The Hargrove Leadership Blog is Back
That is right, my sabbatical is over and the Hargrove Leadership Institute website will be active with new blogs, podcasts, discussion, and book reviews, as well as much more. Where in the world has Bob gone? I spent January through July reading, going to classes, and driving around the state of Illinois with my friend Rick Champ on what I called the 2011 Listening Tour. Part of what I wanted to accomplish on the sabbatical was a better understanding on Hargrove Leadership Institute might respond to the continuing education and professional development needs of those in church-based ministry and those serving in nonprofit para-church ministries. I got an earful to say the least. I truly enjoyed the tour and reconnecting with dozens and dozens of ministry partners. Perhaps one of my favorite trips was to Moonshine, IL (pictured) where several preaching ministers, a youth minister, a business consultant, a youth counselor, and others had a discussion on leadership issues. It was a great discussion and the Moonshine cheeseburgers lived up to their hype.
What did we discover on the listening tour?
The one topic on which there was the most agreement was help with church leadership development. Hargrove Leadership Institute (HLI) is taking this as its number one priority in the coming year. I am gathering a group together to prepare various development strategies that you and your leadership can take advantage of. One strategy is regional or local leadership development seminars in which we will match you up with a resource leader who has experience in church leadership development. To take advantage of this opportunity requires just an email or phone call and we will get the ball rolling. You can email me at bmonts@lincolnchristian.edu or you can call me at 888-522-5228 and ask for HLI. We will work with you to provide a seminar that is best suited to your particular leadership needs. If you are leading a parachurch ministry and would like a seminar on developing and strengthening your board of directors we have several individuals that we can put you in touch with in order to schedule a seminar.
A second topic that came up was ministerial coaching. Executive coaching is a fast growing service in the business sector and several participants in our discussion indicated that they would benefit from a short-term coach to aid them during a particular task or season of difficulty. Based upon these discussions we will be working to establish a network of coaches that can be called upon to for mentoring, advise, a sympathetic ear, or other needs that you may have. The HLI goal is to facilitate possible relationships and provide a list of possible coaches that have expertise to help you with whatever issue you may be facing.
A third topic raised was the possibility of online self-paced mini courses that could be used for teacher training purposes and online self-paced courses on biblical topics taught by some of the best faculty of our colleges and universities. Work has begun on identifying topics to be covered, instructors, and the best way to deliver the material. Efforts will be made to created delivery methods that will be compatible on a variety of platforms. Technology is a wonderful thing and we want to be good stewards of the technology and develop courses that best serve the needs of churches and para-church organizations. You can get in on the ground floor by emailing or calling me about topics that you think might be helpful to you and your church or organization.
What is currently going on?
We continue to partner with our friends at Illini Christian Ministries to provide CEU training for licensed counselors. We are planning a CEU seminar in November on campus. An announcement about this coming up on Sept 15th. We are also getting ready to offer a seminar in managing church conflict with a transformative mindset. Be on the lookout for information on this. Planning is well on the way for the 5th annual Intentional Church conference held in Decatur. Mark your calendar for April 21. Bob Russell will be the keynote speaker. Final plans on the theme and breakout sessions are being finalized now. November 1st we will be announcing on the HLI website the particulars of the 2012 conference. The Intentional Church conference focuses on providing encouragement and training for volunteers in each ministry area of a local church. The focus has been on helping churches identify ways that can be intentional in their programming and ministries to the church and community. The conference has grown every year and is an excellent opportunity for churches to provide low cost training for their volunteers.
What is coming to the blogosphere?
Each month on the 1st and 15th we will publish a new blog. Coming up is a blog by Rick Champ on the value of social media in ministry. Rick is Director of Partnership Development with Illini Christian Ministries. Rick is an extensive user and firm believer in social media. Rick is going to share lessons he has learned and how best to use social media to strengthen connections and relationships. This blog will be posted on September 15th. Coming the first of October is a blog on how to create your own smart board using a video projector, a Wii remote, and less than $50 worth of supplies. Jeremiah Monts, children’s and youth minister at the Elkville Christian Church will share how he created his own interactive smart board using the supplies mentioned above. I use a smart board on campus and it is an expensive piece of equipment. Jeremiah has discovered and created the poor-man’s version and uses it each week with the youth at his church. Learn how you can create your own and all the possible uses it may have for you in teaching youth and adults.
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