Leadership Development Musings: May 2016

Laura Leighton-Harris, Minister of Leadership Development

17 of us gathered together at beautiful Camp Pine Lake for a couple days for our annual Pastors Professional Growth Event and for a time of conversation, sharing, little rest and relaxation, good old fashioned a cappella singing with a few on guitar, mandolin, and banjo. David Radcliff with New Community Project was our guest speaker inviting us into conversation on Telling the Stories of Jesus: 1) Give Me Something I Can Feel, 2) The Bible Bridge, 3) Full Gospel Preaching, 4) Banish Bashful Brethren, 5) If We Build It.

A few nuggets to share with you from this topic: As to give me something to feel-David asked these 2 questions, how do we connect with those things that lift us in worship? How do we expose those things in worship? Heart> Head> Hands> Health/Evoke deeper thoughts in others. As to the Bible Bridge-David shared “We need to have the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other”, other comments of keep it real-keep it grounded/question of What does the Bible mean to us? Responses of it is practical, lived out, a guidebook, it’s relevant/question to ponder: How do we release the possibilities that are noted in the Bible? In our sharing about full gospel preaching…speaking on controversial issues-it was noted this is more along the lines of experiential learning and we shared having commonality-integrity-don’t be in a hurry-attitudes (check our)- framing (how we frame what we say or ask)-safety-knowing our stuff and being caring. In our sharing on, to me, the most intriguing topic of banish bashful Brethren-question of why is that we are seen as bashful? Possibly because folks don’t know who we are, we aren’t who we used to be, letting our actions speak {these might be signs that we may not want to grow} so then the question arose as to what are ways we can flourish and so we shared the following in this regard: get down and dirty {being prepared for the messiness of life}, being healthy, spirited, willing to grow, willing to be vulnerable, be encouraged and empowered, have fervor. As we finished up our time we conversed about if we build it–being present and being community and if we do so by incorporating all of these areas, hopefully people will come and will want to hear us Tell the Stories of Jesus and be sent out to share the good news with others. David left us to think about 7 ways we are going to be in ministry this month (April) so I would invite all of us to do so as well, each month.

I also invite you to think about joining us next year for this event, which is open to pastors and lay leaders.