It's the middle of August.

Many of us are returning from vacations and preparing for the start of a new ministry year.

What are the best books you read this summer?

Share some some ministry initiatives that you tried for the first time ....

What made Summer '08 memorable for you?

Risk Taking, Barrier Breaking, Bold Leadership
-  Interview with Catherine Rohr

At age 30, Catherine Rohr is the CEO and founder of the nonprofit Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP). Under her leadership, the program recruits volunteer senior business executives who provide training, mentoring, and support to prison inmates.

“The path to God’s will is achieved one act of obedience at a time.”

1 in 15 Americans will go to prison
Over 50% return in 2 to 3 years

Our society’s attitude and titles about prisoners contributes to the problem.

“If we are Christians are really all about grace, why are we willing to forgive ‘old-school murders like Moses and David, but not modern day murders?”

"God doesn’t need me. He needs me to follow instructions."

"I Dare you to pray 'BRING IT ON GOD!'"

Defending The Faith -- Chuck Colson

Chuck Colson is the Chairman and Founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

"The reason we are not making disciples is that we’ve transferred our allegiance from truth to therapy."

"You’re a leader, you job is not to pander to your people but to lead them into faith."

"What is Christianity? It is a world-view to see all of life through... it's not just a religion, a belief in Christ, or fellowship.... Every area of life is under the lordship of Jesus Christ."

IT: How Leaders Can Get IT and Keep IT
-- Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel, Founding and Senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, has a passion for leading people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. From its modest beginning in a two-car garage in Oklahoma City, LifeChurch.tv is one of the country's first multi-campus churches reaching more than 18,000 people with 40 weekly worship experiences in 12 locations including an Internet campus.

The early church had IT.:
Acts 2:42-47

IT is present when ....

1. There is Laser-Focus

2. Opportunities are not seen as oppositions.

3. There is a willingness to fail instead of playing it safe..

4. The leadership has IT

Questions:

If you don’t have IT, what are you going to do to get IT?

What are you doing that you need to stop?

What if God trying to show you through your greatest limitation?

What has God called you to do that you’re afraid to attempt?

Leading in New Cultural Realities


John Burke

John Burke is the Senior Pastor of Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas.

"Making and maintaing good soil is everything if you want flowers to grow."

1. Cultivate the soil with grace-giving acceptance.

2. Cultivate the soil with authentic, confessing community.

3. Cultivate the soil by encouraging constant connection with Jesus.

Efron Smith

Efrem Smith is the Sr. Pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis Minnesota.

We live in an ever increasing multiethnic and multiracial culture...this is our soil and we have to decide if we’re gong to lead in it.

1. Become a beloved leader.

2. Become an abiding leader.

3. Become a confessing leader

4. Become a perfecting leader

Finding Your True North -- Bill George

Bill George is the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, the world's leading medical technology company and is currently professor of management and ethics at Harvard Business School.

"Think about your gifts and leadership and ask “Am I doing all I can?”

A 21st Century Leader must:

Align people around the mission & value of the organization
Empower people to unleash their individual power to lead
Serve those that you lead.
Collaborate to bring together people to solve problems

A final challenge from Bill George ....
"At the end of your life, when your grandchild asks “what did you do to make a difference?” how will you answer?"

“Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change a small portion of the events, and then the total -- all of these acts -- will be written in the history of this generation.” - Robert F Kennedy


Stand Up And Lead-- Wendy Kopp

Wendy Kopp is the founder and CEO of Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that recruits the nation's most promising college graduates to teach in America's most distressed urban and rural communities.

She challenges young people to give two years of their live to teaching in  rough settings.

Did her unapologetic and passionate approach to recruiting the best leaders inspire any any change in the way Childrens Ministry leaders can address ministry recruiting.?

Just Courage: Charging the Darkness - Gary Haugen

Gary Haugen is the founder International Justice Mission (IJM), an international agency that rescues victims of violence and oppression worldwide.

He challenged leaders to lead people in things God cares about. 

1.  The World

2.  Justice

Great leadership will require leading when the tasks seem hopeless, scary, and hard.

Gary Haugen's passion for the world's children is a tremendous inspiration.

Childrens Ministy leader has met "hopeless", "scary", and "hard"

How were you influenced personally by this session?

What choices do you make as a leader that help you face "hopeless", "scary", and "hard" with
courage and joy?