Let Freedom Ring

This past weekend we celebrated Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July. The day commemorates freedom of the original American thirteen colonies from Great Britain. The weekend provides an opportunity to identify education and leadership perspectives on freedom that are embraced by Church Leadership Center. The following quotes are foundational to the ways in which CLC approaches teaching and learning. The quotes meet no particular criteria for selection other than being favorites of this writer. They are from John Calvin, John Dewey, Paulo Freire, and Martin Luther King, Jr. John Calvin (French Reformer, 1509-1564) There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence. The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart. Therefore, in reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us, that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator. If we reflect that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth, we will be careful, as we would avoid offering insult to him, not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears. John Dewey (American Educator, 1859-1952) Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning. We always live at the time we live and not at some other time, and only by extracting at each present time the full meaning of each present experience are we prepared for doing the same thing in the future. Paulo Freire (Brazilian Educator, 1921-1997) Liberating education consists in acts of cognition, not transferals of information. One cannot expect positive results from an educational or political action program which fails to respect the particular view of the world held by the people. Such a program constitutes cultural invasion, good intentions notwithstanding. The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape the students. What the educator does in teaching is to make it possible for the students to become themselves. Reading is not walking on the words; it's grasping the soul of them. Teachers and students (leadership and people) co-intent on reality are both Subjects, not only in the task of unveiling that reality, and thereby coming to know it critically, but in the task of re-creating that knowledge. As they attain this knowledge of reality through common reflection and action, they discover themselves as its permanent re-creators. If I am not in the world simply to adapt to it, but rather transform it, and if it is not possible to change the world without a certain dream or vision for it, I must make use of every possibility there is not only to speak about my utopia, but also to engage in practices consistent with it. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Civil Rights Leader, 1929-1968) The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education. A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, "What are you doing for others?" The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But... the Good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here.

Summer time, Summer time, Sum Sum Summer time

Church Leadership Center Schools often slow down in the summer time. It's as if it is okay to stop learning and to live the lyrics of the 1958 classic, "Summertime, Summertime" by the Jamies, or "In the Summer Time" by Andy Williams (1960). If you are too young to remember these or need a dose of nostalgia, for the first, click here and for the second, click here. Church Leader ship Center continues with our typical roster of courses. Check these out and forward this email to a lay leader for her or his continuing education. Many of the courses are available through distance learning. Leadership and Ministry The course provides an overview of leadership and ministry, biblical teachings on leadership, examples from Scripture pointing to leadership practices, and the New Testament call for leadership in the Church. Specific topics include: leading the faith community, calling and equipping, and accountable relationships. Meets six Thursday evenings (July 17, July 31, August 14, August 28, September 11, September 25) from 6:30-8:30pm. Location to be determined. Pastoral Care and Counseling From New Testament beginnings, "pastors" were uniquely gifted elders in congregations, functioning in the powerful tradition of shepherds who led and cared for human flocks, and taking their ecclesiastical cue from Jesus, who declared himself to the Good Shepherd. The course provides an overview of pastoral responsibilities and disciplines. Wednesday mornings (10-12 am); five discussion sessions on every other week, beginning on July 16. Online discussion group. RCA History and Missions This mini-class of three sessions is about more than a history lesson. It is about the legacy of faithfulness and struggle inherited by the Reformed Church and her ministries. The design of the class is simple; i.e. to appreciate the stories of the Reformed Church in America in the past, to see how those stories have shaped our present, and how they can inform the ministry of our churches/organizations today. This is about far more than history- it is about getting engaged in God's mission today. Monday evenings; three discussion sessions during July – August. Online discussion group. RCA Standards and Government A survey of the Constitution of the Reformed Church in America in the areas of church government and theological standards (creeds and confessions). Participants will demonstrate a functional understanding and adherence to the government and Standards of the Reformed Church in America . They should be able to show an understanding of and appropriate adherence to the creeds and confessions (Apostles' Creed, Nicene, Creed, Athanasian Creed, Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort, and Belhar Confession). Meets late June – early September. Spiritual Formation This course, through selected readings and directed spiritual exercises, introduces the spiritual disciplines and the formation of Christian character. Participants are guided in reading Scripture for personal application, being attentive in prayer, and co-operating with the Holy Spirit in the process of sanctification as these relate to life and ministry. Five bi-weekly discussion sessions. Meeting times and location to be determined. Participation Details -Please pre-register by June 16, 2014 by sending an email to Mark Veldt: veldtmark@gmail.com, 616-366-2954. Course meeting date and time options will be discussed with participants. Classes begin throughout the Summer. -Work load: 5 CEUs (50 hours), meeting 3 – 5  times for 1 -  2 hours each time. -Delivery: small group, phone and internet conferencing, (e.g., Skype, Google Hangout) or guided study -The cost for each course is $300 (with the exception of RCA History and Missions, which is $150), to be paid prior to the first class meeting. Send check to: RCA Synod of the Great Lakes, Attn: Alison DeBoer, 4500 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here.

Dark Glasses

Why did the teacher wear dark glasses? Because her students were all so bright! For all of us who "finished" our education recently or long ago, perhaps this is the year to rethink our truancy and develop a plan for continuing education. Thomas Rollins remembers the grind of Harvard Law School and recalls being surprised by one of his professors who said that one day they would wish to be back in a place like this. As he later crammed for a Federal Rules of Evidence exam, Rollins felt woefully unprepared and managed to obtain videotaped lectures of a noted authority in the field. "I dreaded what seemed certain to be boring," Rollins said, planting himself in front of the TV and playing all 10 hours nearly non-stop. To his amazement, the lectures "were outrageously insightful, funny, and thorough." When he felt the wisp of educational nostalgia resurging, in later life, Rollins founded The Teaching Company (www.teach12.com), capturing the best university lecturers in many disciplines on audio and video recordings. My friend and I first bought "Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition" together (I think we each paid $20 to get it on sale), and I thank Rollins ever since, every time I'm in my car. These stimulating lectures have broadened my horizons and deepened my understanding of so many dimensions of human existence as I drive. Religion, history and philosophy are my draws, although I constantly dabble in all disciplines. Professor David Zarefsky's final lecture on "Abraham Lincoln: In His Own Words" brought tears to my eyes. I've since added The Modern Scholar lectures of Recorded Books (www.modernscholar.com) to my ear candy collection. Though the lecturers are less consistently out-of-the-ballpark-great as those of The Teaching Company (and sometimes there are obvious editing mistakes), these on sale are also more than worth the price. Listening to Timothy Schutt recounting the "Wars That Made the Western World: The Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War, and the Punic Wars" is about as fascinating and intriguing as human communication can get. Marvelous! While these two companies are my favorites for educational stimulation, a host of resources can be found free of charge online. YouTube, the great video broadcaster, has created a separate address (www.youtube.com/edu) for college and university lectures. The sheer volume of presentations available is daunting, but any beginners will quickly find fascination simply by clicking on the "Most Viewed" videos. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is to be commended as a leader in the field of online open classrooms. While the focus is obviously largely on the sciences, the courses found at http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/are incredibly interesting, even for non-scientists. Most engaging for its truly broad diversity of scintillating presentations of all kinds on all topics, with none over 20 minutes in length, is TED.com. A dose each day will make you the most interesting conversationalist on the block. Even if you find yourself on a summer break from education, true learning never ends. That is what we know at CLC. We are in the business of training in season and out of season. Year round. Every month. In all places. Learning cannot be confined to a few classes in a few schools. It is a life discipline. Especially when it comes to learning the wisdom and ways of the Kingdom of God. Partner with us. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Special thanks to Dr. Wayne Brouwer for writing the above article. He is CLC's theological editor, professor at Hope College, and adjunct professor at Western Theological Seminary.

Questing Savannah

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Church Leadership Center Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful city of gardens and cemeteries and parks. Our youngest daughter went to college in Savannah just as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil became popular in both book and movie versions. She even had a job for a summer working in one of the cemeteries, where she reset gravestones and restored family monuments. Some of them had been looted and reconfigured by General Sherman’s troops after his infamous Civil War “March to the Sea” from Atlanta to Savannah ravished many communities. Sherman loved Savannah, however, and we could understand why. When platted in 1769, Savannah’s founders created four “squares” of public park space to enhance the social life of its residents. As the city grew, the “squares” multiplied to twenty-four, enhanced by other larger parkland areas and marvelously-crafted cemeteries. Today Savannah’s southern charm is enhanced by ghost stories and haunting sightings in its ancient buildings and sultry public places lined by Spanish moss hung oaks. John Wesley preached his first sermons in the New World in the squares of Savannah, cementing the gospel link between gardens and cemeteries and parks. Today his image stands in bronze downtown, still crying out about eternity among those plagued by the fatal human disease of death and reminding us of Wesley’s leadership in lay discipleship and evangelistic preaching. Interestingly, the story of our race, according to the Bible, begins in a garden, ends in a park-like city, and is focused in between on a cemetery. Gardens speak of well-sculptured horticulture and minimal human engagement. Friends walk through parks and gardens. Lovers stroll secluded paths, picking flowers for one another and hiding smooches from public view. Birders relish the quiet of muted breezes carrying fowl calls of the wild. Cities, on the other hand, rush and roil, bump and burn, stomp and shout, push and pluck, and assault every sense all at once. Cities are made for crime, particularly if you read of their origins in Genesis 5. The sons of Adam and daughters of Eve who heard from their first parents of the delights of communion with God and one another, once ejected from the Garden of bliss tried to recreate the great societies by building cities! That solution didn’t work then, and rarely to the present have cities ever been agents of great grace. And yet, it was to the city that rural Jesus came, when he brought home the divine message of salvation. And it was to the cities that Paul and others traveled with the Good News about Jesus. In fact, the word “pagan” originally meant “farmer” or “rural person” in Greek, only picking up its negative connotations when the cities of the Roman world had become “Christianized” by the fourth century, and those out in the country were left behind in the evangelization process. Today the cities of our world cry for renewal. There are many social programs that seek to address small or great needs. But above all stands the call for the rebuilding of the City of Humanity into the City of God. Though the final design and construction will require another mighty act of God at the end of time, today we participate in the global quest through restoring communities of faith, redeeming social structures, and renewing urban blight into blessing. Training leaders to make these things possible is the work of CLC. And you. Partner with us. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Special thanks to Dr. Wayne Brouwer for writing the above article. He is CLC’s theological editor, professor at Hope College, and adjunct professor at Western Theological Seminary.

Missional Church Leadership

Church Leadership Center One of this week's meetings was an assessment conference for developing a contextualized training plan for a missional church leader and commissioned pastor candidate, Rodrigo Cano. He is the Hispanic church planter of Alas Conexion (Connections) Church, Grand Rapids, MI. Pastor Cano is pictured with his mentor and friend, veteran missionary to Mexico, Rev. Jim Heneveld. Rodrigo was born in Mexico. He has a BA in Business Administration from San Diego State University. His ministry experiences include preaching, leading worship and Bible study, youth ministry, and translation work. His leadership style, and that of mentor Jim Heneveld, is consistent with the content of a classic resource on the missional church. Following is a review of The Ministry of the Missional Church (Craig VanGelder) by CLC facilitator, Rev. Andy Bossardet. Church leadership books can be a mixed bag. Some offer support on nurturing a relationship with God, while others rely heavily on current systems thinking and sociological data. The Ministry of the Missional Church manages both in a way that calls leaders to fully rely on the Holy Spirit, while also taking advantage of the shared wisdom of the Body of Christ. It is a landmark piece of work. The beginning of the book is filled with deep theology and a well-rounded discussion of the Holy Spirit, which aims to include people of various traditions and backgrounds. (Anyone who desires to have a brief summary of the work of the Holy Spirit would be well-served to check out the opening chapters of VanGelder's book.) The Ministry of the Missional Church also takes a look at the current state of the Church and her identity. VanGelder argues that the Church is missional by nature, and, therefore, mission is to be viewed less as an optional activity for a few and more as the very center of the Church's activity. Also, the Church is a community by nature, and so the mission of the Church is meant to be practiced in community and not simply by individuals. The community of Christ, the Church, exists in a greater context- the world.  And since the world is always changing, the Church is also always changing. Sometimes congregations change because of circumstances - persecution, major cultural shifts, or crises. Other times, congregations change because of intentional and strategic realignment with God's mission in the world. VanGelder spends a fair amount of time explaining the relationship between understanding one's congregation both as an open system and as a community called by the Spirit. The author explains characteristics of an open systems, missional approach as the following: -Starts with the context in which the congregation is located. -Identifies the boundaries that give the church its identity within its community. -Seeks feedback and examines results: i.e., people and resources flowing in, ministry flowing out. -Defines its purpose (mission), core missional practices, and vision. -Develops visionary leaders and a strategic infrastructure. -Recognizes Holy Spirit-guided transformation. While VanGelder's work is an introduction to the theological work of church strategy, it is also among the best, most faithful, and most thorough that we have read. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email. . With thanks to Rev. Andrew Bossardet for this book review. Andy is an online course facilitator for Church Leadership Center and pastor of Glen Lake (MI) Community Reformed Church. He is pictured here with his brand-new son, Micah Thomas Bossardet, born April 7 2014.

Graduations

Church Leadership Center A young man ran from his college graduation ceremonies with his robe flying, diploma in hand. He yelled out to all who could hear, "Look out, world! Here I come! I have my B.A.!" A crack of thunder immediately rolled ominously out of the skies, and a deep voice shouted back, "Stick around, Sonny, and we'll teach you the rest of the alphabet!" Many graduations are taking place this month and next. Hopes, dreams, expectations, and best wishes will empty out of celebrative auditoriums. A number of CLC participants will also be completing their training plans in order to be commissioned to new levels of leadership in the church. It is a wonderful time of anticipation! One college managed to snag the President of Harvard as its graduation speaker. He was royally introduced, of course, where he was proclaimed as the one who had "turned Harvard into a storehouse of knowledge." Coming to the podium, he admitted that Harvard was, indeed, "a storehouse of knowledge." Unfortunately, he went on, he himself could not take much credit for that, because "every year the freshmen bring so much knowledge with them, and the seniors take so little away!" Knowledge becomes wisdom only when it is shared. Those who are forever drinking at the fountain of understanding, while never passing anything along to others, become bloated and self-indulgent. It can be like that in the church, too. One woman frequently told me that she came to worship each Sunday to get fed. Another man said that we shouldn't have too much of what he called "preliminaries," since, according to him, the point of gathering was to "get to the meat of the Word." Good sentiments, to be sure, but only self-serving and gluttonous if the feast is not brought to others. One of the things that CLC is about is what Bill Bright called "transferrable concepts." He believed that any education, particularly in Scripture and the great teachings of the Christian faith, needed to be passed along. Learning without sharing is folly: Investigating without communicating is theft. If you are in need of training to share with others the riches of our faith, check out what CLC can provide. We can help you become a more effective leader or pastor or evangelist or church planter or staff member. And, if you are wondering how you can participate in the great training hopes of the Church of Jesus Christ, donate today to CLC and let your gift help train others to share the gospel of the greatest Teacher of all. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email. Special thanks to Dr. Wayne Brouwer for writing the above article. He is CLC's theological editor, professor at Hope College, and adjunct professor at Western Theological Seminary.

Easter Hope

Church Leadership Center Church historian Martin Marty told of a friend of his who taught Sunday School for many years. One April morning the weather had turned so warm and spring-like that the teacher knew his class needed to spend time outside. He brought plastic eggs, leftover from Easter treats, and told the eight-year-old students to look around for something that showed new life and then to put examples in their eggs. Stephen was the teacher's biggest concern among the dozen students. He had been born with many challenges, including both physical and learning difficulties, and he spent all his waking hours in a wheelchair. An assistant pushed him about while the teacher romped with his other students in the energizing spring morning. Soon it was time to gather the class. Now the teacher was beginning to worry about his lesson plan, knowing that Stephen could not have done much for this activity and was likely to become the target of classroom laughter when his egg was opened. The teacher planned to move past it as quickly as possible in order to save Stephen whatever embarrassment he could. The eggs were mixed in a circle in front of him. He opened the first, and a fragile flower blossom floated out. "That's mine!" cried a girl. "It's got the new life of spring!" Nods and murmurs of shared wonder erupted. The next egg contained a butterfly. It almost scared everyone when it flitted out of its plastic prison, but just as soon, there were cries of delight. "That's mine!" shouted a boy. "A caterpillar turned into a butter fly!" Everyone was impressed. The teacher thought the next egg was Stephen's when he twisted apart the halves and a stone fell out. He tried to push it away quickly, but another boy said, "That's mine! See the moss growing on the rock?!" It was a great lesson, showing life emerging from death. More gems followed—flowering twigs, blades of grass, even the downy feather of a baby bird. Finally, only one egg remained. The teacher knew it was Stephen's. And just as he expected, when opened, nothing came out. But Stephen was not embarrassed. In his thick speech from a twisted mouth, Stephen fairly shouted, "That's mine! See? Just like Jesus' tomb on Easter! It's empty!" And no one laughed in derision, but all clapped excitedly. Yes, indeed! The teacher was relieved. Stephen's condition worsened rapidly in the next months. By mid-summer he was failing. And those who thronged the funeral service at his August death witnessed an amazing site. After everyone was seated, eleven eight-year-olds marched confidently down the church aisle. Each carried a plastic egg. Each cracked it open and placed the empty halves on top of Stephen's casket. Stephen's own great Easter lesson was now being taught to others by his classmate evangelists. This is the time of year when all that is best of the message of Jesus needs to be shouted in every way possible. We need evangelists, and evangelists need to be trained. Join us at CLC in the training of more evangelists to shout the good news of Easter. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email. Special thanks to Dr. Wayne Brouwer for writing the above article. He is CLC's theological editor, professor at Hope College, and adjunct professor at Western Theological Seminary.

Facing Tomorrow

Church Leadership Center When Bill and Gloria Gaither were anticipating the birth of a child, they were conflicted. On the one hand they were excited about the potential they could envision in this new life; on the other hand, they were troubled by the challenges and difficulties within the world into which this child would be born. Out of their reflection on the upcoming birth, they wrote the song, “Because He Lives.” One of the lines of the song is, “This child can face uncertain days because He lives.” Then the chorus begins with, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.” Facing tomorrow is a special challenge for leaders. One reason for this is that leaders have responsibilities to and for their followers. Because Christian leaders believe that “An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives” (See the video by clicking here), they are able to face tomorrow with a spiritually-empowered confidence. As a result, they experience the challenges of tomorrow from the point of view of Jesus living in them. Four unique ways that Christian leaders face tomorrow include the following. 1. They expect God to do amazing things in their lives and ministries, living each tomorrow with the knowledge that He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). 2. They look for change to come from the bottom up rather than from the top down. Who would expect the Messiah to implement His redemptive plan by recruiting twelve disciples with occupational backgrounds that included several fishermen and a tax collector; and then, at the end of His earthly ministry, to commission them to make disciples? 3. They embrace difficulties as part of the leadership journey, knowing that Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24), and “My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 4. They revel in the riches and responsibilities that have been entrusted to them, both the easy and the difficult. They may not have fully arrived or attained, but they are joyous in their service, as well as in “pressing forward toward the prize that God has in store for them” (see Philippians 3 and 4). Gene McLellan (pictured with his wife Ruth) is one of those leaders who knows how to face tomorrow. After a twenty year career in the Navy as a lay chaplain, he returned to the Ludington, MI area and started HELP (Hands Extended Loving People) Ministry. This ministry provides furniture, appliances, and household goods to families and individuals in need of such. It assists clients with rent, utilities, medical bills, and transportation, in collaboration with area social service agencies and churches. They claim the verse, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). Gene is completing his Commissioned Pastor training through Church Leadership Center. For information about his ministry, click here. Church Leadership Center works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email.

Leadership: Palm Sunday Style

Church Leadership Center Almost obscured by the disciples, who threw down their cloaks as a saddle, and the crowds, who waved palm branches while shouting “Hosanna!”, comes our juxtaposition--Jesus. He is “gentle and riding on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5), or, as prophesied, “lowly and riding on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). In contrast to the boisterous crowds, Jesus is described as “gentle.” This characteristic of gentleness is associated with Jesus by Michael Youssef in his book, The Leadership Style of Jesus. Youssef also notes that Paul lists gentleness as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. According to Youssef, there are three ingredients to gentleness.  -Kindness: An authentically gentle leader demonstrates consideration for the feelings of others. He or she would never intentionally hurt, belittle, shame, or embarrass another person.  -Submission or meekness. This refers to submitting to the will of God, which is characterized by a willing obedience to God’s Word and God’s leading. Jesus exemplifies this in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prays, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).  -A teachable spirit: This is a willingness to learn and to be corrected, knowing that one does not have all the answers and is open to new ideas. We consistently see the three parts of gentleness (kindness, submission, and teachablity) in candidates for pastoral leadership. These characteristics were evident last Wednesday during the interview and approval session for new Commissioned Pastor candidate Gonzalo Venegas (Zeeland Classis). Gonzalo is being discipled by Jose Duran, who is himself a Commissioned Pastor candidate and the church planter of La Casa De Mi Padre Church, Holland, MI. After a candidate, such as Gonzalo, is endorsed by a Classis, he or she is referred to Church Leadership Center. CLC serves the Classes by working on their behalf to ensure that candidates are able to provide evidence of required ministry competencies. When the required competencies have been achieved, CLC then certifies that the candidates are ready for examination by their Classis. Church Leadership Center has a contextualized and mentored emphasis that works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email.

Books 4 U

Church Leadership Center This week a pastor wrote to one of our colleagues. He asked for recommendations of books to discuss with his church board (Consistory, Council, Elder Board). The email said, "Could you please recommend to me the 5 best books for consistories to read and discuss for the purpose of leadership development… " Several of us were asked to respond to the request. Here's a partial list of replies. You may find it helpful for personal reading or discussion with a leadership group of your own. Frost, Michael. Five Habits of Highly Missional People George, Carl and Logan, Robert. Leading and Managing Your Church Hestenes Roberta. Turning Committees into Communities Hunter III, George. The Apostolic Congregation Hybels, Bill. Courageous Leadership Keller, Tim. Center Church Ranier, Thom. Breakout Churches Ranier, Tom and Geiger, Eric. Simple Church Spry, Phil. Guerilla Evangelism Stanley, Andy. Deep and Wide Five Habits of Highly Missional People is a free e-book from the folks at Exponential. You can get to their free e-books by clicking here. This week I also had the privilege of spending time with church leaders in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We talked with a prospective candidate about becoming a Commissioned Pastor, developed a training plan for another, and created a leadership training sequence of courses for Centerpoint Church. Staff members of Centerpoint Church, who participated in a leadership development curriculum planning meeting, are pictured here. The group included lead pastor Jeff Port (center) and leadership development point person, Jason Olsen (center, right). Church Leadership Center has developed a model that includes a four-course core curriculum. It is already being used by Faith Church (Dyer, IN) and Fair Haven Church (Hudsonville, MI). The leadership development curriculum includes courses in spiritual formation, leadership, preaching, and church multiplication. For more information about adapting the CLC contextualized approach to leadership development within your congregation, simply reply to this email. While there are a variety of ways to raise up leaders, Church Leadership Center has a contextualized and mentored emphasis that works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here. Please forward this email to a lay leader or church staff member who may benefit from information about leadership development and Church Leadership Center. To contribute financially to CLC or to learn about options for leadership development in your church, reply to this email.