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The #InHERitance Project: Capturing your stories of the women who shape us
Are you on the lookout for ways to engage your community in story-telling about inspirational women in their lives? Then check out our #InHERitance project, using art, story and people to illustrate our rich heritage of women who have helped shape our leadership, faith and lives. Freely printable posters, testimony and ideas for how to illustrate your own #InHERitance project below!
'I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.' - 2 Timothy 1:5
Our #InHERitance project debuted over a weekend in July at The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa's More Conference for youth and children's leaders. Salvationists and staff from around the country were invited to sit and tell their stories of women whose sincere faith and leadership had shaped their lives. While each person talked, their stories were captured by text by Mission Leader Rosy Keane, while our young Salvationist artist Crystal Anniss illustrated elements of their story.
Inspiration for #InHERitance
Rosy explains that the idea for #InHERitance was inspired by the women celebrated in 2 Timothy 1:5, 'I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.'
'I thought, it's always such a gem to find women in the Bible named, seen and celebrated. This is significant and shows how these women contributed to Timothy's whakapapa (lineage, family tree, history) of faith. I wanted us to reflect on the women in our own lives, telling our stories and finding the beauty and realness of that same whakapapa in our movement,' she said. 'This is the mahi (work) of The Salvation Army. Recognising the inherent dignity, worth and courage of those who have come before and sowed and invested into our lives so faithfully, so we might better recognise those same gifts in ourselves and others in the present-day.'
'The beautiful illustrations now stand as a testimony to the invaluable heritage that we the people of the Salvation Army, and the world, have.'
Printing #InHERitance
We've made the illustrations available as gorgeous posters, freely printable at the bottom of the page. The stories of each testimony are printable, recorded verbatim from participants. Why not print the #InHERitance pictures and put them up in a gallery-like setting, prayer room or as points of discussion in your community?
These illustrations are also available to view on Facebook in an album here, with the stories posted in the captions. Read them, share them and be inspired!
Try a version of #InHERitance in your community
Do you love this idea? Want to try a version of the #InHERitance project of your own? Then check out our suggestions for creating a space wheere people are prepared to share their own stories of women of influence!
- Set up: Set up a comfortable chair for the participants, with a seat for yourself (the person hosting the space). Have writing tools, a phone or a computer ready for faster transcribing. You can also record audio on your phone to transcribe later.
- Inspire: Explain the concept of #InHERitance to the person seated. #InHERitance is a way to showcase and celebrate the women of influence who have shaped our life, leadership and faith. #InHERitance is inspired by the commendation of women Paul points to in the Bible: 'I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.' - 2 Timothy 1:5
- Listen and record: Let the participants talk freely, recording their words and not interrupting. Once they get going, you will find many wonderful influences come to mind unexpectedly!
- Illustrate: If you have artists, doodlers, painters or poets - have them sit in and live illustrate their own version of the stories. This could be one piece for your whole community or individuals. This part takes the most time, so consider paying and/or offering a koha (gift, donation) to your artists for their valuable ministry.
- Showcase: Think of a way to present these testimonies of faith in a creative way! This could be ideas like hosting a gallery in a hallway, publishing a Facebook album, having a testimony time at church or printing out the results for a meeting.
