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.
My Thoughts:
I wish I had been able to wait to read this book until I could read the print copy. Because of time constraints, I had to read the ebook, and found the formatting annoying and difficult to follow–likely just because it was a PDF converted to Kindle format. I now have the print copy in my hands, and it is much nicer! One thing that really annoyed me in the digital version was the frequent use of ALL CAPS to emphasize points. That isn’t nearly as bothersome in the paper book!
Anyway, about the content. I wouldn’t have chosen to read this book, but because more reviewers were needed I agreed to check it out. As I read the first several chapters, I was thinking about my life and wondering why God hadn’t given me a vision for some way to help people, other than my own family. As I continued to read, and continued to think about it, though, I realized that He has! It just happens to line up with my natural inclinations so much that I almost feel guilty pursuing this dream. Continuing on, I found more and more confirmation that what I am doing is actually a ministry, and is actually what God has for me right now. (This ministry happens to be our library, and while I am tempted to think, quite often, that I’m only doing it as an excuse to keep buying books, the need for it continues to be confirmed in various ways.) So, while I didn’t find this book all that gripping or inspiring otherwise, it did help me and encourage me to keep on doing what God has given me to do.
I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.
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
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Sounds fantastic
Beautiful cover