Sisterhood Local
The Sisterhood represents a company of down to earth, everyday women who desire to make a difference and make the world a better place. In essence, it’s a foundation seeking to ‘place value upon humanity’; a story of unity and alliance.
Sisterhood is the “casserole ministry” of women who provide meals for the sick, new mums and struggling families. It is the grandmothers who take the time to knit a blanket for the new babies and the homeless. It is the mum who goes into her local school to teach young girls about their value through the Shine program. Sisterhood is the woman who chooses to give blood to save the life of a stranger. Sisterhood is all of these women living their daily lives in a way that can change the world. Sisterhood is YOU.
One of the best ways you can impact the world is to impact YOUR world. Everyone can start small – making dinner for a sick friend or organising a spring clean at the local retirement home all carry the message of value. Sisterhood local is about all of us being the change in our local communities.
FIND THE NEED
The vital part of being the change is making sure that you are meeting the need in your community. So find the need, talk to people, check out your local council website for their “social plan” or strategic plan.
Once you have done that and decided which need you can meet, we have listed some ideas for how you could get started.
SISTERHOOD GATHERING
Why not start by gathering the women in your world each week for a morning of heaven breathed social interaction? Nobody should have to do life alone. The Hillsong SISTERHOOD represents a company of down to earth, everyday women who gather together in friendship and cause on a weekly basis. These are the kinds of things we incorporate into the local outworking of Hillsong SISTERHOOD. We haven’t told you HOW… rather WHY! The HOW is up to you!
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An environment that places value on womanhood, which in turn places value on humanity.
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An environment where women will sit under the teaching of the Word, and be given an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
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An environment of love and acceptance that embraces and gathers women of every generation, regardless of age or status.
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An environment that equips and empowers women to use their gifts and talents to build the local church and make a difference on the earth.
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An environment where women are empowered to rise up and overcome.
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An environment of fun and laughter.
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An environment where women are made aware that they are part of something bigger than themselves – that is, the SISTERHOOD.
SHINE
One of the key programs that you could use in your community is the SHINE program. It is a program designed to teach young girls and women about their value through the key themes of strength, worth and purpose. It has been completely rewritten in 2009 and is available as a resource for young girls (SHINEgirl) and women (SHINEwomen). To find out more about the Shine program and how you could use this in your community please contact shine@hillsong.com and connect with our Shine team who will be able to help you with any questions.
FOOD BANK
There are many families and individuals who struggle with making ends meet for even the very necessities of life such as food. One of the most tangible ways you can make a difference is creating a ‘food bank’. This could look like gathering (in your local church/small groups or community) non-perishable items and distributing them out to families who you know are doing it tough. This doesn’t need to be extravagant. Start with what you can give and go from there.
CHAPLAINCY
Chaplains play such a pivotal role in pastoring our communities and they are a fantastic way for churches to work within the local community. In the recent Victorian bushfires, Chaplains had a key role in the emergency relief support program, providing care, counseling and someone to talk to. This program is provided by Chaplaincy Australia. Donna Crouch, executive pastor of Hillsong City Care believes that Chaplaincy is the key to bringing Christ into our community in culturally relevant and appropriate way. [session recording available]
FOSTER CARE
This is an incredible way to directly impact the life of a child in need in your community. Foster care allows for very vulnerable children to be cared for in a safe and loving environment during a very difficult time in their lives. There is currently a large demand for people to get involved with fostering children. Contact the Department of Community Services (DOCS) in NSW who manage all foster care arrangements. They will be able to give you any information regarding fostering in NSW. If you are outside NSW the best way for you to approach this is to contact your state child welfare agency.
EVEN MORE IDEAS…
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Knitting – knit for needs in your community visit www.coloursisterhood.com/knitting for all of the patterns, projects and information you need.
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Playgroup – a simple and virtually free way to reach out to women in your community
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Refugees – connect with the refugees in your community – maybe all they need is someone to talk to. You can connect through the migrant resource centre in your local area.
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Street Teams – meeting the needs in your community with no strings attached.
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Casserole Ministry – start a group of girls who cook meals for families who have sick children, have just had babies or just need a bit of TLC
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Blood Donations – organise the blood bank to come to your church, school, workplace and save lives! www.donateblood.com.au
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Free Exercise Classes – find a park and get an instructor to donate their time to provide pilates for the women at your work place – not only will it be a great gift but will give you a chance to connect to non-Christians in a non-threatening environment.
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Run cooking classes - cheap and healthy for those on a tight budget
GET EQUIPPED
The Colour Sisterhood is here to help you get equipped, so if you’ve got some ideas but aren’t sure how to outwork them or maybe you just have some questions you’d like to ask, then don’t hesitate to give us a call on +61 2 8853 5353. We’re happy to help you get started in anyway we can.
PRAY
The power of prayer is unbelievable. When you want to make a difference in your local community, start with prayer. Pray for:
The families in your community, that they may be strong and healthy.
The women in your community and how you can best stand alongside them.
The children in your community; that they will grow up in a safe and secure environment.
Your local government, that they would make wise decisions.
SEND IN YOUR TESTIMONIES
Testimonies are not only a valuable tool to help update us on your progress, but by sharing your ideas and experiences you will also inspire and encourage your fellow sisters to take up the challenge and see how they too can ‘Be The Change’. You can email your testimonies to; thecoloursisterhood@hillsong.com