The Academy is an extension of Ruah + Ember

A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER, Laura Dudek

The story of Ruah + Ember has been written over years of wholehearted pursuit of Jesus. It was meticulously crafted over countless seasons and life experiences, each one building a piece of the heart and soul of R+E. Being raised in the church, I’ve given my entire life to the Bride of Christ. Honestly speaking, when I was first called into ministry at the age of 19, I never dreamed of creating such a beautiful movement like this one. What I did know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was that God had called me to create something profoundly transformative for leaders like me. There was a deep sense in my very bones that I was called to raise up budding leaders who were dying on the vine within the walls of the church to embolden and empower them in ways that I personally had never experienced. In my own journey, I rarely felt like I belonged in the church for who I was- a leader who happened to be a woman. I continually felt pushed to the side, reduced, and neglected. For years, I felt this hunger to learn, grow and serve more, but was met with opposition commanding to accept the status quo for a system in which I was entrenched.

Years longing for a place to be deeply discipled for who I was: a Christian woman leader.

This tension only fueled my growing desire to fulfill my mission. My hunger to know God on a deeper level than I had ever experienced before was both satisfied and enhanced in seminary. In those five years, I began to understand the unique capacity that women and men carry within the Kingdom of God, and further understand the greater picture of my personal call. Without being able to articulate it at the time, the Lord had planted a stirring of apostolic vision- a deep passion to revive the very ways we had empowered leaders in the church. Now years down the road, Ruah + Ember is the culmination of this vision. It’s the movement that has been stirring in my spirit since I was 19. It’s the home where we can take a deep breath, be spiritually equipped, and deeply discipled. It’s the place where leaders can pilot their calls and step into their God-given purposes. My prayer is that ministry is established on the very heart of God and biblical truth to empower saints in their Kingdom identity. May God breathe the breath of life over every saint in this community to spark revival in their story, to ultimately bring His Kingdom into every place she steps foot. This is the place for leaders rise.
Let's rise, leader.