Month: February 2017

The GLS in Taiwan Becomes a Catalyst for Change

Posted on February 8, 2017 by - Asia, Stories

The Global Leadership Summit in Taiwan has trained and inspired some 15,000 church and business leaders over the last eight years since it launched there in 2009.

In the 2016 GLS season, Taiwan’s seven GLS events brought in 2,700 leaders from around the country. Thank you to all who prayed and supported these efforts!

While the team in Taiwan is excited about the growth momentum of the GLS event, they are most inspired by the outcomes they hear from individual attendees, and what they are doing as a result.

The GLS is more than an event, it is a catalyst for change!

Be inspired by these comments from just a handful of the attendees this year:

  • “Since the GLS first started in Taiwan in 2009, I have been most pleased at the impact and the hard work put into the events each year. The Chinese version of the GLS created here in Taiwan is affecting China’s mainland and other ethnic Chinese areas as well. For us, this result is a beautiful dream come true.” -Ann Ku
  • “I’m a housewife, but my cell group leader encouraged me to attend, saying that no matter who you are, you should be competent in your role and a leader for God. I now know we should never underestimate our power to influence others based on our position in life.” – Ms. Hung
  • “Addressing passion and legacy hit a special chord with me. Lacking these two qualities would make it truly hard for me to take a team to success or to achieve significant impact.” – En-chi Liaoha
  • “Danielle Strickland’s session awakened me to God’s will. I realized I need to reboot my life. I have sacrificed time with my wife and daughters for work. It’s been a catastrophe for our family. Now that I have found God, I look forward to a restart and to living the rest of my life well.” Chien-hsing Tsai
  • “The GLS has become an annual job training course for me. It has a high cost/performance value with a low price of admission and a world-class lineup of speakers. I also buy the DVD sets and recommend that others in my company participate. It’s truly a wonderful program! I can’t wait to bring these lessons back to my team.” –  Ms. Chang
  • “Melinda Gate’s words were especially inspiring to me. There is nothing God cares about more than the values an individual holds. God wants us to be fruitful and multiply and to live abundantly across the earth, but if this puts our sisters into danger, we must think more comprehensively. This is a good reminder for us.” – Mr. Yang
  • “I’ve been troubled by bottlenecks at work recently. This GLS has given me some ideas, helped adjust my perspective on human resources, and taught me how to appreciate the differences in people. It’s been really quite helpful.” – Ms. Wang

Thank you again to all who prayed and financially supported these efforts!

A Tale of Two Churches

Posted on February 8, 2017 by - Articles, Church & Faith-Based, Leading Organizations

Different approaches to church expand our appreciation.

We recently attended Sunday services at two Christ-centered Texas churches that challenged us to expand our appreciation of the Church. But they are as different as Texas and Rhode Island.

We hadn’t planned to stop in Waco, but one of us wanted to visit Magnolia Market made famous on HGTV. As we scanned the internet for a church, we were intrigued by Church Under the Bridge, led by Dr. Jimmy Dorrell for the past 20 years. The church meets outdoors under Interstate 35 in a place where homeless men, women and families live. The Sunday school meets in woods behind the IHOP.

They are a church in every way—with a variety of weekly programs. They even have a missions’ budget that proudly supports other ministries in the city that help the needy, as well as foreign missions in Haiti, India, and Mexico.

But Church Under the Bridge is focused on ministering to the homeless and destitute of Waco. They distribute food and clothing every Sunday to the 600-member congregation; an estimated 80 percent of attendees are in need of these basics.

Our planned stop in Houston included attending Lakewood Church. How could any minister pass up this opportunity after watching Joel and Victoria Osteen on television? Lakewood is like no other church. The facility—the former home of the Houston Rockets with seating for 16,000—is amazing.

This church is arguably the greatest attractional church in America and, while there, we were drawn into its hold. We were touched by how tenderly Joel and Victoria ministered to the congregation. Of course, their ministry was filled with hope and possibility as well as the idea that if you believe God and trust in Him, sooner or later, something wonderful will happen.

As I listened that morning, I thought how much I wished the people of Church Under the Bridge could get a taste of the inspiration that surrounds Lakewood Church. It was like eating sugar, wonderful to savor. At the same time, I cannot help but believe that the people at Lakewood would be well served to get a taste of the Church Under the Bridge, which would be an experience worth savoring.

These two churches could not be more different in approach. Visiting them reminded me of the words of the apostle Paul, “The fact remains that the Good News about Christ is being preached, and I am glad.” (Philippians 1:18 TLB)

Three lessons from Texas:

Healthy things grow
Ensuring the health of the organization is a leader’s first job. Without health, nothing grows. Both of these churches demonstrated health in very different situations.

Meet the needs of the people you want to reach
Leaders must be focused on the needs of their community. The leaders of these churches know and meet the needs of the people they serve.

It is never wise to compare
Which of these two churches is more successful? That is impossible to judge; they both minister and meet needs in different settings. Be faithful to where God has planted you.

Young Leaders in Zambia Take a Risk to Create a Safe Environment for Their Community

Posted on February 6, 2017 by - Africa, Calling, Stories

Lawrence Temfwe, GLS Champion and non-profit leader in Zambia, knows that in order to transform the nation, you need to build into the next generation of leaders.

Inspired by the GLS, Lawrence started a young leaders group called the Junior Parliament. These young leaders attend the GLS together, gather regularly to debate and discuss issues that their communities are facing, and develop action plans on how to lead change.

One of these young leaders came up with a plan, and took a risk for his community to make it a safer environment.

Be inspired by his story!

 

https://www.youtube.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duHlSqbBvfYwatch?v=duHlSqbBvfY

4 Strategies for Handling Criticism Like a Pro

Posted on February 2, 2017 by - Articles, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Leading Yourself

 Hearing about our shortcomings can be empowering . . .

Nobody has 20/20 vision on how their behavior affects others – and nobody enjoys hearing about their weaknesses or shortcomings. Thus, it can be a painful experience when others give us feedback – whether it is designed to help or hurt. Depending on our level of confidence or insecurity, we may interpret any mention of our need to improve as a confirmation or proof of our worst fears – that we are lacking in something. However, if we are going to walk in the confidence it takes to live our best lives, we must learn how to benefit from such input.

Try these four strategies for responding to not-so-pleasant feedback:

  1. Do not interrupt the confronter with an explanation or excuse for your behavior. Relax. Let your body language indicate that you are intent on hearing all the person is saying to you. Avoid smirking, rolling your eyes, or seeming skeptical of what is being said. Instead, try nodding your head, which simply says, “I hear you”and not “I agree”), looking the person in the eyes and asking clarifying questions. This will encourage the constructive confronter to relax and not to struggle to find the right words to keep from offending you. Most of all, don’t focus on how you will respond; just listen. Intently. Listen to discern hidden motives. Some people simply enjoy being critical and can only feel good about themselves when they diminish others.
  1. Look for the kernel of truth. There is usually some smidgen of truth in the criticism – especially when you hear it from more than one person. Resist being defensive. Know that defensiveness is usually a way of resisting the pain of the truth. Never be afraid of the truth; it will set you free if you embrace it.
  1. Learn new ways to behave. Ask the confronter for suggestions on how to improve. Being teachable demonstrates emotional maturity, humility and wisdom. There is an old proverb that says, “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still.”
  1. Leave “groundless” criticism behind. Simply say, “Thank you for your input.” You must handle feedback much like you eat bony fisth; you eat the flesh (useful) and leave the bones (useless). Don’t spend time rehearsing the encounter afterward. Remember that nobody can please everybody so you have to respond “like a duck.” No matter how much water you pour onto a duck’s back, it simply rolls off.

Resolve now that you will not let constructive or destructive criticism make you resentful, zap your confidence, or steal your joy. Rather, resolve to use it as a stepping stone to a bright future.