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A Letter to Influencers Women From Rocky

October 29, 2021

 

October 26, 2021

My dear Influencers sisters in Christ.

 I’d like to start this letter to you with this quote from Oswald Chambers:

“God gives us the vision, then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience.“

When I was about thirty-seven years old I feel that God gave me the vision of Influencers and my life in it.  But I didn’t fully understand it.  I was excited that I might do the things that I saw in the vision, and to be part of God’s work.  It was also at that time that I experienced my calling to ministry.  But my concept of the ministry that God wanted me to join had not been formed in my understanding, nor was I the man for God’s vision at that period in my life.  Like Chambers alluded to, I would need to be formed for the vision.  There would be fifteen years ahead that would “batter me” into the man that God was making for His vision, which I now know as Influencers.  After God’s reforming of my life, it was then that the time was right, and Jesus launched me into writing The Journey curriculum and forming Influencers.  But that is only a small part of the story, for there are now many stories like mine that have joined our mission to be messengers of God to draw His family close to Him through The Journey.

Early in my part of the development of Influencers I began to pray specifically that God would add godly leaders to a ministry that needed more than me, so that it could be all that God wants to make of it.  Through the years I’ve seen those godly men be raised up through the Journey process to become our staff and our board members.  I’ve seen them embrace their sonship and their sacred responsibility to make disciples.  I’ve seen these men as an answer to my prayers that God would raise them up to join this rapidly developing ministry that is moving way beyond even my imagination.  I’ve known all along that what God has in mind for this ministry is more than I can conceive or form.  I have no doubts that we have joined Him and His mission to His family to draw us close to Him to abide with Him.

An example of what I’m seeing being more than I could imagine was my limited vision of how far reaching The Journey would be.  I thought it was only me sharing my discoveries to a few men.  Then God showed me that those few men had more insight to the vision of the ministry when they began their own groups.  I saw again that what God had in mind was beyond my understanding.  But our groups were still only in Northwest Arkansas, and to businessmen.  But it would not stop there as God showed me even more so that it was beyond my understanding what He was doing, as Influencers and The Journey expanded nationally and then internationally without our seeking to do it.  I could see that He was inviting us to join Him and His work to a reach beyond our imagination.

As this ministry has expanded, The Journey has been embraced by churches, which my limited vision never saw.  We’ve been taken into prisons, jails, campuses and businesses to start Journey groups, which I never saw.  I now see a rapidly developing women’s ministry, which I could never had envisioned.  But I’ve delighted in it none the less, for I know it is God at work, not a man or men or women.  Only He could do these things.  Why do I share this history of Influencers?  It is because God’s vision is something that we are formed for ahead of time and are invited to join Him in it when His vision is ready.  We’ve been prepared for it, and He wants us to launch with Him when we are invited.  This brings me to my question.  What vision have you been invited to join as His daughters?

I feel that God has been preparing some special daughters of His to take the women’s ministry of Influencers to a broader reach.  So far there is healthy activity in several of our regions, and you are getting this letter because you have been recognized as a leader in your areas.  We want to bring you and your fellow leaders together to pray and dream about the vision of Influencers Women’s ministry.  What do you see?  How can your work expand and help more women?  How big is the vision God giving to you, or are you like me willing to serve but need others to help you see?  We want to help with that.

Our men had a tremendous gathering in September, which many of you prayed for.  It solidified our vision and practices and understanding our DNA better than ever before.  We also came away thinking how we would like to pull something like that together for the women who would come to such a three-night conference.  I personally feel that it could be the official launch of Influencers women’s ministry on a national and eventually as an international presence.  I feel that our women’s ministry must be formed with the women that God has been preparing and inviting to lead it.  I believe these women are out there and I’m praying that God will stir them to now act.  Our global office will help and be the catalyst for the formation.  But the leadership of the women’s ministry must be chosen from yourselves, so you can join the vision God has given to you.

Right now, I ask you to quickly poll how many women from your area and beyond that you feel would come to this conference, if we put it together for you.  We need to know the interest and the numbers to know how to plan the facilities.  It starts there.  After we receive this information, we will get back to you on cost and such.  Our men paid about $300.00 which included everything but transportation.  We will nail down the exact cost later.  But right now, we are gauging interest, or better the enthusiasm of the women for coming to the conference center in Oklahoma.  It is a delightful, comfortable and in many ways, hotel like with the rooms and such.  We will return to it for sure for our other conferences, and I’m sure the women will like it as well.

I ask you to pray about this vision and ask if God has been forming you for it, for I believe there are some of you that will connect the dots that you’ve been raised up for a time such as this.  I look forward to hearing from you.  I love you all.  

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING A WOMEN'S INFLUENCERS CONFERENCE, EMAIL [email protected].

Your brother in Christ,

Rocky