By Karen McGuire
Ministry Resources, Lead Like Jesus
Lead Like Jesus, a small nonprofit organization in Augusta, Ga., has the dream of inspiring and equipping people around the world to lead like Jesus. One way that noble goal expresses itself is through Lead Like Jesus Celebrations held around the country.
The fifth celebration will be Friday, Feb. 3, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Richmond. This celebration, held in conjunction with the annual 21-C Leadership Conference which Virginia Baptists sponsor each year, promises to be another stellar event. It will be followed by an evening worship service at 7:30 pm and a day of breakout sessions on Saturday, Feb. 4. The $65 ticket price covers all programs, meals and handouts.
Lead Like Jesus co-founders, Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager, and his long time friend and co-author, Phil Hodges, will be joined by 12 other national and local speakers who will share their stories of how Jesus has made a difference in their lives and leadership.
Speakers include co-host Reggie McNeal (South Carolina Baptist Convention), Bob Buford (Leadership Network), Patrick Lencioni (consultant and author), Spencer Tillman (CBS sportscaster and former NFL star), Kim Newlen (Sweet Monday founder), Bobby Ukrop (Ukrop’s Super Markets), Lance Watson (senior pastor, St. Paul’s Baptist Church) and others.
From this diverse group of speakers, everyone will find someone with whom they will connect.
Lead Like Jesus defines leadership as anytime someone influences the thoughts, actions and behaviors of others. Patrick Lencioni, Kim Newlen and Lance Watson have all experienced different journeys and yet all are leading like Jesus in their own spheres of influence in their communities and reaching people around the world.
Lencioni came to the national spotlight a few years ago when he authored The Five Temptations of a CEO, followed by The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and then Death by Meeting. A high energy and engaging speaker, he will delight and challenge you at the same time. In a recent article for Leader to Leader, he defines humility “as the realization that a leader is inherently no better than the people he or she leads” and charisma “as the realization that a leader’s actions are more important than those of the people he or she leads.” The problem of maintaining perspective of these two qualities is “like a see-saw, when we raise our ability in one behavior, the other area tends to drop,” Lencioni says.
“What’s a leader to do?” he asks. His response is based on a key component of the Lead Like Jesus message—the value of feedback. Lencioni says that the single greatest impediment to raising both ends of this see-saw is the denial that both qualities are important. Both are necessary to be a great leader.
Along with Lencioni, two local people—Kim Newlen and Lance Watson—will share the platform. Newlen started Sweet Mondays out of her own loneliness and need to develop friendships with other women. From this and with her husband’s encouragement, she developed a monthly gathering for women to munch and mingle that didn’t require an RSVP. Newlen says, “Simplicity was the key to making this work.” On the first Sweet Monday night over 30 women responded to the simple invitation and Sweet Mondays was born. Now seven years later, Newlen gives God the credit for being with her in her loneliness. Not only did he answer her prayer for friends, he also gave her a ministry connecting other women to each other and to the Best Friend they could every find.
Lance Watson is senior pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist Church and chief visionary for its corporate affiliates, including Destiny Child Development Center, Destiny Center for the Performing Arts, Charisma Books and Gifts, NIA Inc. of Greater Richmond, Positive Power Media Group, Destiny Christian Academy and the soon to be launched At Your Service Hospitality and Perfect Placement agencies providing hospitality planning and temporary staffing solutions to churches around the Commonwealth. He is also the host of the telecast “Positive Power,” seen in Richmond on WTVR and nationally on TV ONE Network.
Noted as one of the fastest growing churches in the Commonwealth, this young, progressive and forward-looking congregation serves as the spiritual home for many and supports mission and ministry causes around the globe. Keeping pace with its rapid growth, St. Paul’s has constructed a 120,000 square foot campus on 47 acres to house its expanded ministry, mission and media operations and will open its second location in South Richmond in April.
These will be inspiring stories of three different people each impacting their world with the message that leading like Jesus transforms lives. Join us for the rest of the stories on Friday, Feb. 3, for the Lead Like Jesus Celebration at 21-C.Visit www.21-C.org or www.leadlikejesus.com.