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PLI Team, Mr. John Peter and participants of the conference
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Here I am Lord!
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Someone once said that ‘one cannot build a marble temple out of mud and manure. Quality temples need quality ingredients’. Based on this saying, a conference for the CTC Missionaries with the theme ‘ Empowering Leaders Transforming Lives’ was held on 18th and 19th of July 2007, at the Peace Center, Bangalore.
The participants to the conference included the CTC students from the 5 CTC programs at Ambur, Nagercoil, Manjamedu, Cuttack and Byreddypalle. From the theme of the conference, ‘Empowering Leaders, Transforming Lives’, the purpose of the conference was all set out to bring the CTC students from the different centres, equip them with skills for effective ministry on field and back in their communities they come from.
The Pastors and Leadership Institute (PLI) team from US lead by Rev. Mark Carlson challenged the 75 CTC missionaries and tutors with the subject and concept of ‘Leadership’.
The subject of leadership is a buzz word in the corporate world globally. Companies are willing to invest in their staff any amount, to empower leadership within. Various concepts, philosophies and jargon are often the mandate of such leadership, which focus on career up scaling, overcoming competition and the balance sheet. However, the concept of leadership taught at this conference taught a different concept of leadership. There was one principle followed at the conference throughout and that was to focus on the life of one man, Jesus Christ, who was called Master, Teacher, Rabbi but lived a life serving others.
The Subjects taught by the PLI Team included;
1. Leadership, Jesus Style taught by Rev. Mark Carlson,
2. Leading from within, taught by Rev. Joel Sarrault,
3. Authentic Leadership, taught by Rev. Tony Alter,
4. Leading within the body of Christ, taught by Rev. Aaron Asmus
5. Leading People to Jesus, taught by Rev. Greg Snow.
Time and again throughout this conference the emphasis was that Leadership is all about Jesus and not on our capabilities. We become men of true faith when we acknowledge our inadequateness and depend on God for his completeness. God requires us to lead people to Christ and to develop others as leaders recognizing their God given gifts and abilities.
The students were eager to share their experiences on field. They also listened attentively at the sessions and to the other students from the different Centres. They came with a spirit to learn, which contributed to the positive environment throughout the conference that sustained the interests of both teacher and student.
The group discussion was a session where maximum input and results were achieved. The PLI team had a strategy in place. The subjects taught on the first day were to be the topics of discussion, which was organized on the second day. The PLI team, UEM and the students were determined to make the most of the limited time they had with one another. Firstly, the students were divided into 5 groups, respectively from the centre’s they were coming from. The PLI team rotated among themselves, leading each of the five groups in group discussion. The students by then had warmly opened up to their brothers from the US and began to share from their ministries.
The conference ended on the note that leadership begins firstly, in understanding that we are incapable of doing the tremendous work that is required. And secondly, by believing that there is a God who makes all of this possible, when we come to Him and admit our insufficient strength and know how, only to have Him willingly strengthen us and make the impossible it possible. We are confident about this, from the life of one man, Jesus Christ.
