Cece Winans Focuses On Empowering Youth

At a time when scantily clad female socialites are powerful enough to influence everything from pop music to presidential elections, it can be difficult to tout the virtues of a lower hemline and a life of purity. But for gospel vocalist CeCe Winans, a multiple Grammy and Dove award winner, it is a passion — and a responsibility she takes seriously. “I have to teach people what I know worked for me. I’m responsible. But what they poured into me, how they blessed my life — the older generation — now that I’m a part of ‘the older generation,’ it’s my responsibility to pour into the generation that’s come after me.”

In 2005, Winans launched her first annual “Always Sisters” Conference in Nashville, Tenn. The conference targets women aged 13-26 with seminars like “The Power of a Princess.” Invited guests have included Whitney Houston and Maya Angelou.

The first conference hosted 600 young women. The 2007 conference drew well over 3,000 for two days of teaching on teenage pregnancy, building self-esteem and dating. This year’s conference had to be rescheduled, but they were planning to accommodate 5,000.

Winans current dream is to take the conferences across the country. She recently held a Q&A session for teens throughout the New York City area at Brooklyn Tabernacle Church.

“It’s about saving our youth. … A lot of our youth don’t understand their value. They just accept the lies that the enemy has told them about their worth, about what they can accomplish and about what they should settle for,” Winans said. “I’m fired up about firing up young people to understand their power and their worth.”

Continue reading article at SOURCE: www.freep.com