A Look Back at His Faithfulness: The R|M Timeline
We’re amazed at how the Lord has grown the ministry of Risen Motherhood over the years, far beyond our intentions or abilities. We hope sharing some of the high points below will encourage you to look back at your story too and find his fingerprints of faithfulness all over it.
August 2015
Emily approaches Laura with an idea to test out this “new podcast medium” and air the conversations they were already having about motherhood and the gospel. Laura agrees.
January 2016
Emily and Laura launch a five-episode series called “Risen Motherhood” for fun and assume that’s as far as it will go. Spoiler: They keep recording episodes.
August 2016
They realize they’ve struck a chord and launch a website and social media accounts.
April 2017
Emily and Laura want to pursue transcripts for moms, but the price feels out of reach.
May 2017
A surprise check for $1,000 appears in Laura’s mailbox from a listener: the exact cost to transcribe the entire podcast archive.
Spring 2017
The podcast listenership is doubling every month. Emily and Laura are approached by a literary agent and begin work on a book proposal.
Summer 2017
Emily and Laura both have babies. Their sister-in-law, Becca, comes on to help with the “hobby.”
Fall 2017
Emily and Laura hire two needed team members thanks to an unexpected $5,000 donation, even though they are not a nonprofit yet. They launch a blog to help chronicle more moms’ experiences. Emily and Laura open an LLC. Risen Motherhood, as a ministry, is official.
December 2017
The podcast hits 1,000,000 downloads.
January 2018
Emily and Laura sign a book contract with Harvest House Publishers for the self-titled book Risen Motherhood.
Summer 2018
Risen Motherhood converts from an LLC to a nonprofit and adds oversight through a board of directors. Emily and Laura create a permanent, but rudimentary, recording studio in a local office’s spare closet.
Fall 2018
By popular request, Risen Motherhood launches its first ever popup shop to sell branded merchandise. Three more team members are brought on for various roles.
Fall 2019
Risen Motherhood the book launches and is an instant bestseller. R|M hits 100,000 followers on Instagram.
2020-2024
After years of trying to keep up with growth, Risen Motherhood as an organization finally stabilizes. The community continues to expand rapidly, and Emily and Laura reformat the podcast into mini-series.
Summer 2020
R|M launches the first R|M Book Club with more than 2,000 book clubs meeting across the globe.
November 2021
Since half the team is located in Ames, Iowa, R|M opens an office space there with a dedicated recording studio (still in a closet).
January 2022
R|M launches its first "Survey of Christian Motherhood," and nearly 10,000 moms respond. Other ministries reference and shape their content around it—even book ideas come from the survey. Instagram hits 250K followers.
Summer 2022
Emily and Laura start to think about the endgame of R|M and the legacy they want to leave. They feel God calling them to write more books together to encapsulate the heartbeat of Risen Motherhood. The podcast hits 10 million downloads.
October 2022
Emily and Laura sign a book deal with Harvest House Publishers for two more Risen Motherhood books: Gospel Mom and A Million Tiny Moments.
Winter 2023
Emily and Laura feel God calling them away from Risen Motherhood. They pray and have conversations with trusted family and friends about closing the ministry within two to three years. The podcast hits more than 15 million downloads.
May 2024
The year-long plan to sunset the ministry is publicly announced to the R|M community.
October 2024
Emily and Laura release their second bestselling book together: Gospel Mom.
March 2025
Emily and Laura release the final book in the Risen Motherhood Legacy Collection: A Million Tiny Moments, a compilation of their writings about motherhood and the gospel over the years. The perfect way to encapsulate the R|M legacy.
April 2025 and Beyond
Risen Motherhood hosts a Legacy Celebration Party to recognize all God has done through the ministry. Moms continue living out their own "risen motherhood" and multiplying the gospel message all around the world for generations to come!
