The Hargrove Leadership Institute’s mission is to nurture and equip Christian Leaders with a biblical worldview to serve and lead in their chosen profession with professional competency. What does that mean? First, it means that we will always be focused on how a biblical worldview impacts how we think, feel, and act regarding leadership and management topics. We want those who avail themselves of the Leadership Institute’s many programs to think about leadership and management using a biblical matrix (orthodoxy) to inform their practice (orthopraxy) and to shape their heart (orthopathy). Perhaps a simpler way to say it is that we want to help Christian ministry professionals to have their head, heart, and hands in sync because they have a clear understanding of how biblical worldview thinking impacts how they lead and manage their ministry.
Second, we are committed to helping Christian leaders to further develop new skills and new perspectives in the area of leadership they are currently working. That means if you are the director of a crisis pregnancy center you will receive education and training that will help you be a better leader of your ministry and a better manager of the resources that you have available to you. If you are a youth minister you will find resources and programming that will help you be the best youth minister you can be. If you are a nursing home administrator you will find resources and programs to help you. Christian counselors working in parachurch counseling centers or working in a-for-profit counseling center will receive the CEUs necessary to stay current with their license and the field. No matter what area of leadership you are focused on, Lincoln Christian University wants to become your first stop for information and programming to help you be a competent leader.
Professional competency is increasing important in these difficult financial times. Christian leaders in mission agencies, food pantries, crisis pregnancy centers, Christian camps, parachurch youth ministries are all struggling to help their organization survive in this economy. It is no different for ministers, the economic crunch impacts churches as well, so it is important for all leaders to be competent. The truth is; there is very little wiggle room any longer. Being loved by your ministry or church board may not be enough. They can love you but they also need for you to be well-informed and competent. Our resources will help you answer questions that you have about a variety of leadership issues in order that you can avoid mistakes, spinning your wheels, or being ill-informed.
How will we accomplish this? We are committed to both formal and informal continuing professional development (CPD) programs. Formal programs will include CEU seminars for counseling professionals. It will also include a variety of certificate programs that will provide completers of the program professional credentials that demonstrate the holder has both understanding and skills to increase their competency. We will continue to sponsor community-wide events that strengthen area churches as we have been doing in Decatur and Danville the past several years. Informal means we will be utilizing web-based methods to provide 24/7 access to important information and skill development materials. This will include weekly podcasts, blogs, and forums. Early in 2011 we have fully online non degree courses in a variety of areas that will help individuals strengthen their skills or to receive training and development in new areas of leadership.
How can you help us help you? I want to invite you to use the comment section of this blog to share with us what professional development means to you. What is it that the Hargrove Leadership Institute can do to help you? What topics would you like us to address? What kinds of tools would you suggest we use to make the information you need available? Share with us what you think so that we can serve you as best we can.
Next week the blog will contain comments made by a variety of leaders at the North American Christian Convention about the state of leadership as we move into the second decade of the new century. Out podcast next week will be focused in on the same topic. It should be an interesting discussion and we will want you to weigh in on the topic as well next week.
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