She takes makeovers to heart
Women seeking beauty advice from Roxanne Hartman often get more than a new hairstyle and color analysis.
Many leave with a renewed faith in God.
With each swipe of a makeup brush or snip of the scissors, the fashion and makeup consultant listens carefully as her clients grouse about hair, wardrobe or blotchy skin. Before long, the conversation switches to work and family. By the end of the session, some of the women have revealed their deepest, darkest secrets.
Like others in her profession, the Spokane Valley woman often becomes a therapist of sorts – a sounding board for women’s dreams, fears and expectations. During skin care consultations, eyebrow waxing or shopping trips to the mall, many women can’t help but talk about their families, their love life, or their struggles with balance and self-esteem.
Hartman, a mother of five, tells them about her own life. Then slowly, she brings up her faith.
“When Christ is in your life, you walk and act with purpose,” she said. “Others see that light within you.”
Hartman’s ability to transform a sense of style into an evangelistic tool recently earned her a spot on a rare mission trip to Russia. Rick Renner Ministries – a Bible-based movement to spread the Gospel throughout the former Soviet Union – has invited Hartman to help host a makeover and fashion show next month. More than 2,000 women from throughout Russia are expected to attend the event, which will focus not only on looking good, but also on loving God.
“They think they’re coming for a makeover, but by the end of the day, they will definitely hear about Christ,” said Hartman, who’s producing a fashion and makeup handbook that will be translated into Russian.
Hartman’s “makeover ministry” is relatively new in the Spokane area, but several churches nationwide have launched similar programs geared specifically toward women. Willow Creek Community Church, an influential 20,000-member congregation near Chicago, has a ministry called “HIM: Hairdressers in the Marketplace.” The group brings together beauty industry professionals who get involved in short-term Christian missionary trips and local “Day of Beauty” events. In the Houston area, there’s an organization called the SPA girls – “Spiritual, Practical and Amusing Ways to Live the Godly Life.”
Like Hartman, owner of Designing Women in Spokane Valley,the people involved in these makeover ministries believe the body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit” so it’s essential to take care of one’s health and appearance.
They also say that beauty has a spiritual dimension and that their faith in God boosts their self-esteem.
“God wants us to be the best we can be,” said Hartman, 55, a grandmother of 11.
Although her interest in beauty and fashion began as a child, Hartman never considered her work to be a ministry. It’s what she loves to do, she said, and talking about God simply reflects the fervor in her heart.
Her life, after all, revolves around Grace Harvest Fellowship, the Spokane Valley church that her family has attended since 1990.
About a decade ago, one of the church leaders, Pastor Teresa McCain, recognized Hartman’s natural ability to relate to others and her zeal to spread the Gospel.
So she encouraged Hartman to combine her cosmetology career with church work. That led to several projects, including the church bookstore and the creation of the Women of Honor Team, an outreach to women in the community.
Several women who have received makeovers from Hartman have since joined or become more active at Grace Harvest, an interdenominational congregation of about 1,500 members.
“She sees the beauty inside people,” said Lori Helgeson, a stay-at-home mother of four and one of Hartman’s clients. “She helps you see what God created you to be. … She reflects the love of Jesus.”
Because of their obligations as wives, mothers and caregivers, women often don’t make time for themselves, Hartman said. By revamping their wardrobe and teaching them how to apply makeup and show off their best features, Hartman said, she helps her clients tune in to their own needs.
“My biggest passion is to make women feel good about themselves,” she said.
It’s about more than just putting on a little lipstick or a dab of rouge, Hartman said – something happens whenever women get together for a pedicure or a day at the spa. During these bonding activities, they develop a sense of intimacy that allows them to share their experiences and support each other, she said.
When she travels to Russia on March 1, Hartman plans to speak to women from all walks of life, many of whom live in poverty and have never had the chance to pamper themselves. Rick Renner Ministries’ Moscow Good News Association is made up of nearly 800 churches in Russia. The ministry also includes a weekly television program in Russian watched by viewers throughout the former Soviet Union.