Month: May 2016

Getting Any Better?

Posted on May 31, 2016 by - News & Updates

One of the behind-the-scenes stories at The Global Leadership Summit is our long-term relationships with more than 400 exceptional pastors and leaders who open up their churches and organizations each year to host the conference in their cities. This post, by Senior Pastor Cal Jernigan of Central Christian Church in Mesa, Arizona, originally appeared here.

Remember when?

May I invite you to take a moment to reminisce over the course of your life? While I obviously don’t know the specifics, I imagine there are things all of us have in common.

For instance, do you remember when you were in elementary school and just couldn’t wait till you got into jr. high? I do. Do you remember being excited about the thought of turning 13 and becoming a teenager? Yep! How about being anxious to finally become a high school student? Or how you longed to turn 16 so you could finally get a driver’s license? Or anticipating turning 18 so you could vote, move out, get a tattoo or whatever else you wished to do (not to mention graduate from high school!). And then…college, and 21, and marriage, and…?

And… what? What comes next?

While you’re remembering, do you recall the old advertisement that said, “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better!” Not sure what the product was but the statement struck me and has stuck with me. It’s an interesting statement.

But, is it true?

I’m not asking if it is true that you’re getting older (obviously you are), but are you getting better? Are you improving? Are you still growing?

It’s been said, “Aging is mandatory; growth is optional.”

You see, there are no guarantees you’ll get better, just older.

Sadly, too many of us seem to have just accepted getting older while not striving to get better. Too many have just settled into a hum-drum life and are calling it good. More than a few of us have lost our ability to dream about a vibrant, exciting, daring and adventurous future. A future that is noticeably improved—one that is better than what we are experiencing today!

This reminds me of another thing someone once brilliantly observed: “When your memories of your past exceed the dreams for your future, you are dying.”

Let’s be honest, growth takes effort. Lots of it. Just about everything, if left to its own, decays rather than develops. What would happen to your lawn if you didn’t maintain it? Decay. What would happen to your pool? Same. What would happen to your marriage? Your health? Your finances? All the same result: decay. Decaying is always easier than developing!

To grow is to decide to become MORE tomorrow than you are today. It is to determine that growth is worth it! But here’s the deal. Growth can be hard. Remember, growth always takes effort! Usually lots of it.

There are only three things I can think of that are going to make you better five years from now than you are right now: 1) the people you meet, 2) the books you read, and 3) the ideas you wrestle with. That’s just about it. Take away interesting people, books and ideas and you’re just the same (or less) tomorrow than you are today.

So where will you get exposure to interesting people, books and ideas?

I know where!

There is an event coming to our church that is, for many of us, the highlight of our year. It’s an event called The Global Leadership Summit and it’s a two-day infusion of passion, insight and teaching that will rock your world! It’s coming August 11th and 12th and it will be held on both the Mesa and the Gilbert campuses. It’s a not-to-be-missed event. Keep your ears open and we’ll help you get registered in the days to come.

So, right now, our children and students are looking forward to summer camp BIG TIME! Those who go will grow! They will change. They will make memories. They will become better!

So why outgrow growing? You don’t have to. Come grow with us this summer at The Global Leadership Summit. It’s Summer Camp for Adults!

I am looking forward to it. Hope to see you there.

 

calCal Jernigan is the senior pastor of Central Christian Church, a multi-site church in Mesa, Arizona and Summit Host Site since 2006. Central Christian Church currently meets on five different campuses and averages 10,000 people each weekend. We are privileged to call Cal a friend and a brother and to partner with him in leadership and ministry.

NO=Next Opportunity | How a Church in the Smallest City in Brazil Hosted a Summit for 2,000 Leaders

Posted on May 30, 2016 by - Business, Latin America, South America, Stories

When I hear “no” all I hear is N.O. – next opportunity. – Mark Burnett 

The GLS recently gathered 2,000 leaders in the smallest city in Brazil, Sao Fidelis (A population of 35,000).

Pastor Herminio invited everyone he ran into, including the local bank manager, to attend the Summit, emphasizing the value of the teaching and how great it was to have the event in their city. But the bank manager refused to attend. He made every excuse not to come at every invitation the Pastor made.

The week of the Summit arrived, and the bank manager began to notice a bustling in the city.

Near the church, they were preparing for the event. He saw a power generator that was being used as a guarantee in case ended the electricity went out. He was curious by this, as it is not very common to have a generator for the events in this small city.

“What’s going on? Why do you need a generator of that size?” he asked some of the volunteers preparing the event.

They explained to him, “The church cares a great deal about conducting an excellent international event for our city, and we want to make sure that everything runs smoothly, and that each person here would have a great experience.”

He thought to himself and realized that the pastor might be right, and that maybe the Summit was an event that would be worth more effort in his schedule. So he signed up.

Pastor Herminio was not surprised when he saw him.

The bank manager was amazed by the Summit and all that he learned. When it was over, he sought out pastor Herminio and expressed in excitement. “I’m grateful for your insistence on my participation! When is the next one?! I want to bring my whole team! This event is amazing for my personal and professional life, and I don’t want to miss another!”

Who are you inviting to the Summit this year?

Letters From Prison (Part 2 of 6)

Posted on May 27, 2016 by - Calling, Government, North America, Prison, Stories

GLS Group2The first Summit at Southeast Correctional Center in Missouri was held last August with the sponsorship and the support of the team at La Croix Church. They caught a vision to serve prisoners, unleash potential and change the culture of the prison from inside out, using the tools offered by the Global Leadership Summit (read more about the event here).

We received letters from several of the prisoners who were able to attend, and we are blown away by the powerful impact the Summit has had on these men.

Over the next couple weeks, we will be posting a series on our blog called “Letters From Prison,” highlighting the impact that the Summit has had on these prisoners’ lives. We hope you’re as encouraged, challenged and inspired by their words as we were when we received them.

 

A letter from Chris, GLS attendee, Southeast Correctional

“Absolutely awesome!” are words I would use to describe the Global Leadership Summit. I have to start from the beginning with the invitation I received from Mr. Hughes, the training officer, and Mr. Johnson, the chaplain here at the Southeast Correctional Center in Missouri. They were first willing to recognize some prisoners’ past good works and potential. There was a feeling and spirit of positive purpose, hope and community from the beginning. It was a sense of hope for building a better future together that is often not heard or felt in prison, and I would know. I unfortunately have 23 years of experience as a prisoner in four different prisons, counting jail time.

Through the subject of leadership, we were motivated and inspired with self-confidence, self-worth, and hope for improving our lives as well as the lives of others around us. We were connected again, somehow free to be a part of a global gathering and blessing of good people who were telling us we mattered and we have a greater, grander purpose that others “more fully” believed in.

None of the speakers used broad, political strokes, but they gave us specific, practical steps we can use to be more and do more daily. Many great leaders shared tips for success and effective leadership that seemed centered around concepts of love, gratitude, generosity, faith, integrity, forgiveness, diversity and my favorite, grit. As a prisoner, I think it was important for me to be reminded, even by the comedian, Michael Jr., that “God wants me to know He is here, He loves me, and to just open my eyes.”

It was also stated that a common thread among leaders is that someone influenced them. That might beg the question, “How are we influencing those who seem to be even the least among us?” And more to the point, “Can the GLS be life changing even to prisoners?” The answer is easily, “Yes.” And for me, it has been a great boost and slap back into reality, back into the work and direction I now I need to be heading. This work is what I consider to be living for God and the success of others, no matter where I am. I make too many excuses for myself and do far too little with the good things and people God has given me, regardless of my circumstances.

Numerous speakers helped me remember God has a purpose and potential for my life, right now where I am. And that true life-changing faith resides not in the past or the future, but in the present moment, no matter how hard or imperfect the moment seems. The Global Leadership Summit shines a bright light of questions into our dark, one that asks, “Where are we? What are the needs of the moment, or the needs of those around us? And have we truly tried to use our own God-given abilities for others? Have we trusted that God will make up the difference when we fall short?” I know that, for me, I need to repeat these questions over and over every day, until I finally “get” them enough to keep them. So, for all of these reasons, I know I cannot and will not ever forget my GLS experience, nor forget all those willing to make it happen for a thankful prisoner like me.

I would also like to give a special thanks to La Croix Church, here in Cape Girardeau, for their generous provision of this event. May God most fully bless you and keep you all.

Most Sincerely,
Chris, GLS attendee, Southeast Correctional

 

Please pray for our prison sites in 2016. This year there will be 25 prisons experiencing the GLS teaching. Imagine what God might do?

The Ideal Team Player | Patrick Lencioni | 2016 GLS Faculty Spotlight

Posted on May 26, 2016 by - News & Updates

Patrick Lencioni, best-selling author and founder of The Table Group—and  one of our all-time Summit favorite speakers—just released a book with fresh insights on the topic of teamwork and organizational culture. It is with great anticipation that we look forward and welcome him to the 2016 faculty for the eighth time!

Recently, we asked Patrick some specific questions for the Follow the GLS blog audience. Click below to hear him describe what the Summit means to him and catch a sneak peak into what we can expect to learn from his new talk. Take it away, Patrick!

*          *          *

To attend the GLS at a premier host site near you, register here by June 28, 2016 for the best rates. Check out  The Global Leadership Summit website for additional information and to see other members of the faculty.

pat1Patrick Lencioni is the author of 10 business books that have sold nearly 5 million copies, including The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The Wall Street Journal called him one of the most sought-after business speakers in America, and he consults on topics related to leadership and organizational health. A Summit favorite, Lencioni’s most recent release, The Ideal Team Player, explores the three essential virtues that accelerate teamwork and predict team success.

10 Rewards of an Encouraging Leader

Posted on May 25, 2016 by - Articles, Leadership Development, Leading Others, Team Building

Encourage one another and build one another up. – I Thessalonians 5:11

Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, Brian Houston (GLS 2015) explores the benefits to developing younger leaders though encouragement in the post below.

My experience in life is that you get what you go for.

When a leader builds others through encouragement, they create a world of big-spirited, big-hearted people who in turn, lift their leader higher and help them soar. It’s true—the best leaders are encouraging leaders.

Encouraging leaders don’t lead by intimidation or through forced allegiance to their authority. Instead, leaders must see the very best in other people and spur them onward and upward through an unwavering belief in the potential of those around them.

Here are a few qualities of encouraging leaders:

  1. You are a DOOR OPENER

An encouraging leader knows when it is time to open new doors for those they lead, rather than keeping the door firmly shut and holding back opportunities.

The first thing my wife wanted people to feel as they walked into any Hillsong Church around the globe, was a genuine sense of welcome. So, a sign saying “Welcome Home” prominently greets everyone who walks through our doors. It’s an intentional message that says, “Our doors are open.”

In the same way, when entering a store, if someone holds a door open for you, there’s a kindness involved in that gesture that says, “Here, you go first.” In other words, it’s a display of humility. I think it can be so easy to believe that opening doors for others will lead to closed doors for you, but that’s never the way it works with God. God promotes the lives of those who promote the lives of others.

So, let’s be leaders who:

– Open doors of ministry and opportunity for the gifted.

– Open doors of safety and security for the vulnerable.

– Open doors of warmth and value to the family.

– Open doors of welcome, love and acceptance to the stranger.

I want to live my whole life as a door opener.

  1. You are a PLATFORM BUILDER

An encouraging leader recognises that their God-given platform is an opportunity to promote and enlarge the world of others.

By God’s grace, the Hillsong platform has done exactly that for many of our guests and speakers whose own ministry platform has notably grown after their exposure through our Hillsong or Colour Conference platforms.

Everyone’s platform extends well beyond the particular room they are in.  The greater the influence God gives you, the higher your own platform becomes and the further your voice carries. I’m not necessarily just speaking about an actual or physical platform; rather, being a platform builder is about having an attitude and openness to use whatever influence you’ve been given to promote and increase others. As Matthew’s gospel puts it – “To whom much is given, much is required.”

  1. You are a KING MAKER

An encouraging leader quickly sees the potential in others and uses their God-given authority to appoint those around them to new levels of authority. Like Moses in Exodus 18, who, under Jethro’s instruction, appointed “able men” (described as “leaders of thousands, hundreds, and fifties and tens”) to help share the burden and carry the load.

In my most recent blog on 10 Hallmarks of a Leader of Leaders, I quoted from Psalm 45.16: “Instead of your fathers shall be your sons who YOU will make princes in the land.”  I am believing to raise up princes…both men and women who become generals in the faith. I want to be a king maker when it comes to advancing the lives of people, whilst always keeping it about the King of Kings.

  1. You are a CEILING LIFTER

An encouraging leader is both a room-giver and a roof-lifter when it comes to their impact on others. A wise leader senses the right time to make the space for others to grow taller, and enlarge their capacity and their influence. The truth is though, you can never lift a ceiling that you can’t reach yourself. Your arms just aren’t long enough! So, in order to raise other people’s ceilings, your own life and leadership will require consistent stretching and growing. Building a team known for their loyalty and longevity means making constant provision for your people to grow in their leadership and flourish in their calling.

  1. You are a BELIEF GIVER 

An encouraging leader has others believing that “All things are possible, and nothing is impossible.”

“Little boy, do you believe you can do this?

“Yes, I believe I can do this.”

My wife was mesmerised by a simple movie called Little Boy, which is a feel-good film about a young man’s mountain-moving faith. He believed he could do what others said was impossible.

Lack of belief can lock people in a jailhouse of intimidation and under-achievement.  You can never be a belief giver unless you actually and genuinely believe in the potential that others have. When you live in a faith-filled, uplifting environment where encouragement is welcomed, it is easy to forget that many of those around you would never receive any encouragement if it weren’t for you.

Encouragement in this world is rarer than you may think. So many people live in a negative and discouraging world where encouragement is a foreign language that no one has ever learned and no one ever speaks. Yet, a leader who genuinely believes in people and offers genuine encouragement will consistently be surrounded by people who would go to the ends of the earth for them.

  1. You are a GIFT RELEASER

An encouraging leader is like a coach standing on the edge of the high-dive tower, talking an overwhelmed young diver through their routine and inspiring them to believe that they can nail it. If you are an encourager, you will enable people to flourish in their gift and help them see they actually really do have a unique set of gifts and talents—all their own. An encourager refuses to be threatened by the giftings of others and is therefore able to attract, and graced to lead, a team of highly gifted, high capacity people.

  1. You are a VISION ENRICHER

An encouraging leader recognises that everyone has a right to live with a big vision. That right didn’t stop with you and me. As a church pastor, I am grateful that so many people over the years have leaned into my vision for the local church and have tirelessly worked, owning the vision as their own, and have watched it become a reality.

However, being a big-spirited leader means there are times to recognise the individual callings on the lives of others.  Yes, some people will move on and plant, build and grow something significant themselves. I believe that it is one of the great joys of leadership—the opportunity to play a part in seeing the vision of others become a reality. However, if you are a believer in people, the pathways you create for others within your own vision will mean that you will see a huge majority of people stay with you and loyally outwork that vision together.

  1. You are a POTENTIAL SEER

An encouraging leader sees the giant possibilities that often lie dormant within the hearts of people who can’t even see it within themselves. An encouraging leader looks to the future and sees the great things God has in store.

If you can see what others can’t and unearth the gold in people, you will have a tremendous advantage. You won’t be constantly looking further afield to find the calibre of people you need alongside you, because you possess that uncanny knack of raising people from seeming obscurity, and to the surprise of many, you will have the ability to release them into their divine destiny and calling.

  1. You are an ENCOURAGEMENT SPEAKER

An encouraging leader is exactly that, an encourager. They speak words of life and see possibilities long before they notice the obstacles and hindrances. If you love to encourage, it may upset some whose own confession is laced with negativity, but you lift the spirits of many others and have them believing that anything is possible.

Encouragement: Lifts spirits, eases fear, relieves anxiety, speaks hope, breathes life, soothes pain and brings calm.

  1. You are a DESTINY ENHANCER

An encouraging leader guides people toward their divine calling and purpose.

What a wonderful opportunity it is to know you have played a part in the life of someone who is living in their kingdom purpose and destiny. You saw what perhaps others couldn’t, and now you have the joy of watching someone you influenced walk out the God-ordained life that is uniquely theirs.

Perhaps you opened a door or gave them a platform.  Maybe you chose a “king” or placed them in a position to win. You lifted ceilings and even when it was hard to believe, you just kept believing in them. You recognised their gifts and unearthed the gold. You saw their potential and reinforced their vision, always with an encouraging arm around their shoulder, speaking words of affirmation and guidance. And because of that, you now have the great joy of seeing them walking into their destiny, their glorious future.

HOW GREAT ARE THE REWARDS OF ENCOURAGING LEADERSHIP!