Endtimes Indications - 1/12/8 -Start of New Free Christian Leadership
Training Lessons
Scientists to discuss how global warming increases diseases*
PRAGUE, Jan 11 (AFP) Jan 11, 2008
Global warming in Europe could mean a host of potentially fatal
diseases
become more prevalent, a leading scientist warned Friday ahead of a
major conference on the subject.
Warmer temperatures could encourage the spread of mosquito-spread
malaria
and the potentially fatal West Nile Virus, David Rogers, who heads up
the EU-funded Eden project into emerging diseases, told AFP.
On the positive side however, rising temperatures could eventually
rid
the continent of tick-borne encephalitus and other diseases, said
Rogers, a professor of ecology at Oxford University.
He was speaking ahead of a five-day conference starting Monday in the
eastern Czech city of Brno, where some 150 scientists will discuss
the
impact of global warming on diseases in Europe.
Rogers' conclusions were drawn on data culled half-way through the
five-year Emerging Diseases in a Changing European Environment
(EDEN).
The project, a collaboration between 49 institutions from 24
countries,
aims to map out the impact of climate change on the spread of
diseases
in Europe and Mediterranean countries.
"The southern limits and northern limits of this disease will move
north," said Rogers. "By 2050-2080 we could see the disappearance of
this disease from Europe."
The rodent-spread Hatavirus, which often leads to lung failure and
death
in humans without proper treatment, could also disappear if spring
temperatures increased, he added. "The virus survives longer on
colder
days."
On the other hand, insect-borne diseases, such as mosquito-spread
malaria and the potentially fatal West Nile Virus were likely to
increase with a warmer climate in Europe.
Scientists to discuss how global warming increases diseases*
PRAGUE, Jan 11 (AFP) Jan 11, 2008
Global warming in Europe could mean a host of potentially fatal
diseases
become more prevalent, a leading scientist warned Friday ahead of a
major conference on the subject.
Warmer temperatures could encourage the spread of mosquito-spread
malaria
and the potentially fatal West Nile Virus, David Rogers, who heads up
the EU-funded Eden project into emerging diseases, told AFP.
On the positive side however, rising temperatures could eventually
rid
the continent of tick-borne encephalitus and other diseases, said
Rogers, a professor of ecology at Oxford University.
He was speaking ahead of a five-day conference starting Monday in the
eastern Czech city of Brno, where some 150 scientists will discuss
the
impact of global warming on diseases in Europe.
Rogers' conclusions were drawn on data culled half-way through the
five-year Emerging Diseases in a Changing European Environment
(EDEN).
The project, a collaboration between 49 institutions from 24
countries,
aims to map out the impact of climate change on the spread of
diseases
in Europe and Mediterranean countries.
"The southern limits and northern limits of this disease will move
north," said Rogers. "By 2050-2080 we could see the disappearance of
this disease from Europe."
The rodent-spread Hatavirus, which often leads to lung failure and
death
in humans without proper treatment, could also disappear if spring
temperatures increased, he added. "The virus survives longer on
colder
days."
On the other hand, insect-borne diseases, such as mosquito-spread
malaria and the potentially fatal West Nile Virus were likely to
increase with a warmer climate in Europe.
Scientists to discuss how global warming increases diseases*
PRAGUE, Jan 11 (AFP) Jan 11, 2008
Global warming in Europe could mean a host of potentially fatal
diseases
become more prevalent, a leading scientist warned Friday ahead of a
major conference on the subject.
Warmer temperatures could encourage the spread of mosquito-spread
malaria
and the potentially fatal West Nile Virus, David Rogers, who heads up
the EU-funded Eden project into emerging diseases, told AFP.
On the positive side however, rising temperatures could eventually
rid
the continent of tick-borne encephalitus and other diseases, said
Rogers, a professor of ecology at Oxford University.
He was speaking ahead of a five-day conference starting Monday in the
eastern Czech city of Brno, where some 150 scientists will discuss
the
impact of global warming on diseases in Europe.
Rogers' conclusions were drawn on data culled half-way through the
five-year Emerging Diseases in a Changing European Environment
(EDEN).
The project, a collaboration between 49 institutions from 24
countries,
aims to map out the impact of climate change on the spread of
diseases
in Europe and Mediterranean countries.
"The southern limits and northern limits of this disease will move
north," said Rogers. "By 2050-2080 we could see the disappearance of
this disease from Europe."
The rodent-spread Hatavirus, which often leads to lung failure and
death
in humans without proper treatment, could also disappear if spring
temperatures increased, he added. "The virus survives longer on
colder
days."
On the other hand, insect-borne diseases, such as mosquito-spread
malaria and the potentially fatal West Nile Virus were likely to
increase with a warmer climate in Europe.
Christian Leadership Career
Overview
Hi Christian!
We at "Quality of Life Ministries-Christian Leadership Training
Institute" would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little
bit about our organization and how we can relate to you.
We are concerned that the challenges of life require some real life
answers. Our mission is to seek out those who are inclined to listen
to the voice of God and lead them into a mature relationship with
Jesus Christ through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
We at "Quality of Life Ministries" strive toward the goal of being:
A organization that walks in God's Truth and develops Integrity in its
participants.
A organization that walks in God's Love and develops a Intimacy with
their God in its participants.
A organization that walks in God's Power and develops a sense of
impact on it's participant's lives and their Leadership relationship
with others.
Purpose
The purpose of these classes is to acquaint you with Christian
Leadership. In doing so you will find out about your relationship
with Christ, His Church, and each other.
You, will also learn about yourself. For example you'll find out what
type of personality you have; you also find out what your spiritual
gifts are. And, who knows what else.
QOL-CLTI is committed to fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord,
Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19-20 instructs us:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age."
God's Church should be a Friendly Church
In an egocentric society like ours, God's Church stands out as a
significant exception. When you ask people why they attend your local
church, the answer that we hope you hear is that your church is a
friendly church, one in which it is easy to make friends and have
relationships grow. Christian Leadership makes this possible.
Christian Leadership Training Institute
"We connect people to Christ and each other for World-class Christian
living."
The "connecting" goes on seven days a week with the full support of
Christian leadership and other Christians and non-Christians. In
fact, it is the single greatest factor in motivating people to make a
positive decision to become church members. The second is that they
have committed themselves to serving the church in one or more
ministries, they'll answer that they do it to serve their friends and
their Lord.
John tells us in his gospel that Christ said: "My command is this:
Love each other as I have loved you." (John 15:15)
John amplifies this in his first epistle: "Dear friends, let us love
one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been
born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God
because God is love." (1 John 4:7-9)
In attending church, in making friends, in loving one another, we are
only obeying our Lord's command. We are all rewarded by the richness
of this experience.
Building friendships with Christ through each other.
Again, John gives us direction when he relates Jesus' statement: "You
are my friends if you do what I command." (John 15:14)
Through love for each other and, consequently, our obedience to our
Lord's command, we demonstrate our love for him and fulfill a major
obligation of our faith.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John
3:16)
Come share in this love. Let's be Christian leaders.
Member of What
Scripture tells us that the church is a living organism. It uses a
variety of dynamic imageries to get this point across including the
body of Christ, the vine and the branches, the shepherd and the sheep,
the living temple of living stones, the royal priesthood, and the
family. The Christian Leader is a living part of God's organism
called the church. As part of the organism, each person has a vital
part to play in world evangelization, making disciples of all people.
As part of the body of Christ, each person has a ministry to perform,
thus, the individual is seen as an important part of the body life in
the Christian community, with the responsibilities to Christ, to
others, and to the world.
To those of You looking for help in dealing with Life
Whether people are struggling with overwhelming needs, going through
major transitions, or just trying to keep ahead of life's everyday
frustrations, the one thing people long for the most is support. They
want realistic answers to their many questions, a listening ear, and a
caring friend.
We would like to offer you a program which will assist you in helping
other to deal with the challenges of life (economically, emotionally,
etc.). The program will help you to better understand who you are and
how you can help others to live their life better. It offers a rich
mixture of practical living - to live it completely.
Greetings from your neighbors at Christian Leadership Training
Institute.
Life today is demanding, and real life challenges require real life
answers. At Quality of Life Ministries we don't claim to have all of
the answers for your life, but we know Someone who does. Our
confidence lies in an real God who works in the everyday lives of
everyday people. if you have come to a place where you are ready to
investigate the impact that God can make in your life and in the lives
around you, then we would like to invite you to participate and join
us in the pursuit of "real life that works."
We are Christian friends who just want to know you better and invite
you to our training course, to see how we can help. The purpose of
our organization is: to connect people to Christ and each other for
world class Christian living.
We accomplish this through various ways including helping you make
your community a better place to live - by helping you inform others
how they may have peace in living their lives with God.
....Friendships
Your church with your help should offer a loving environment, one in
which our relationships with each other is a prime
imperative ...friendships carefully nurtured through shared
experiences evolving to the point when you find love for one another
through Christ. People need the Lord; people need each other. Those
needs are mutually inclusive and are satisfied through friendships
that in turn, will grow and bear fruit in the form of loving
relationships.
Building friendships with Christ through each other.
God's Church exists for one reason: to facilitate these
relationships. And we do so out of gratitude for the great sacrifice
God made for us, out of obedience to the commands of our great Friend,
Jesus Christ, and out of our love for one another...
....Answers
"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got
together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this
question:
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like
it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Christian Leadership Training Institute is a place that offers real
answers to life's tough questions. With the practical help of the
Bible, we want everyone to have the abundant life that only God can
give. To aid us in this, we study God's Word.
....Celebration
Christian Leadership Training Institute is a place where people
believe that life can and should be celebrated. Knowing God and
living by His principles helps us to understand how special life is.
You are important
Our purpose in telling you all of this is to let you know that
Christian leadership means something. It is not a fad. It is more
than just the hip thing to do. It is a God-given privilege of those
in fellowship with the King. The integrity of this fact is reflected
in a number of ways.
Each and every person in a church is important. Therefore, ministry
in the body is important. God's Church has a number of different ways
in which members can minister to one another. Unstructured ministry
happens too, because ministry - healing people's hurts - is
everybody's business, not just the pastor's.
Since each person is important, sensitivity develops to felt needs.
Felt needs are God-given channels for growth, especially across the
natural bridges of friends, relatives, people with whom we work or go
to school. people attuned to the importance of the individual look
for these needs and hurts and help them become avenues for God's love
and forgiveness.
Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift. A spiritual gift is
a supernatural attribute given by God's grace to every member of the
body of Christ. These gifts determine the ministry that one is best
suited to perform. God's way of looking at different kinds of people
in the church is not by intelligence, education, beauty, or wealth.
These categories tend to divide the church; God unifies through
spiritual gifts.
We hope that you are now interested in continuing in this course.
Leadership. Everyone experiences it, or the lack of it, in their
daily lives. Those called to lead can find doing so a daunting task.
Those expected to follow can experience frustration when their leader
is unable to lead and their organization seems to be going nowhere.
Struggling leaders may agonize in the knowledge that others resent
them and blame them for their organizations' failures. Countless
discouraged leaders would probably quit their jobs today, but they
need the income. Besides, they fear the same problems would engulf
them in their new jobs. Discouraged, Christian leaders carry the
added, albeit misguided, burden that they are failing not only their
people but their Lord. They feel guilty because they lack the faith
to move their organization forward, yet the same fears prevent them
from leaving their leadership positions for jobs where they might be
more successful. Is there any hope for the countless number of
leaders who are not experiencing the fulfillment and reaching the
potential God intended for them? If anything can revolutionize
today's Christian leaders it is when Christians understand God's
design for spiritual leaders."
(From "The Challenge of Leadership" in Spiritual Leadership)
The twenty-first century is the most troubled age in history, and
effective biblical leadership has never been more needed.
Called By God
Purpose: To take the PLUNGE into Christian Leadership.
You're one of them, aren't you? No, please don't look away
embarrassed or indignant. You are one of them - one of the ones the
Lord talked about when He said, "Before I formed you, I knew you" and
"You shall receive power and be witnesses to Me" and "Go and make
disciples."
Yes, you! Not collectively but individually - you are one of the ones
He's calling to make a difference. It's in your eyes; I've been
around, and I've seen it. He's calling you to make a huge difference
through Joshua-style tough leadership; Peter-style in-your-face
boldness; Paul-style whatever-it-takes daring; Daniel-style courage
to stand alone; David-style heart-that-won't-quit for God; Deborah-
style roust-'em-out "mamma" in the land; Esther-style I'll-risk-
anything-for-right!
You! You know I'm right. He's talked to your heart. So intense, it
scared you. He's called you by name, as He did Samuel. He won't let
go, just as He wouldn't Jeremiah: "His word was in my heart like a
burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and
I could not" (Jer. 20:9).
You've heard Him speak to your spirit with a fire, a passion. It's
happened several times, and you can't shut it up. His voice, when you
take time to listen, shouts back, "Your Mine; I've got a call on your
life!"
So what are you going to do? Keep ignoring it? "It'll go away... I
hope."
Do small things? "Maybe He won't notice I'm hiding."
Get married, have kids? "That'll change His plans."
Do advanced studies? "Other high-powered things will let me feel
fulfilled."
Oops, time is running out! Better choose. Here comes that voice again.
You could go with the call, and do whatever it takes to respond.
You can pursue leadership development. You can cry out to God, "Here
I am, send ME!!"
Hmmm ... whattado?
It is in your heart. Look in the mirror of your soul. You are one of
them! He has touched you deeply. Others have noticed, too. So...?
"You mean it wasn't just me? Perhaps I'd better act on it this time."
Your life is not your own, you know. Have you asked the Lord what He
wants to do with it? here are some tips:
Yes, you will combat evil. No you don''t get to wear a cape.
If God calls you to be His servant, don't stoop to be a king.
The inward call of God comes in the stuff of every day.
If you're looking for an invitation from God, this could be it.
Study, and get ready; someday your time will come.
Ask yourself, "What does God want" or you can say, "Here am I, Lord;
send me."
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he come to a village
where a women named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister
called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be
made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister
has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about
many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is
better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)
If you had been Martha, how would you have responded to Jesus'
remark?
Why do you think Jesus said it?
What do you think Jesus meant when he said, "Mary has chosen what is
better and it will not be taken away from her?
What would Jesus likely say to you if he dropped in on your home
today?
What was Jesus point?
It's possible for service to Christ to degenerate into mere busy work
that is no longer full of devotion to God.
Don't let your service become self-serving. Are you so busy doing
things for Jesus that you're not spending any time with him?
As you begin this course, what are some goals you would like to work
on?
"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the
people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at
the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were
washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging
to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat
down and taught the people from the boat.
"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep
water, and let down" the nets for a catch.'
"Simon answered, 'Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't
caught anything . But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'
"When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that
their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the
other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats
so full that they began to sink.
"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, 'Go away
from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!' For he and all his companions were
astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and
John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners.
"Then Jesus said to Simon, 'Don't be afraid; from now on you will
catch men.' So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything
and followed him." ((Luke 5: 1-11)
Picture yourself as Simon. What are you thinking, doing, feeling in
verses 1-3?
When Jesus speaks directly to you in verse 4! Why do you go along
with his odd request?
In your "fishing business," how do you see Jesus?
Peter knew that Jesus had healed the sick and driven out demons, but
he was amazed that Jesus cared about his day-to-day routine and
understood his needs. If we know that we need help, and if we know
that Jesus is the only one who can help us, we will be ready to leave
everything and follow him.
People Helping people Through Christianity
As a leader, Follower, and Christian, your success will depend on your
ability to adapt Christ's message within yours and other's lives. The
amount of success you achieve depends entirely on the time, effort and
ability you devote to putting into action through your involvement, in
that adapted message. It is up to YOU.
Have you ever observed a weak, declining organization teetering on the
brink of disbandment? Then a new leader arrived, and everything
changed dramatically. Perhaps you have been a part of such an
experience. You may have had little hope for the survival of your
organization. Then along came a leader who mobilized people into
action, and you were astounded at the difference. Results previous
leaders had failed to achieve in ten years, the new leader
accomplished in six months!
What happened? Was this not the same collection of people with
identical problems and limitations? How did it languish under one
leader and flourish under another? The difference had little to do
with the problems or the limitations. It had everything to do with
good leadership. The fact is, some leaders are successful no matter
what challenge they take on, while others suffer chronic failure and
mediocrity. All organizations have potential for growth and success;
the key is effective leadership.
In the years following the close of World War II one of the most
significant factors in the life of the Church has been the emergence
of the minister/priest/pastor as a resource for persons experiencing
difficulty. While it would be obviously incorrect to imply that prior
to this time there was no effective pastoral care, it is evident that
today far more people turn to the minister in time of trouble; and
indications are that this number if steadily increasing. Every
minister can document the statement that requests for his help and
time are not only more numerous, but also more varied as he finds
himself involved in the tangled lives of his membership as well as of
those who have no overt relationship to the church.
From the standpoint of the minister, this condition presents both
opportunity and difficulty, The opportunity lies in the doors that
are opened into the lives of all sorts and conditions of men -
opportunity to bring the resource of the Gospel to bear on the day-
today problems that beset all people, to demonstrate that faith is
concerned with "then and there," but also with "hear and now." This
is an opportunity welcomed by ministers who otherwise might tend to
feel what they say and do appears irrelevant to the average person
caught up in the struggles of living.
The difficulty, however, is no less real than the opportunity. It is
one thing to have access to the life of another, to be sought after
for help, and to be invited into the private distresses which bid fair
to overwhelm; but is is another thing to be able to provide the kind
of help that is genuine, that truly meets the person where he is, that
is effective in enabling the person to meet whatever situation
confronts him. And all of this comes at a time when he is also
expected to be a business executive (running a successful religious
institution) and a more effective preacher.
What, then, is the minister to do? To such a question there can be no
absolute answer; but there are options and guidelines which are of
value. This is where the "Christian Leader" can be of help.
To overlook the opportunity too provide this support is to ignore the
power of God working through his servants. But to minimize the
difficulty is to deal superficially with life, and to place into
jeopardy the heavenly future of those whose past has already become
complicated by the realities of our modern world.
First in importance is an accurate assessment of his own resources and
skills in dealing with the distresses of life. By the very nature of
things, such a task is never ending. Formal training, increased
experience, and continued study and reflection make for a steady
expansion of the trainers ability to be of genuine help in time of
trouble. While it is true that mere passage of time does not
automatically provide greater resourcefulness it is certain that only
time can bring the maturity which is needed to meet the increased
burdens of life.
The second general guideline which is of value in answering the
answering the question is the Leaders knowledge of the resources
available to him. As he/she assesses his own resources, they see the
need for joining hands with others whose experiences and skills have
prepared them to deal with problems which are beyond the individual
leaders competence. But knowledge of these resources is only part of
the picture. In addition, there must be an understanding of what is
involved in a valid use of this knowledge. This would include an
approach to the resources, professions, agencies and God who would be
involved and the enabling of the leader to avail themself of the
services provided.
The Bible has much to say to leaders. We have examined the
Scriptures, and we have scrutinized the lives of effective leaders in
light of God's Word. It is to consideration of these issues that
attention is given in the following lessons.
Introduction
This is not a course that you read as much as a tool to enable
encounters between people.
You will find God's calling in your life and you will find your self
discovering positive, concrete ways to respond.
You will within the class, grow in care for each other. As a class
you will live out Christian Leadership with each other and find
yourself experiencing a richness of community and care you have never
known before.
If you are someone who believes that God has given to the church the
responsibility to "equip the saints for the work of living as a Child
of God," I commend this course to you. It facilitates a marvelous
experience... and who knows what surprises it may lead to.
Leadership is an embrace, not a club. As you are embraced by the love
of God, you cannot help but embrace others. Indeed, these are the two
pieces of the leadership puzzle: applying the leadership to yourself
and sharing leadership with others.
But how do you share this leadership? How can sharing it become a
natural part of your life? Here's where the class experience comes
in. Class members will so experience God's love and leadership that
the dynamite of his Plan will demolish the obstacles that prevent us
from sharing God's love with others. We will come to share naturally
what so delights us.
We hope that the foregoing rationale for developing this course and
class gives you a flavor of the transforming power that can enter into
the people who grasp this experience and incorporate it into their
"living" as Christians. Yet, what we've said are just words until you
and others infuse them with your own excitement and vitality.
You have in your hands the opportunity of your lifetime. The rich
Quality of Life Ministries future is yours'. Christ message and
Christian involvement symbolize Christianity. It's something you'll
want to share with others.
You are now participating in a dynamic program for personal and
Christian growth. We believe Christianity is the most outstanding
opportunity that has been offered (your joyful life on earth and in
heaven, now and everlasting). This, too, is yours to share.
As a Leader, you are responsible for yourself and others but never by
yourself. This course was created to help you achieve your goals.
it's your life and future - so it's really up to you to make it
successful. By working, sharing and growing, you will do just that.
We are confident that you will realize your hopes and dreams as you
work toward the achievement of your goals.
"more advice is given by friends than by all the psychiatrists,
psychologist, and counselors put together. And why not? Who is in a
better position to give advice than a friend? After all, who knows
idiosyncrasies, temperaments, strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and
even failures better than a friend? Besides, a person will take
advice from a friend when he or she would never consider going to a
professional counselor" (Coffee Cup Counseling-Harold Sala).
This is a career for you who attract people who seem to feel that
talking over problems with you will help. You have probably never
thought of yourself as being someone who could make a significant
contribution to the lives of other people. Yet when you stop and
think of the conversations you've had with friends and acquaintances,
you'll recognize that you've dispensed a lot of advice and support.
The Christian Leadership Career
You have made one of the major decisions of your life. You have
chosen a career as a worker for Christ providing guidance to
Christians. In doing so, you have entered a profession both
fascinating and rewarding. The training you receive at "Quality of
Life Ministries-Christian Leadership Training Institute" will give you
the knowledge necessary to succeed. Experience that will be gained,
will enable you to come closer to your God. Knowledge and Skill are
the two essential qualities that are common to all successful
Leaders. Knowledge is acquired by study, skill by the persistent
application of the knowledge acquired.
The guidelines we present are for all Christians who seek to be
spiritual leaders. Holding a leadership position in a Christian
organization does not make one a Christian leader. Christian
leadership is not an occupation: it is a calling. Christian
businesspeople, physicians, educators, politicians, and parents - all
ought to be spiritual leaders. More and more people in "secular"
occupations are taking their calling as Christian leaders seriously,
and they are impacting the world and extending God's kingdom.
Leaders benefit in two ways from the effort they put into their daily
work. The first is the satisfaction of doing a job that is worthwhile
- of performing a service to the Christian community. The second
benefit is the heavenly reward for your effort which you desire to
provide for yourself and your families. A Leader's career provides
both fulfillment and opportunity.
Only when we understand leadership in light of God's calling on our
lives will we be equipped to lead effectively. According to the
Bible, God is not necessarily looking for leaders, at least not in the
sense we generally think of leaders. He is looking for servants (Isa,
59:16; Ezek. 22:30). When God finds men and women willing to be
molded into his servants, the possibilities are limitless. People are
looking for someone to lead them into God's purposes God's way. They
need leaders who truly believe God will do what he says. People ill
follow Christian leaders who understand God's agenda and who know how
to move them on to it.
Undoubtly you have chosen a service career. You have selected
QOLM_CLTI because you believe that the organization offers you the
type of training you desire. You have associated yourself with a
organization that offers unique services and enjoys a enviable
opportunity to serve God. A organization whose purpose and reputation
you will be proud to be trained by.
The QOLM-Christian Leadership Training Institute
You are now a student of the QOLM_CLTI family. You will find warm
satisfaction in being a student of this class, a keen, high-spirited
team, playing the game energetically and loyally with Christians and
Non-Christians. In the solidarity and loyalty of this family, there
is strength which each student can draw upon. Each student knows he/
she can depend upon others in the class. You know that your
confidentiality will be protected. You know that the game will be
played fair and square and that nothing happens differently behind
your back than before your eyes. Let this be your outlook toward
class members, your fellow Trainers as you enter upon this chosen
career.
As you take this course, we pray you will accept the challenge to be
that man or woman God is seeking to use. We hope you will experience
the incredible joy and satisfaction of knowing God is using your life
as his instrument to build his kingdom and to change your world.
Your Future with Christian Leadership
The amount of your success, and your growth in your own class all stem
from good, honest, intelligent work. There is no substitute for hard
work in this job. Being a Christian worker places no limit on amount
of work that you may do or the long hours it may require. Men or
women, like nations, become great by under taking great tasks and
seeing them through. No handicap of education, money, influence, or
even a late start can impede your progress if you will work
intelligently.
Leaders
The purpose of the "leader" is to be a part-time worker for Christ.
This work takes many forms but concentrates on providing guidance to
how Christianity can be an important part of peoples everyday lives.
The single most important factor is to be a guide through an attempt
to better understand Christ message and how it pertains to everyday
life. This guidance includes: the course's questions and answers, the
innovative life planning questions, the imagitive class discussion.
The leader is an individual who becomes a lay worker for Christ and
yet continues his/her current vocation. This takes some special
qualities. an ability to draw upon Christ's message written and
spiritual and apply it to helping human's to complete "God's Training
Plan" effectively and with a Child's joy. And even more important is
a trust in Christ that he will provide inspiration to others, so that
you can sit back and let the inspiration manifest itself in the
discussion.
A special talent to provide assistance with utilizing the life's
planning questions to assist others in putting together an effective
training program, which goes along with God's training plan for them;
and yet do not appear to be a figure of authority with pronouncements
(e.g. parent, etc.
The control over the development and the implementation of the
program, should be with a light hand so as not to stifle discussion
and yet with some firmness so as to keep on target and to give all the
ability to share their ideas.
The "Leader" must be able to be an administrator and a trainer through
"God's training program." The success and/or failure of the class
will depend on his/hers abilities and trust in Christ.
The reward that Christ provides is to provide a interest by the
student in the class and his/her's success. Being successful can be
reflected by the groups love for each other and the individual's
peaceful nature. Another aspect of this interest is their desire to
share their joy with others. This is the highest reward, to be able
to bring people closer to their God.
Opportunity
"There is nothing more exciting than the opportunity to serve your
God."
The Importance of Christian Workers
Not only does the world provide greater opportunities for existing
professional Christian Workers, but it dictates the need to augment
our Christian Worker force. Our army of Christian Workers must GROW -
it must be better trained and better equipped than ever before, to
keep pace with our growing demand.
Christian Workers and "The Indispensable I's".
The man or women who will rise to meet the opportunity in Christian
service must constantly strive to develop six attributes of Christian
service. These are; I am, Imagination, Ingenuity, Initiative,
Industry and Integrity.
Whatever you may choose to call them, these attributes are utter
requisites is success in Christian Service. Without them, you cannot
succeed. With them, you cannot fail.
I am-
"I am," this is one of the attributes of God. It is one which
describes God's involvement with us. He is there with us, all we have
to do is realize he is there. We must use his grace to help us, to
guide us.
Imagination-
Rightfully placed next is IMAGINATION. Here is the magic, personal
touch which takes your Christian Service career out of the humdrum rut
and make's it sparkle. It soars with a zest that instantly heightens
interest. It helps you find the wants and needs of a specific
student, and it guides you unerringly to what is called "Your
Ministry" to participate in Christ's work. Imagination sets you
apart, commands attention not given run-of-the-mill social workers,
get you in where others get the brush-off. It is, perhaps, the second
biggest difference (next to God being part of your ministry) between
mediocrity and success.
Ingenuity-
Closely allied with imagination, INGENUITY is worth of individual
attention. It is finding new angles, new appeals to worldly tough
prospects. it is handling difficult situations which unexpectedly
arise during a discussion and handling them in such a way that they
are turned to your advantage. It engenders confidence for the
Christian Worker who has developed ingenuity knows he can handle any
difficulty.
Initiative-
Your internal self-starter is your INITIATIVE and since the Christian
Worker is his own boss, it is knowing how and when to push the starter
button. The Christian worker must relentlessly crack the whip over
himself. He must bring his belief in Christ to the fore, drive
himself to reasonable limits and demand that he attain specific goals.
Industry-
When we say INDUSTRY, we really mean plain old ordinary hard work.
Everything else is worthless, or virtually so, in its absence. The
steady worker who keeps firing away will often out perform the "Hot
shot" who only works sporadically. The ability, the urge to work is
priceless.
Integrity-
We come, finally, to INTEGRITY. Integrity means honesty, of course,
but it encompasses much more. It includes reliability, promptness for
appointments, solid backing of Christianity. It forbids exaggerations
and false or misleading statements about your own or other religions.
Integrity is virtually synonymous with reputation - and, as with
reputation, it is built slowly and laboriously by many acts, and can
be destroyed by one. It is not only a spiritual attribute, but a
mental one as well. It reflects strongly upon your success, one way
or the other, regardless of your being aware of its influence for what
you THINK, you LOOK; what you THINK, you DO; What you THINK, You ARE!
If you have integrity, it shows in the expressions on your face, in
the things you do and in the kind of person you are. Once your student
or fellow Christian is convinced that you possess integrity, his
worldly resistance drops. He accepts your integrity, his cooperation
"kicks-in." He accepts your proposition more freely and confidently.
Because of this human, fundamental fact, integrity literally pays off
in souls saved as well as in self-esteem.
The man or women who has or develops these six qualities will
accomplish great things for their Lord. He who accepts the challenge
of Christianity and reaches for the opportunity to serve, will be
richly rewarded on earth and in heaven.
The Purpose
The purpose of this course is twofold; to describe what makes
Christian training distinctive and to explain how that distinctive
training can become a way of life for individual Christians.
Today's world needs people who are trained as effective Christians,
but the effective Christian is hard to find, frequently unrecognized,
and consequently seldom utilized to improve the world. For this
reason, I think we all could benefit from some training in how to be
an effective Christian.
The "Leader" part of the program, is our attempt to provide personnel
who can provide the training on becoming an effective Christian. The
training to be provided deals with real-life issues in living and
relating. With this need in mind, this course is part of a "Train the
Trainer" program.
The course is written from the perspective that Christian leaders need
to be built up, trained and affirmed, but not at the expense of the
valuable contributions of psychology and other arts and sciences. The
world needs all the training help and guidance it can get, from both
psychology and theology.
This solution assumed greater meaning and urgency as society
"progresses" toward the glorification of man as a god. I hope that
you will be caught up in changing the trend to Glorification of our
God through effective Christians.
It will be Difficult
What we all as Christians have in common is the difficulties we can
experience within our personal training program.
Every Christian will experience challenges to successful completion of
"God's Training Program," and the important question "Earth's child/
God's Child." The church, the individual belongs to, has the primary
responsibility for providing support and training. With the
"leadership" program, we do not intend, or will we replace the
Church's responsibility. We only wish to make available to those
individuals who need additional one-on-one support which they have
been unable to acquire from their own church's current staff.
This course will help the "Leader" to become comfortable with their
shortcomings, but at the same time, not settle for the status quo.
There are ways to overcome these problems, and these ways are the
substance of this training course.
The Lord isn't merely gritting his teeth and using imperfect humans;
he wants it this way.
Person-to-Person Unease
Being a good Christian is sometimes threatening. Our unease is
something we may have learned as children and part of our earthly
nature (original sin). People will find it easier to talk about sex
and sexuality, than about faith, religion, or their relationship with
God.
learning by observation of role models and social experience-is one
reason for this. From childhood many have felt awkward,
hypersensitive, and embarrassed about spiritual matters. It is easy
to understand why these feelings exist if people you have respect have
shown embarrassment when talking about their faith (or avoided the
subject altogether).
Recognizing that many others have a problem with unease, uptightness
and self-consciousness, your are better equipped to address these
difficulties and overcome them. You will at least have your degree of
unease or discomfort reduced, which should help you relax and be at
ease.
Others Unease
Having gained confidence in your distinctively Christian involvement,
you might encounter a situation in which you start with a positive
spirit, only to find that you are influenced by another person's
negative attitude, when anything concerning faith or religion comes
up. Positive attitude, however, can work just like negative
attitude. You may have talked with people whose faith was such a
natural part of them that you became quite comfortable as you
discussed items of religion and spirituality.
Extreme Unease
This unease results from the desire not to be too pushy. This is
understandable, but this could lead to missed opportunities. Caution
is sometimes called for, but so is initiative. Each individual needs
to make use of the opportunities and resources available, while being
sensitive to the concerns of others.
Not Knowing Enough
Education offered in churches and other religious institutions or in
Christian homes does not always satisfy the need for knowledge that
will assist you in counseling others. You can be well-equipped with
Church and Bible knowledge and still feel inadequate when dealing with
someone's deep spiritual need. You can still feel inadequate when
someone comes to you in pain and turmoil, seeking comfort. What is
lacking in most church sponsored teaching is how to apply Christian
beliefs and resources to the deep and complex needs of people.
When you feel that you do not know enough, then you are ready for a
good education and training program to help you. You will need to
work at it, but you efforts will yield many benefits.
Caring in Christian Theology
The simplicity of the theology we operate within is overwhelming.
One fact stands out vividly: God, father of us all, sinners, suffers
along with his children. The names of his children are legion. No
"brightest, favorites, and best" in the group. They are all his
children, the only difference is where they choose to stand with Him.
God is constantly moving toward those from whom others are moving a
way. Hardly a promising strategy to elevate earth's children, within
earthly success. A love so radical that it cuts through every
condition of his children. A unmerited love that some choose to
accept and others to reject. A love so bound to his kingdom that
every power and principality would come under it dominion for better
or worse-including politicians.
Caring is the glue of all Christian ministry, whether lay or
clerical. Where there is no caring, there is no Christian love, or
action. Care is God's gift through Jesus Christ and the whole
biblical tradition to be shared, not a virtue to be acquired. We love
and care because we have first been loved and cared about by God the
Father and because that truth has been passed on to us by human hands
and hearts within the Christian Community headed by His Son, Christ.
1. Christian outreach
The helping outreach of the Christian community to individuals in
distress such as those suffering from illness, poverty, or a personal
crises, is expected by the world. This expectation emphasizes the
primary importance of unspectacular and unpretentious Christian
concern for the unique individual in his or her unique needs. In the
following lessons I have tried to summarize much of what we know about
training people on how to have a better "Quality of life," and about
the major challenges which people face today. These lessons have been
prepared as a resource tool for Christian leaders and as a study guide
for pastors.
It is humbling to realize, however, that in all of this, we study, and
help others only because God has given us the capacities and desires
to do so. This course goes forth, therefore, with thanks to God, with
the prayer that it will bring honor to Jesus Christ, and with the hope
that the Holy Spirit will use it to help many Christian leaders to
care more effectively for the people around them.
2. Christian presence
Christians provide signs of their belief, love, and care to the world,
through such identification with suffering.
The great moments and memories of ministry have to do with caring -
caring for others, helping others learn to express caring and being
cared about. Thomas Merton in the Seven Story Mountain reflect on
this:
"It is a great pleasure for me to remember such good and kind
people... i just remember their kindness and goodness to me and their
peacefulness and their utter simplicity. They inspired real
reverence, and I think, in a way, they were certainly saints. And
they where saints in the most effective and telling way: sanctified by
leading ordinary lives in a completely supernatural manner, sanctified
by obscurity, by usual skills, by common tasks, by routine; but
skills, tasks, routine which received a supernatural form from grace
within, and from the habitual union of their souls with God in deep
faith and charity."
"Their farm, their family, and their Church were all that occupied
these good souls; and their lives were full."
Like everything else profound in life, caring has its ups and downs,
its times of exhilaration and discouragement. Care is often hard
work. But loving care is the name of it all. If that doesn't turn
you on, the rest of the theology will not touch you deeply.
The Christian Leader, regardless of his training, does not enjoy the
privilege of electing whether or not he will train others on how to
have a better "Quality of Life." They inevitably will bring their
challenges to him/her for their best guidance and wisest care. They
cannot avoid this if they stay in the ministry. If everybody gives
up, where will people go with their challenges of life? Jesus, who is
the Christian's example, spend much time talking to needy people in
groups and in face-to-face contact. The Apostle Paul, who was very
sensitive to the needs of hurting individuals, wrote that "we who are
strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not
just please ourselves. In the Bible helping people is not presented
as an option. It is a requirement for every believer and especially
for every Christian leader. At times, training (for a better "Quality
of Life" may seem like a waste of time but it nevertheless must be an
important, necessary, and biblically established part of any ministry.
As a way of helping people, to help individuals cope more effectively
with the challenges of life, with inner conflict and with crippling
emotions; to provide encouragement and guidance for those who are
facing losses of disappointments; and to assist persons whose life
patters are self-defeating and causing unhappiness the Christian
Leader trains people how to acquire a better "Quality of Life". In
addition the Christian leader/trainer seeks to bring people into a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ and has the ultimate goal of
helping others to become first disciples of Christ and then leaders of
others.
In reaching these aims, it is important for trainers to have an
understanding of the challenges of living (how they arise and how they
can be dealt with), and a familiarity with leadership/training skills,
and have developed a personality which is "inherently Christlike" -
that is, characterized by warmth, sensitivity, understanding, concern,
and a willingness to confront people in an attitude of love. A
psychologist named C. H. Patterson reached a similar conclusion after
writing an in-depth book on contemporary theories of counseling:
To be most effective the therapist must be a real, human person ...
offering a genuine human relationship.... Much of what therapists do
is superfluous or unrelated to their effectiveness; it is a
relationship characterized not so much by what the techniques the
therapist used as by what he does as by the way he does it.
Surely Jesus Christ is the best model we have of an effective
"wonderful leader/trainer" whose personality, knowledge and skills
enabled him effectively to assist those people who needed help. When
one attempts the leadership/training of Jesus, there is always the
tendency, unconscious or deliberate, to view Christ's ministry in a
way which reinforces our own views about how people are helped. The
directive-confrontational trainer recognizes that Jesus was
confrontational at times; the nondirective "client-centered" trainer
finds support for this approach in other examples of Christ's helping
the needy. It is undoubtedly more accurate to state that Jesus used a
variety of training techniques depending on the situation, the nature
of the person being helped and the specific challenge. At times he
listened to people carefully and without giving much overt direction,
but on other occasions he taught decisively. He encouraged and
supported but he also confronted and challenged. He accepted people
who were sinful and needy, but he also demanded repentance, obedience
and action.
Basic to Jesus' style of helping, however, was his personality. In
his teaching, caring and training he demonstrated those traits,
attitudes and values which made him effective as a people helper and
which serve as a model for us. Jesus was absolutely honest, deeply
compassionate, highly sensitive and spiritually mature. He was
committed to serving his heavenly Father and his fellow human beings
(in that order), prepared for his work through frequent periods of
prayer and meditations, was deeply familiar with Scripture, and sought
to help needy persons turn to him where they could find ultimate
peace, hope and security (a better "Quality of Life).
Jesus often helped people through sermons but he also debated
skeptics, challenged individuals, healed the sick, talked with the
needy, encouraged the downhearted and modeled a godly life style. In
his contacts with people, he shared examples taken from real-life
situations and he sought constantly to stimulate others to think and
act in accordance with divine principles. Apparently he believed that
some people need an understanding trainer to listen, comfort and care
before they can learn to live life better through confrontation,
challenge, advice-giving or public preaching.
According to the Bible, Christians are to teach all that Christ
commanded and taught us. This surely includes doctrines about God,
Lordship, salvation, spiritual growth, prayer, the church, the future,
angels, demons and how to have a better "Quality of Life". As a
example, Hesus also taught about marriage, parent-child interactions,
obedience, race relations, and freedom for both women and men. And he
taught about personal issues such as sex, anxiety, fear, loneliness,
doubt, pride, sin and discouragement.
All of these are issues which bring people for training on how to deal
with them. When Jesus dealt with such people he frequently listened
to the inquirers and accepted them before stimulating them to think or
act differently. (training). At times he told people what to do but
he also led people (leadership) to resolve their problems by skillful
and divinely guided questioning. Thomas was helped with his doubts
when Jesus showed the evidence; Peter apparently learned best from
reflecting (with Jesus) on his mistakes; Mary of Bethany learned by
listening; and Judas didn't seem to learn at all.
Teaching all that Christ taught, therefore, includes instruction in
doctrine, but it also includes helping people to get along better with
God, with others, and with themselves. There are issues which concern
almost everyone. Some learn from lectures, sermons or readings;
others learn from personal Bible study or from small group discussion;
still others learn from formal or informal lifestyle training; and
perhaps most of us have learned from some combination of the above.
At the core of all true Christian helping, private or public, is the
influence of the Holy Spirit. He is described as a comforter or
helper who teaches "all things," reminds us of Christ's sayings,
convicts people of sin, and guides us into all truth. Through prayer,
meditation on the Scriptures and deliberate daily commitment to
Christ, the Christian leader-trainer makes himself or herself
available as an instrument through whom the Holy Spirit may work to
comfort, help, teach, convict, or guide another human being to a
better Quality of Life. This should be the goal of every believer -
pastor or leader, professional "Lifestyle Trainer" or a lay minister:
to be used by the Holy Spirit to touch lives, to change them, and to
bring them toward spiritual maturity (following God's plan for them).
The Church As a Training Community
As we have seen, Jesus often talked with individuals about their
personal needs and he met frequently with small groups. Chief among
these was the little band of disciples whom he prepared to "take over"
after his ascension into heaven. It was during one of these times
with the disciples that Jesus first mentioned the church.
In the years that followed it was this church of Jesus Christ which
continued his ministry of teaching, evangelizing, ministering and
training for living. These activities were not seen as the special
responsibility of "superstar" church leaders; they were done by
ordinary believers working, sharing and caring both for each other and
for the non-believers outside of the body. If we read the book of
Acts and the Epistles it becomes apparent that the church was not only
an evangelizing, teaching, discipline community, it was also a
training for living community.
With recent years, we have come to see the value of therapeutic groups
in which group members help each other by providing support,
challenge, guidance and encouragement that might not be possible
otherwise.
Such therapeutic groups need not be limited to counselees meeting with
each other and with a trained counselor. Families, study groups,
trusted friends, professional colleagues, employee groups and other
little bands of people often provide the help that is needed both in
times of crisis and as individuals face the daily challenge of
living. Local bodies of believers can bring support to the members,
healing to troubled individuals, and guidance as people make decisions
and move toward maturity.
Can Lifestyle Training Help?
Was the Bible really written as a textbook on how to have the Best
"Quality of Life"? It deals with loneliness, discouragement, marriage
problems, grief, parent-child relations, anger, fear and a host of
other lifestyle situations. As the Word of God, it has great and
lasting relevance to the Christian leader/trainer's work and the needs
of the people he ministers to, but it does not claim to be and neither
is it meant to be God's sole revelation about people-helping. In
medicine, teaching and other "people-centered" helping fields, mankind
has been permitted to learn much about God's creation through science
and academic study. Discovered truth must always be consistent with,
and tested against, the norm of revealed biblical truth.
The answer involves our finding a guide/trainer - some person or
persons who are committed followers of Jesus Christ, familiar with the
theology of his/her faith, trained in lifestyle training and effective
as a leader/trainer. Of crucial importance iis that the leader/
trainer must be committed to the inspiration and authority of the
Bible and as the written Word of God with which all valid Christian
leadership and Lifestyle training must agree.
Human beings are far too complicated to always be changed even through
the intervention of the most skilled Christian leader/trainer. All
trainers have failures, sometimes because of the trainer's inability
or error; more often because the trainee cannot or will not change.
But improvement is more likely when the Christian Leader/trainer has
some understanding of lifestyle challenges and some knowledge of how
to intervene. The following lessons have been written to help with
this understanding and we hope they will provide some of the needed
knowledge.
Fear of Rejection
Fear of rejection when you relate to others in specifically Christian
ways is another difficulty. Most of the time this fear is
unwarranted. You are merely being too cautious. Furthermore, you can
greatly decrease the probability of a poor reception by listening to
others and responding to their needs. People will frequently
communicate to you by their actions or their demeanor whether they
are comfortable with Christian sharing. If you're not sure about
their receptivity, it doesn't hurt to ask.
Need for Perfection
This demand for perfection can paralyze you into inactivity. The
exact opposite is true - your Christianity enables you top take even
more risks. You occasionally will make mistakes. But be sure of
this: your acceptability to God does not depend on your performance as
a Christian caregiver, but on your decisions to accept God's control
of your life and your decision to attempt to help.
Concern for Self-Image
Sometimes people have difficulty being distinctively Christian because
they want to appear cool, suave, sophisticated. Fortunately, the
atmosphere has changed some what in the last few years. To be thought
of as religious nowadays is less likely to invite ridicule or insults
than it was a short time ago. The people you probably admire, are
usually characterized by congruence or genuineness. The more you
achieve genuineness - distinctively Christian genuineness - the more
respect you will receive.
Then again, sometimes you will not be respected despite your best
effort. At that point you need to ask yourself, "What do I want more
- God's respect, or the respect of others?"
The Leadership Style Indicator may be downloaded from this page. A
number of different translations are available. Each has two files :
the indicator itself, and the scoring mechanism.
This tool may be freely copied and used in churches and organisations
for "not-for-profit" use, providing copyright attribution to the Teal
Trust is maintained. The indicator is also available on-line. Other
downloads available here.
Language Leadership Style Indicator Scoring Mechanism
English : Leadership Style Indicator LSI English.pdf (70kb) Scoring
English.pdf (63kb)
Student Prayer
O Lord, show me how you want me to be. When I struggle with life,
grant me your wisdom to lead me through. Open my eyes, my heart, my
spirit. Amen.
Email address:
Homework
Go to the discussion portion of web site and start a Discussion Topic
of "Class: x, Name: ___" then enter the number of the question and
answer it.
1. Share some of the difficulties you have experienced in your
attempt to be distinctively Christian. The ones you come up with
might or might not be listed in the lesson.
2. Write down five difficulties you anticipate in trying to live and
train within the future.
3. Tell us something very important about your faith?
4. Write out your testimony?
a. Describe your life a attitudes before you met Christ.
b. What people & events were instrumental in leading you to Christ?
c. Tell about your decision to accept Christ.
d. What does Christ mean to you today? What differences do you see
in your life & attitudes?
For those who became Christians at an early age:
a. Tell about your home life, your early Christian experience and
people who influenced you as a child.
b. Explain your early understanding of what it means to be a
Christian.
c. Describe how you came to relate personally to Jesus as your Lord
and Savior.
d. Tell some specific areas in your life that Christ has changed and
others where you still need him to make changes.
5. How can we help you in prayer this week?
6. Hello, God, I want to thank you for...
For further information go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jeramiahs_back_again/
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