So, the Influence Conference has come and gone again this year. I have to say, this year was different than the previous years. I felt like all of us grew up a little. We stopped apologizing for being exactly how God made us and I think that helped the attendees stop apologizing, too. We were just there, together.
God showed up in the most sure way–and that is what sticks with me. It wasn’t flashy and it wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t overly produced or inauthentic or scripted. We don’t have anything to offer other than what He has given us…but, what He has given us (and what He has given YOU!) is good. It was beautiful because He is good.
When I spoke, I got to wear a shirt from my friend Breena‘s new line Redemption For All. Breena had tried to get to Influence from the very, very beginning. Her darling and dear son Ezekiel had deteriorating health during the first year and by the second year, they knew he would be going Home soon. This year, Breena was with us and Zeke was with Jesus. I can’t wait to link arms with Bree and tell of the hope we have–that there is Redemption for All.
Our Member Care Manager Rachael blew us all away with her pipes and the way she ushered us into worship. Who knew? I’m grateful that God has gifted us all so richly that we’re constantly peeling back the layers, even in ourselves. He constantly showed the goodness…all weekend.
We also saw 82 women join Mocha Club to back the work already being done in Africa in the areas of clean water, orphan care, education, economic empowerment, and healthcare. We bumped our conference goal up to 100 sponsors and we’d LOVE to have you join our core team in backing Mocha Club.
All I can say is that you should be there next year. It’s amazing. It’s my favorite weekend of the year. But, you also don’t have to wait until next year to get into the mix. We get to do this all year long together in The Influence Network. Today, we’re releasing the audio from the 2013 conference sessions (with speakers like Shauna Niequist, Jeff Goins, Annie Downs and more!) to all members–so we’d love to have you join us in the Influence Network community! It’s just $10 a month and you get amazing community and 1 complimentary Influence class each month!
And, the most fun thing we can do is do this all together. We had over 300 women join us in Indianapolis this year–we’re bumping up our space to accommodate up to 400 women next year. This isn’t a conference for bloggers. It’s for all women, so grab your sister or your friend and bring them!
[inlinkz_linkup id=449059 mode=1]