The Sisterhood

Houston (I’ll Have What She’s Having), cofounder and senior pastor of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, recounts the birth and growth of the Colour Sisterhood and Colour Conference, a women’s Christian ministry and movement. The book is both memoir and manifesto, combining personal anecdotes about the development of Houston’s women’s initiative and spiritual reflections on femininity and women’s place within the church and world. Houston is forthright about the self-doubts and struggles she has faced throughout the movement’s history, and candid about the tremendous amount of work that has gone into its development. She traces how Colour Sisterhood has evolved over the years, noting its increased focus on humanitarian issues such as female genital mutilation. “The invitation was always to place value upon womanhood, in order that she can arise and place value upon humanity,” she writes. “Never underestimate the wonder of what risen women can do when merely believed in.” Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Colour Conference, Houston provides a behind-the-scenes look at what has become a signature annual event and powerful ministry that attracts tens of thousands of women from around the world. (May)