History of SSFI
Why Step Forward?
In 2014, Elaine started out with a simple mission – serve God and serve others. Having recently wrestled with God and her faith (Genesis 32:22-32), she began to focus on finding her life’s true God-ordained purpose. In 2016, Elaine established Transforming Love Ministries to empower everyday women (like herself) to chase God-sized dreams. What she discovered is that God’s call on her life was to motivate other women to not only reach for the dreams God had placed on their hearts, but to encourage, inspire, and mentor them that God wanted to expand their visions beyond what they could see (2 Corinthians 5:7). She believes she is watching God begin to raise up the next generation of female entrepreneurs and leaders that will carry out His work.
In 2019, She Steps Forward began as a small, community-focused conference. The thought behind the conference was to simply build a meeting ground for women who wanted to share the vision God had placed on their hearts and be supported in moving forward with those visions. The conference was also designed to provide an open platform to women who had already stepped forward with their God-sized dream and were willing to share with other women their faith and the inner workings of how they built their businesses, ministries, and nonprofits. Through this synergistic effort, Elaine hoped that others would be encouraged that anything is possible with God (Matthew 19:26).
At the launch of She Steps Forward, God proved faithful and this small, United States-based, grassroots effort immediately took on an international calling. In 2020, God opened the doors for the first She Steps Forward Africa conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Starting with a successful one-day conference attended by 60 women from five different countries in Africa, the flame has been stoked overseas. Elaine is humbled to work with women from all over Africa that are ready to step into their destinies. But God didn’t stop there. While in Kenya, God also placed in her sights several different community outreaches, being led by strong, faith-filled African women just trying to make their communities better. She Steps Forward is proud to have an ongoing partnership with these organizations, improving the lives of African women and children in Kenya.
In mid-2020, God then widen Elaine’s vision and led her to establish She Steps Forward International as a nonprofit so the work here in the States and in Africa could continue. While She Steps Forward Ministries (formerly Transforming Love Ministries), our sister organization, works to empower everyday women to chase their God-sized dreams, She Steps Forward International will work to equip everyday women to fulfill their God-given destinies. And by the way, Elaine doesn’t just promote the message God has given her; she lives it!
“If you would have told me back in 2014 what God was about to do in my life, I would have looked at you in complete disbelief. But our God is an all-powerful, wonder working God who proves Himself faithful over and over even when we don’t deserve it. I promise if you are wrestling with a dream God has given you, all you really need to do is take that step forward and He will lead you into exactly what you were created for. And we are here to cheer you on, provide you with resources, and welcome you into a loving community of women just like you! Join us for the journey and watch what God will do!”
Always give without remembering and always receive without forgetting.
Helping Faith-Based Female Entrepreneurs
Help Their Communities
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