The Leader's Mindset

The pace of change today requires churches to follow one of two paths: Innovate or very quickly become irrelevant and ultimately ineffective in your core mission. The WCA hosted a webcast called, The Leader's Mindset — with Jim Mellado, Craig Terrill and Tom Lane, Executive Senior Pastor, Gateway Church. Below are a few follow up questions to continue the discussion.

What is one thing that stood out to you, challenged, or surprised you in Tom Lane’s stories about innovation at Gateway?

A key to innovation at Gateway has been the leaders’ willingness to empower others and support their ideas. How well would you estimate that you and the other leaders in your church, ministry, or organization do at empowering others? Do you have any empowerment success stories to share?

Tom emphasized the need for margin — both financial and personal. Without resources and creative energy available, it’s difficult to make innovation happen. How have you made margin for innovation in the past, or how would you like to in the future?

By: Erica Dekker
Content Team, WCA

$30 Billion to Love God & Love People

I have a nagging thought that I have an ongoing mind-wrestle with – one I think every church should answer. If through some innovation the church could find ways to impact more people and we could do it with less infrastructure (buildings, staff, programs)- would we do it?

Are we married to the form- Sunday service with as many people as possible coming or are we open to true innovation that addresses people where they are in the way that is most effective to conversion and growth?

Have we made Sunday church attendance a “sacred cow” or are we truly open to radical innovation to fulfill the great commission?

One practical point to contemplate: there are approximately 300,000 churches in America and the average annual church budget is $100,000. That’s $30 billion dollars a year. Every year. That’s more than the GDP of half the world’s countries. Could you imagine what “the church” could do with $30 billion a year to impact life transformation if strategically invested?

Instead of redundant infrastructures and ineffective weekend gatherings, imagine Christians trained and equipped to unleash $30 billion a year on the world to showcase love of God and love of people. Now that’s game-changing innovation.

It quickly moves the conversation from “is the church relevant” to “wow, the church is the hope of the world”. I know it’s contrarian enough to get a lot of stones thrown, but for those bold enough to engage the thought, I would love to hear some dialogue about what this could look like.

By: Mike

Mike Gogis is CFO at the WCA, an elder a Park Community Church, and a partner in The Aitreni Group, a social entrepreneurial venture focused on catalyzing the creation of social good in a variety of sectors by joining movements of influence with movements of justice.

The Hope of Romania

Romania. A country oppressed by former communist rule. Faith stifled by politically unjust systems. In 1989, Romania began its transition to democracy, but the effects of communism are still evident. In this soil, The Global Leadership Summit exists to serve pastors and cast a vision for what church can be. Each year, the content from The Global Leadership Summit is translated into 31 different languages and shared via videocast to thousands of leaders around the world. In 2008, Emanuel Dejeu attended the GLS in Romania. Below are his words.

“Last year the GLS was held for the first time in Romania and I attended the conference with few expectations. I must admit I was skeptical about a conference where you just watch the speakers recorded on DVD. Still, I went, praying that God would work in my heart. Once I arrived at the conference, the first message just hit me. Bill Hybels was talking about holy discontent.”

As the international expression of The GLS enters new regions of the world, countries often choose to show foundational Summit talks from past years about the vision of a church or what makes a leader tick. Holy Discontent is one of those talks. In it, Bill Hybels asks the question, “What can’t you stand? What righteous anger does the holy spirit stir up in you against some injustice in the world?” He then compels listeners to go out and do something to remedy this injustice they see, to be a solution to the problem.

“Holy Discontent was the message that broke me,” Dejeu continues. “But the final message about the hope of the world made me realize that God, who had called me in the ministry, had honored me beyond measure.”

“Despite the fact that I had been long considering to plant a new church, the messages helped me realize that this is the time. I left the conference, but I came back home with one of the most momentous decisions ever made in my ministry: to continue investing my life and energy in the Church, in a new project, by planting a new church in the most inhabited city of Romania, the capital of Bucharest. I have no idea what it will be like, but I know where I am headed.”

God working through leaders like Dejeu is truly the hope of the world. He responded courageously when God whispered to him through The GLS. What might God be whispering to you? Are you taking the time to listen?

By: Alex Scott
International Coordinator, WCA

What Will You Ask Terri Kelly?

Can you imagine working in a organization where there are no bosses? Where every person has the same title? Where you get to decide on which projects you will work? On which teams you will be a part? On which meetings you will attend? Can you imagine becoming a leader, not based on your title, but by your ability to gain the respect of your peers and to attract followers.?

Surely, such an organization could never get anything done. There would be no way such an organization could be productive - let alone make money or create cutting edge technologies. But W.L. Gore and Associates has done business in just this "latticed" fashion for 50 years, employing over 9,000 associates in 30 countries around the world, never having an unprofitable quarter AND producing an innovative range of diverse products including GORE-TEX material, life-saving cardiovascular devices and guitar strings.

The typical management structures of our churches and businesses tend to mirror the "ladder" management thinking of the prevailing culture. But for a moment, imagine the possibilities. Perhaps innovative companies like W.L. Gore can be models of a new way of management orientation. Or if nothing else, perhaps "out of the box" companies like W.L. Gore can just stretch our thinking and help us question our own assumptions.

In a few weeks, we’ll be taping an interview with Terri Kelly, President and CEO of W.L. Gore & Associates, which will be shown at this year’s Summit. Jim Mellado will interview Terri on location at the W.L. Gore facility. We would love your input to help shape the interview.

If you could ask Terri Kelly one question regarding her leadership and management style, what would you ask?

By: Corinne
Executive Producer for The Global Leadership Summit, WCA

A Thousand Answers

I’ve been fascinated to watch the growing ripple effect of A Thousand Questions, a video our team produced for The Leadership Summit 2008. It has now reached more than 100,000 hits on YouTube.

I think back to its simple beginnings as a poem in my word processor. I often pray with a pen and Moleskine journal in my hand, or at the keypad of my Mac. I freestyle out my thoughts to God, in a stream-of-consciousness flow. This keeps my prayers more honest, and my mind more focused. Sometimes the prayer comes out in rhythmic bursts that my friend Jay calls “rock poetry.” Expressing this way gets me out of my head and draws me into my heart and soul.

One morning two years ago, I sat down at the keys to pray. I was inspired by having spent a day with Gary Haugen and his team at International Justice Mission. At the same time, I was appalled at the mind-wrecking reality of the epidemic of the buying and selling of human beings on the planet. My typing fingers almost broke the keypad. I pounded out a pent-up torrent of questions and frustrations to God about the pain, corruption and injustice in the world.

My wife Corinne, the Exec Producer of The Global Leadership Summit, reminded me how common these questions are among struggling souls of every kind. She and I have worked together for years, along with a passionate and dedicated team, crafting the Summit experience. We wondered if this poem would be something others would connect with. How could we share it meaningfully?

Video producer Dave Schwarz helped Corinne and me take it the next step, working with us to put the poem into a dramatic context, inventing a main character and a visual story line. Soon we were surrounded by a small SWAT team of resourceful, gifted video zealots, and the piece was brought to startling life.

A Thousand Questions is the story of an Everyperson, a young, impressionable videographer on a quest. With a camera and a Mac, she collects thousands of images to piece together a sense of who God is and His purpose in creating the world. She travels far and wide, and brings her images back to her editing suite.

She sits down to review and compose her footage, and her idealism unravels. The cumulative images of a shattered, pain-riddled earth assault her lens and fill her computer screen. In a sickening insight, she comes to understand that we humans brashly and irresponsibly traded away our God-given paradise, opening the floodgates to all manner of violence, pestilence, and corruption. The combined effect leaves her disillusioned and breathless, and she can only whisper through tears,

why? Why? Why? WHY?

From there her journey takes her on a roller-coaster ride from fresh bursts of hope to troughs of despair and back again. Finally, on a rooftop above the city, she shouts her lungs out to the heavens. She rails against the contradiction of God’s loving nature versus the human agony she sees at every turn. She waits for His response....

I’m actually not going to tell you the response--I don’t want to spoil it for you in case you haven’t seen the video yet.

But if you do get a chance to watch it to the end, you’ll see and hear His answer--from the lips not of actors, but of real people. People who serve with sweat, heart and hope in International Justice Mission’s quest to rescue as many children as possible from the clutches of human slavery.

Or if you go to the comments section on the A Thousand Questions YouTube link, you’ll see it reinforced, in many languages--a similar response from real people moved and engaged in the conversation in many different countries of the world.

Since 2008 the video has been played in universities, church services, conferences and youth rallies—and God knows where else. I gratefully see His hand from start to finish. First he fueled my own questions and discontents, inviting me to let them fly freely onto the page. Then he called together a team to propel it onto the video screen. Then he revealed a vast landscape of others asking those same smoldering questions. Finally, we learned how many of those were willing to step forward with their own holy and beautiful answer.

What will your answer be?

by: Greg Ferguson
Writer/Idea Guy/Experience Crafter
The Global Leadership Summit, WCA

WCA link to DVD

Blank Pages

I believe in the life habit of journaling. Like anything else you do to take care of your self, this requires planning and effort. But sometimes, the words don't come, the thoughts are lost, and the page seems . . . well, blank. Below, I’ve posted a few ideas (from Write for Your Soul: The Whys and Hows of Journaling) for inspiration:

• Look back ("Yesterday I...")
• Record your dreams (Particularly recurring, troubling, or exciting dreams.)
• It you're bold, try to analyze them. (You may want to find a book on the topic.)
• Fun moments (Your birdie on the 18th hole!)
• Pray on paper ("Dear God...")
• What you're learning lately (insights, wisdom, mistakes)
• Work through decisions (write out pros and cons)
• Quotes or stories you want to remember (something you read or that a friend told you)
• Observations about how life works ("Malls instill a need for more. When I go there, I feel dissatisfied with what I have.")
• Precious moments (What your 3-year-old said to his baby brother)
• Scenes you want to keep with you (the incredible sunset over Lake Pleasant)
• Ideas or goals for the future ("Go whitewater rafting this summer.")
• Your values
• Mission statements (personal or family)
• Notes from sermons or lectures

Happy journaling.

by: Mindy Caliguire

Transformation Ministry Team, WCA

Thanks to Soul Care for sharing this blog post.

Dead Leader Running

Our team thought you might be interested in a free download to inspire your own soul. Here's the link to download a video of Wayne Cordeiro's message: Dead Leader Running (one of the most popular Summit messages).

In this video, Wayne shares his pain of ministry fatigue, and with his unique perspective, identifies warning signals of burnout and ways to create or rebuild a sustainable life. Dr. Wayne Cordeiro is Founder and Senior Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu, Hawaii. As a motivational speaker for businesses and civic organizations, Cordeiro speaks on leadership, building relationships, and restructuring for success.

"Some of you are running with an extinguished wick but you're running fast." -Wayne Cordeiro

We hope this download reminds you to re-ignite the flame.

by: Hanna Koenig

Marketing Team, WCA

PS- If you're interested in sharing this message with your church or small group- we've made this message (and a few others) available on the Summit Sunday page.

Poignantly Aware

As I reflect on the past year, I’m poignantly aware of the changes that have been taking place both within the WCA and within my own soul. I’ve been challenged and stretched in ways I could not have planned for or imagined. There are 2 distinct things that have kept me sane, centered, grounded, and focused on God during the past year: (1) space for trusted friends and (2) dethroning the problems that tend to take the place of God.

Leadership is often lonely. A safe trusted space for real friendship doesn’t happen easily for leaders. Henry Cloud told me that a common theme among leaders who end up in ditches is that they don’t have even one person in their life that fully knows and accepts them - without some agenda. I need space in my life for a very small group of people who know all aspects of my private journey. I can’t imagine getting though valleys without them.

But valleys take more than friends. I’m learning to frame my problems in a way that doesn’t consume every piece of who I am. This is a big one: dethroning the problems from the place that only God should be. Idolatry can come in all shapes and forms. Here’s a haunting question I often ask myself, “Do I mediate more on my problems or on Christ and my journey with Him?”

For leaders - problems can become the idol.

We’re all made to have only God occupy that preeminent space in our life. When problems become my God, I find I become a person I don’t like or want to be. Valleys are a gift, though they don’t seem like it! Callings, core values, and conviction get seared more deeply in your soul when you’re walking through a valley. And, who I am becoming through it, is a more significant spiritual contribution than anything I do in my role. I don’t get a pass on the fruit of the spirit because I’m a leader under pressure.

For me, if Christianity isn’t real in tough times, it isn’t real at all. Tough times don’t give leaders permission to be a jerk. I hope that regardless of easy or difficult times, when people deal with me I’m relationally consistent. I certainly don’t always live up to that...but I don’t want it any other way.

What about you? How’s your soul? How do you change when your circumstances change?

by: Jim Mellado
President, WCA

3 Practices for a Leader’s Soul

As leaders, our connection with God is essential to the things we care about most: creativity, strength of resolve, vision, compassion. All these are available to us because of the flow of the Holy Spirit into our lives. When things are flowing as they should, it’s called a healthy soul. We know the scriptures that reinforce such truths: abide in me and you will bear much fruit (John 15: 5) and Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).

But how do we reconcile these truths with the demands and pace of life in which we find ourselves… meetings, deadlines, urgent requests, family needs, trying to stay in shape, etc? It’s like trying to keep up with a treadmill that’s going too fast… it’s only a matter of time before you fall off the back!

Sometimes, our speed really does need to be adjusted. Sometimes we’ve been running too long and we need a God-commanded rhythm of Sabbath. And, sometimes just a few simple practices can keep our soul healthy in the middle of life and leadership. Otherwise, all too soon, we begin to resent the very people we’re called to love and serve.

Below are some spiritual practices that help sustain my soul’s health:

• Confidence in the reality of God’s Kingdom. This may sound goofy, but I find it essential to my soul’s health to remember the Kingdom, to remember the presence of God in meetings, and to notice the Spirit’s activity. For the past few weeks, I’ve kept this note on my desk, “Determine that you will experience the journey with great joy and with great peace. Why? Because of the Kingdom.” What threatens joy and peace in your life today?
  
  
• Relationships. I have begun meeting with a spiritual director on a monthly basis. It’s critical to develop relationships that fuel soul health in a way that honors current demands… what is that for you?
  
  
• Prayer. One form of prayer I especially find helpful is this: a daily prayer of surrender. This is a transaction at the beginning of each day (or as near the beginning as I remember to pray J), where I turn over the day to God. Where I declare my desire to yield, in advance, to the movements of His spirit. Have you surrendered yet today?

What could serve to remind you of God’s kingdom today?

by: Mindy Caliguire

Transformation Ministry Team, WCA

Do You Delight?

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to spend time with Pete Scazzero, the Senior Pastor of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York. New Life is a large, multiracial, international church representing over 65 countries. Pete is also author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.

Pete shared with me some of his journey over the last 15 years and he has made some big shifts in his life and ministry leadership. One of the recent shifts he has focused on is “delighting in God”.

A true Sabbath is about 24 hours of “delighting in God”. Do nothing that is not about “delighting in God”.…no laundry…no work-email…no grocery shopping…(of course some may delight in God by doing the laundry, but I don’t). I’m embarrassed to admit it, but honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever practiced a true Sabbath. Not 24 hours of “delighting”.

Do you practice the Sabbath regularly? Do you every week? Any lessons learned you can pass on?

Thanks Pete…you’ve inspired me and I’m going to be more intentional about planning my week with a true Sabbath experience!

by: Lori Finnegan
Ministry Development Lead, WCA

Secrets of the Mountain

New industry research has revealed that moms have a clear desire for more positive options when it comes to entertainment. While it may not be a surprise to you, corporations are discovering that the best way to reach moms and families is by supporting what they care about the most…the welfare of their children.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Giants Ally on Film in Bid to Promote Family TV, “Executives at both Wal-Mart and P&G say that just 23% of American parents are satisfied with the amount of family programming, citing research from the Association of National Advertisers. In a 2009 poll of 2,400 consumers, the trade group also found that ads were less effective when they appeared on shows containing gratuitous sex, violence or drug abuse.”

As a result, Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble (P&G), two advertising giants, have joined in an effort to produce quality family TV programming, beginning with Secrets of the Mountain, a TV movie, which will debut on NBC on April 16th at 8/7C.

What do you think; will ‘family friendly’ programming be able to pick up traction in Hollywood?

by: Andy Cook
Member Services, WCA

Barefoot on April 8

I’m impressed and somewhat envious of the simple premise that TOMS shoes was founded on- one for one. With every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. (By the way, TOMS has distributed more than 400,000 pairs of shoes to children around the world!)

At the Summit Darren Whitehead, teaching pastor at Willow Creek, will interview Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes, on leading organizations with a cause and navigating the start-up phase of an organization.

On April 8 TOMS shoes is asking people to go the day, part of the day or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience a life without shoes, and to help spread awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child's life. This is a movement in action. Some facts from TOMS:

• In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
• Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
• In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes

I’ll be barefoot, will you?

by: Beth Dahlenburg

Accountable for Marketing, WCA

"In the past three years I've discovered that passion and compassion can build a business." –Blake Mycoskie

Drought

A few more meetings and dinner and I’m on my way home. What a trip this has been!

I invite you to read this shortened excerpt from the leader of The Global Leadership Summit steering committee in Zambia who travelled to Europe to attend the GLS planning meeting:

It is nice to be back in Zambia after two weeks that saw me travel to Germany, Denmark, England and Ireland. Men and women who have so much food, clothing and perfumes but prefer to dress so little and think there is no God... [Compare this to Zambia where there are]...families headed by children, men and women out of employment without social benefits, people living with HIV and AIDS and the poor without soap or toiletries or change of clothes. It is nice to be back with a people who are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God as their hope for the situation.

Europe is caught in a drought and famine of the Word of God. The age of political correctness has gone too far. School nativity plays are considered inappropriate. Yet, in our Zambian schools teachers are pleading for the church to come and share plays and teachings that impart virtue to children. In Europe, parliaments are passing laws that are reducing traditional religious liberties, but here it is our government that calls for days of national prayers.

In Europe, Christian Unions are being expelled from Universities; in Zambia, University Christian students spend more time in Christian fellowship than in studies. Christian freedom in Europe is diminishing so quickly that unless European Christians begin to act together they will be facing persecution within our lifetime. Recently, in UK parliament voted on a legislation that would have forced for [sic] churches and Christian organization[s] to employ non-Christians. Thankfully, it was narrowly defeated.

It is so different here. The ground is moist for revival. Sadly, most of our preachers are preaching a version of the gospel that focuses on establishing individual material blessing without taking into account the purpose of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The apostles’ mission of spreading the gospel was the major reason the Holy Spirit empowered them. Europe needs missionaries that have come to grips that the purpose of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is missions. Unfortunately,because the version of the gospel that is being preached in Zambia and sub-Saharan Africa focuses on establishing individual material blessing, it cannot communicate in Europe.

...The future of evangelism in Europe lies in a church and Christians who are rooted in Acts 1-2. Are you that church? Are you ready to face persecution?


Pastor Lawrence Temfwe
Jubilee Centre

I wonder are Christians in the United States caught in a drought? How thirsty are we really?I hope and pray that we can continue to play a vital role in equipping and encouraging leaders to make the most of what God has called them to do. May God lead you to fulfill the role He wants you to play in this endeavor.

by: Gary Schwammlein
Executive Vice President
WCA International Ministry