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Meet Your Guardian
Sandra Bontemps
Executive Director and Founder
ASPIRE MINISTRIES
Christian Singer, Speaker, Writer, Teacher, Mentor and Counselor
Sandra was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and raised in a small Alabama town, with strong Southern Baptist roots. Her Mother, a lovely southern lady, Lavona Marie Haynes Scissom, now 91, raised her five daughters to understand and love true Southern hospitality, charm and grace. Sandra is the "not so proverbial"middle daughter. She will quickly tell you that she strongly disagrees with the stereo-typecasting in our society because it is not Biblical. She will smile with great joy, and tell you that she is very confident in who she is in God, and the effectiveness, power and authority she has in Him, because of Who He is! "In Him I move and live and have my being." Acts 17:28 And she’ll also encourage women everywhere, anytime, of all ages and all walks of life, by adding very passionately, "God wants all women to aspire to be all that He created them to be and realize their unique divine design and destiny." Her friends have said that she is an example of the "Proverbs" woman and exemplifies His love, compassion, mercy and grace. She received Jesus at age seven and Baptism of Holy Spirit five years ago. (See personal testimony on Testimonials Page.)
She has been married thirty-two years to Alexander Theodore Bontemps, retired professional cinematographer, director, producer and writer in television and advertising and most recently with Kay Arthur’s Precept Ministries. They live in what Sandra affectionately calls her "Tree House" on the side of Signal Mountain, overlooking the beautiful city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. They are members of Central Baptist Church, Abba’s House, in Hixson, Tennessee.
What Sandra is most proud of are her son and daughter. Sandra loves best being Grandmother to her four Grandblessings. The most beautiful sound to her is when they call her "Ahma."
Sandra traveled abroad for many years. She lived in Bogota’, Colombia, South America,Taipei, Taiwan, and Ankara, Turkey. She greatly enjoyed studying the languages, art and culture as she traveled Europe and Asia extensively with her children’s father who was with A.I.D. State Department and worked with the American Embassy.
Many times Sandra opens a conference or seminar by saying, "I have performed on stages all over the world from Tennessee to Turkey to Taiwan. But there is no place I would rather be than back here in the United States of America, in this church, telling you of God’s everlasting love." As a professional singer and actress, Sandra was a member of Turkish and Taiwan American Theatres and was encouraged, trained, taught and mentored as she worked with professional directors and actors from all over the world. She sang with the Turkish National Symphony. Her theatre background includes choreographer for musicals and set, stage and costume designer. She has been director and producer of several musical dramas and acted both on the stage and theatre in the round. She was also with a theatrical troop that raised funds for an orphanage in Asia.
When she returned to the States she began a career in the music world and advertising. She is a professional writer and song writer, both music and lyrics. She has directed and produced musical videos. For several years she was a commercial jingle writer and producer and worked with well known secular and Christian singers, musicians and groups in a recording studio.
As television and radio commercial writer, producer, director and editor she received several national advertising awards. She and Alex have adapted, directed and produced many Christian musicals for television, and Sandra wrote and directed a Children’s Christmas musical.
Formerly Performing Arts Director and teacher with two studios she then established and was Director of her own Performing Arts School. She was affiliated with the International Modeling and Talent Association and worked with renowned agents, directors, and acting instructors from New York, Los Angeles and Hollywood. For years she was a vocal, stage performance and drama teacher. And she was an instructor for television acting and commercials. Many of her former students are now working professionals in fashion, modeling, theatre, television and movies.
Sandra is an accomplished artist. She studied oils and water colors with Gerasim, renowned White Russian painter in Turkey and Chinese brush painting in Taiwan.
Her thirty year career in advertising, marketing and public relations includes:
Advertising Director for Retail Department Store, Special Events, Public Relations and Media Director in Ad Agencies and Christian Ministry, Donor Development Director in Christian Ministry, Newsletter Editor and Published Magazine Writer. Sandra and her husband, Alex also had their own Christian Communications Consultant business.
Formerly fashion model and fashion consultant, Sandra has had a very diversified career. She was Fashion Teen Board Director. She wrote and gives Fashion Seminars which include "How To Dress For Success" and "Extreme Fashion Makeovers."
She wrote and teaches a Christian Charm Course for Teen Girls and "Thank Heaven For Little Girls" for children on social graces, modeling and manners.
"A New Creation - Christian Beauty Without and Within" is a seminar she wrote and teaches for women of all ages. Her motto is "You do not need a face lift, but a FAITH LIFT!" And this is when she started telling women to "Aspire to be all that God created you to be," which is the spiritual slogan of Aspire Ministries.
With a strong sense of style, color and design, she has been interior designer for a home builder and has also decorated many of her personal friends' homes, on a shoe-string budget, showing them how to use all their collectibles, treasures and things they love best. She encourages them to be comfortable decorating to reflect their own unique personalities and life styles. "Your home should be your sanctuary. A safe haven all your own, where your family finds peace, security, stability and restoration. It is your place to dream. Reflect. And spend quiet time alone soaking and basking in the glory and Presence of God."
Sandra entertained and was entertained royally overseas. She met foreign Ambassadors and dignitaries and attended Embassy events and functions. By her friends overseas, she was called, "The Pearl Mesta of the Orient". (Pearl Mesta was at that time, the Social and Entertainment Director for the President of the United States, coordinating White House and State Department social functions, events and state dinners.)
Sandra is very thankful that God opened so many doors of opportunity for her and blessed her with a very successful and diversified career because the culmination of all she has done is now magnified, devoted and used for the very diversified Aspire Ministries, all for God’s honor and glory.
Her greatest love and what she has celebrated most, has been her God-given role and ministry as wife, mother and grandmother. She will tell you that her priority is praying for others and spending intimate time with Jesus. She loves spending time in God’s Word, learning His Ways and doing His Works. "They are inseparable," she adds. She loves" basking in God’s presence and glory, babies and baking."
She is a Gourmet Cook. Cuisine includes, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Spanish and Mexican, but she best loves Southern Cooking using many of her own special recipes, and traditional family recipes going back many generations. She has written and compiled a cookbook for her children and grandchildren. Currently Sandra is writing several books for future publication.
Sandra is available to speak at seminars and conferences. She presents God’s Word with great wisdom, warmth, charm and humor. She understands the important issues and " places of a woman’s heart." She blends her Southern heritage, her Southern Baptist strong foundation where she was firmly grounded in God’s Word, with the prophetic insightful gifts of God’s Holy Spirit, combined with a fresh new passion and boldness as she answers God’s calling and commission on her life. From out of her heart flows freely God’s love, the truth in His Word, and Rivers of Living Water, healing and restoring women of all ages, all walks of life, everywhere - spiritually, emotionally and physically, in answer to her life’s scripture, Isaiah 61.
DONNA HUCKABEE
ASPIRE MINISTRIES
PHOTO AND BIOGRAPHY COMING SOON
You may subscribe here to InJesus,
our additional site,
for weekly encouraging words
from Aspire Ministries.
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