About the Book

Book: Start Little, Dream Big – Grow The Ministry You Were Born To Build

Author: Linette Rainville

Genre: Christian Books, Women’s Spiritual Growth, Adult Ministry, Ministry and Evangelism, Church Leadership

Release Date: August 7, 2025

“Start Little, Dream BIG” is Linette’s personal story of how God turned one bag of skinny jeans into a million-dollar outreach.

Learn how the smallest step of faith could change your life!

Linette Rainville knows this truth firsthand. A proud Buffalo native and U.S. Navy veteran, Linette began with one simple act of obedience—a bag of skinny jeans she tried to “trade in” for things her family needed. That humble beginning sparked a million-dollar outreach ministry that now serves over 40,000 families every year with food, clothing, hope and Jesus.

In Start Little, Dream Big, Linette shares her redemptive journey and practical wisdom for women ready to step into their God-given calling. It’s filled with real-life moments—some laugh-out-loud funny, some bring-tears-to-your-eyes kind of raw—but all with one goal: to provide you a guide and a blueprint to build your own meaningful ministries, projects, and movements from the ground up.

Whether you’re just dreaming or ready to launch, Linette invites you to join her and a growing sisterhood of modern-day Esthers who are answering their call with courage, faith, and Godfidence.

You don’t have to do this alone. Your big dream starts with one little step.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Linette Rainville, Jesus girl, USN Veteran and Movement Leader, is on a quest to raise up the next generation of Esthers and Movement Makers. As a podcast host, speaker, mentor and founder of Daughters United, a global equipping ministry, she empowers women to build projects and start ministries from the ground up. With 25 years of hands-on poverty outreach experience, Linette has reached thousands of Kingdom women, guiding them to pursue their callings, lead movements, and build missions.

More from Linette

Friend, can I just take you back for a moment?

I never thought I’d find myself here in this place. After serving my country in the U.S. Navy, I came home with a spinal injury that ended the career I had dreamed of. Suddenly, the uniform I loved was gone, and I was simply doing my best to care for my family on an income that barely covered the basics.

It stung. It carried a stigma I swore I’d never face. You see, as a young girl my mom and I had lived on welfare, and I had made a promise to myself that my children would never have to experience that. But then life happened. A “disabled” label got stamped on my record, and just like that, my best intentions seemed to evaporate.

A few years later, I was blessed with the gift of motherhood and the challenge of disability. My husband and I were making it on one single blue-collar income, just trying to survive.

And then—God.

One ordinary day, walking out of a thrift store, the Lord planted a seed in my heart. That tiny whisper turned into a vision. That vision grew into a mission. One obedient baby step at a time—one yes, one phone call, one event, one open door—the Lord built something so much bigger than me.

Over the years, what started as a little prayer has grown into clothing programs, a pregnancy help center, food pantries, a soup kitchen, domestic abuse support, homeless outreach… and an army of volunteers who joined me along the way.

What’s wild is this: that one “yes” in 1991 has rippled out for over 30 years—locally, regionally, and now even globally… reaching over 50,000 lives each year—meeting real, practical needs.

And here’s where you come in.

Because this story—it isn’t just about me. It’s about you too. I believe God is stirring dreams and assignments inside of my sisters today. Maybe you’ve walked through storms. Maybe you’ve carried labels that felt heavy. Maybe you’ve stood staring at the “skinny jeans” of your life—dreams or abilities that no longer seem to fit.

But here’s the truth: all is not lost.

I see you.

I see you walking out of those valleys and climbing mountains, becoming warrior-ready and equipped to make a difference. I see you searching for a guide, a compass, and a roadmap for your mission.

That’s why I wrote this book. It’s the first in my Skinny Jeans Series, and I pray that it will become a companion for you—to remind us that God’s plans are never finished, even when ours feel broken.

Because as Jeremiah 29:11 declares: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

So take heart, friend.

God can take your little and build something bigger than you ever imagined…

one small YES at a time.

With BIG LOVE,

❤️ Linette

Author Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about what readers can expect from your book?
Readers can expect a heartfelt journey of faith, resilience, and the beauty of small beginnings. Start Little, Dream Big isn’t just my story — it’s a reminder that God can take the most ordinary life and use it for something extraordinary. It’s part memoir, part guidebook, and all heart. My hope is that readers close the book feeling seen, encouraged, and ready to take their own first brave step toward their God-given calling, dream or assignment.

2. What is the greatest advice you have ever been given about writing?
The best advice I’ve ever received is to write like you’re talking to your best friend over coffee. That simple shift keeps me authentic and helps the words flow from my heart, not just my head. When I write from that space — real, raw, and a little messy sometimes — that’s when people connect the most.

3. What book made you fall in love with reading?
I’ve always loved books that stir both the heart and spirit. Early on, it was books like The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom — stories of courage and faith in the face of impossible odds. As I was building the outreach center, The Purpose Driven Life really impacted me. Funny story — when I read it, I told God, “You gave him my notes too!” because it spoke so deeply to things He had already been teaching me.

4. Can you share 5 random facts about this book?
Oh, I love this question!

Let’s see… first, it’s a true story — every page is a piece of my real-life journey with God, from small beginnings to watching Him build something far beyond what I ever imagined.

Second, it’s more than a story — it’s a blueprint for anyone who feels that tug to start a ministry, outreach, or project but isn’t sure where to begin.

Third, the story unfolds across five different states — it’s been a journey, literally and spiritually!

Fourth, there are QR codes sprinkled throughout the book that take you behind the scenes with bonus videos and resources (because I wanted readers a heartfelt challenge to launch your own outreach project).

And fifth — one of my favorite parts — it includes over 100 photos from those early days to inspire others to start small, but dream BIG.

5. What was the inspiration behind it?
The entire book was born out of a season of struggle. After my Navy career ended due to a spinal injury, I found myself standing in a thrift store with a bag of skinny jeans, hoping to trade them for essentials — and being told NO. That “no” became the seed of a movement. Somewhere between the store door and my car door, God whispered a vision that would one day touch tens of thousands of lives through the Trading Post Community Care Center, our Podcast and the mentoring sisterhood of Daughters United—reaching women around the world.

6. Can you share something interesting or surprising you learned while researching for the book?
I learned how powerful it is to trace God’s fingerprints through your own story. When I looked back over the years — through my journals, ministry records, and community projects — I saw how every “small yes” had built into something far greater. It’s humbling to realize that nothing God does is ever wasted.

7. What was the most challenging part of bringing this book to life?
Honestly, revisiting the hard chapters. Writing about seasons of loss, fear, and humility took courage. There were days I had to stop and just let the tears fall before I could keep writing. But I knew that transparency was where healing would happen — not just for me, but for the readers who needed to know they weren’t alone.

8. What was the most rewarding?
Hearing from readers who say, “Linette, your story gave me permission to dream again.” That’s everything to me. Every message, every hug at a book signing — that’s my reminder that obedience bears fruit. God can use our little stories to spark hope in someone else’s heart.

9. What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
I want readers to walk away believing that they can start right where they are — with what’s already in their hands. You don’t need perfect conditions or big resources to make an impact. You just need a little faith, steps of obedience, and a willing heart to start little and trust God with the outcome.

10. Before you go, where can readers keep up with what’s next?
I’d love to stay connected! You can find me at DaughtersUnited.org,

❤️Sisterhood Community: https://daughters-united.circle.so/c/mentor-me-live/ Podcast: What’s Your Story? https://www.youtube.com/@esthercalling/podcasts or on Facebook and Instagram @LinetteRainville. I often share devotionals, mentor me chats, behind-the-scenes stories, and updates on Daughters United — the ministry that grew out of the message of this book. And if we ever meet in person, coffee’s on me! ☕💛