Hope becomes operational through the daily-refreshed conviction that nothing that happens escapes the gaze of God. (emphasis mine)Gordon MacDonald ~ Beyond Pessimism or Optimism - Leading in these times requires something more.
...
In such times God distills the faith of hopeful people. He means to squeeze some of the craziness that has entered the world of organized religion and return us to the simplicity of following Jesus and growing in his character.
God intends to reduce the attachment of hopeful people to material wealth, to
the tendency to think that everything rises and falls on being prosperous and
financially secure. God intends to make hopeful people rethink their attraction
to bigness, to slickness, to a show-business approach to ministry.
God intends to remind hopeful people that loving, serving, and generous giving are the primary markers of genuine faith.
God intends to awaken hopeful people to the suffering of a larger part of the world's population that we have all too easily ignored.
In short, God intends that hopeful people put everything on the table and ask
once again: What is at the core of the real Christian gospel that we may have
forgotten during the days of prosperity?
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Hope because of WHO we worship
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
new favourite quote
"For most people it’s not enough to want to play follow the leader. I want somebody who will involve me. I think great leadership is a collaborative effort. I think vision is a team sport. And I think collaboration is not abdication but it’s involving everybody in the circle to hear what they’re thinking and to let them contribute to the shaping of a vision and the moving forward."
Nancy Ortberg
Nancy Ortberg
Thursday, 12 June 2008
lead yourself out of a job
"Where and how do we educate, train, and inspire leaders capable of influencing others for the sake of Jesus Christ?
...
New leaders don't just happen
...
... leadership development is not a program. It is about strong relationships in which people grow to be what God designed them to be. Sort of like what Jesus made happen when he selected 12 learners to be with him. Twelve guys in whom he—and he only—saw leadership (or influence) potential.
...
"We'll try to tell you everything we've learned about following Jesus, hearing his call, discovering our individual giftedness, and what it means to grow in biblically-defined character," we said. "We'll tell you whatever we've learned about influencing people.
...
In the 19th century an Englishman, A. B. Bruce, wrote a book, The Training of the Twelve, in which he tried to trace the curriculum Jesus followed. I recommend his book. But I warn you: it's no easy read.
...
At the midpoint of each year, every LDI person learns to write his or her story. For each this is a gigantic challenge: to chronicle the flow of one's life-journey (its triumphs and its testings), aware of the patterns of God's involvement in life.
For some this exercise is a piece of cake; for others it's something like a lifetime achievement. At some point, each group member gets the opportunity to read his/her story. Gail and I are first readers to set the pattern. And as we do, we leave very little out so as to demonstrate what vulnerability and transparency look like, where God shakes things up and orders our paths.
After listening to stories for many years, I can tell you this: almost without exception, every person's story is marked with pockets of deep, deep sadness and tragedy. Lots of stuff that never gets surfaced in the course of normal church life.
The result of story-telling? A growing bondedness that beats anything I've ever seen in larger church-life. A love, a caring, a level of friendship that could never have happened without the telling of stories.
After every story, there are questions and conversation. Finally, the storyteller of the evening is invited to the center of the room where, surrounded by the others, who lay hands upon that person, there follows about 30 minutes of the most moving praying I've ever heard. Many learn how to pray with power during those prayer times.
...
I should have insisted that something like LDI be in my job description: that 20 percent of my pastoral time each year be invested in 15-20 people. Let someone else do the committee work. Give me a dozen or so people each year (well, give them to Gail and me), and we'll pour whatever we've got into them."
~ Gordon MacDonald "Ministry's Sweet Spot"
...
New leaders don't just happen
...
... leadership development is not a program. It is about strong relationships in which people grow to be what God designed them to be. Sort of like what Jesus made happen when he selected 12 learners to be with him. Twelve guys in whom he—and he only—saw leadership (or influence) potential.
...
"We'll try to tell you everything we've learned about following Jesus, hearing his call, discovering our individual giftedness, and what it means to grow in biblically-defined character," we said. "We'll tell you whatever we've learned about influencing people.
...
In the 19th century an Englishman, A. B. Bruce, wrote a book, The Training of the Twelve, in which he tried to trace the curriculum Jesus followed. I recommend his book. But I warn you: it's no easy read.
...
At the midpoint of each year, every LDI person learns to write his or her story. For each this is a gigantic challenge: to chronicle the flow of one's life-journey (its triumphs and its testings), aware of the patterns of God's involvement in life.
For some this exercise is a piece of cake; for others it's something like a lifetime achievement. At some point, each group member gets the opportunity to read his/her story. Gail and I are first readers to set the pattern. And as we do, we leave very little out so as to demonstrate what vulnerability and transparency look like, where God shakes things up and orders our paths.
After listening to stories for many years, I can tell you this: almost without exception, every person's story is marked with pockets of deep, deep sadness and tragedy. Lots of stuff that never gets surfaced in the course of normal church life.
The result of story-telling? A growing bondedness that beats anything I've ever seen in larger church-life. A love, a caring, a level of friendship that could never have happened without the telling of stories.
After every story, there are questions and conversation. Finally, the storyteller of the evening is invited to the center of the room where, surrounded by the others, who lay hands upon that person, there follows about 30 minutes of the most moving praying I've ever heard. Many learn how to pray with power during those prayer times.
...
I should have insisted that something like LDI be in my job description: that 20 percent of my pastoral time each year be invested in 15-20 people. Let someone else do the committee work. Give me a dozen or so people each year (well, give them to Gail and me), and we'll pour whatever we've got into them."
~ Gordon MacDonald "Ministry's Sweet Spot"
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