Becoming the Leader God Designed

For the next couple of posts, I'm going to be posting my notes from the Led by Fire Workshops I attended in Charlotte.  Here's the first:

BECOMING THE LEADER GOD DESIGNED

WHAT COULD BE

 

Jeffery Portman, Seattle, Washington,

District Youth Director, NW Dist.

 

+Great leaders are not stuck in what was or in what is but are focused on what could be.

 

Nehemiah 1 - 2

*The wall had been down for over 150 years.  There were entire generations that grew up seeing the wall as a pile of rubble, and they just thought, "that's the way it is supposed to be."

·         Nehemiah couldn't complete his task as a leader until he recognized the condition of the wall [recognizing the need]

·         What could be is recognizing how God has gifted those around us and placing them in the right places and engaging them in ministry

·         Nehemiah saw the need, but he also responded

·         What could be is birthed:

            1)  When we listen more than we speak

                        +Proverbs 18.2

                        +Great leaders ask great questions

                        +Are you good at listening?

                        +It's easier to listen and plan, than to have to constantly make course corrections

           

            2)  When we are broken by the condition of our city

                        +Are we content w/ the way things are in this city?

                        +One of the greatest barriers to success is success (never be satisfied)

                        +Nehemiah fasted and prayed b/c of the condition of his city

                        +Nehemiah lived 600 miles away from Jerusalem, but it was still a burden to them

                        +Put yourself in a position to see people's brokeness

           

            3)  When our concern motivates us to the point of action

                        + Nehemiah's ex:  prayer, repentance, examined [if someone w/ all the means to fulfill your dreams asked you what you want, could you answer the question?], cast a              clear vision

                        + Don't settle for a small prayer life, because you will only wind up copying others, hoping that it will work for you

                        +What need can your ministry meet in your community?

                        +Arm your students with the Word to prepare them to leave your ministry

                        +Proverbs 18.21 -- your vision isn't just for your ministry, it's for the lives it transforms

                        +Nehemiah put the people in families.  Most of our students need to be placed in new families b/c they lack a real family.  We need to create environments of families.

                        +Florence Chadwick   "...If I could have seen land, I would have made it"

                                    *What are you doing to paint a picture that people can grab hold of.

Nehemiah 6.15

Galatians 6.9

           

            4) When we finish well in the face of adversity

                        +We must remember that it is not in our own strength that we go; it's in Christ