Congregational Life Centre
Our mission is to assist congregations to be more
effective in their ministry
New Leadership Opportunities
Fifteen years ago our research identified leadership as the most critical element contributing to the success or failure of congregational life. The difference between success and failure is leadership.
During this fifteen year period we have watched most main-line denominational congregations decline by some 50 percent. We have also observed the tall poppy concept at work in the church. Wherever a leader grows taller than the norm they are brought back down to size by their peers.
It is time to let good leaders lead. But first we need to arm them with the skills they need to be effective leaders. That is what we propose to offer - an opportunity to develop into great leaders.
Building on our book Leadership for Today, and using the wisdom of others such as Stephen Covey, Parker Palmer, Jim Collins, Peter Block, and Christina Baldwin, we want to provide a program that will enable leaders to grow their skills. The process moves participants along a path beginning with exploring their skills, then identifying what they need to learn more about, and finally providing the support and coaching that goes with putting their plans into practice.
Three Elements
We see three elements in this program; exploring, learning and practicing.
1. We want potential participants to explore the extent to which a leadership role is right for them.
2. Then it is a matter of learning what leadership is truly about. There is some truth in the saying that "leadership is caught and not taught", and so mentoring is important. Learning however is a large component of successful leadership, and there are many books and on-line resources to draw on for this knowledge.
3. Finally, leadership has to be practiced in order to develop learned skills and hone insights.
There are going to be a number of components to this program: a core course, this newsletter, our website, coaching opportunities and team building events.
We believe it is important to create places where people feel they belong. That is an environment where open sharing and true learning can take place.
Watch for the future. It is open.
"Leadership Ventures" Congregational Life Newsletter. September 2010. Volume 17 No. 1.