Check Out Denita E. Robinson ’s Story

Denita E., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
How I started and got to where I am today are very good questions. Though I do not often think about either question, now is a good time to examine them. At my core, I love teaching and exchanging knowledge and information. I love learning. I love utilizing the creative arts to reinforce messages. I also love words. So often, God uses all of these things that I am drawn to naturally to impact and affect change in others’ lives. In the process, I also glean knowledge and wisdom. I initially operated under the moniker: Creative Expressions Outreach Endeavors (Core)! I realize that Inspiration was the beginning of many creative ventures I would use to evangelize and share the gospel’s good news with many. Making good CHOICES (Choosing Healthy Options In Careers, Education, Society & Spiritual self) was the focus during this time. We spent time delving into each component of this acrostic in various artistic ways. Choral events, educational tours, missionary activities, and cognitive life skills sessions rounded out much of our fun learning.

Today, SOULfood The Gathering Place (TGP) is the foundation for much of what I engage in throughout the community and abroad. God inspired SOULfood TGP as a means for synchronizing all the Kingdom work I facilitate. As a foodie with an acquired taste for Soulfood, a staple in the African American community, God took this same love and appetite and turned it into His purposeful plan. After dining sufficiently on physical SOULfood, He reminded me that man doesn’t live by bread alone, but rather by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. To that end, I spend my time seeking to share my love of and for the Lord with others.

Some of my favorite activities include dramatizations of women in the Bible under the “Conversations With Women in the Bible” presentations. I am the visionary of Daughters of Zion (DOZ), a monthly prayer support group for women in ministry; I am also co-founder of Heart 2 Heart, Inc.-a juvenile re-entry and family support program in juvenile detention centers. My evangelistic thrust and greatest inspiration are through the Sistas In God Mirroring Abba (SIGMA) ministry. It is an interdenominational city-wide Bible Study for women dealing with the practical application of walking out the word based on James 1:19-27. Together, women of faith spread the Jesus Joy of Christ in the Community (CIC) through community outreach at nursing homes and senior living facilities. Finally, after formalizing as SOULfood TGP, I launched a weekly radio ministry in 2016, “SOULfood Saturdays with Sista Rev. Rob,” on the former KXEN, which continued via social media in 2021. In 2018, Denita launched her first annual ecumenical women’s conference, the G3 (God’s Girls Gathering) Summit, in St. Louis, MO.

As one sold-out to Jesus, I live to serve others. As our vision states, I promote unity, uplift the word, and adequately undergird others for Kingdom Work. The mission? Well, it is to encounter God in a way that we will live transformed lives as we understand who we are in Him to grow (in the word), glow (as a result of the God encounter), and go fulfill his plans and purposes all while transforming the lives of others. That’s the life I love, as I am outspoken when it comes to the things of God. As part of the five-fold ministry, I focus strategically on God’s will. And yes, these expressions contain the titles of the three books I have co-authored. I certainly don’t believe God is through with me yet!

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It certainly has not been a smooth road! I grew up in poverty. However, that became the process by which I learned to be compassionate and empathetic toward others. I experienced two divorces before being blessed with my ultimate gift from God. I have since learned it’s a mighty good thing to be chosen by God. Just like the Woman at the Well, God chose me to be a modern-day spokesperson for Him that our deliverance, healing, and restoration are found in Him- yes, even as a twice-divorced Believer. I also dealt with church hurt, rejection, and other attacks, including a health scare and diagnosis of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This disease is the most common type of lupus. SLE is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. One of my greatest spiritual life lessons arose from this diagnosis. God revealed several truths that I still maintain today. Two of the most notable are the acronym for lupus (Living Under the Power and Unction of a Sovereign, Supreme and Selfless Savior) and the refuting and rebuttal of the ‘name it claim it’ prosperity gospel ideology.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work?! Well, I chose to focus on the fact that God blessed me to retire debt-free on December 31, 2020, amid a pandemic after over thirty-three years in academia at the young age of 56 years old! That’s a mouthful, but it confirms my love for teaching. I was privileged to serve two districts in my last five years: Normandy Schools Collaborative and Pattonville School District. I served as a fifth-grade teacher, Instruction Coach, and Academic Strategist to bridge learning gaps. I’m most proud of the students who chose to rise to my level of expectation which impacted their academic life and behavior. It’s always a proud moment when you witness students realize their capabilities and potential. What set me apart from others was my ability and gift to manage classroom behaviors and turn classrooms around so that learning could occur. Currently, I continue to support other educators still in the classroom while also  maintaining various online creative teaching opportunities.  Most notable is the G3 Seasonal Book Club exchange.

What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are still being formalized. I’m still engaging young people through our transportation business, a springboard from our juvenile detention work, Heart 2 Heart Transportation, LLC. We transport and transform lives-one heart at a time. What I am looking forward to is our 5th annual G3 Women’s conference to be held December 2-3 at 3200 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, MO.  Visit the website for more information. As for what I’m planning at this very moment is a big move. We are looking to relocate to Florida to escape the frigid northern weather. I’m excited for the new God opportunities that await me there!