Time Commitment

            The certificate program is structured to maximize the development of community and enduring relationships.  Training is typically conducted over a seven month period with two back-to-back days together each month.  A day typically begins at 8:30 am and concludes at 4:00 pm, resulting in about 98 hours of programmed instructional time together.  A neutral site is selected for day one of each month that remains the same throughout the training cycle.  Day two of each month is conducted at different places in the community, exposing the group of pastors to the needs of the city.  Typically these “field trips” would include City Hall and the Mayor’s Office, the Chief of Police, the Superintendent of Public Schools, a prominent major employer in the region, a major social service agency, and other sites deemed appropriate.  Day Two is spent entirely “on site” with an orientation by the host at the beginning of the day and training conducted for the rest of the time.

            There are four distinct but inter-related training modules that constitute the program.  The four modules are the following: 

• development of community;

• personal reflection and growth;

• leadership enhancement and professional development;

• and the process of strategic planning for collaborative city-reaching. 

Day one of each month emphasizes the first two of the modules, while day two focuses attention on modules three and four.  Each day is broken roughly in half, with the focus of one module before lunch and the other module after lunch.  The meal is taken together.  As the program progresses, the modules tend to “blend” together into a consistent whole, each building upon the other.  Thus strategic planning borrows from leadership, which borrows from personal development, which is partly a function of the development of deep community.

Module One:  Community Development

            There are two aspects to SLI’s understanding of “community.”  One is the brotherhood of pastors who come together to form an intimate and respectful community; the other is the actual city or region in which these fellow pastors live and minister.  Until the first is realized there will be little enduring impact on the second.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verse 23 Jesus prays to the Father with a concern for the unity of the Church:  “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me…”   A survey of church history reveals the truth that at no time has this prayer been answered.  The history of the Church is littered with strife, fragmentation, mistrust and competition.  Denominations have been created which too often have divided the Church, many times for petty reasons, keeping Christians apart from and distrustful of each other.  The result in our own time and in our communities is a situation of many churches with basically the same belief system but with little or no contact with each other, often in competition with one other, and having practically no enduring impact on the secular community in which they live. 

Besides the lack of church unity and community spirit, pastors often live and work in self-imposed isolation.  A heartbreaking statistic gathered by John Maxwell indicates that 70% of pastors in America do not have someone they consider a close friend.  Strong, transparent relationships with people inside the church are fraught with danger; relationships with fellow pastors outside the church are discouraged because of denominational and theological differences and hard feelings over “lost” parishioners.

Compounding the problem is the strength of the status quo:  not having experienced anything else, pastors come to feel that the present situation is the way things always ought to be, thus further frustrating any agent for change.

It is the goal of Strategic Leadership Institute to bring together clusters of pastors in each neighborhood who have a desire to see Jesus’ prayer in John 17 come to reality.  These pastors will come from very diverse backgrounds:  under the centrality of Christ there may be many theological variations (mode of baptism, nature of the covenants, definition and expression of spiritual gifts, etc) as well as ethnic and racial variations (believers grouped by language, by race, by country of origin) and gender (male and female pastors and spiritual leaders).  It is the goal of SLI that these pastors grow to respect each other and develop deep bonds of love.  That love bond ensures that one will not knowingly give offense to another, or easily take offense from another.  Open and transparent relationships are created in an environment of safety, prayer, affection and real concern.

Over the seven months, approximately 28 hours is spent developing a sense of community.  Different speakers are recruited to speak to the issue of harmony, reconciliation and unity.  Intimate sharing and prayer is encouraged.  Exercises which promote the development of community are planned – included are role playing, video clip discussion starters, joint worship and prayer, bible study, and use of supplemental resources such as journal articles and internet resources.  Handouts are gathered in the course notebook for reading at home and subsequent discussion.  By the end of the seven months it is the experience of SLI that relationships are forged strong and healthy, which facilitates the accomplishment of the second aspect of community – effective community involvement.

As pastors are exposed to the community at large, the needs of the city become evident.  Those needs are far too significant for any one church alone to solve; it takes the Church in all her majestic unity (not uniformity) to have lasting and redeeming impact.  As the sense of internal community grows, pastors naturally begin to assess the needs of their city and begin developing the links for unified and collective action.  City reaching becomes a distinct probability.

Module Two:  Personal Growth

            All too commonly pastors are assumed to have mastered the spiritual disciplines but live secret lives of unbalanced priorities and spiritual failure.  The unfortunate result is often a precipitous “fall” which is gleefully reported in the secular press.  While it is important to be about the business of ministry, it is perhaps more important for the minister to be about the beauty of relationship.  SLI emphasizes “being” over “doing.”

            The second half of day one in each of the seven months focuses attention on the pastor’s personal growth.  A primary resource for this module is Dr. Samuel Rima’s book “Leading From the Inside Out” with the additional workbook by the same name.  There are nine sections in the workbook; these are divided so that the entirety is covered in six training sessions.  Homework is assigned so that participants come to the group session having read the portion for that day and prepared to discuss and think through the material together.  These nine sections help lead participants through issues of calling and vocation, development of spiritual discipline, maintenance of physical health and vitality, achieving emotional balance, and being committed to continued intellectual growth.  In addition, a section is added regarding the necessity of balancing the priority of family life.

            Nearly 25 hours of class time is committed to the topic of personal growth in all its components.  Outside of class each participant must keep up with the monthly assignments which eventuate into the draft of a personal statement of intention regarding how he or she intends to balance these priorities.  The group, having progressed in the development of an intimate and transparent relationship, then serves as an accountability resource for each other, holding each to account through love and encouragement.  Out of these relationships may emerge life-long cells of accountability to personal growth which will be a blessing to the pastor wherever he or she may do ministry in the future.

Module Three:  Professional Development

            The second day in each monthly gathering is devoted to professional skill development, visioning and planning.  Each second day begins in a different location which exposes pastor groups to the needs of the city from the perspectives of those who are directly serving it.  After an orientation by the “host” and a discussion of critical problems from that perspective, the group focuses on leadership issues.

            A rigorous self-examination is conducted early in the training.  Each participant is required to take a battery of tests:  the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis and the Modified Heights Spiritual Gifts Survey are supplied by SLI, the Christian Leader Profile is available on-line for $15.00 from the Barna Group, and the Birkman Report is taken on-line from Intercristo for $85.00.  Two additional evaluations are supplied:  one, a personal history time line, is done early in class; the other, a “Dark Side Profile” is done at the end of the class in month seven.  Participants are also encouraged to take the StengthsFinder Signature Theme from the book by Buckingham and Clifton titled “Now, Discover Your Strengths.”  The T-JTA, the personal time line and the Dark Side Profile are all taken during class time; the others are completed at home and brought to class.

            When viewed together these assessments paint a picture of the internal make-up of each participant.  One’s giftedness is apparent, as well as one’s preferred leadership style and most effective work environment.  Mentoring requirements and stress inducers are identified and visualized.  From this data each participant is to write a “preferred” job description which maximizes his or her areas of strength.  Discussions with each participant’s leadership team are encouraged which would eventuate into bringing the existing job description more in harmony with what God has actually called and gifted the individual to do.  Leadership teams built on complementary skills and gifts are encouraged.  Within the safe environs of the pastoral community each participant is affirmed in the calling and gifting of God.  For those who are able to enlighten their leadership teams, this process may be significant in the reduction of unnecessary ministry stress and cycles of frustration caused by energy expended from areas of weakness.

            Other components of this module include understanding the role of the leader, practical help in dealing with difficult people, learning how to select board members and defining the responsibilities of board members, understanding the relationship between pastor and board members, and learning how to develop and communicate vision.

            There are a multitude of resources used in this module.  In addition to the above-mentioned personal assessments, guest speakers with expertise in one of the above areas are invited to address the group and answer questions.  Library resources are utilized and reading assignments given in conjunction with the training subject.   A special unit on expository preaching is given to encourage a revitalization of biblical preaching in the pulpits of the city.

            The anticipated result of module three should be a clarification of one’s most effective leadership style, a solid rediscovery and appreciation for the areas of giftedness and strengths God has wired sovereignly into each leader, and a commitment to accomplish work from strength instead of weakness.  Leaders who spend most of their time working in areas of ability and strength tend to enjoy ministry and experience success; those who spend inordinate amounts of time working on their weaknesses experience the bitterness of frustration and failure.

Module Four:  Strategic Planning

            The second half of day two in each training month is set aside for strategic planning.  There are two aspects to the strategic planning process which are emphasized:  the first aspect is for each participant to develop a strategic plan for the ministry of his or her local church.  Church growth strategies are compared with principles of “natural church development” to expose pastors to another way of thinking about goal-setting and growth.  Plans are then developed in concert with a leadership team in each local church, but shared in such a way that all participants of the group are knowledgeable about each other’s plans, and all can have a common focus.

            That common focus is the second aspect of the strategic planning process.  Capitalizing on insights gained from community exposure, the group may corporately assess the needs and develop a vision for city reaching that involves collaborative ministry.  The natural outcome of pastors in deepening relationship with each other is churches beginning to relate wholesomely and productively with each other in worship and ministry.  A city that experiences the Body of Christ moving forward together cannot stay unmoved – it will be impacted with the redeeming grace of God ministered by a united and vibrant Church.

Success Measured

            The measure of success for an SLI Pastors and Ministry Leaders Group is two-fold.  It is the stated aim of SLI to enhance the skills and ability of leaders to lead their organizations, and to do so while connecting the participants with one another.  We will know we are successful when a group of pastors and Christian leaders representing a diversity of denominations, ministries and worship traditions are meeting regularly for prayer, are walking together in transparency, love and integrity, are committed to continue to build ever deepening relationships, and are strategizing together for city impact.  The second measure of success will be when the congregations and organizations which are led by these trained leaders are beginning to meet the needs of their city through meaningful and relevant collaborative ministries.

            When, because of the positive contribution made and community service rendered, city leaders and civic activists recognize the energized and unified Church as a vital force for good in the community, we will have achieved an ultimate level of success for that specific group.

Resources Used

Human Resources

          Trainers include the following:

            John B. Savage, E.M.B.A., founder and Executive Director of Strategic Leadership Institute.  John is skilled in all aspects of administration, board development and strategic planning.  He also works as a consultant to churches and para-church organizations through the John Frank Group.

            Rev. Gary K. Cowden, M.Div., Program Director.  Gary brings twenty-one years of pastoral ministry and insights gained through the D.Min. program of Northwest Graduate School to the curriculum and is a skilled group facilitator.

            Other outside facilitators are employed for their expertise and will vary from region to region.

Assessment Tools

1.  Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (supplied by SLI).

2.  Modified Heights Spiritual Gifts Survey (supplied by SLI).

3.  StrengthsFinder Signature Themes

            -purchase the book “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Buckingham & Clifton ($26.00 at Barnes and Noble);  use the code number inside the jacket on the internet to take the profile.

4.  Christian Leader Profile

            -go online to www.barna.org; go to clp@barna.com or follow directions to Christian Leader Profile.  Cost is $15.00 and results are immediate.

5.  Birkman Report through Intercristo

            -go online to Intercristo and follow directions to the Birkman Method.  Cost is   $85.00 and results will be returned the next day.

6.  “Overcoming the Dark Side” Leader Profile (supplied by SLI).

7.  Personal History Time-Line (produced in class).

Published Resources

            Those who wish course credit will be required to read a minimum of 1400 pages for four credit hours, or 2800 pages for eight credit hours from the required and suggested list.  Each book completed shall be summarized in a one-page review.  There are over a thousand pages of reading from the “required” book list.

 "The Strategic Leadership Institute exists to bring glory to God by cultivating, equipping, and connecting current and future leaders of local communities whose lives reflect the purposes and values of Jesus Christ