WHAT GOD DID IN 2024
MANY ARE RECEIVING BIBLES FOR THE FIRST TIME
MANY ARE RECEIVING BIBLES FOR THE FIRST TIME
THANK YOU so much for your support! You are bringing the next one closer to Jesus.
“I AM INSPIRED TO SHARE MY STORY WITH OTHERS!”
“I WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AT AN INSPIRE EVENT!”
“I FELT GOD’S HEALING TOUCH AND I NOW KNOW THAT HE LOVES ME.”
AS SEEN IN THE AG NEWS
INSPIRE Project: Inspiring Women Around the Globe to Share Their Faith
Assemblies of God missionaries, churches, and women around the globe are coming together for unique events designed to inspire a lifestyle of evangelism and build a community of sisterhood in Christ.
How does a church go about changing the spiritual climate of a city or even an entire country? Melinda Henderson, founder of The INSPIRE Project, has observed that when women passionately pursue a lifestyle of evangelism, experience contagious Christian community, and understand the value of reaching one, then that change is possible.
The INSPIRE Project began when Henderson was serving as an Assemblies of God World Missions missionary along with her husband, Larry. The two served overseas as pastors of Vienna Christian Center in Austria. She realized that while the church had a great legacy of worship, and had wonderful Sunday gatherings, there were still many unreached in their city. That led to the first INSPIRE event, held in Vienna in 2018; it was so well-received that two more were held in subsequent years. In 2019, AGWM missionary Paula Boone joined Henderson to help accomplish the mission and to help build a team.
The INSPIRE mission statement includes, “We believe every girl can Inspire the next girl to believe in Jesus,” and Boone and Henderson believe sharing one’s faith should be “as normal as drinking your coffee.”
As word of the Vienna events spread, other missionaries began asking for help hosting similar evangelistic events that would help ignite a spark in their local women and girls, to begin to make sharing their faith normal. The INSPIRE Project has grown to 17 countries and over 22,000 women so far have been part of an event, with 21 events scheduled for 2025. Three additional host countries will be added by 2026.
The main purpose is not just to attend the event, but that every woman and girl at INSPIRE can leave realizing their responsibility to be a part of the Great Commission.
At INSPIRE Mexico, a woman shared that like many of us, she had grown weary of not seeing “fast answers” to prayers for unsaved friends but was now encouraged to keep praying and sharing her faith.
“God spoke to me,” said a young teen girl at INSPIRE Mexico. “I understand things that I didn’t before. This was such a wonderful time to share with my mom and my sister.”
Planning, coordinating, and staffing an event doesn’t just happen, though. Typically, a missionary or national pastor reaches out to project leaders, as the goal is to come alongside what is already happening in a community and help increase impact with women and girls.
A three-year commitment is usually planned, allowing the conference to grow as women invite others to the next one. A local coordinator is selected and trained; and a mission team attends and serves at each conference, with local volunteers doing more in each successive year.
“I am super thankful for what INSPIRE Global Sisterhood is doing around the world,” says McLain. “But it is also inspiring and changing the teams and their churches in the U.S.!”
