Happy International Women’s Day to all the ladies! This is a special year as we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the women’s vote in the UK – also known as Vote100. This historical event was a milestone for women in this country, and it was made possible by the hard work, commitment and sacrifice by a passionate group of women, known as the suffragettes.

As a Sisterhood we celebrate being female and champion womanhood. We are thankful for those who have gone before us, paid the price and paved a way. As for the present and the future, we as a company of everyday girls have a “desire to make a difference & make the world a better place”. Pastor Bobbie shared in 2009 the I AM SISTERHOOD declaration which speaks of coming alongside each other as sisters, empowering others, being our sister’s voice and sister’s keeper when needed. We want to be and see women from all walks of life be ones who are “clothed in strength and dignity, and [who] laugh without fear of the future” (Proverbs 31:25 NLT).

“[Sisterhood is] for women of all ages and background, personality and style, colour and vibrancy. It’s for the bold and bodacious, the demure and unassuming. It’s the sisterhood that perhaps heaven imagined when a very intentional Creator created His girls. It’s strong and beautiful, feminine and gracious, authoritative and gentle and above all else, welcomes the broken and discarded” (The Sisterhood declaration).

Every year there is a slogan for the International Women’s Day and this year’s slogan and hashtag is #pressforprogress. This slogan can mean different things to each one of us, however, progress will in some shape or form mean moving forward.

We want on this day to highlight a few initiatives we as a Sisterhood here in the UK have in place to empower you as a girl and woman – to see you progress, take the next step in becoming the best version of you that you can be.

SHINE

The SHINE programmes are unique personal development and group mentoring tools that take women and girls on a journey towards a greater understanding of their value, strengths and potential regardless of their cultural, educational or socio-economic background.

SHINE has been used by thousands of individuals and organisations across 50 countries in almost every continent to empower women and girls. SHINE has been run in a variety of settings including in youth and women’s groups, churches, schools, refuges, safe houses and prisons, as well as by individuals in their homes with their family members and neighbours, at work among their colleagues or with friends in cafes across villages and cities, alike.

The three key themes of the courses are a) Worth b) Strength and c) Purpose.

During the SHINE programmes, we as women and girls will gain a greater understanding of our true value and celebrate our uniqueness, and explore the fact that we have the power of choice and find, rediscover or reinforce the power of our voice in their world. One will look at developing resilience and how we can purposefully make decisions that shape our future in a positive way; and explore their hopes and dreams, help them set goals and build confidence to live out a life filled with purpose.

If you are interested in finding out more about SHINE, email [email protected] or follow @shinehillsonguk on Instagram.

Colour Conference 2018: Wind in Her Sails – Be Found

The annual Colour conference saw they day of light in Sydney in 1997. In 2000 we had our first conference in London, and this year we are meeting at the SSE Arena in Wembley, 19-21 April. Colour is a conference where we as women gather together to be equipped and empowered to continue our journey with Jesus and to flourish in the purposes that He has for our lives – to Be The Change in our worlds and spheres of influence.

“‘The Whisper’ is personal. It whispers “be found” – be found in His love, be found in His wisdom and goodness, be found in His peace and purpose. Be found so that others may find hope through you.”
The Colour Sisterhood

To read more and to register for this year’s Colour conference, visit Hillsong.com/colour/london.

As Colour is an annual conference, we make sure to meet as a UK Sisterhood throughout the year at the various campuses to do life together. To keep up to date on what happens in your local Sisterhood and how to get involved, visit Hillsong.com/uk/sisterhood.

Again, happy International Women’s Day! Here’s to brave, strong and confident women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.