Intentional Leadership Learning
By Patrick Cheng
MOST participants at the recent Eagles Leadership Conference (ELC) were below the age of 50, with the bulk in the 31-50 age range. This is an encouraging sign of second echelon leaders stepping up to lead the church of the future.
To that end, the ELC, which is a collaboration between the NECF Leadership Commission and the Eagles Leadership Institute (ELI) Singapore, held in June the first in a series of three conferences under a three-year leadership development framework. The younger participants included a few pastors and pastors' kids. There were also many lay church leaders.
"Leading Self" was the focus of the first ELC. The "Daily Office", an eightweek daily devotional booklet, was selected to help participants examine their inner lives for unhealthy spirituality, false self, baggage from dysfunctional family upbringing and other areas of brokenness. Dr John Ng, President of ELI, has found this tool so good that he has completed five cycles of this inner examination and still wants to do more.
After the conference, ELC participants were also given assignments as part of continuing their leadership development. They were given CD messages on Emotional Health, Cope Better with Stress and Corruption Compromises Character and are required to engage with the topics by writing a reflection paper. They also have to read the book "Dim Sum Leadership" and write a paper on its application.
The writing assignments are meant to help participants connect the issues to their own observations, previous experience or recent learning. The ELC employed this process of writing and reflection for all participants who had to pen down what they learned during the two-day conference in a 500-word reflection paper. Here are a couple of their reflections, used with their permission:
"One important principle that I have learnt [is] ... to be transparent and to be honest in all my dealings with people above, below and on the same level with me... to master the skill to state my own beliefs and values to those who disagree with me without becoming adversarial..." - Kwong See
"...God has reminded me [about] "Being with Him" [rather than] "Doing for Him". The emphasis is on the importance of meeting God in solitude and silence on a daily basis. This will help me to be consistently conscious of God throughout my daily life and to ensure that my inner person is able to slow down enough to focus on Christ. Don't let our quiet time become too routine until we fail to sense the presence of God." - Vivian Tan
We trust that the 150 participants from over 40 churches and organisations will grow in this three-year journey of self and leadership development so that the Malaysian Church will be stronger in its witness and outreach.
Note: Those keen to participate in next year's leadership training are requested to email patrick@necf.org.my for details. |
