GiftedtoLeadCanada

Free Webinar by Marcus Buckingham

2010-05-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Nancy Beach highly recommends career coach Marcus Buckingham's Strength Finder 2.0 book at the Gifted to Lead sessions. I would have to agree with her. This book has not only helped me to discover my strengths and focus more on who I am wired to be; but, I have used it to help countless others on their journey to discover who they are created to be.

The majority of our staff at The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada have taken the test and it has helped us to celebrate and pull on each person's unique strengths.

Recently I found a free webinar that Marcus Buckingham did with Oprah. Marcus met with a group of women just like you to help them figure out how to reignite the passion in their careers. Click here to find the 8 free sessions. Enjoy!

Foolishness to Believe

2010-05-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Franciscan Prayer

2010-05-03T11:50:00.001-07:00

Balance and Rest

2010-04-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Leadership these days requires a huge amount of multitasking. Life is busier than it has ever been.
We have teams to lead, meetings to attend, vision to follow, tasks to do, family to care for, emails to read, sermons to prepare, classes to teach, and the list goes on.

Mindy Caliguire from Willow Creek Association has written a fantastic article and you tube video called : Three Practices for the Leaders Soul. Click here to access it and be inspired and challenged to keep your life in balance as a leader.

How do you keep it all straight and in balance?
Do you plan a weekly time to rest or have a day of Sabbath?

Failure

2010-04-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

This morning in our staff devotions we listened to Craig Groschel's IT DVD. In each of the nine sessions Craig teaches and encourages your key leadership on the tangible ways your church and ministry can find it, keep it, and display it so that people will finally get it.

Today we watched a session called, Willingness to Fail.

Craig challenged leaders to not be afraid to fail and in fact, be willing to fail. Fear of failure can limit our future.

Failure is actually a big part of success.Obviously we don't plan to fail, but failure does happen. We can however learn from our failures. They can even help us refine the goals and direction for our future. Great leaders walk in great levels of faith, have times of failure, and keep trying again and move forward.

Are you a leader who is willing to fail?

"You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw

"Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose." - Anne Sullivan

A Testimony

2010-04-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

We are excited about how many individual women as well as groups and teams of women have been challenged and inspired at the Gifted to Lead events. Here is a great testimony from the Gifted to Lead event in Kelowna.

After attending the Gifted to Lead Seminar in November, the Lord began speaking to me about why waste what we had learned. He kept telling me to act upon what I had heard.
I sent out an invitation to the 17 women from New Life Church that had attended the seminar. At our first meeting we had 10 ladies come out and we discussed an action plan. We left with a decision to meet again and to seek the Lord on what we were to look like and what should we do or should we continue.
At our second meeting we felt that we were to serve the ladies of New Life Church in the form of a luncheon. The luncheon was a resounding success. At the luncheon we asked the women what they felt was most needed for a womens ministry at our church. We had many answers, however in all the answers received we started to see a pattern form. They were looking mostly for relationships, the building of relationships with other women. Teachings and mentor ship was also a high priority.
We have now formed a core leadership group of 8 women and are about to have our second luncheon in the form of a pot luck for the ladies of our on April 11 with a BBQ to follow in mid June.
For the ladies of New Life Church, it is bringing them together regularly to form and nurture relationships with other women, in a safe nurturing environment.
We have named ourselves “Leading Ladies Ministry” - Leading women into meaningful relationships with Jesus and each other and encouraging the journey.

June Swenson
New Life Church
Kelowna, BC

Best Rate for Gifted to Lead Edmonton is today!

2010-03-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we are into March already!
Yesterday was National Women's Day. If you didn't know that, click here to find out more information about it.

Today is the Super Early Bird date for our Gifted to Lead event that will be in Edmonton on May 7th. Registrations are pouring in. Groups of women from various churches are excited about attending! It's a don't miss event.

Make sure you take the time to register today for the best rate!
To register now, call 800.804.0777 or click here for a printable registration form you can fax to 250.860.2467.

Bring your friends and coworkers along and make it a great day out. Registration includes lunch.

Something to inpsire you

2010-02-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

Recently, we were able to take some time to interview Nancy Beach as well as two other Canadian women leaders about some key questions that came out the Gifted to Lead events. We wanted to offer them to you for FREE. Just click on an interview that you would like to view on the side bar on the right.

May this continue to inspire you on your journey of becoming a leader of influence in Canada.

Blessings,

Cheryl Molenaar

Gifted to Lead Canada Champion

Free Leadership Training for Women Coming Feb. 3

2010-02-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

We just came across this fantastic free webinar that is being provided by The Leadership Network on Wednesday February 3. Click here for more details

Sherry Surratt and Warren Bird to talk about Women in Ministry. A few points that they’ll be covering:

How changing trends have impacted women’s trends in the church
What women are looking for in opportunities to lead - both in women’s ministries and other leadership positions
Encouraging women to lead

I'm going to sign up for it, why don't you as well?

International Story

2010-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

We have just heard great reports for Willow Creek Association that there have been some great Gifted to Lead events held in Europe this past month! It is so exciting to hear that women leaders are being encouraged all over the world. If you want to read more about it, click here to read Nancy's blog post about it.

Please keep here in your prayers as she travels the nations inspiring women leaders.

The Future of Women is Limitless

2010-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

Many of you have asked for more insight and inspiration about women and leadership.

Below is part 1 of an article, written by Roberta Sawatzky, who was on staff at The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada for 4 years. Now, she is the director of SAM Management Consulting.
Here are some excerpts from an article by Roberta:

Several years ago I was invited to a dinner party where the hostess had placed discussion starters in the center of the table. Each guest took their turn at reading a question and being the first to respond. One question I found particularly engaging was “If you could have a dinner conversation with any individual from the past, who would that be, and why?” I decided that asking a similar question to these leaders would be equally, if not more, interesting. The one change I made in the question was that this person needed to have been a female in leadership.

Once more the answers were wide-ranging but equally as impassioned. Some chose biblical characters like Ruth, or Mary and Martha--together, others chose historical women like Corrie Ten Boom or Mother Theresa. Still others would want to have a dinner conversation with women from their past like former mentors or counselors. What was most inspiring was what they desired to gain from these chats. I love the words of one young leader when she expressed “I would just drink in all that she had to offer and I would be able to grow in who I am as a God loving woman.”
In referring to Ruth, another expressed the desire to learn “…how she views herself as an important woman in the Bible. To me she had a great impact on future leaders and teaches us today about obedience to God.” How would you respond to that question? Who would you just love to share a cup of coffee with and drink in all they had to offer?

Most Christians are familiar with the biblical teaching on spiritual gifts, perhaps none more so than leaders and those looking to develop others. However, when I posed the question regarding what gifts and talents are most important to possess in leadership, I was both surprised and moved. I was fairly confident that the standard response would be the gift of leadership or something along those lines. Not so. What was reported went much deeper than that, in fact, the feedback was more reflective of what the prophet Samuel was looking for when appointing a King over the people of Israel as recorded in 1 Samuel 16:1-13.

The qualities most cited were humility, integrity and servitude, coupled with Godly wisdom and discernment. While gifts of organization and creativity were on the list, the ability to listen with great patience and compassion were of greater importance. They agreed that the confidence that allows a leader to inspire and challenge others must come as the result of a faithful prayer life that fosters learning to hear and recognize the voice of God.
The wisdom demonstrated when asked what words of counsel each would like to share with another young woman desiring a place of leadership was priceless!
Perhaps the best way to communicate their thoughts would be via a “Top Ten” type list. Here it is, in no particular order:

1. Find your passion and others will follow.
2. Focus on your task at hand and don’t be distracted.
3. Be selfish with your time--no leader is effective if they are not operating as a healthy person.
4. Surround yourself with other great leaders and learn from them.
5. Be willing to take healthy criticism. Be a servant, and listen well.
6. Honor God in all you do.
7. Pray lots!
8. Be sure to have a support team around you.
9. Become a mother first...that will humble you! If that is not possible, make sure you have somebody’s child or children in your life and get to know them well.
10. Develop a sense of humor!

This is great advice and a great article Roberta, thanks!

Celebrating Teamwork

2009-12-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Its hard to believe that 2009 is coming to an end. Where did the time go?
It has been an inspiring year here at the Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada. This year has brought its unique opportunities and has challenged us all to pull together as a staff and find new solutions and systems. Click here to read posts from our CEO about our team and the Phantom Org Chart that is in operation at TLCWCC.

I have had the privilege of traveling across Canada this year, I have been at a number of churches and have seen some tremendous teams in operation.

Here are some great team dynamics that I have seen at work:

Smile and have fun while you are working. It sets the tone for the team.
Obstacles are opportunities for new ideas and solutions.
Passion speaks louder than words and is very contagious.
Celebrate one anothers strengths and empower other team mates to shine.
Cover for someone's missed step or mistakes. We all make mistakes.
Engage as many volunteers as you can. It creates a sense of ownership and common purpose.

Is this an all inclusive list? No. Each time we travel to various churches across Canada, we see fresh new perspectives and ideas and come back encouraged to see the church alive and well.
Keep going teams!
This is the final post for 2009. Looking forward to many great stories for 2010.

Procrastination

2009-11-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

Last week I gave you all a great blog post on Michael Hyatt's blog to check out about time management.
It's been one week of me attempting to touch my email messages once and only once.
Now, after I have read the email I have to decide to take the appropriate action:

Do
Defer
File or
Delete it.

If you want to delve into this principle more, read this post where Michael Hyatt writes more about his work flow system and how to do, defer, file or delete.

This has been an eye opening discipline and one that showed me clearly that I am more of a procrastinator than I had imagined.
I've started to adopt this simple principle with my home emails as well. I have noticed that my mind seems less cluttered as I don't have such a huge list of "oh yes - I have to read that email" or "I have __ amount of emails I need to take care of" It's amazing how such a small thing creates such room if even in my mental space. I also like the feeling of satisfaction that comes with accomplishing a goal.

This seems like a simple principle but one that I would encourage you to try and let us know if this helped you or not. Times are busy and as leaders we need to use it wisely and efficiently in order to maximize our impact here on earth.

Time Management

2009-11-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

As a leader, its important to keep watchful of how we manage our time. I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for ways to manage my time better.

I just read a great post on Michael Hyatt's blog about how to shave 10 hours off your work week. I discovered his blog through the world of twitter. He writes some great articles.

If you've been by Session 4 of Gifted to Lead or you just want to learn to grow as a leader, I recommend you read this. He has 7 steps. I can't say as I have accomplished all seven, or even absorbed all of them. But I have attempted to tackle step #2. It says:

Touch email messages once and only once.

This is much more difficult than I had imagined. I have decided I am going to make a conscious effort to follow this principle. I must say that I see a slight improvement already and feel like I'm up for the challenge.
Why don't you try it to0?

A Volunteer's Language of Love by Nancy Beach

2009-11-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Nancy Beach recently wrote a fantastic article on the Cultivate site.
Here it is for your enjoyment.

Most of us are familiar with the concept that our friends, children, or spouses all have preferred languages of love. My husband & I joke that we model a complete miss – his preferred language of love would be a terrific homemade meal, & I’m quite a mediocre cook. My preferred language is words – and he tends to be fairly nonverbal. What a great match!

For those of us who recruit, develop, & lead volunteers, we need to pay attention to their languages of love. How can we continue to inspire our volunteers to stay faithful in their service? In addition to hoping they are leaning into the presence of God & feeling His smile & blessing, how do we contribute to their joy and fulfillment as servants in the church? In what ways can we inspire them to go the distance & see how they matter to the kingdom? I suggest that as we get to know our volunteers, we will discover that some respond best to Words, others to Pictures, & many to Experiences.

Words
In my desk at home, there is a little drawer where I tuck away notes I have received over the years from people expressing their appreciation for my ministry to them. These words of affirmation are treasures to me. I save the ones that have most significance to me, especially those that highlight a story or specific way in which God may have used me to mark them. For me & for many others, words are an enormous source of encouragement. I have attempted over the years to turn around & give words to those I lead – sometimes in person, & more often, in writing.

Here’s a challenge – being specific with our words. Often I grow lazy, & simply say to a volunteer, “Great job on Sunday…” I think that means something, but is truly limited in its encouragement power. If I take the time to call out a specific contribution of that individual, the meaning is multiplied. Here are a few examples, all based on paying attention & then choosing to focus on a detail:

“I appreciated the color choices you made with lighting that fabric this weekend. It was a beautiful combination that set a warm atmosphere for our worship.”

“Wow, you really nailed that guitar solo! Thanks for playing with such abandon and joy & skill. You took the song to a different place & helped us soar.”

“That script was masterfully written. Your word choices were so true to life, & I felt as though you were connecting with so many of us in the congregation. Thank you for taking the time to write with such care – my favorite line was ____________________________.”

Artists thrive when they can see that someone noticed & appreciated the nuance of their contribution. This requires us to pay attention, & then take the extra few minutes of time to move away from our general expressions to more thoughtful words.

Pictures
Volunteers often struggle to understand how the part they play is making a real difference for God. When a person sets up microphones every weekend, or edits a video, or plays the drums, it can be difficult to know whether any fruit is being born. The leader who paints a picture for these individuals to get a glimpse of how their contribution matters can inspire the volunteers to look beyond the task to the eternal impact. So how do we provide these pictures?

The primary tool for the leader is storytelling – actual testimonies from people in the church who have been marked by the ministry. For artists in particular, it means the world to them if they discover that someone has come to faith partly because of the Sunday morning experiences, or if someone has learned how to worship God with greater engagement & passion. These stories could be circulated among the volunteers through an e-mail format, or better yet, occasionally we can invite someone to share a story of life change right before a rehearsal or set-up time at church. There’s nothing quite like looking into the eyes of someone who has undergone spiritual transformation, & knowing that God used you to play a small part in that miracle.

At one of our volunteer gatherings, I invited a new drummer at our church to tell his story. He told the group that on a Saturday night, he met a young woman from our church at a pub. He wanted to take her out, & she invited him to join her instead for church the next morning. When he walked into our church, he saw a drum set on stage, just like the ones he used in his band. He reacted very positively to the quality of music at our church, & after a process over several weeks; he ended up coming to faith. When he shared with the volunteers how God used the services, & particularly the music, to lead him to Christ, I watched the faces of those volunteers closely. They were ennobled. They saw this freshly redeemed artist as evidence of why their servanthood matters. They received a picture that inspired them.

I always encourage volunteers to never miss a baptism service. We call those services “Pay Day” at our church – it’s when the entire congregation gets a picture of how God has been at work through us, of how we are together bringing light to this dark world. Turn baptism celebrations into volunteer parties, & leverage them in any way you can.

Experiences
A third way to breathe love & life into volunteers involves giving them a stretching experience. This might include taking them to a concert, play, or movie. Experiencing great art together inspires artists & helps them connect with one another. We love to talk afterwards about what we liked, what worked & what didn’t, & what we can take away from those artistic experiences.

I would also encourage you to provide training opportunities for your volunteers whenever possible. When you can include volunteers in a webinar, give them a resource like a valuable book on ministry or the arts or leadership, or take them to a workshop, conference, or training day, you are totally affirming your belief in them & their potential for growth. Staff members at churches should not hoard all the training experiences for those who are paid. Consider sharing your training budget, whatever size it may be, with others on your team who give of their time week after week. I love to see the shining eyes of volunteers who have been included in a time of training – they so deeply appreciate being stretched and challenged & developed. For many, it is their primary language of love.

To find more great articles by Nancy, join the Cultivate site by Willow Creek Association.

Gifted to Lead in Kelowna

2009-11-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

November 4th was a wonderful day for over 200 BC women who attended Gifted to Lead in Kelowna.
Nancy Beach is a wonderful presenter and her insight and years of women brought alot of comfort and inspiration to a room full of brilliant women leaders.
It was an extra special blessing for the TLCWCC team as our office is located in Kelowna. This allowed staff members the priviledge of serving and discovering the guest experience first hand.

Not only that, but I was able to have a tribe of 17 women from my local church attend. Here are a few of their comments :

It was a very good day, lots of aha moments and yes lots to digest. Yes I'm up for coffee also. Makes me think when I was most of NLC women on the extrovert side. What can we come up with next.
What a great day! Fantastic!
Maybe it would be a good idea for us to get together over coffee and see how we can help each other move forward in our areas with the tools we were given. Be accountable to one another.

I know that women in other cities gathered together over coffee after the event to hold each other accountable. Did your team or a few of you? If so, leave a comment with some ideas you had.

Take some time out

2009-11-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

I've had the privilege of having Nancy Beach in Kelowna this week. I've been able to work with her and to help facilitate Gifted to Lead events in 4 different provinces in Canada this year During this time I have come to really appreciated and admire her ability to communicate and I have been overwhelmed with the wealth of wisdom that she possesses from years of experience as a Arts Director at Willow Creek Association.

Last night she went above and beyond and shared at a special arts gathering. During this evening we drilled her with all sorts of questions that are on the mind of arts leaders in the church.

One of he things she talked about was making sure you take time apart as a worship/arts team. It can be a day or two, at a home of a friend, or at a retreat center, but is so important to just do it.
Here is what she says are the key elements of a retreat for your team. I think these elements are not important for any team, and even a family gathering.

Take time out to:

Celebrate (where you've come from and the things you've accomplished)
Honor (one another and the processes you have been in)
Have Fun (what can I say? Laughter is good medicine!)

I'd say that this is good advice!

Online Streaming with Nancy Beach

2009-11-03T17:52:00.001-08:00

Tonight is going to be a great night. Nancy Beach is in Kelowna and speaking at Gifted to Lead.
But first....... she will be sharing on line at a brand new streaming site called Worship Cafe.net
You've heard for a while now that Nancy will be doing an Arts Gathering here in Kelowna as well.
You've got to go online and watch with us!! We would love it.
Just go here and have fun watching.
It starts at 6:30 pm Pacific Time, AND we have newly Covenant Award winning artist Corey Doak with us as well. You won't be disappointed

Nancy is coming to Kelowna tomorrow!

2009-11-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

I have been blessed to be able to be at 4 Gifted to Lead events in Canada this year. I get to MC at these events and help with the months of planning that goes into these days. The response has been overwhelming.There is a huge amount of women in Canada who are looking for mentoring and training about leadership.
Nancy is now coming to my home town of Kelowna. We are excited to have her, and apparently she is looking forward to it as well. Check out her most recent blog post.
Along with this, Nancy agreed to do a special Arts Gathering on a live web streaming cafe tomorrow night on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If you know of Arts Leaders in your area that would like to log on and watch it live, check out the event here.

Watch for more great testimonies coming soon!

More great feedback from Gifted to Lead in Moncton

2009-10-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

One of the things I always ask our guests at the end of the Gifted to Lead event, is to consider filling out our feedback forms that we send by email.
This feedback is so important for many reasons:

We get to hear your story and how you were impacted by the event.
We get to learn how to serve leaders better.
We get to hear other ideas from you as to what you would like to learn in the future.

Probably the most important are the testimonies of how this training impacted you. There is such power in testimonies! Thank you to all who took the time to fill out these forms. It is very valuable.

Here are some more that have come in:

This whole day was a refreshing gift that I needed to be recharged and energized.Nancy has such a gift in her work and calling. I learned so much I want to share with my girlfriends who could not come.

Nancy is an awesome speaker and motivator. I am so thankful that I encouraged 5 ladies from our Church to attend the session. We all came away realizing our potential as women leaders in our church.

It was great to be with so many women and Nancy was fabulous! There were many times that I felt not so alone anymore in experiences. It was refreshing to have Nancy talk about so many 'myths' and 'ideals' that we strive for as women - like balance in life - but rarely ever achieve. It was good to know that I'm not alone in this - it was such a relief to hear her say, many times throughout the conference, that we need to have grace for ourselves; sometimes we will fail and that is not the end of the world.

I think its a great day to share with other women, to come together and share, laugh and learn! I think everyone needs to do a workshop like this, just as a reminder that WE are the ones who need to further the Kingdom! God gave each of us the unique tools and sometimes we need to remember to use them fully!

This event led me to make a significant decision in my life. Sometimes being a leader and having a voice is a scary thing. I find that I second guess myself a lot for fear of saying the wrong thing or being told that my idea/ thoughts are worthless. I've decided that I need to own my voice and that God gave me one to use it and not sit back and be complacent or scared. Great stuff!

We as women and moms struggle with the challenge of creating a life that works. However, no matter what season of life we are in, we do indeed need to flourish. I loved it! And I absolutely loved and admired Nancy's candor and genuineness. Boy do we need it. I am challenged to live my life and fulfill my ministry with character, grace, humility and integrity. THANK YOU NANCY!!!!! As a PS, I seldom respond to online feedbacks such as this due to time priorities, but I would be doing myself and women in ministry a disservice if I did not offer my positive feedback.

Our prayer is that you would be inspired to greatness for His kingdom's sake.

Nancy shares with arts leaders across Canada on Nov.3

2009-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

ARTS, CULTURE AND THE CHURCH
A Live Discussion with Nancy Beach

YOU ARE INVITED TO A UNIQUE GATHERING FOR ARTS LEADERS

Nancy Beach, executive vice president for the arts at Willow Creek Association, is coming to Kelowna!

Nancy will join us for an evening of coffee, conversation and community.

She is here for a Gifted to Lead event on November 4 and has agreed to spend some time with us for an arts gathering.

Culture is rapidly changing. How does this affect us as arts leaders both in the church and community? How can we lead up and influence in a changing creative culture?

What questions are on your mind? What challenges are you facing? Send your questions to cmolenaar@growingleadership.com. They will be reviewed and some of the most pertinent questions will be addressed by Nancy at this special gathering. Join us for an evening of coffee, conversation and community. If you decide to join us by coming to 596 Leon Ave and enjoying a tasty coffee, be sure to be there before the event starts at 6:30PM.

Price: Free
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2009.
Time: 6:30-9:00pm
Location: The Streaming Café - 596 Leon Ave, Kelowna, BC
Online: Worship Streaming Café

RSVP to this e-mail by Friday, October 30, 2009
Or join the event on Facebook

More about Nancy Beach: Nancy is executive vice president for the arts at Willow Creek Association, focusing on serving arts leaders and their teams in churches around the world. Previously, she served for 20 years as the programming director for Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois. She continues to serve as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek and speaks often at conferences and training events. She is also the author of An Hour on Sunday and her newest book Gifted to Lead.

Maximum Impact in Moncton

2009-10-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd Gifted to Lead in Moncton was a tremendous day. We had a large number of women leaders, representing over 23 local churches.
Here is some feedback we have received so far about the day:

This is a great conference for women in general - you don't have to be a "leader" to benefit from it. I hope women who don't lead didn't stay away because they thought it wasn't for them.
This whole day was a refreshing gift that I needed to be recharged and energized.Nancy has such a gift in her work and calling. I learned so much I want to share with my girlfriends who could not come. Thank you.
It was great to be with so many women and Nancy was fabulous! There were many times that I felt not so alone anymore in experiences. It was refreshing to have Nancy talk about so many 'myths' and 'ideals' that we strive for as women - like balance in life - but rarely ever achieve. It was good to know that I'm not alone in this - it was such a relief to hear her say, many times throughout the conference, that we need to have grace for ourselves; sometimes we will fail and that is not the end of the world.
I feel much better prepared for being a woman leader in my church.
I finally realized that I had to decide what to cut and what to add in order to be able to flourish - and I actually intend to act on this decision and be held accountable. This is pretty significant and I know it will affect my daily routines in a positive way.
The entire session was inspirational.It was lighthearted but based on a knowledge of God and His purpose for women.I hope that Nancy will consider coming back to Moncton or Fredericton to do another session, perhaps in the area of the arts.

Good news! The last request for Nancy to share in the area of the arts is going to happen, and sooner than you think!
She is in Kelowna for a Gifted to Lead event on November 4 and has agreed to spend some time with us for an arts gathering on Tuesday evening November 3. Even better news is that it will be available LIVE by web streaming. Tune into tomorrow's blog to find out how you can watch and participate in the gathering right from your computer!

A message from the Creator for you

2009-10-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Gifted to Lead Moncton is well underway. As usual, all the women are greatly encouraged and inspired.
In the second session Nancy shares a prayer that she also has in her book. It is something that God spoke to her when she was a young girl. and she also encourages you to read it to yourself and insert your name in place of hers and hear a message from the Creator, just for you.

Here it is:
Nancy Lee, (insert your name) God did not make a mistake when he made you. When the gifts were handed out in heaven, the angels didn't say, "Woops! That's a girl baby - we can't give her the gift of leadership!" Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts just as he desired. Every gift you have, Nancy (insert your name) came from the hand of a loving Father who crafted you in your mother's womb. He delights in who you are becoming. You are not an accident, or any less female just because you love to lead and are smart and full of dreams and goals. Those dreams come from your Creator, along with your instincts to lead and your passion to make a difference. There is nothing wrong with you.

Just because you don't see women leading skillfully in your church does not mean that this is how God intends it to be. And be sure of this - you will be asked to answer one day for what you do with the gifts you are given, for how you steward your one and only life. You must not thingk you can get off easy by excusing yourself because you are female. You are gifted to lead.

So hang on girl, because you are on the brink of a great adventure, one you can't possibly imagine right now. The path won't be easy, and sometimes you will feel scared and lonely and wonder if it's worth it. But God will never leave you alone - he has a plan to give you a future and a hope. So trust him, and never stop paying attention to the quiet voice he put inside you. And don't forget to enjoy the ride!

Thanks for sharing this with all the women leaders in Canada!

Here To Serve

2009-10-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

Almost every event that occurs with The Leadership Centre is hosted by a local church.

They decide to partner with us and pull together a large group of volunteers to serve at each event. It is an incredible sight to watch them in operation. They grab the vision for the event and give it their all to serve church leaders in Canada. It is true servant leadership at its finest.

Let me share with you a few glimpses of servant hood from Hillside Baptist Church in Moncton NB

Here is some of the prep work, finally done, ready to serve guests.

Inspiring Women in Moncton

2009-10-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Gifted to Lead is happening tomorrow in Moncton, NB.

I've been busy working with the team at Hillside Baptist Church preparing for all the women to arrive for the event tomorrow. Wow, what a team!

Bill Hybels always says : "The local church is the hope of the world". In the past year I have had a number of opportunities to travel across Canada for various events and I have really enjoyed meeting so many incredible leaders and servants across Canada.
I love visiting local churches and am inspired by the unique ways that they worship and reach out to their community. I can't wait until some of you get the courage to send in a post for the blog and share your story of leadership or something that you are learning as you lead.
So, as we head into another great Gifted to Lead event tomorrow, email us with your thoughts and we'll publish it on this blog. Share your story and things you have learned at Gifted to Lead.

The Forgotten Commandment

2009-08-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is a time when many take some days to rest and relax. Rest is a non-negotiable for anyone, and most especially leaders. Its a priority. Rest is so important that God decided to put it in His commandments.

The Message version of Exodus 20:11 says:

8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don't do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

As a leader, we need to place a high value on "sabbath rest" And yet, for many it is not a priority. It can be difficult to shut down the demands of our roles and responsibilities, just to spend time for ourselves. Rest is not being selfish. It is a necessity to be a healthy leader, especially a leader in ministry.
The challenges and demands for leaders are even greater than ever before. It has caused budget cutbacks and increase of workload for many.
How can we keep a schedule and responsibilities that will promote sustainability and longevity as a leader? Keeping a sabbath rest is just one way. It keeps us in a place of refreshment and peace.

What does "sabbath rest" look like to you as a leader? How big of a priority is it for you?

Below are some great new resources about this topic. Click on them to find out more or to order a copy.

Today is Super Early Bird Day for Moncton, NB

2009-08-25T08:54:00.001-07:00

Its hard to believe how fast the summer has gone by!

Today is the cut-off to receive the best possible rates to attend Gifted to Lead at Hillside Baptist Church in Moncton, New Brunswick. This one day interactive forum is gaining momentum and now we are able to offer it in two more locations this fall.

We are also planning on bringing more of these great training days to other areas in Canada in the spring of 2010. If you are interested in finding out more about hosting this fantastic event, click here to send in your request.

Lead Where You Are

2009-08-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Leadership Summit starts tomorrow!

Our staff have been busy now for months in preparation for this great event.

This is a great opportunity to learn from some fantastic leaders and entrepreneur's. It is always good to invest in time to learn and be inspired. Not only that, but this is a great opportunity to connect with other leaders in your region.

Its not too late to attend. If you haven't registered yet, you can do so at the site tomorrow. Registration opens 1 hour before the sessions and our volunteers will be able to register you for this fantastic event.
Don't miss it!

Testimonial and opportunity for future training

2009-06-29T15:49:00.001-07:00

Here's another great post by Linda Ozirney who attended Gifted to Lead in Calgary.

Often women feel that they need permission to use their leadership skills, gifts and abilities. “Gifted to Lead” conference with Nancy Beach offered that permission! Nancy clearly and biblically taught that women have received gifts and calling in leadership and we must respond obediently.

Her instruction will help us navigate the ‘sometimes bumpy’ journey in leadership. I found it helpful in understanding myself, and others. I have gained some insight into working with a mixed gender staff, in serving from my own ‘shape’ and in speaking from my authentic self.

Thank you for this beneficial and timely instruction!

Thank you for your insight! Linda is the Director of BGCC Women's Ministries for Canada. She is also the Dean of the School of Women's Ministries. Click here if you would like more info about this awesome school.

Influence

2009-06-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

I attended the Gifted to Lead Conference and it was fantastic! One comment that Nancy made really impacted me and I am excited to tell my friends and kids about it. She said that not everyone is a leader but anyone can be 'a person of influence'. We may not all be able to lead big groups but we should all remember that our words and actions have the power to truly influence someone's life - for the positive or negative. We may not all be able to change the world but we can change a friend, a neighbor or a complete stranger's world....and maybe sometimes, this is more important! Thanks Nancy!

Submitted by Leslie from Calgary

Step up and tell a story

2009-06-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Gifted to Lead event Calgary yesterday was absolutely fantastic!!

RockPointe Church and their host of tremendous volunteers went out of their way to offer nothing but the best for over 400 women.

It was wonderful to see women connecting with one another and taking time to listen and learn from each other. They were able to do this during the sessions as well at snack and lunch times. Women love to chat and connect. It certainly didn't take any coaxing!

In Nancy's session called, Finding your voice as a leader, she reminded us of the remarkable power of stories and how we all need to tell our stories. I agree with her wholeheartedly. I think often we hesitate to tell our story because we think that its too "me" focused. The truth is that God comes into our ordinary, messy and often difficult situations and decides to display His miraculous power in the midst of it. He includes us on His quest to display His glory and His ability to redeem and restore anything. Telling your story gives credit to His ability to lead and guide your life, and your ability to listen and respond to His voice.

Why don't you step up and tell your story? All you have to do is click here and email us your story. It could be about what impacted you about the Gifted to Lead teaching, or it could be a nugget of truth that you learned along your leadership journey. It doesn't need to be long, it can be a paragraph or two. I'll bet many of your journals are full of stories of lessons God has taught you as you learn to grow as a leader. Don't be afraid, and remember, the world is waiting to hear what you have to say. Your story is different than any other and someone else needs to heart it.

Gifted To Lead coming to Calgary!

2009-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Its the night before I fly to Calgary with a team of colleagues for the Gifted to Lead event at RockPointe Church in Calgary AB. This is another sold out event! Its obvious that there are many woman leaders who are hungry to gather together and to be inspired in their calling.

There are women coming from all over Alberta and beyond. Over 60 churches will be represented on this day. How exciting!
This is such a key issue that we have decided to bring more Gifted to Lead events to Canada in the fall. Watch our website for more dates and locations.

The feedback from the Gifted to Lead Ontario is still coming in and we hope to have some stories soon about some of the things that are happening for women leaders since being inspired by Gifted to Lead.

We also have some who have offered to send some posts on leadership.
Why don't you give it try? What are some key insights you have on being a leader who is a woman? What questions do you want answered? Email us and submit your insights or questions.

Lead Where You Are

2009-06-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for ways to invest in your leadership development? Make sure you attend The Leadership Summit this year!

Our 2009 faculty have been selected to stretch your thinking and deliver practical skills to help you navigate the shifting realities of your world. Be inspired to lead where you are. We are called to step up and influence and empower others. That means you!

Click here to hear from ordinary people just like you who are allowing God to do extraordinary things in their churches and communities. You are not alone.

Leadership Needs and Challenges

2009-06-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

This journey of bringing Gifted to Lead to Canada has been an exciting one! More than ever, we are aware of God's desire to use and empower women as leaders.
It has been exciting to hear back from the team at Lakeside Church in Guelph. They were tremendous hosts. Last week they spent time as a team going over the impact of this great teaching.
Here is one of the questions that they asked themselves:

What are your personal needs/challenges when it comes to using your gifts of leadership and influence?

Here’s a compilation of their answers:

confidence
umbrella of grace in order to be a risk taker
input from others who know you well and can speak into your life re your gifts/strengths (need an open mind and heart to receive this)
energy
focus
knowing your tribe/running partner(s) – their gifts, strength
leading yourself – leading from overflow, not emptiness
nurture yourself and others
having a tribe/running partner – may be different people/ those who can partner in different ways in our lives.

Do these answers sound like something you would say?
Leave an anonymous comment and let us know what some of your personal needs and challenges are as a woman in leadership. Remember, we have more in common than we even realize.

A surge of Canadian women leaders is arising

2009-05-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Good news!
The Gifted to Lead event in Calgary on June 17 is already sold out!

There is a great need for women to gather in Canada, This event will provide a great opportunity for women to network, address key issues that a woman in leadership in the church faces.
This is just the beginning. Hopefully more discussion, ideas and networks will continue from this event and spread throughout Canada.

Due to the overwhelming response, we want to continue to offer Gifted to Lead across Canada. Keep posted for exciting information about this coming in the very near future.

Let's get the conversation going now about women in leadership. Leave us a comment, answer our question, or share your leadership insights.

Here's a question to get you started.

Where do you receive encouragement and inspiration to advance as a woman who leads in the church?

Help from friends in our tribe

2009-05-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

"Help, I'm a woman trapped in a leader's body!"

How many of you feel like this at least some of the time?

Sometimes when you have a leadership gift especially in the local church, you feel like the odd one out. So much so, that you wrestle with feelings like:
"I'm an odd ball" or "I just don't fit" or "God, did you make a mistake?"

Thankfully, God does not make mistakes. 1 Cor. 12 says the Holy Spirit gives gifts to each one just as He determines.

All of these feelings are normal. Despite these doubtful feelings, leaders are drawn to activities that require leadership and direction, just like metal to a magnet. We can't seem to help ourselves.

One of the ways I've been able to reduce these doubts is to:

get God's perspective
allow feedback from trusted leaders and friends around me.

For the most part, they will be able to recognize the gift God has given you. Furthermore, trusted people around us, can be used by God to refine, develop and encourage that gift within us. We also need friends who will challenge our thinking and also be willing to say "no" to us when necessary.

Trusted friends are a great gift to our lives and cannot be replaced by articles or facebook friends. Its important to keep this in balance. Nancy Beach calls these people "our tribe". She has been writing about the power of friendship and relationships on her blog and has some great insights. Click here to check it out.

How do you cultivate relationships with your tribe? Take a moments to answer our poll about tribes on the right side bar of this site.

Leave a comment about how a "tribe-member" helped guide you along your leadership journey.

Overcoming Obstacles

2009-05-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Obstacles. We all face them.
How we respond can define our future opportunities to lead.

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." Booker T Washington (US Educator 1856-1915)

"The richness of the human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no obstacles to overcome. " Helen Keller (1880-1968)

Helen Keller is a great example of a leader who overcame incredible obstacles. She did not let these stop her from being a woman of influence. She was a blind and deaf girl who overcame great obstacles and became one of the most admired women in the world. I'm sure she had many days where the obstacles seemed insurmountable, and yet she had the tenacity to keep moving forward and the wisdom to accept help.

What are some of your obstacles
What are some ways God has helped you to overcome obstacles and continue to influence and lead?

Leave a comment, or email us to submit your story.

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal."

Thoughts from Nancy

2009-05-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, Nancy wrote about the great Canadian women leaders on her blog.

Click here to read it now. Make sure you read the comments as well.

And so the story begins...

2009-05-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Our first Gifted to Lead in Canada happened at Lakeside Church in Guelph Ontario on April 24.

We are overwhelmed at the positive response of the nearly 350 women that packed the Gifted to Lead event in Guelph.

This event reminded us that we have an incredible ability to lead and there is much we can learn from one another. Women are hungry to connect and be inspired in leadership. So, we created this blog to help women learn, relate and share personal and professional leadership stories, learning’s and insights.

Do you have a story to tell or a learning to share?

If you would like to submit a post, email us with your name, your church home and your post will be considered for our site. You don't have to have been a guest at the event to be able to submit a post. We are looking for women to share who have learned great lessons on their journey of leadership.

Why don't you be courageous and submit your thoughts? Or, at least leave a comment and start the conversation rolling.