Known for its Mediterranean climate, beautiful coastlands and rich ancient history, Athens, Greece will be the meeting place for Kingdom-minded leaders this March as pastors and marketplace leaders gather for an invitation-only global conference. Phil Cooke has been asked to speak at this influential gathering.
As we’ve seen in the news with recent scandals, a crisis can destroy a ministry or organization. Phil’s book offers these international pastors and business leaders the insight and information they need to create a culture within their organization to avoid a crisis – and if one does occur – the wisdom and tools to navigate through it appropriately and positively.
As Phil is oft-quoted, “A crisis does not have to break your church. Rather, it can be an opportunity to strengthen your church or organization to weather the storms.”
Although we can’t share the names of the businesses and ministries that will be represented at the meetings in Greece, these are names you know and high-profile businesses you would be familiar with. As Christian leaders, they have a long-standing track record of integrity and positive impact; many of them are on first-name basis with Phil and Kathleen Cooke from years of interaction and relationship.
“A crisis does not have to break your church…” -Phil Cooke
Can you help cover the expenses of this trip? You can have a far-reaching impact when you support the mission of The Influence Lab and particularly this unique opportunity to strengthen pastors and marketplace leaders.
Your partnership makes a difference! Give your generous gift here.
What leaders are saying about Phil’s book “Church on Trial” (and why it’s so important to share his message with pastors and marketplace leaders in Greece): “We live in a time of increased confusion and chaos, and Phil Cooke’s latest playbook is an excellent guide to navigating a crisis.” —Caltha Seymour, Global Business Development Leader, Eaton Corporation
“Every church, ministry, and believer must read this—particularly in light of the times we are in, as we seek to live lives worthy of the Lord’s calling.” —Jacinta Tegman, CEO – The Crista Family of Ministries
“Anyone who’s committed to fulfilling the Great Commission should have this book.” —Commissioners Ken and Jolene Hodder, USA National Leaders, The Salvation Army
“This book will make you think and save your life and those of other leaders you love.” —Sam Chand, Leadership Consultant, Avail Leadership
Join us in this unique opportunity. Partner with The Influence Lab here.
P.S. The 2025 calendar is filling up with invitations to Peru, London and Russia. Your gifts have a worldwide impact. Give your gift today! Special offer: Partner with The Influence Lab today and we’ll send you one of Phil’s book as a special “thank you.” Find out more here.
Did you know The Influence Lab is celebrating over a decade of ministry! Over ten years of “empowering the church to transform culture through media” in countries including Egypt, India, Russia, South Africa, Ghana, Spain, and so many more… while also creating a pathway for Christian influence in media and entertainment through Influence Women.
As we close out 2024, it’s AMAZING to see what God has done! Here’s a very quick recap… with VERY BIG THANKS to our Influence Lab Partners.
Pastors and leaders in other countries appreciate the training in media and digital strategies that will help them share the gospel effectively.
Eastern Europe Media Trainings – Spain The year started off with meetings in Madrid, gathering with over 300 influential Christian and marketplace leaders from around the world. Then, Phil and Kathleen traveled to Valencia to conduct three days of meetings and teachings.
The attendees were from countries that included France, Spain, Finland, Romania, and Albania, with influential leaders from Christian radio networks, TV stations, and relief organizations working in Ukraine. Read the full report here.
Cyprus – Christian Media Outreach in the Muslim World “The place where the Apostle Paul and Barnabas preached 2,000 years ago is becoming a launching pad for reaching the Middle East and North Africa with the gospel.” —Phil Cooke, Co-Founder – The Influence Lab
In April, Phil and Kathleen Cooke met with media leaders working in the Muslim world in a confidential gathering. Representing countries like Cyprus, Lebanon, Egypt and Morocco, the invitation-only gathering included leaders from SAT-7, a satellite network focused on the Middle East and North Africa, along with program producers, animators, and Christian educators from other nations – all producing Christian programming and resources for Arab and Persian audiences. Read the full report here.
West Africa – Church Media Summit 2024
Pastors and media professionals from across West Africa attended the 3-day summit in Accra, Ghana.
Almost 300 pastors, media teams, communications directors and TV/Film producers attended the 3-day summit from multiple nations across West Africa. Hosted by TheoVision International in Accra, Ghana, the summit was geared “to sharpen the skills of Christian content producers in Africa so they can creatively use new media forms to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” explains Philip Asare, the executive vice president of the ministry. Read the report here.
Translations Impact Russia from Within Now in Russian! Ideas on a Deadline The Russian translation of Phil Cooke’s book Ideas on a Deadline is strengthening churches in Russia by sparking creative ways to share the gospel, no matter government restrictions or limitations. Read more here.
Sergey shares news of continuing impact of the Russian translation.
Sergey, our friend and publisher in Russia reports, “For two years we give them your book and the feedback we get is fantastic. Thank you for your contribution.”
But wait… there’s more!
Online Masterclasses from The Influence Lab In an effort to reach pastors and leaders worldwide, The Influence Lab is now offering online masterclasses. Available in the U.S. and internationally, the classes offer yet another way to equip pastors and leaders with digital and media strategies to be most effective where they are at.
New masterclasses extend the reach of The Influence Lab online.
New! Ideas on a Deadline Masterclass with Phil Cooke Based on Phil’s book, Ideas on a Deadline—How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking, this masterclass with help you break through in your creativity to deliver great ideas when you need them most. Start your creative journey here.
Influence Women 2024 – A Year of Expansion and Impact in Media 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. Read the full 2024 report here.
The Lord has created new opportunities for 2025!
2025 and New Opportunities for The Influence Lab The Lord continues to create opportunities as we look to 2025. What we take for granted in the United States in the way of teaching and training on current media and digital strategies, pastors and Christian communicators in other nations hunger and thirst for.
The invitations are already coming in. Greece, Peru, London, and Russia are penciled in on our schedules for 2025, and we are asking friends and partners to consider a special year-end gift towards these training opportunities.
Your generous gift impacts NATIONS and CULTURES as we train pastors and Christian communicators in digital strategies that transcend limitations faced by government or geographical challenges.
Give your year-end gift today. It’s a powerful way to sow into the new year!
Thank you for your partnership! Special offer: Give your generous gift today and receive one of Phil’s books as our “ thank you” for your support. Get details here.
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!
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.
