In our last Letter we began looking at the “Be, Know, Do” (BKD) model of leader development. This model is used by the U.S. Army but has also gained some measure of popularity in Christian leader development circles.

According to the Army, leaders lead others by their character, by their competence, and by their actions; therefore, effective leader development must focus on the leader’s character and values (“Be”), his competencies (“Know”), and his decisions and actions (“Do”). Continue Reading »

In our last Letter, we saw that Jesus’ continuous inward fellowship with His Father was the source of everything in His life and ministry.

In this relationship between Jesus and His Father, there is a parallel to what our own relationship with God can be. Continue Reading »

In our last Letter, we saw that the Son of God was in fellowship with His Father for all eternity. He was “toward” His Father, looking at Him, communing with Him in loving, joyful, spontaneous, abundant fellowship. Continue Reading »

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

“In the beginning was the Word…” In the very beginning God simply “was.” John did not write “in the beginning became the Word,” because the Eternal Son of God never “became.” He always “was” – He eternally “was.” God possesses absolute existence, with neither beginning nor end. Continue Reading »

As have seen in previous Letters, our leadership development efforts must not be conducted apart from a living community of people in which the emerging leaders function and participate. Continue Reading »

In most Western organizations today, we love specialization and compartmentali­zation. Consequently, as we have already mentioned, it is common for us to entirely delegate the task of leadership development to some “specialist” person or group – whether inside or outside the organization itself. We identify the emerging leader who needs to be developed and then send him to the “experts” to “do it” for us. Continue Reading »

An ancient African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Similarly, it takes a spiritual community or family to build a leader. Continue Reading »

The Christian life is personal union and fellowship with Jesus (John 17:3). Church life is knowing God together. Moreover, together – in the context of the community of believers – we can know God in His fullness. Continue Reading »