In the second half of 2015, I was with one of my best friends, shopping and discussing the spiritual climate of the nation. One of the things weighing most heavily on my mind was a statistic I’d heard about how many Christians did not vote in the last election—39 million!
As we talked, we knew we had to do something. What if we could mobilize Christian women to turn up to the polls in record numbers? What if we could inject a little fun into politics? I was trying on a pair of cute red shoes when the light bulb went on, and Red Shoe Votes was born.
My husband, Mike, and I have been leading a prayer and prophetic ministry for the last 30 years, and we’ve never really waded too far into political waters. But so many of us are deeply concerned about what is happening in the United States, and I knew—comfortable territory or not—we needed to do our part.
We have led and participated in many prayer efforts for the nation, and we will continue to do so. But there is also a time to take action at a higher level—consider it a prophetic act! If we want to reform nations, we must be educated and engaged citizens in our nations.
Voting is one of the most basic and important rights we have, especially as women. The fight for women’s suffrage was long and hard; many were jailed, beaten and ridiculed. Still, they fought. As a matter of fact, it hasn’t even been quite 100 years since the right to vote was given to women nationally!
If this right was precious enough for our predecessors to endure such a battle, shouldn’t we embrace it and treasure it?
As Christian women, we are strategically positioned to speak to a wide array of issues, from things that impact the family and home to broader matters of social justice that impact our communities, cities and states. We bring unique perspective into all major aspects of culture, including government, business, arts and entertainment, and education. We want to see these areas standing on the firm foundation of biblical truth.
We are asking our sisters in Christ across the nation to do three things:
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Get five friends to pledge to vote too.
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Buy some red shoes and wear them to the polls!
When you pledge your voice and wear your red shoes, you are joining an army of women, fueled by love and committed to justice, willing to speak boldly for truth, life and compassion.
The nation is at a critical crossroads, and we need to make our voices heard about the things that matter to us. We want political candidates to know that we are a force to be reckoned with and that we will keep them accountable once they are in office to continue representing the interests we elected them to uphold.
I encourage you to read and share our Women’s Manifesto as we seek to communicate what our values really look like. Throw a House Party to get your friends talking about how you can make a difference in your communities, or set up an information table at your church or conference. As leaders, commit to using your influence to encourage others to vote.
I know the political landscape is looking a little crazy these days, but there is so much at stake—over 400 Congressional seats, 5,000 state seats and 11,000 county and local seats will be decided on in November. If we will all do our part, we can impact our nation in an incredible way! (And get some new shoes at the same time!)
Every voice matters. Don’t be silent.
