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.
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.)
Available now! It’s been a whirlwind year for The Influence Lab as we impact culture through media… but there’s more on the horizon in 2024! Launching today, October 8, 2024, Phil Cooke presents a new online masterclass.
Church on Trial – Crisis Management Masterclass with Phil Cooke The digital age, and especially social media has put extra pressure on churches around the world. It’s not if a crisis will happen—it’s when—and the way a crisis is managed can make or break a church or ministry organization.
Announcing Phil Cooke’s new masterclass! Church on Trial – Crisis Management Masterclass with Phil Cooke is a new online course that offers pastors and leaders the insight they need to avoid a crisis plus equips them with the skills to navigate a crisis if it comes.
Phil shares, “I never imagined being involved in ‘crisis communication,’ but as the years went by, I saw the importance of helping churches and organizations survive a crisis—particularly when the crisis wasn’t their fault.”
The new masterclass puts the opportunity to gain crisis management skills in the hands of pastors, board members, elders, and ministry leaders in the U.S. and around the world.
“For the most part, seminaries, bible schools, and universities don’t train church or nonprofit leaders in crisis communication or media strategy,” Phil adds. “While we all hope that we never have to face a crisis—if one does happen, this masterclass will equip pastors and leadership teams to respond to a crisis thoughtfully, appropriately, and positively.”
This is something Phil has never done before and we’re excited about the opportunity for uplifting pastors and leaders in this new way. Available now! Get more information and sign up today at PhilCooke.com/Masterclass.
GROUP RATES AVAILABLE! Is your team prepared for a crisis? The more people you have on board, the better off you will be to weather the storm of any crisis. Contact us at masterclass@philcooke.com to find out about group rates and special group perks!
*Special bulk pricing!Many pastors and denominational leaders are buying in bulk to share Church on Trial with their teams. Contact us to find out about special pricing for a case of 32 books for your staff, elders, and other key leaders.
“A crisis does not have to break your church. Rather, it can be an opportunity to strengthen your church to weather the storms.” —Phil Cooke
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.
