™
a declaration I AM Sisterhood A rising movement of women
stories
a gathering
Natasha Zoe Erin Catrina Andi April & “Sienna” Natalie & “Bella Grace” Everline Baby “Nellie” Karly Lauren
THE COLOUR YOUR WORLD women’s conference From a Whisper to a Shout PLACING VALUE UPON WOMANHOOD
“
I am sisterhood is a declaration. A declaration that is bold and strong, quiet and confident. A declaration about value and identity, purpose and mission. It is a declaration intentional in reach and embrace. It transcends culture and creed, age and status, prejudice and preference.
a 2.
d e c l a r a t i o n
It’s a declaration that positions itself amid awareness and responsibility, concern and care, injustice and solution. A declaration ultimately concerned with 3.
the welfare of the world and her inhabitants. It has courageously woven its way through time and history and continues to weave itself across our lives and future. It is our collective here and now - and belongs to any feminine soul, who somehow believes that she was born for more than what is temporal and fleeting. It’s 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. Whichever way you see or understand it, it is a growing movement of women across the earth. Our hope is that in reading and absorbing the stories and visuals in this little booklet that your heart will be enlarged and blessed. The flip/ reverse of this booklet is an invitation… our invitation to you that you are welcome to come gather with this sisterhood. We’re down-to-earth and normal and our heart is to take what is in our hand and genuinely use it for good.
“
So whoever you are, and wherever you are, be blessed - and let’s believe that together we can make this world a better place. © B o b b i e 4.
H o u s t o n
&
f r i e n d s
SISTERHOOD is defined as empathy that one woman (or company of women) feel for another. Empathy
identifies with difficulty and feels a sense of loyalty towards. A narrative; tale; account of a journey travelled. Facts or experiences that deserve narration
The stories throughout this booklet are a tiny snapshot of women near and far who have encountered, experienced and been touched by the essence of sisterhood. Some are stories of intense challenge and injustice, whilst others are stories that any one of us can relate to. Some could be stories happening in our own street or backyard, whilst others may seem a world removed from personal experience - but the reality that we are a collective sisterhood; alive at the same time, sharing the same air, sharing the same global community, positions us together. The Colour Sisterhood was birthed from a desire to make a difference in the world; and as this Sisterhood has listened and responded, multitudes have found encouragement, hope and rescue. 7.
i am sisterhood
my name is natasha I was born in a small miners’ town where there was nothing of interest.
M
y biggest dream was to move to a large city, study at a college, hang out at discos and date affluent guys. When I turned 16 my dream came true - I enrolled at a prestigious college and moved to a large city, Kiev, where I could live an independent, bright and jolly life. Everything was going as I had dreamt - discos, guys, a merry student life, which within a couple of months, resulted in me being ousted from the dormitory. I didn’t
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have the guts to tell my parents, so without experience, without local registration or any job skill, I decided to find a job. Month after month, my job applications were being refused. I was in bitter need of money, because paying rent by myself turned out to be very expensive, and my parents were barely able to pay my tuition. One day I came across a newspaper ad that said girls were needed for escort services. The pay was good and our age was right on target.
My friend and I thought about it, assessed how much we would earn and decided to risk it. So this is how, at the age of 16, I became a call girl. Fear, insecurity, brokenness, guilt and a feeling of having been deceived is what I lived with, day in and day out. But even this didn’t make me return to God, whom I had known about since my childhood. I came to Him only after being caught by the police with drugs in my handbag, when I had arrived on an outcall. By that time I was on the verge of being suspended from college, and the life I led was getting harder and scarier by the minute. I came to God in total despair broken, insecure, angry, withdrawn and I didn’t believe I would be able to make things right again. When I came to church for the first time,
Weeks later, I was invited to a small group of sisters that gathered weekly in the neighboring house. For me, it was rehabilitation - a place where people understood my faults and with deep love and care were helping me to get out of the state in which I was in. Half a year later, my mentor and my older sister in Christ baptized me in water, and this was the ultimate turnaround in my life! The women that took the time to notice me, and surrounded me with love and acceptance and the messages I heard at the Colour conference helped me to believe in myself once again. God restored and equipped me and I found value, worth and purpose. Five years have passed since then, and day after day I find myself working on and discovering my salvation. I want to serve God with
Fear, insecurity, brokenness, guilt and a feeling of having been deceived is what I lived with, day in and day out. women would come up to get acquainted with me. In the visitors’ café, a young woman talked to me with unbelievable tenderness and simplicity, and explained to me that I was now in a family.
what I myself received. I want to come alongside other sisters and help and support those who need restoration.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has [margret mead]
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injustice Abducted into
the sex trade industry at 18 years
suffering Forced to
service up to 40 men a day for three years
rescue The A21
Campaign, December 2008
i am sisterhood
my name is zoe Age: 23 Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia (Eastern Europe) (to protect identity Zoe is not her real name)
miracle Redeeming Love
restoring her smile & capacity to dream again
today Zoe wants to
open her own beauty spa and employ other rescued victims of human trafficking so that together they can help women feel valued and beautiful
gratitude Words cannot
express her gratitude for a company of women in a far away land who wept and sang and prayed over her when she believed that God had forgotten her 13.
i am sisterhood
my name is erin The truth is I really love being Erin. I’m 28 years of age, healthy, whole and at peace.
W
hen I look in the mirror I see a girl who is her Father’s daughter, valuable and loved. What I see reflects what He says about me.
LO VE D
“people have loved me to wholeness”
But it wasn’t always this way. Throughout my school years I found myself on the wrong end of words that tore away my value. These words became my truth and I formed my identity around them. At the very core of me was the belief that I wasn’t worth living the life I had been given. This outworked itself in 8 years of anorexia, bulimia and depression. I hated myself so intensely and my mind was in continual torment. I was trapped in a prison of fear. I sought help in so many directions, but I was always given the same response; “You will either die or live with this forever, no one ever recovers”. Deep down, I knew God would set me
free, I just didn’t know how. I had a defining day that would begin my journey to wholeness. At only 36kgs, my body was ready to die. I knew in that moment that I could either die or choose to live. Choosing to live would mean confronting every fear and changing every part of my existence, but I trusted God and chose life. I whispered over and over the words of Psalm 118:17 “I will not die, but live and proclaim what the Lord has done”. These words kept me alive that day, and I discovered that life and death are in the power of the tongue. I have overcome and been completely transformed by aligning all my thinking to what God’s Word says about me, and by planting myself in a church that saturates me with value, esteem and words of promise. People have loved me to wholeness. Now my worth is firmly planted in truth. 15.
i am sisterhood
my name is catrina I was born to a single, teenage mum and had a very nomadic and unstable beginning.
F
rom an early age I was a shy and insecure kid trying to build my own security and stability. My mum married and had a baby when I was 5, yet even with a father and sister, the instability remained.
At the same time I built a “broken world”, where I sought to impress a different group of people with my lack of boundaries, promiscuity and experimentation. Both worlds were a lie, both worlds were a prison, but I had lots to hide and plenty to prove.
During my primary school years, a chapter of my childhood was stolen through sexual abuse at the hands of people outside of my family. All the foundations of my life began to disintegrate. In an attempt to cope with fear, confusion and shame, I took the pieces of my broken world and rebuilt - I built a “perfect world” where I excelled in everything, made everyone proud and no one asked any questions.
At the age of 15 I was sexually assaulted, and my created worlds collided and began to crumble - my issues got worse, my superachieving escalated and my destructive choices continued. That’s when Jesus rescued me. Alone in my room, reading a letter from a friend, I met Jesus. I encountered unconditional love and acceptance and fell madly in love
with this newfound Saviour. Transformation came as I devoured His Word and fell in love with His Church. Thus began a tough journey of recovery. Partnering with God, a great counsellor and a close friend, I began to break free of the prison I was in. It wasn’t easy and there were times when I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I was desperate and I clung to a promise in His Word where he says that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. It was sufficient and it still is today, and when I fell along the way, great people in my world would remind me of the Truth. I will never forget the day I tasted freedom. It was unlike anything I’d ever known. My story is one of lost value that was restored when I found Christ. The price that He paid for me, now means that I live free.
life - Truth was revealed, lies were exposed and my life was rescued from the pit I was drowning in.
i am sisterhood
my name is andi and I grew up in a religious cult...
L
iving immersed in this environment slowly eroded my personhood. It didn’t help that the cult leader didn’t much like me and that I never seemed able to win his approval. Void of the freedom and truth that I now know, I felt confused, worthless, unloved, unsure of my place in the world and unpopular with those that I so desperately wanted acceptance from. In my heart I thought that if this is what “Christianity looks like”, then I don’t want a bar of it. So I spent years trying to find out
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‘who I was’ through what people said about me or how well I performed. I strove for praise and accolade and craved male attention, which led me to lean on countless boyfriends who I believed would bring the value that I was seeking. My beautiful parents eventually rose up from their own cult-inflicted pain and declared to our family that we were going to a new church. It was a decision that changed us all forever. A few months later, on a hot summer night, at the age of 19, Jesus Christ walked into my
So this Jesus walks in and forgives ME - and now it’s my turn to forgive OTHERS. Easier said than done. Unspeakable hurt, baggage and dysfunction had me on an emotional merry-go-round and at a standstill. In the middle of what became a pivotal conversation, a girlfriend looked past my tears and said, “I think you need professional counselling.” Desperate to move forward, I was so relieved to hear that and even more grateful for friends who gently took me by the hand and helped me navigate my way through. I remember an occasion when I was childishly refusing to forgive someone who had deeply hurt me. In that moment of refusal, the Author of love and forgiveness shed light on my own hypocrisy. He reminded me of the story of an adulterous woman, whom the religious Pharisees brutally threw at the feet of Jesus for judgement and stoning. Jesus refused to condemn her and instead extended grace. Suddenly I realized that in
refusing to forgive my perpetrator, it was like I was throwing that same perpetrator at the feet of Jesus for judgement. The truth was that I also needed to forgive and I felt God whisper “Un-forgiveness is like being held captive in a cage, screaming for someone to set you free, when all along you hold the keys to let yourself out”. The keys are forgiveness. I got the picture - I had to take responsibility, let go of the pain, forgive and embark upon a new journey of freedom. Nelson Mandela once said, “There is no easy road to freedom” and that is true, but it is a road well worth taking. Hanging in my home (which I share with my wonderful husband and three little children) is a photograph entitled “Forgiveness” from The Passion of the Christ movie. It hangs as a reminder of where I need to position myself each day … at the feet of Jesus, grateful for my own forgiveness and capable of forgiveness. I am reminded daily that my origin is found and my identity is restored at the feet of a loving Saviour. I also know that my story of freedom is not just for me but is a story that can bring freedom and life to others. 19.
I
fell pregnant with our first child. We were so excited, the doctor had confirmed it and it was true. My husband Nathan and I were ready for this new season together, but little did we know what really awaited us. We were smiling uncontrollably as we took our first ultrasound. We were able to see our little baby, hear her heartbeat, watch her move. We went snap crazy on our own camera, taking photos of the ultrasound photo in front of my tummy.
i am sisterhood
my name is april and this is Sienna’s story...
It wasn’t long after this that I got a phone call from our doctor. He said that the screening had shown there was a problem with our little baby. We were unclear on what was happening, but that day we began a heartbreaking journey. We soon discovered that our little baby girl, who we had named Sienna Hope had a serious heart problem. The doctors made sure we knew how serious the problem was and told us that the chances of a healthy baby, or even a baby at all, were very low. The day it all hit home, was the day one of the nurses asked if we wanted to terminate our pregnancy. I couldn’t believe this was happening to us, and yet without any thought or hesitation, both Nathan and I chose to walk this journey out and believe God for a miracle.
Week by week we took the scans and week by week the tests showed that Sienna was getting worse. At 32 weeks my placenta came away and I went straight to the hospital. By the time they realised what the problem was, I was in a critical state and was rushed into an emergency caesarean. As they wheeled me in, Nathan said one last time “Well, this is our chance for a miracle”. We stood in faith. When I woke up, my husband by my side, I learned that our beautiful little baby girl, Sienna Hope, had bypassed earth and gone straight to heaven. In all truth it was a heartbreaking moment in our lives, one that no one would wish upon another, but I have to say, it was a season and moment where I discovered God in a way I would perhaps not have known. Life isn’t always perfect and there are things that we may never understand this side of eternity, but that day we began a journey of healing … and discovered a sense of devotion, faith and trust that we had never known. Today, we have two beautiful children - a little boy and a little girl. We stand in awe of how great our God is, how supportive family and friends can be and we know with confidence that one day we will meet and see Sienna again.
i am sisterhood
my name is natalie and this is Bella Grace’s story location London, England family husband Mark, son Joshua & baby girl “Bella Grace”
reality The moment our precious
Bella was born, I knew something wasn’t right. The specialists soon confirmed that Bella had been born with Down Syndrome.
shattered dreams Like all parents we had hopes and dreams for our little girl, dreams of what she would grow to be and experience. Suddenly we had to view her future differently.
resolve to take hold of “God’s plans” for this little girl.
those first weeks were difficult,
tests and more tests, but church friends and family began surrounding us. This community of friends offered help and support, prayed that God would have His way in her life, that we would know
His peace in the turmoil.
something began to happen We
took Bella home and further tests and check ups continued over the following weeks. After a while Mark commented that he thought Bella’s face was changing.
the miracle One day one of the
specialists phoned. They were extremely puzzled and confessed that they hadn’t made this kind of mistake ever before, but according to their tests Bella did not have, or no longer had the condition. She was a perfectly healthy baby! Every sign of Down Syndrome had gone!!
today Bella is growing and
responding. We are so grateful to our amazing friends and church who stood with us in faith and more so to an amazing God, who really is able to accomplish the impossible when we trust and believe.
i am sisterhood
my name is everline Age: 30 years - Birthplace: Gulu, Uganda and this is my story... injustice
Abducted by rebels at age 15 on her way to school
suffering Coerced into becoming a
child soldier – kill or be killed. Beaten unconscious and left for dead. Given to rebel leaders as a sex slave. Infected with HIV virus. Became a child mother. Abandoned by family and community.
lost & NOW FOU ND
ORPHANS SISTERS NATIONS
rescue Watoto - Living Hope, 2008 miracle Receiving and giving
forgiveness. Realizing her children were not an accident but a gift from God.
today Everline is a tailor, buys her
own food, pays her own rent and sends her children to school. Her dream is for her children to have a better life than she had.
gratitude Her heart overflows with
thanksgiving for the sisters she’ll never meet that came alongside her so she could be restored to dignity.
thrown down an outdoor toilet this is Nellie’s story... location Kampala, Uganda rescued by Watoto from an outdoor
toilet where she had been discarded, left as human refuse.
named Unknown, but we call her Nellie which means “light”
age Unknown.
May 26th the day we gave to celebrate her life.
status Nellie’s lungs had collapsed as
a result of breathing fumes from the latrine. After months on oxygen, Nellie is finally able to breathe on her own.
family An army of aunties,
“sisterhood” girls, from all around the world, committed to love and nurture.
future Bright, just like her name.
Although abandoned in a very dark place, Nellie will glow with God’s glory. Favour and honour covering everything she does, everywhere she goes. (Psalm 113 - He picks the poor up out of the dirt and rescues the wretched from the trash heap and sits them in a seat of honour amongst the brightest and the best).
my name is karly SIST ERHO O OD power of i am sisterhood
I’m 24 years of age and my story involves a boy I’m dating...
CONNECT PRAYER TOGETHER
n the first of October 2007, I sat in a cafe overlooking shoppers as they hurried by. As I watched and listened to the small and perhaps insignificant details of conversation between customers and waitress, my phone rang. As I sit here in my bedroom writing this story, I can still remember my reaction to the caller ID that came up on my screen. Strangely my first thought was that something was wrong! As I answered with a hesitant hello I was met with a statement that I can still hear in my head, “Simon’s been in an accident”. Feeling helpless with the weight of the situation, tears ran down my face. It was like I was waiting for someone to wake me up or pinch me and tell me it was all a bad dream. Suddenly my world that had seemed so secure, unraveled. It has only been two years, although it seems like a lifetime ago that it happened. Simon is classified
“quadriplegic”. His body and his doctors have confined him to a chair, but our spirits and faith are not confined. We’ve been dating for those same two years, and because God’s Word is the anchor in our lives and because we have been surrounded with the love and support of people of unshakeable faith, I have this confidence in my heart that one day he will be healed. I guess some people may have trouble understanding this, but this is our confidence and peace. I sense that God is just waiting for the right moment and that when it comes, He will be seen as the amazing God He is. I often imagine what our “Once upon a time” beginning could have been … but then again, this story is still being written and although it didn’t start with the fairy-tale beginning that we might all hope for, I’m praying and believing that it will end with a powerful “Happily ever after”. We are only young but I’m praying that our courage, trust and faith will bring comfort and hope to many. 25.
i am sisterhood
my name is lauren Family: Amazing loving parents, a beautiful little sister (and a hot husband!)
age 22 years old reality At 12 years old my dad left home completely unexpected, breaking our hearts
resolve My mum, sister and I prayed
and believed; my girlfriends at school prayed and believed; my bible study prayed and believed; my church prayed and believed
reality One day (2 years later) we
looked out the window and saw his car turn into the drive
reality My dad was home and changed forever
reality Our family are united,
stronger and more in love than ever
reality Grateful that God answers
prayers and nothing is impossible for Him
reality I love my sisters, my life long friends
reality I’m now married to an
amazing man of God and am pregnant with a baby girl!!!
SEL AH...
PAUSE AND CALMLY CONSIDER
Natasha, Zoe, Erin and the stories shared in these pages are just a tiny glimpse of the power of sisterhood. We hope your heart has been moved and faith has been stirred that no situation or challenge is impossible when faith, hope and love are applied and connection is felt. The greatest story ever told is that of God’s Son, who came from heaven to earth to secure our freedom. The Bible says that He returned to heaven to prepare for our homecoming... 28.
pause & then ...
“A
ND AGAIN Jesus spoke to them in parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and explain), saying, The Kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. And sent his servants to summon those who had been invited … but they refused to come … Then he said to his servants, The wedding feast is prepared, but those invited were not worthy. So go to the thoroughfares (the highways and byways) and invite as many as you find …”
waiting.
HE Matthew 22
AV EN
HE AV EN IS HE AV EN IS
The kingdom of heaven is like
preparing.
SPI RIT & CHURCH
...say come.
SPIRIT & CH UR CH SAY COME
“T
he [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.” Revelation 22:17 (AMP)
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“Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
Jesus
John 14:1-3
follow me and FLIP the mag!
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the how to
www.colourconference.com SYDNEY: Conference 1: The Sydney Entertainment Centre, Darling Harbour right in the heart of Sydney! Thursday, Friday & Saturday March 11-13 Conference 2: Hillsong Church Convention Centre, Baulkham Hills Thursday, Friday & Saturday March 18-20
delegates attending Colour Conference 2!
LONDON: The Royal Albert Hall Friday, Saturday April 30 – May 1
KIEV: There are many transport options available, check out the Kiev Page on www.colourconference.com for more information.
KIEV: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday May 4–6 PROGRAM For more details, visit www.colourconference.com GETTING THERE SYDNEY: The Sydney Entertainment Centre is accessible by bus, train, monorail, light rail or ferry - for all Public Transport enquiries and information P: 131 500 or visit www.131500.com.au Discount car parking available for Colour delegates attending Conference 1 by pre-purchase only. Please see www.colourconference.com or contact our Registration Team for more information. There is ample free parking available at the Hillsong Church Convention Centre for
GO ONLINE FOR MORE INFO/ PROFILES/ DOWNLOADS/FUN/ WALLPAPERS ETC...
LONDON: The Royal Albert Hall is accessible from any of London’s five main airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City & Luton), and from within London via the Underground (tube) and mainline rail services. For more detailed information, visit www.colourconference.com
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION When it comes to organising your travel and accommodation for Colour Conference 2010, the best people to talk to are:
need further assistance, please contact our Colour Conference office on +380 44 220 32 23. SERVICES WE PROVIDE Translations Colour sessions for Sydney & London are in English however live translations are available in multiple languages by request. Please contact the Conference Office for more information. Colour sessions for Kiev will be in Russian (English translations are provided by request). Guest Speaker messages will be in English which will be translated to Russian. Visit the Colour Conference website on www.colourconference.com for more info.
LONDON: Check out www.expotel.co.uk for accommodation options.
Coming Alone? If you would love to join us this Colour but don’t want to attend alone – we want to hear from you! Upon registration let us know that you would like to be a part of what we call THE MEETING PLACE, which is designed for us to connect with you and so many other women just like you. We will contact you before conference to say hi and also to let you know where and when to meet at conference so we can enjoy the experience together!
KIEV: Check out www.genesisukraine.com for accommodation options, or visit the Kiev page on www.colourconference.com for a listing of hotels. If you
So many great stories come out of the Meeting Place each year and our fun and friendly team will take good care of you along with many others – you’ll feel right at home in no time!
SYDNEY: JC Travel Professionals P: 1300 132 349 (within Australia) P: +61 2 9634 1744 (outside Australia) www.jctravelprofessionals.com.au E: shady@jctravelprofessionals. com.au
Email us at Sydney: colourmeetingplace@hillsong.com UK:colourconference@hillsong.co.uk Kiev: colourkiev@hillsong.com TLC [special needs, pregnant, mobility impaired, hearing impaired, elderly] We want to make Conference possible for you! We know that there are some women who are going to need some extra TLC to be able to enjoy or even attend Colour this year. Please contact our Registration Office if you are very pregnant, suffer from a severe illness or ailment, require wheelchair or disabled access, require sign language for hearing impairment or feel you’re entitled to enjoy the benefits of being 65+ and we will do our very best to assist you. Parenting Rooms The idea of a conference plus a new baby, pram, feeding times, bags and nappies can be a daunting thought, we know, but don’t let the newness of your season be a reason to stay away or miss out. Throughout the Colour Conference, beautiful parenting room facilities will be available to you to feed and change your babies. All the Colour sessions will be played on screens in the parenting rooms and you’ll be surrounded by hosts that will endeavour to make your Colour experience memorable. Colour Kids During Colour there will be an amazing program prepared by the Colour Kids team specifically for your
children. They will experience a conference full of moments that will inspire their little hearts to follow God whilst making new friends, both with our magnificent leaders and other beautiful children. Check out www.colourconference.com to find out everything you need to know about the Colour Kids program experience and for information on how to register your children. How does seating and armbands/tickets work at Colour Conference? SYDNEY: Your armband is your access to conference - so make sure you don’t lose it! Groups that registered together under the same group leader name will have the same colour armband. Seating at Colour is not ticketed or allocated. At one point during the conference, each armband colour will be given priority access to seating for a particular session. When you arrive at conference, have a good read of your program to help clarify any questions you have and if you are unsure of anything please see the Registration Team. LONDON: Due to the Royal Albert Hall seating policy we have to issue each delegate with a seat allocation, which will be where you sit for the duration of the Conference. We have an online seating system which allows you to get together with your girlfriends, nominate a group leader and register yourselves as a group to sit together. Once you have registered, you will receive an
email on how to make sure you can sit with your friends. More details on seating are available on www.colourconference.com KIEV: Every delegate is assigned a certain seat for the duration of the Conference. The earlier you register, the more convenient your seat will be! You will receive an armband, which will give you access to the Conference, so make sure you don’t lose it. Upon arrival, please read the Conference Program carefully – it will contain all the information you need to make the most of Colour Conference! For all enquiries please contact our Registration Team on: SYDNEY: P: +61 2 8853 5315 F: +61 2 9894 6454 E: colourconference@hillsong.com www.colourconference.com Post: PO Box 1195, Castle Hill, NSW, 1765, Australia LONDON: P: +44 (0) 207 384 9200 F: +44 (0) 207 384 9201 E: colourconference@hillsong.co.uk www.colourconference.com Post: PO Box 29971, Fulham, SW6 2WX, UK KIEV: P: +380 44 220 32 23 E: colourkiev@hillsong.com www.colourconference.com Post: 2”V” Mykhailivska Str., 01001 Kiev, Ukraine
© All text, stories, photography, designs and images are used with permission and exclusive licence of the owners. Thank you to all those who contributed to the production of the Colour brochure including Nicole Scott, David Anderson, Parterre Woollahra Interiors, D’Cota Interiors, Emerald Press, Guardian Mail Services & Hillsong Church staff & volunteers.
internationally he is recognised dr robi is a renowned Clinical
Psychologist and educational presenter, whose work has been widely published in both the scientific arena and popular press. Contracted through the Commonwealth of Australia, he spent a number of years developing and validating evidence-based early intervention and effective treatment programs for behavioural and emotional disorders.
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as an expert consultant in trauma associated with war, exploitation, and natural disaster (with tens of thousands of refugees around the world having graduated from his programs). Dr Robi is also the Chief Executive of Family Challenge Australia; a nationally registered mental health charity that provides specialist psychology services in Australia and throughout the world.
hard core issues He is unafraid to
tackle some of the hard-core issues faced by families and does so in an original, educational and highly entertaining way.
married to Noeline, who also shares his field of expertise, they have and enjoy a young family.
excited We are very excited to
welcome Robi to the Colour mix and know that his sessions plus two special UNPACKED breakout options will help and bless many.
ROBI SONDEREGGER 15.
why we love her
in 2008 Priscilla and husband Jerry walked into our world and felt like instant family
home sweet home
is Dallas, Texas. They have three young sons, Jackson, Jerry Jnr and Jude
gift & passion Priscilla is an
exceptional and renowned expository Bible teacher. She
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captivates the room and makes truth come alive. With a masters degree in Biblical studies, she is a sought after speaker at corporate and Christian conferences.
she is wife, mother, speaker, author.
She is gracious and wise, intelligent and savvy. We know you will love the moments that she will craft and create at our Twenty10 table
PRISCILLA SHIRER
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life the way she likes it full and busy. She is wife, mum, pastor, teacher, author, cancer survivor
family Married to Philip for 23 years,
two amazing kids (Jordon 21, Paris 16)
world pastors a growing/relevant/
multi-cultural church in LA that reaches into the entertainment industry, business community & the everyday lives of Californians.
passion to help women become
who God has designed them to become. She has authored many
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books & hosts a gathering called GODchicks.
what we love about Holly She’s
fresh and zany, transparent and real and has been a faithful friend of the Colour journey since its inception. 2005 saw her engage a battle with breast cancer and win. We fought the battle with her.
if you know her you’ll be excited
to welcome her back to the Colour platform and if you don’t, prepare to welcome a new forever-friend into your world.
holly wagner
11.
“
girls, our collective here and now has begun...
.. .. . .
We hope you have enjoyed this year’s invitation We hope you sense the pull of heaven and the reality that you are born for such a time as this We hope that your heart is saying I AM THIS SISTERHOOD!
We hope you can hear the sound of a rising movement We hope that you will be amongst those gathering We hope that the mandate to be part of “His story” captivates your heart!
“
Our prayer is that the hopes and dreams, aspirations and calling within you will strengthen; that your community, city and nation will be stronger because of your presence; and that with multitudes alongside, you will know that “there is a God in heaven and a company of others who believe in you”. Love always, Bobbie & the Colour team
“The Lord gives the word [of power], the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host”. (Psalm 68:11 Amp) FOR MORE OF THE STORY - www.colourconference.com, www.coloursisterhood.com , twitter: @coloursistahood 8.
THERE IS A
GOD in HE AV EN WHO
BELIEVES IN YOU...
. .
IMAGINE the “Sisterhood morning”. This year’s strategic update on our collective justice initiatives, plus the seeding of more for those waiting in our future IMAGINE this years “Gift” moment crazy and fun and definitely not to be missed 6.
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the God whisper
& ABOVE ALL ELSE imagine our magnificent God making His presence known as our Hillsong worship team lead us in praise, adoration and song! “If one woman can change her world, then only heaven truly knows what ONE COMPANY of women can achieve” 7.
. .
IMAGINE cupcakes and sugar, chocolate and laughter
IMAGINE a setting where you confidently know that “others” you bring will be blessed and embraced, welcomed and loved
.
IMAGINE world renowned speakers enlarging worldview, adding wisdom and insight, experience and skill
.
IMAGINE afternoon choices relaxing with friends or benefiting further from UNPACKED SESSIONS [incl “Rhythm & Blues” and “93% Stress Free Parenting” with Dr Robi Sondereggar]
4.
True or false: sugar consumed with friends contains no calories!
the twenty-10 experience SYDNEY – LONDON – KIEV
What will it look like?
. .
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SYDNEY March 11th-13th & 18th-20th LONDON April 30th –May 1st KIEV May 4th-6th (TBC)
IMAGINE three fabulous world class cities
gorgeous Sydney, charming London, historic Kiev IMAGINE thousands of women of all ages, nations and backgrounds gathered and UNITED under one roof
host n a large number of people, a person/ place/organisation that holds an event to which others are invited; an army; a heavenly host
IMAGINE personal “time out” from all things normal. Time for connection, creativity, wonder and worship. An environment to inspire the soul and empower the spirit 3.
“
. . . .
It’s always been an invitation a simple invitation to make the world a better place It’s always been about value placing value upon womanhood, so that she in turn can place value upon others It’s always been an unfolding story line upon line, year upon year, chapter upon chapter It’s always been uncomplicated everyday girls from everyday worlds, living their lives, leaving their mark, responding to the God whispers, following the sound And above all else, it’s always been about heaven a loving Father, a servant King, a Spirit given, and their heart to bring a lost humanity Home
“
.
your host Bobbie Houston
A gathering of the Sisterhood the colour your world women’s conference