I speak about special needs, imperfect faith, motherhood, depression, and Down syndrome.
Topics I speak about include 10 special needs of special needs parents, teaching our children to be good friends, the ups and downs of motherhood, wondering if we moms will ever pee alone in peace again, and our family story of having our daughter Polly and her diagnosis of Down syndrome in the former Soviet Union.
Speaking experience includes:
Over twenty MOPS groups in Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.
Joni and Friends Chicago teaching team. I speak to congregations about starting a special needs ministry.
Interviewed on WSTV 1400 and WNLK 1350 with Bianca and Philip on “Let’s Talk” about raising children with special needs.
Speaking to churches about mission work in Ukraine
Speaking at women’s retreats and community groups.
From attenders at speaking engagements:
“Gillian speaks with a remarkable blend of grace and encouragement that allows you to forgive yourself past mistakes while being encouraged to reach out in God’s power and grow more into the woman and mom He can see in you. Her talk is at once light and humorous while also compelling.” – Amy Cope, LIbertyville MOPS
“Gillian’s presentation (Us and Them) was funny, moving, and thought-provoking. She shares her raw emotions, personal struggle, and God’s ultimate grace for her family. Gillian bares her heart as she talks about her passion for kids, especially those with Down syndrome Our MOPS group enjoyed her talk and we look forward to hearing her again”. – April VanderMeyden, Bethel CRC MOPS
“Gillian has a real knack for creating a comfortable environment to talk about difficult topics like grief. We have all experienced grief in some way, and Gillian knows the importance of supporting parents and families through these times. She has thoughtful insights on how to support each other, especially when we don’t know what to say. She has special knowledge about supporting families with children with disabilities who might be experiencing episodic grief– how to validate their feelings while avoiding cliché, and fostering friendship and understanding.” –Darcia Dierking, Roscoe Village MOPS Co-coordinator
“What I appreciate about Gillian’s talk was how real she was with her emotions. She spoke with a rawness and vulnerability that made her very relatable and caused me to be honest with some of my own emotions during a difficult situation. She conveyed how the Word of God was applied to her situation and how it can be applied to mine.” –Julie Dokter, Church Nursery Coordinator for Napier Parkview Baptist Church and women’s retreat attendant
“Gillian opened her heart, and allowed us to see how God can bring healing to a mother’s broken spirit. She is a great encouragement to those dealing with the challenges of parenting a child with special needs.” -Becky Van Til, MOPS mom
For scheduling and details contact Gillian at gillianmarchenko@gmail.com
To find out where Gillian is speaking next, click on the news page.