The Center for Emerging Female Leadership

A Cultural Shift Takes Place

Did you know that something happened and a cultural shift took place? Those that study trends reported a few things I think are of interest for women both those walking as disciples of Christ and those who are not sure about their relationship with God. In the book, "What Women Really Want" the writers suggest that quiet action shows the world that:

• Single women are not "old hags" waiting around for a man. Many are living fully buying homes, building retirement portfolios, having sex and having children. For the first time in memory, a woman's status in the world does not accrue solely with  marriage and children.
• Women are looking at the culture of work in America and saying, "We can do better." They are being creative and doing things that are non-traditional for them so they can have the life they believe they deserve without the frenzy.
• The Mommy Entrepreneur or Mommy Telecommuter is becoming more common in the world and at home.
• 40 is not the end of the world. Many women are becoming first-time moms at 50! While some are becoming entrepreneurs at 65! 40 is teenhood!

Let's look at the numbers:

1. 22 million - number of women who are unmarried
2. 60 - percentage of women ages 40 to 69 who are single
3. 26 - percentage of households run by unmarried adults

This is very important for the church since society is already beginning to recognize the significance of singles. Being a pastor of mostly single women, I think pastors should definitely start thinking of how they are working with their singles. The book mentions "Singular Sensations" as the number one trend because for the first time in history, unmarried women as a group have a significant influence on culture.

Something to talk about ..the cultural shift is in place. What are we to be doing?

Sisterhood Weekend in FL

CEFL officially launches in South Florida the weekend of March 3-4, 2006 with Sisterhood Weekend celebrated in March in honor of Women's History Month. The theme for the event is "Relationships". Our speaker for the weekend is a long-time CEFL favorite in NY, Dr. Grace Cornish. For more info on this event, to get the flyer or registration form, visit our website. Go tell it on the mountain and we hope to see you there.

Affirming Other Women

Women are seeking more than ever to understand their power and purpose in the Kingdom. This means that many are stepping out of the boat, out of comfort zones to do what God is calling them to do. I just came back from a powerfully anointed women in ministry conference sponsored by Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cooke and I must say that no matter how much time goes by, women are still dealing with the same issues concerning their place in the kingdom. One of these issues is their role in church leadership.

I was once called a Feminist in NYC by a woman who read my monthly columns in the Tristate Voice Christian Newspaper. In the Letter to the Editor she sent in response to CEFL's partnership with the Tristate Voice to honor women in ministry, she said "Since when it is great to disobey God?" When did it become ok for a woman to be a pastor?" And she went on but I won't bore you with the details. The sad part about her letter is that first it was a "her". Women are just as likely as men to oppose other women in ministry or leadership positions. That's right...whether in church or society, women can be women's greatest obstacles.

I would like to challenge all women in the churches and ministries that have women pastors and leaders to affirm them. I am not saying to say something you don't actually feel but when a message stirs your soul, when a particular ministry impacts your life, say so.  Let the women leaders who got out of the boat to make such a ministry happen know that you value them, that you appreciate them, they need this too trust me.

Women in ministry are constantly challenged about their role. It hurts when other women can see them in the role but our job as leaders to quote Paula White is "to stay focused on driving the bus, because people will get on and get off...just keep driving." We can easily lose focus, change direction, even quit because affirmation was held back from the very people we sought to serve. No, that is not what God wants us to do but since we are human, the thoughts do come into our mind. Your encouragement of a female leader can make the difference in "a moment".

So go ahead, tell that women leader who has blessed your life know...today...with email you can do that but if you prefer to send a card, go ahead or a call, get out that dailing figure. But by all means, do it. Let's change the statistics, the expected. Let's affirm one another.

I love art that speaks about my values, culture and belief in women in leadership. View more here. Queen Esther Deborah, The Judge

Past CEFL Conference Themes

These are past themes but I am looking for ideas for new ones...we'll pray and see how God guides but I'd love to hear your thoughts...here is the past...

1996 Vessels of Honor

1997 From Brokeness to Blessedness-A Woman's Journey

1998 Crushed Yet Blessed-The Fragrance of a Broken Woman

1999 Destined for Distinction-The Purpose, Position and Power of a Godly Woman

2000 By Grace Transformed-Women of the New Millennium

2001 Above and Beyond-Taking it to the Next Level

2002 Untouchable-Women Abiding In His Presence

We haven't had a conference since 2002! Why you ask? In 1999 I gave birth to premature son who between then and 2000 had 27 surgeries but the show went on, in late 2001 I almost lost my marriage but the show went on in 2002, in 2003 I moved to Florida and have been waiting and hearing from God, transitioning and waiting some more...I think I got scared about how big this got because I was doing it alone with just my sister-in-law. I have heard God clearly speak to me that "this is bigger than me" and I am calling out to sisters everywhere who have been looking for an opportunity to get involved and do something, who have a passion for getting women up on their feet and believing in their voice, if that is you then let me know you exist, please! I'm ready now.

So what do you think God wants to tell women now in 05-06?

The Lista

  This is the list of things I dream of...and want to do and the areas in which we need women to step up to the plate and do what they've been dreaming of...CEFL is giving you permission to dream...join us on the adventure, you've been waiting for the opportunity, here it is. Help us educate and empower women to learn, grow and be more!

Education Department

Scholarship Bank - thus we need a researcher to keep a list up

Explore Your Call Gathering - special event planners needed

Young Girls Forum (CEFL Seeds) - women with a passion to work with young emerging girls ages 14-19.

Education Advisors - women in academia willing to mentor young women interested in college, graduate school or seminary via phone, email and/or  personal face to face meetings.

Publication Department

Writers needed to write about women in leadership issues from various perspectives (church ministry, academia, church planting, business, etc.) for books and brochures. Also writers needed for articles benefitting our constituency for our e-newsletter.

Graphic Designers needed to design covers for brochures, books, etc.

Special Events Department

Dinner Event  - Special event planners needed to coordinate the dinner events which will focus on a topic quarterly and will bring in a gifted speaker. Locations and menus will need to be experimented with. [NOTE: we have high standards of quality]

Group Social Advocacy Events - Women passionate about various issues who can plan activities that CEFL members can participate with i.e. breast cancer walk, domestic violence run, special olympics volunteering, etc.

Bi-Annual Conferences & Retreats - instead of doing a retreat AND conference every year, we want to gather all the CEFLers bi-annually...one year we will plan a conference the next year a retreat. We need folks to do this very hard work. Call me I'll tell you want goes into planning these things.

Leadership Development Department

Spring Women & Girls Leadership Institute - someone out there has a vision for this...let's do it.

Speaker's Forum - to help women prepare for speaking opportunities by giving them a topic and having them share on it, they will receive feedback and a prize for daring to stand up and share their voice.  Feedback will be from respected speakers in the particular field.

Departamento de Latinas En Ministerio

I need women who have a passion for our Spanish speaking sisters/hermanas to plan events and learning opportunities for them so that they too can be exposed to new ways of thinking, doing and being. Language should not remain a barrier. Ya Basta!

So there you have it. My dream but a vision for all women. there could be a chapter in every city one day. Hey, God is like that. Care to join us advance women in church and society?

What's Goin' On...

I met with CEFL's first Regional Director (because I know there will be more!), Rev. Enid Rios Rivera to discuss our organization's relaunching in the Northeast Corridor...here is what we agreed upon:

a. As always it will be open to ALL women but we will be proud about being Latina-led.

b. Our events will not be cutesy typical women's issues, we want to address issues facing women of color and in particular when able, our Latina women.

c. A chapter manual will be developed and the birth of the NY Chapter of CEFL will take place sometime in 2006.

d. Rev. Enid will be putting her team together and will be meeting with them to ask them to "RE-Imagine CEFL" by answering a questionnaire I will develop AND giving us general comments on what they envision CEFL could be

e. I may go to some events, I may not..."this is bigger than me"

f. A brainstorming, meet the entire team (NY and FL) breakfast will be held January 28 in Fl, our headquarters. At this meeting (hopefully everyone can come), we will plan 2006.

Interested in joining either the first chapter in NY? or the headquarters team in FL? Please do let us know. Email Pastor Enid at pastorenid@primitivechurch.org or email me (Liz) at pastorliz@woundedhealerfellowship.com.

Family Matters Everyday in the Latino Community

Hispanic religiosity is often misperceived in individualistic categories. But a strong sense of community, inherited from our indigenous and African foreparents, is central to the cultural and religious legacy of U.S. Hispanics/Latinas. The functional unit of the community is the family. Familia is not just the nuclear family, but the extended family, similar to the Hebrew concept of mishpahah. It not only includes blood relatives, but also friends, neighbors, and even those who come from the same town of origin. Puerto Rican society, for example, has the concept of hijo/a de crianza: a child that is adopted through the informal ties of community. If a child needs a home, a family who is able takes the child in and raises her or him as one of its own. No difference is made between los/las hijos/as de crianza and one's birth children.

Familia is a sanctuary. It is the place where one's identity is affirmed and the source of moral decision-making. Here one's language or beliefs are not mocked as in the larger society; here Hispanics/Latinas can feel they belong. "To be exiled from family and friends," writes Paul J. Wadell, "would be not to exist."

Great article by another wonderful Latina theologian, Loida Martell-Orterol. Read the entire article here.

In Need of Border Crossers

One of my sheroes and advisory board member of CEFL spoke at an event where this article is compiled from, Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Conde Frazier is a woman of much depth and humility. I aspire to one day be half the woman she is.

Introducing...

There are many wonderful women of God doing awesome things in and around our country in positions of authority and leadership. Through this blog I will seek to expose those women who you may NOT have heard about on TV, via magazines, etc.

If you know of some great women in leadership doing great things please let me know. I am interested in everything from faith-based community organizers to congregational leaders, professors to chaplains, etc. Of course, as a Latina, I am particularly interested in exposing more Latina sisters who are leading from an emerging postmodern type of mindset not the raja tabla style (sorry).  I know they are out there!!!

This blog will be about introducing new thinking, new styles, new women and emerging young ladies!

Blessings.