s Dream by Desmond Tutu
14. Pandita Ramabai
Pandita Ramabai was an Indian activist who advocated for women’s rights. She converted to Christianity after serious study of the Bible, and witnessing how Anglican nuns in England cared for oppressed women in their community. She returned to India and founded a home for unwed mothers and schools for impoverished girls. She often felt outcast, because she had left the Hindu faith, yet refused to dress and act Western. She chose to maintain her culture and her faith. She is responsible for translating the Bible from Hebrew and Greek to Marathi, because she believed Jesus spoke in a language the people could understand, and was passionate to create a Bible her people could understand.
Resources for Parents
Pandita Ramabai: In Her Own Words
Resources for Kids
She Prayed: 12 Stories of Women of Faith Who Changed the World
15. Pastor Lee Jong-rak
Pastor Lee Jong-rak created the first drop box for abandoned babies in South Korea. The drop box has saved hundreds of abandoned children.
Resources for Parents
Resources for Kids
Adventures in Odyssey: The Drop Box
Baby Devotions 
This was such a great post! I had only heard of a few of these pioneers and am looking forward to learning more about them myself as well as sharing with my littles. Thank you baby devotions!
LikeLike
I am so glad! Hoping to add to it in the future as I find more kids resources.
LikeLike