Effective Mentoring
April 30, 2007 |
Last week, we released a new downloadable resource from GiftedForLeadership.com called “Effective Mentoring.” For the many of you who purchased this, we wanted to make sure you had a forum to discuss your thoughts on it. We’ll be doing this after each new downloadable resource is made available. Here’s a snippet from one of the download’s featured articles, “Time to Mentor” by Lesa Engelthaler. Let us know what you think! --The Editors
Much of my formative spiritual growth resulted from older Christian women saying yes to my cries for help. I was clueless about the sacrifice they made to add me to their schedules. They were busy pastors’ wives, college professors, or women with careers, all deeply involved in ministry. Even so, these women took time to invest in me. Because of their modeling, I felt compelled to do unto others what they had done unto me.
Yet, as I grew older and “did the math,” mentoring one woman a year didn’t seem enough. In 1996, I prayed for God to show me other women in our church with the same passion. The answer to that prayer was for me to begin a program to partner women one-on-one for a one-year commitment.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on April 30, 2007 | Comments (13)
Identity Crisis
April 27, 2007 |
This past winter, when I was eight months pregnant, my husband and I attended a retreat for “thoughtful” Christians on the snow-covered dunes of Lake Michigan. We had a great time and met wonderful, interesting people with whom we enjoyed great conversations. But one man marred my trip a bit: Whenever he saw me, he insisted on calling me mama.
You don’t have to know me all that well to realize that there are exactly three small people on this planet who can call me mama and expect a warm reception. While I’m sure this man meant no harm—he seemed decent enough otherwise—suddenly every essay I had read or written in college lambasting sexist language came flooding back into my memory and fueled an anger I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Back in our room, I quietly raged (the walls of our old hotel were quite thin!) against this man to my husband. When he offered to kick his sexist butt for me, we both laughed at that thought and my anger toward the man was pretty much over. But the anger toward myself wasn’t.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on April 27, 2007 | Comments (39)
Leading Volunteers
April 24, 2007 |
Since many of us who serve in ministry end up leading volunteers, the editors at Gifted for Leadership wanted to find out how leading volunteers differed from leading paid staff. So I went to Nancy Beach, a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church as well as a GFL editorial advisor, who has vast experience in leading staff, volunteers, and the staff who lead volunteers. Below is an excerpt from our conversation:
What is the difference between leading a group of volunteers and leading paid staff?
My very first reaction is there aren’t a lot of differences. I think many times we think because people aren’t getting paid then they’re automatically motivated differently or that they need to be led differently. But what I’ve observed over the last several years is that in church work, the staff isn’t in it for the money anyway—they are motivated by someone who is leading them toward a cause. And I think the vision of what you’re trying to do and why has to be really clear for both volunteers and staff.
So it’s about getting people excited about your vision, whether they’re paid or unpaid.
Yes. But then the other thing that’s so clear to me is that both volunteers and staff people, if they’re really going to make it—go the distance and hang with you for a long time—it’s going to be because of another need being fulfilled, which I think is community.
I think it’s so important for both volunteers and staff to feel somebody knows them, knows their life outside of the church, cares about their personal struggles and their family and health and things like that. So I’ve just been very intentional about that.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on April 24, 2007 | Comments (11)
Antidote to Overachievement
April 20, 2007 |
I succumb to a number of leadership pitfalls. One of those is the neglect of presence, translated: I’m so busy doing the work of leadership that I sacrifice being for doing, and worse, believe the lie that success rests entirely on my shoulders. It is the Elijah syndrome—the overachievement complex—and I have it.
One of the sure antidotes to an unhealthy focus on self-determination is prayer and meditation. But that’s hard for a Type A to do. When I finally carve out the time to be quiet, how can I shut off my overdeveloped left brain? I’m either trying to unravel what happened yesterday (making a list of the problems) or engineering the future, making an equally long list of solutions. Yep, that’s me…analyzer and a fixer. And enough of a loner that my mantra tends to be “Unless I do it, it’s not going to get done.” Sound familiar? As if us trees really move the wind.
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 20, 2007 | Comments (16)
Dinner Table Talk in a Violent World
April 18, 2007 |
For many of us involved in ministry and leadership positions, our days are full and our brains are fried by the end of the day, when we return home to re-group with our families. Table talk over dinner is an important place to process the small and large, local and global issues of our day.
Last night at dinner, I started to say grace, and I just couldn’t say anything. My husband picked up and finished for me, praying for those families touched by tragedy.
Continue reading...Posted by Rachel Willoughby on April 18, 2007 | Comments (3)
Laying Down a Busy Life
April 16, 2007 |
The image of a dark, overcrowded broom closet comes to me periodically as a picture of my life. All manner of things are jammed in haphazardly, and everything is apt to topple perilously down into a heap when the door is opened.
I am a productive, organized, and fast-moving person; I do a lot and get a lot done in a short time. This is one of my greatest strengths—and almost surely my greatest weakness. It’s a weakness because I so quickly turn my capacity for productivity into an idol. My completed to-do list with tasks checked off feels so gratifying that it’s easy to find my worth in what I’m getting done instead of in God. The fact that many of the things I am accomplishing are worthwhile, God-honoring activities only serves to mask my sin.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on April 16, 2007 | Comments (9)
Synergy 2007 Wrap-Up
April 15, 2007 |
In my experience at Synergy 2007, my most significant impression has been a sense of awe at how much variety is in the body of Christ, how many ways God is speaking and working through women. The women at this conference have traveled so many different paths; for some of us these paths have taken us all over the world. God has called us to different ministries and given us different passions. And yet through the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship we have in Jesus, he makes us one body—the ultimate in synergy.
While I’ve been here, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know and hearing from some remarkable women.
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 15, 2007 | Comments (3)
Synergy 2007 Update
April 14, 2007 |
Saturday at Synergy 2007 has been a pleasure. I continue to be impressed with the group of women who have found their way to this event . Like Gifted for Leadership, Synergy is a community of gifted women who represent great potential for powerful ministry in the name of Christ.
In our plenary session this morning, we heard again from Dr. Alice Mathews. She talked about “synergy”—what it means and why it’s important. Basically, to achieve synergy, you must have all the parts of a whole present and engaged and working together in unity. This certainly is true for the church. Synergy, she pointed out, is essential for our work of spreading the gospel.
Dr. Mathews focused especially on the importance of a specific synergy in our lives: synergy among Christ, the Living Word, and the Bible, God’s written word. She challenged us as leaders to carefully handle the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15).
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 14, 2007 | Comments (0)
Synergy 2007
April 13, 2007 |
Here I am at Synergy 2007 in Orlando. In a previous post, I mentioned this networking event, whose purpose is to connect women who are preparing for and serving in vocational ministry. This event is organized and sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, The Impact Movement, Reformed Theological Seminary, and WhitbyForum.
I'm excited and privileged to be at this event. The room was full of gifted women--who represent so much life-changing ministry happening throughout the world. The session was challenging and inspiring. God is obviously at work!
Tonight, in the opening plenary session, we enjoyed a time of "speed networking," getting to know a little bit about other women and exchanging information so that we can resume our conversations later on.
We also we heard from Dr. Alice Mathews, who challenged us to be faithful in responding to God's call by using the gifts he has given us. She raised an interesting question: When women neglect their gifts, failing to develop and use the leadership gifts God has given them, are they sinning?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Posted by Amy Simpson on April 13, 2007 | Comments (3)
The Date I’ll Never Forget
April 12, 2007 |
It was a Friday night. My husband and I had a “date” with two other couples from the small church where we ministered together. One of the couples was about our age, but the other couple, Willis and Betty, was in their late eighties.
We felt a bit awkward at first. How do you get the conversation started with people more than half a century your senior? But soon things began to feel natural as we watched a video and ate caramel corn, shared stories from our lives, and ended the evening with a rousing “hymn sing,” which Willis enthusiastically led on accordion while my husband tried to keep up on guitar.
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 12, 2007 | Comments (3)
Announcing Gifted for Leadership Resources!
April 11, 2007 |
I have exciting news! Gifted for Leadership is now more than just a blog and an e-mail newsletter. As if we didn’t have enough excitement around here…This week, we’re launching our very first downloadable resource created specifically for women leaders. These short booklets offer collections of expert advice, biblical perspective, stories, practical ideas, and leadership tools to inspire and challenge you.
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 11, 2007 | Comments (2)
Leaders Take Responsibility
April 9, 2007 |
Would you would like to be rising to a higher level of leadership in your organization or ministry, but aren’t? Have you ever considered what might be holding you back? To rise to a higher level of leadership, it is imperative that you hold yourself accountable for your actions so that you are ready for the responsibility that comes with new positions.
Take Janet: She’s been the high school girls youth leader at the church for three years. During those years, several troubled teens have been positively impacted: remaining in school, changing their attitudes, and becoming more responsible. Because of these successes, Janet thought things were going well. However, many of the parents are upset about how the youth ministry is being handled. Most of the events on the youth calendar are posted “just in time” rather than being posted in advance, so parents don’t know what to expect and can’t plan for their youths’ activities. Recently, Janet planned a ministry trip; however, when parents asked practical questions about what time the vans would leave and how much money to bring along, Janet didn’t have the answers. This has caused much frustration.
When Janet talked with her pastor about this, he told her that she needs to focus on details and on providing information for the parents, not just on relationships with the girls. He has also asked her to work with a coach.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on April 9, 2007 | Comments (4)
A Woman's Role
April 9, 2007 |
In my last post, I directed you to a YouTube clip of Lucas Labrador discussing the emerging church. As a follow-up, you might want to watch another clip of Lucas Labrador, addressing a different topic: A Christian Woman's Role.
As with the last clip, the views presented are extreme and controversial. So why bring them up for discussion? Because they are part of our context. To be faithful to God means to consider our whole context - the time, place, and philsophical/theological milieu in which we are born. (God always places his people in context...we can't avoid being tied to a particular time and place. See Philippians 2:5-11 for the context chosen for Jesus). Jesus paid divine attention to what was going on in the culture of his day. And this attention included the scriptural bents and interpretations of those considered on the extreme of religiosity (zealots, Pharisees, Sadducees). Why did he engage them, if they were just "lunatics" - on the edge?
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 9, 2007 | Comments (3)
The Emerging Church
April 6, 2007 |
The church is changing. It is changing globally and it is changing exponentially. And wherever there is change, there is inevitably reaction to change. That’s what this post is about. As leaders, what do change and the reaction to change mean for us? We can talk all we want about what it means to be female and a leader inside old wineskins…old systems of operating, old ways of working in God’s kingdom. But we must remember: We cannot separate how we lead from the systems within which we are all embedded. Much as we would like to, we cannot ignore our own calling as leaders to help re-form the organizations in which we work. For leadership is inextricably tied to the forms we make. To accept those forms without question is to deny calling: the creative force of God at work within us and through us.
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 6, 2007 | Comments (3)
Gifted for Leadership Survey Results
April 4, 2007 |
Thanks so much for responding to the survey we posted a few weeks ago. We had an overwhelming response, and you shared so many great ideas (far too many to mention here)!
I thought you might like to know who else is visiting this blog, so I'll share a few highlights with you:
Your age:
Forty percent of you are under the age of forty. A third of you are between the ages of 41 and 50. The rest (26 percent) are over 50.
Marital status:
Nearly 75 percent of you are married. Fifteen percent are single, never married. The remaining 10 percent are single, either divorced or widowed.
Church leadership:
Among those of you involved in church ministry, you're serving in a variety of places. More than a third of you (34%) are serving as small group/Bible study leaders. Another third are ministry leaders/coordinators. Pastor/minister describes 17 percent, and 16 percent are committee leaders/members. Other common responses were choir/praise band member (14 percent) and Sunday school teacher (13 percent).
Thanks again to all of you who completed the survey. You shared so many great ideas, we're not sure which one to do next. In the meantime, while we're figuring it out, I hope you continue to enjoy the community of women who are contributing to this blog.
Posted by Amy Simpson on April 4, 2007 | Comments (0)
3 Temptations of Leadership, Part 2
April 3, 2007 |
In a previous post, I mentioned Henri Nouwen’s book In the Name of Jesus, which presents a powerful summary of what it means to be servant leaders. Nouwen used the story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11) to show how we as leaders are tempted, and how we must embrace Christ’s attitude of humility and service to others.
Nouwen describes Jesus’ second temptation as “the temptation to be spectacular.” Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself off the highest point of the temple, making a spectacular scene as angels came to his rescue and accompanied him gently to the ground in the heart of Jerusalem. This would have grabbed people’s attention! It would have put Jesus’ face on every magazine, newspaper, and blog in the ancient world. He might even have had a call from Oprah.
Continue reading...Posted by Amy Simpson on April 3, 2007 | Comments (7)
