2024 has been a monumental year for Influence Women! With chapter groups in Hollywood, Orange County, California; Atlanta, and Nashville, Influence Women expanded this past year, adding three more national chapter groups in Baton Rouge, Houston, and Dallas. Each chapter group has cultivated close relationships with media and leadership professionals— exponentially increasing the impact of Influence Women across the nation.
Influence Women hosted 25 in-person and online events in 2024!
Through the combined efforts of the chapter groups, Influence Women hosted 25 events in 2024, both online and in-person. The Influence Women weekly journal and monthly webinars
and podcasts continue to bring professional instruction and inspiration, enabling a global community of women to Connect, Collaborate, and Create for Christ’s Kingdom (The 4C’s).
To help accommodate the growing needs of the organization, the Influence Women Advisory Board shifted Kathleen Cooke’s leadership position from Hollywood Chapter Director to Global Director. She now oversees the expanding global need and mission of Influence Women: uniting and supporting women to change culture through the effective use of media, entertainment, music, art, and leadership.
Looking Ahead to 2025 With the ongoing surge of AI, Influence Women believes that supporting women who create artistic endeavors focused on a biblical worldview is essential to populating what is and will be seen and heard on our screens in the future. We believe a diverse and empowered community of women in the creative industry fields will positively influence the narratives and perspectives shaping our society.
The Hollywood Chapter of Influence Women is going strong!
“The harvest is ripe!” states Kathleen Cooke. As we look to the new year, the focus of Influence Women is to continue to grow, unite professionals online and in their local chapters, and establish new chapter groups in the United States and abroad as we…
* Provide dynamic professional speakers, educators, and tools for connection and empowerment for artistic endeavors. * Provide collaborative opportunities for creative media, entertainment, music, art, and leadership endeavors in communities and global cities. * Establish an ongoing global community of diverse ages and ethnicities with a biblical worldview to influence culture with creative projects and productions.
Your partnership with The Influence Lab and Influence Women is significant! Your generous gift today impacts generations to come as we work to change culture through media.
Founded by media experts Phil and Kathleen Cooke, The Influence Lab mobilizes a powerful strategy to teach the global Church how to use media to share the gospel in today’s digital age, with Influence Women creating a pathway for Christian influence in entertainment and media. Find out more about Influence Women here.
By Kathleen Cooke, Influence Women Global Director
In the late 1800s, a young William Booth began what we know today as The Salvation Army. He knew he needed to communicate effectively with his followers and workers with a Christmas message of hope, encouragement, and resilience. The telegraph was the only way to communicate quickly. Each word cost him money, and he didn’t have much. So, he sent one word: “others.” It said it all.
Today, I send you that word to you – “others.”
You are the hope for our world as artists and creatives. You change what we see and hear on our screens and affect many lives with your artistic work. Through your endeavors and creativity, you have brought renewed inspiration through your projects, creative work, and productions. You are changing “others” (and the culture’s mindset), bringing joy and wisdom, and encouraging hearts toward God’s Kingdom purposes through media, entertainment, art, music, and outstanding leadership. The Influence Women team is cheering you on. Your love and support are inspirational and a testimony to the explosive power of God when we are unified in a community of believers.
Jesus came for “others” – you, me, and the world to know God’s grace and mercy. Mary didn’t hesitate when the angel announced that she would give birth to our Savior, Jesus Christ. She didn’t say, “Why me?” or “I’m not worthy or able.” Her heart was ready and obedient to do anything God asked of her. Her immediate response was, “How will this happen?” Or, in our language today, “I’m in.”
Keep saying “yes” by obeying God and focusing on others! “The joy of the Lordisyour strength!”
As friends, members, and partners of Influence Women, we wanted to remind you that we have set up @InfluenceWomenGlobal this year as our social media “mothership” account!
Influence Women is exploding, and this umbrella platform will help you stay connected and updated on what’s happening across our national (and, expectedly soon, international) chapters!
When we grow as a community, our united voice matters. So follow us and comment.
Stay connected to your local chapter group as well!
COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE.We release a new podcast episode on the second Thursday of each month. Please subscribe to the channel, “like” the video, and, most importantly, leave a quick comment on the episodes when they’re released. This will help YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify algorithms know to recommend our content to more viewers.
Don’t forget that when you join Influence Women, you also need to become a member of a local chapter on the “community” page on the website. You can leave a note about your recent work, look for a job or place to live, ask an industry professional question, and communicate with members in that city. It’s our private social “netweaving” page!
Our heart is to empower creatives like you to shift culture. Help us expand our reach and voice. Help us communicate Hope to “others.”
We can’t thank you enough for your prayers, time, service, and friendship. As the rush of the Christmas season begins and you reflect on your end-of-year giving, we welcome you to consider a financial donation to The Influence Lab and Influence Women—influencelab.com or influencewomen.org so that we can continue to empower a community of creative artists who want to transform the media to reflect the mind and heart of God.
Now, to God, we give the glory for the great work He has done and will do in 2025!
With the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, one of the most significant ways to counter Russia’s aggression is from within. That’s why The Influence Lab is excited to announce a new Russian translation of Phil Cooke’s book, Ideas on a Deadline—How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking. The book strengthens pastors and churches by sparking creative ways to share the gospel across Russia.
Sergey helped spearhead the translation of Phil Cooke’s “Maximize Your Influence.”
A project spearheaded by our friend and publisher, Sergey Martyunichev, the translation work is complete and the manuscript has been sent to the printers. Ideas on a Deadline equips Christian communicators and creatives with proven techniques to boost creativity—a necessary component to effective outreach and evangelism in the digital age. It will be a prime resource for Russian pastors and ministry leaders to design a creative culture within their teams.
“Phil Cooke’s books have become reference books for people of influence in our country. He is known in Russia as an author who reveals the practical side of life in church ministry and the marketplace.”
At The Influence Lab, we’re empowering the church to transform culture through media. As an extension of our mission, we’re pleased to present Ideas on a Deadline—How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking to our Christian brothers and sisters in Russia.
Your support can help us strengthen the church in Russia. Will you partner with us in bringing this translation project to life? Your financial support of The Influence Lab helps us with ongoing projects like translation projects and training opportunities worldwide. Give your gift here.
Special offer! Give a gift – get a book as our “thank you” for your partnership. Find out more here.
THANK YOU, INFLUENCE LAB PARTNERS!
Thank you for helping strengthen pastors by sparking creative ways to share the gospel across Russia. (Phil and Kathleen pictured with key people in the Russian translation projects.)
Prayer is a critical part of the mission at The Influence Lab and Influence Women. This month, Kathleen Cooke, co-founder of Influence Lab and global director of Influence Women, was invited to pray at the She Leads America Election Day National Prayer event. Joining 85 of the She Leads America honorees, including Dr. Alveda King; Ginger Howard, Former Republican National Committeewoman for Georgia; and Eve Nunez, the Vice President of Networking for National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; she was honored to be a featured prayer leader.
The event gathered leading women together online for early morning prayer to lift up the United States as the polls opened nationwide. As an honoree of She Leads America, Kathleen prayed for professionals in the media industries within the U.S. to exercise their civil liberties and vote.
“Leadership matters, and leaders supporting leaders turn the dial.” —Kathleen Cooke
Liz Doyle, founder and executive director of She Leads America, reports, “We took off our shoes because each spot we were praying from was ‘holy ground’ as we petitioned the commander of the Lord’s army for the sake of our nation.”
In 2022, Kathleen received the She Leads America Award and a Certificate of Congressional Record for her outstanding work in the media and entertainment industry at a ceremony held in Washington, DC. This year, on special invitation, she joined 50 nationally recognized women of distinction from the U.S. and U.K. at Windsor Castle to explore faith-based solutions to counterbalance the attack on biblical values within both cultures.
Kathleen believes “Leadership matters, and leaders supporting leaders turn the dial.” Her leadership talent is what has helped expand Influence Women into major film and television production hubs in the U.S. Dedicated to seeing Christian women take their place as faith-filled leaders influencing media and the arts, chapters can now be found in Hollywood, Orange County, California; Atlanta, Nashville, Baton Rouge, Houston and Dallas.
Pray for The Influence Lab and Influence Women! Partner with us in prayer as we equip pastors and leaders around the world in digital and media strategies to share the gospel effectively.
Partner with us financially! Support the work—make a difference! Media is a powerful way to affect change. Add your gift to support the mission here.
How creative are you in sharing the gospel? Missions have changed in the digital age. Being creative and using innovative strategies can help us reach more people more effectively!
While our Influence Lab team was in Ghana, West Africa,they visited a remote village to see outreach in action using a media strategy that was unique for this people group. In this video, you’ll see a Bible Listening Group facilitated by TheoVision International that offers illiterate villagers an opportunity to hear the Bible in their own language, discuss what they’ve heard, and then explore ways to practically apply scripture to their daily lives.
Watch Phil’s report and consider a new way of thinking about missions!
The need truly is great in countries like Ghana and other nations around the world for media training. What we take for granted in the United States in the way of teaching and training on current media and digital strategies, the pastors and Christian communicators in other countries hunger and thirst for.
That’s where the Influence Lab steps in. We bring the training and inspiration that these leaders need to reach their nations for Christ in current and effective ways. And that’s where YOU step in.
When you support The Influence Lab, you support the mission to train pastors, leaders and Christian communicators in emerging media and digital strategies to effectively communicate the gospel. Want to help?Click here to give your gift today!
SPECIAL OFFER!Give a gift today and get Phil’s new book, “Church on Trial” as our thank you. Partner with the Influence Lab here.
Thank you, Influence Lab Partners!Together, we are transforming cultures through media.
Influence Lab co-founders Phil and Kathleen Cooke and a team of media experts traveled to Ghana in August to conduct 3-days of intensive media training in the capital city. The media summit was attended by leaders from across West Africa.
