Written by Holly Madden, LeadHer Local Director. Connect with Holly on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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We celebrate every time a woman commits to launching and leading a chapter in her community. We celebrate because we know this decision is not an easy one to make. A common verse that is used in ministry today is the call of Isaiah. Plastered on coffee mugs, DIY wall art, and in colored pencil sketches in journaling Bibles, this verse reads, “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Who shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
What I love so much about this passage of Scripture is not necessarily the bold willingness of Isaiah, but that Isaiah was so in love with God and so passionate about God’s mission that He was willing to say yes to something that was not easy. The remainder of Isaiah 6 is not a promise of how Isaiah will be loved by the people, or how God’s messages will be received and will change lives, but a harsh look at the reality of human condition. God would be rejected and as His messenger, so would Isaiah. We know that a commitment to leadership in the kingdom is not easy, and that is why prayer is a critical foundation for any ministry to be built on.
As each LeadHer Coordinator commits to praying over her local chapter, we commit to praying over her as a leader. And it is an honor to do so.
From the first moment each of our coordinator’s names crossed my computer screen via email inquiring about LeadHer, she was prayed over. From the moment we met over the phone and we were given a beautiful privilege to hear her heart and a part of her story, she was prayed over. And I know that from the moment she was asked about starting a chapter, that she too was praying.
The process of training LeadHer Coordinators is full of prayers and praise. Chapters launch in all different communities, meeting different needs and reaching out to different people. There are no cookie cutter models for a LeadHer Chapter or for a LeadHer member, but the one consistency that we have experienced is that if the foundation of the chapter is laid in prayer, then prayer will continue to be the heartbeat of that chapter.
- We have seen a woman in the midwest come to faith because the Coordinator’s prayers led to her holding the hands of the woman as she prayed a prayer of salvation.
- We have seen a chapter launch in a public elementary school because a Coordinator prayed and believed that it was possible to create a community among the staff, teachers and families.
- We have seen a college student’s prayer answered for the salvation of a family member because her LeadHer chapter committed to pray.
- We have seen a woman come to LeadHer praying for purpose in her life, and today she is praying for purpose and healing over the lives of single moms in her community through the ministry she has since stepped out in faith and started.
- We have seen a daytime chapter multiply and launch a chapter that meets in the evening to reach more women in the same city, all because the Coordinator prayed that God would rise up another passionate leader.
- We have seen women identify themselves as leaders who have influence because their Coordinators have never stopped praying for them and encouraging them.
- We have seen marriages restored, mother-daughter relationships strengthened, and friendships built in LeadHer Chapters because we have never stopped praying that God would use each of our LeadHer Chapters and Coordinators to impact the women in their communities for Christ.
In May 2011 when Christie Love, launched LeadHer, she was given a vision that LeadHer would impact the world for Christ, a vision that she spent years entrusting to prayer. In 2015 when we launched LeadHer International, we had just a few contacts internationally but we built upon a foundation of prayer and this month, we launch our first International chapter in India. And today as I email three Coordinators in Training in New York, Texas, and Kentucky, I am confident that prayer is going into every detail of their preparation.
As our chapters have spent this month focusing on the foundation of prayer, I have been challenged to evaluate not only what my foundation of prayer has been, but also where prayer has been the foundation in my life and leadership. I am still learning each and every day that whether it’s in regards to my family, my church, my community, or LeadHer, God moves mountains when I pray, not when I plan. And everyday my trust in God is growing as I commit to Him even the smallest details of my everyday life and routine.
If you would like to learn more about starting a chapter in your community, visit our Start a Chapter page.