Subject: The AWL Luncheon is returning!

September 2022 | Issue 49

How do leaders maximize strengths and manage weaknesses?

“As leaders, especially Christian leaders, God has literally handed us the keys to be able to impact destinies,” says Leah JM Dean, executive coach, author and speaker.

Dean will be the featured speaker at the next Adventist Women Leaders Luncheon, to be held Jan. 11, 2023, in Greensboro, N.C. The event will be held in conjunction with the North American Division Adventist Ministries Convention. This in-person event is part of the organization’s response to member requests for more mentoring, coaching, tools and resources.

About the

Luncheon

Early bird registration will begin in October. Participants in the luncheon will complete a StrengthFinders assessment in advance and receive an in-depth, personalized report. During the luncheon, Leah JM Dean will facilitate discussion and activities about your results and provide tips and tools to help you maximize your leadership potential.

Dean, a Seventh-day Adventist who hails from Bermuda, spent 20 years working in Human Resources, including for global corporations, before opening her consulting firm, Conduit International Ltd.

“To be a great leader, we first have to believe in our value. That we are designed for a unique purpose and that our daily decisions, actions, and conversations that we have can impact lives for years to come,” Dean says. "Leadership is not about knowing it all and doing it all, it's about allowing God to help us be conduits to unleash the greatness in others."

Her workshop during the luncheon will focus on leveraging strengths to maximize your leadership. The goal is to share personalized insights on how to use your natural talents and manage potential weaknesses.

The luncheon is designed for women who serve as

“To be a great leader, we first have to believe in our value.”

presidents, administrators, department directors, associates and assistants, and ministry leaders of Adventist organizations.

"Leah Dean is amazing," says Brenda Dickerson, Communication director for the Mid-America Union and a member of the AWL Committee, which is planning the luncheon. "I learned so much from her presentation during the Virtual Mentor Series and I can't wait to learn more and be encouraged and inspired toward better leadership during the luncheon in January."

AWL held its first luncheon in conjunction with the 2019 Adventist Ministries Convention in Albuquerque, N.M. The inaugural event was attended by more than 90 women.

One attendee had this to say: “Thank you so much for doing this. It opened my eyes about how to relate better to the people I work with and has given me tools that I can use to improve in my leadership. I’m so glad I came!”

AWL founder and director Celeste Ryan Blyden said so many women asked when the next luncheon would occur.

"We're so happy to be able to offer another opportunity for women to come together to network, fellowship and talk about how to maximize our leadership potential for God's glory," says Blyden, executive secretary of the Columbia Union.

— Michele Joseph, managing editor, Adventist Women Leaders newsletter

Virtual Mentor Series Available for Viewing

If you attended the Virtual Mentor Series events and wished you could view them again or if you missed any of the speakers, you can now watch all of them on the AWL website.

The entire series has been posted for your convenience. Watch and share them with friends. Visit adventistwomenleaders.com/resources or click the link below.

Dr. Ella Simmons — Navigating Leadership (and the essentials of chairing a board)
Dr. Heather Crews — Managing Your Time and Energy
Dr. Gina Creek — The Art of Decision-Making
Leah JM Dean — Assemble Your Tribe

Watch the Virtual Mentor Series Now

— Michele Joseph, managing editor, Adventist Women Leaders newsletter

"How you think is your reality. What you believe shapes who you are. Who you believe you are shapes everything you do ... Our thoughts are creating our minds, our bodies, and our well being."

— Robyn Wilkerson, author of Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling

You can find quotes like this and so much more on AWL's Facebook page.

Celebrate the Achievements of Women Leaders

The following women were recently elected or re-elected:

General Conference

Audrey Andersson, general vice president
Karen Porter, associate secretary and co-director of International Personnel Resources and Services
Daisy Orion, associate treasurer
Orathai Chureson, Children's Ministries director
Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, Education director
Elaine Oliver, Family Ministries associate director
Robin Kajiura, GCAS (General Conference Auditing Services) director
C. Maurine Wahlen, GCAS associate director
Sandra Grice, GCAS associate director for the Trans Euro-Asia area
JoJean Birth, GCAS associate director for the North America area
Katia Reinert, Health Ministries associate director
Aurora Canals, Ministerial Association associate secretary for Pastoral Spouses and Families
Jennifer Woods, PARL (Public Relations and Religious Liberties) associate director
Heather-Dawn Small, Women's Ministries director
Nilde Itin, Women's Ministries associate director

Atlantic Union

Marlene Alvarez, Education director
Theresa Robidouz, Education associate director

Lake Region Conference

Yolanda Stonewall, chief financial officer and treasurer
Debra Davis-Moody, Adventist Community Services director
Darlene Thomas, Adult Ministries director
JeNean Lendor, Communication director
Janelle Strong, Children's Ministries director
Beverly Sedlacek, Family Ministries co-director
Christina Wells, Health Ministries director
Tricia Payne, Women's Ministries director

South Central Conference

Sonja Crayton, chief financial officer
Barbara Barnes, Adventist Community Services co-director
Lillie Buckingham, Adventist Community Services co-director
Summer Woods, Education director

Let’s celebrate God’s work and blessings in the lives of Adventist Women Leaders. Please share links to articles and social media posts announcing promotions, honors and achievements that we can share in this newsletter. Email info to connect@adventistwomenleaders.com.

Meditations

"The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.' "

— Jeremiah 1:4-5, NIV

AWL's Prayer Circle

Peggy Glass

Adventist Book Center Director

Kansas-Nebraska Conference
Topeka, KS

pkglass@ks-ne.org

Denisse Hernandez

Business Office Manager and FCC Compliance Director

WGTS

Rockville, MD

denisse@wgts919.com

Visit Us on Instagram & Facebook

AWL is now on Instagram and Facebook. Like, subscribe and share your advice. Enjoy our Women's History Month tributes to early Adventist women leaders, encouragement from powerful quotes and beautiful reminders of God's special gift — the Sabbath.

Visit Our Website

Our website offers resources, news, links to Flourish podcasts, newsletter archives and will promote upcoming events. Stop by the website to view new content and share the URL with friends.

CONNECT WITH AWL AND INVITE A FRIEND!

AWL is a community of women affirming, encouraging and celebrating God's goodness to those He has called to lead.

AWL Committee: Wendy Eberhardt, chair; Celeste Ryan Blyden, founder/director; Brenda Dickerson, Carolyn R. Forrest, Ann Roda and Michele Joseph, communication manager

Click to read past AWL newsletter editions.

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