vision

2011 Year-End Message from Synergy's President

Dear Friends,

Synergy is a game changer!

God is working through Synergy to change things for His daughters—at the 37,000 foot level and on the ground. We've raised the bar for women's conferences. We take ourselves and our callings seriously. We're casting a game-changing Kingdom vision for ourselves and those we influence. We've bypassed the gender debate and other differences to get on with the work God has given us to do. We refuse to divide from our brothers and are building solid bridges instead. Men are among Synergy's strongest allies. God's Spirit and the twenty-first century landscape beckon. We are only getting started.

As I've reflected about Synergy over the past six months, I've reached the firm conclusion that Phase II must be re-envisioned. The stakes are too high and the opportunities before us too significant to move forward in any conventional way. We've never been conventional, and we aren't starting now. This means even Synergy needs to change!

Together, we stand on the precipice of bringing even greater change to the Body of Christ and beyond. Just last week, the blogosphere erupted with women voicing frustration with the barriers they face—feeling enormous tension between our responsibility before God to invest ourselves for His mission and the urge to walk away. They're longing for change. I daresay all of us have felt that frustration in one way or another. This is the moment for Synergy to rise up with fresh options and a Gospel way forward. I'm still thinking, and you'll be hearing more from me in the future. But here's where my thinking stands at the moment and why I'm asking for your help.

Women are a vital untapped resource for God's kingdom. The kingdom potential that resides in God's daughters—in all of His daughters—is positively explosive. Already God is moving in the hearts of women and girls and calling them out. Kingdom issues are at stake. The progress of God's kingdom is hampered if we don't embrace His call on our lives and act on it.

Synergy is not an end in itself. We are missional. We aren't trying to build an empire for Synergy. We're a lean operation and intend to stay that way. The kingdom we care about belongs to Jesus. Synergy exists to fuel and maximize what you are doing for him and to summon other women to action.

We believe we can do more and do it better if we work together. The wisdom of this is obvious. We squander precious time and resources when we work in isolation and don't benefit from the wisdom and experience of others. But beyond helping each other, as a network we have greater influence to advocate for others. Publishing opportunities have opened for thoughtful new writers through Synergy. At Lausanne 2010, our Synergy video (also below) addressed a global audience on behalf of all women. More recently, my participation in Biblica's Justice Bible Forum in India is giving Synergy a voice for women in this significant global project. What other opportunities will God give us if we join hands for his kingdom?

We need to expand and empower our National Advisory Council. This group of representatives has been active from Synergy's very first conference, and they have already played a vital role. Much as we've valued and engaged them, we've underestimated their strategic importance. The very nature of Synergy means more of us need to be actively involved, and this particular group is crucial. I'm already engaging different individuals on this Council. But in the New Year, I will be working with Lesa Engalthaler, NAC Chair, to re-engage and increase the NAC's role in expanding and building the Synergy Network as we move forward.

Innovative technology is key to Synergy's future. We've built our reputation on our ground-breaking conferences and we intend to continue both regionals and nationals. But today's technology offers exciting new possibilities that can strengthen Synergy's future. We aren't interested in a typical website. We don't want to duplicate or compete with what others are doing. I am currently collaborating with innovative experts on web technology to design a highly-interactive website to spotlight your stories, connect you with others in your field of interest, multiply your creative ideas, and make the most of what women are already doing. We're talking wiki-network—where Synergy becomes a vehicle for all of us to create the community and content we need and the network builds itself.

I believe God has a strong, game-changing future for Synergy. We've worked hard—many have volunteered, invested time and resources, and contributed ideas—to get us where we are. But this vision won't take hold unless all of us join forces to make it happen. Please consider becoming a partner with us today. We can't do this without you.

Go here to make a secure online contribution and invest in Synergy before the end of the year. Or, if you prefer, make checks payable to:

Synergy Women's Network

c/o Missionwell Service Center
466 Foothill Blvd., #358
La Canada, CA 91011

Trusting God for a strong future together!

Carolyn Custis James

President

"The Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World!"

Synergy produced this video (based on the Lausanne theme) as part of a project to provide resources to encourage and fuel the ministry efforts of women worldwide. 4000 copies were distributed at Lausanne 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. The video was translated into eight languages and shown in the Lausanne General Session and on Global Links internationally.

OUR VISION
Empowered women living out their Christian calling.

OUR MISSION
Connecting, equipping, and mobilizing women to be effective leaders for the gospel.

OUR CORE VALUES

KINGDOM MINDED
This changes everything! God is on the move today to rescue the prodigal planet He loves. We are His image bearers. His hand is on us, and we are captivated by His vision for us and for our world. We are committed to invest our gifts and expend ourselves as kingdom builders in service to Jesus Christ throughout the world. We are kingdom minded.

SCRIPTURALLY GROUNDED
We embrace the message and authority of God’s Word over our lives. We are earnest learners. We will work diligently through careful exegesis and dialogue within community to drill deeper into its riches, to know God more deeply, and to unpack the implications of the gospel into all facets of life. We are scripturally grounded.

LEADER FOCUSED
We are committed to develop and promote the woman who is engaged or emerging in ministry leadership. We are here to fuel her efforts and fortify her with our friendship so she will flourish as a follower of Jesus and become a courageous, wise Christian leader. We want her to know she is not alone. We are leader focused.

COMMUNITY DRIVEN
We are members of the Body of Christ. We believe the image of God shines brightest when men and women serve God together as a Blessed Alliance. We are bridge builders—firmly committed to forge strong relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are community driven.

CULTURALLY PROGRESSIVE
We live in an ever changing global world. We are students of our culture and our world so we can address the opportunities of today and meet the challenges of tomorrow. We are problem solvers, innovators, visionaries, and strategists. We collaborate to find better ways to advance God’s kingdom in our world. We are culturally engaged.