LEADERSHIP
INSTITUTE
LEADERSHIP
St. Peter’s Church & World Outreach Center
3683 Old Lexington Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27107
(336) 650-0200
[email protected]
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Week 1
3
Developing Leadership Strategies
4
Week 2
10
Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make
11
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
18
Week 3
36
Preactive Leadership
37
Four Leadership Styles
47
Week 4
50
Overview of Crisis & Trauma Counseling Leaders Face
51
Glocalization: How Followers of Jesus Engage a Flat World
103
What is World View?
109
Week 5
124
Bibliography125
2
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WELCOME
Welcome to Leadership III of the SPWOC Leadership Institute. This class will help you in
your Christian Leadership and explore the concept of becoming a “Servant Leader”. These
concepts will help you dig deeper into the principles of leadership and to develop a personal
set of effective strategies, thus, becoming a strategic leader. It will enhance students’ abilities
in the development of flexible, practical, and effective strategies and tactics, including an
understanding of the logic of leadership, the laws of leadership, the mistakes people make
in leadership, the courage required in leadership, and how motivation works in leadership.
Unlike leaders in “for-profit” organizations, leadership in “non-profit” organizations such as
the church must be more fine-tuned because they are typically volunteer organizations.
Most workers in church organizations have no income, title, or power positions that give
them incentives to work. The developing of leadership strategies and tactics must be that
which would cause people to follow, thus, earning their trust and loyalty. The class will help
you gain an appreciation for, a commitment to being aware of and an understanding of how
to more effectively minister in today’s complex global context. It will help ministry workers
gain insights into present day realities in their community in order to minister more effectively.
WEEK 1 ASSIGNMENTS
Prior to class, please complete the following:


Read Developing Leadership Strategies
Submit 2-3 page minimum typed integration paper reflecting your thoughts or
responses (emotional, theological, biblical) to the main points of the assigned
reading). What difference will the topics noted make in your ministry? What
new discoveries did you make and how will they impact you and your
ministry? What can you add to the reading from your own experience?

Submit a minimum one(1) page typed journal of your personal insights gained
while reading the assigned readings weekly. Include your analysis of your
own leadership tactics and strategies.

Local students attend face-to-face classes. Online students can watch the
recorded face-to-face classes 1 week after the class date.
DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES
Analization of my leadership tactics and strategies
My personal leadership style
My ideas and beliefs about leadership
Kinds of organizational situations my style is best suited
What I can do when my leadership style is unsuited to the situation
4
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
DEVELOPING A THEOLOGY
OF LEADERSHIP
1
by Tony Morgan (Kindle edition, 2011) (Book Summary)
As I began the reading of this book, I was faced with questions that the author raised
regarding being or becoming a leader, defining the Biblical Theology of the making of a
leader, identifying my own leadership style, the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a leader,
evaluation of my characteristics as a leader, my ability to release authority as a leader,
and the ability to identify and develop other leaders. I believe, equally as important as the
answers to these noted questions or challenges, knowing whether or not I am called to be
a leader must also be answered.
I don’t believe I am or becoming the leader God designed me to be if I am learning it from
books I read, people I watch, or experiences along the way. While such practices may shed
some light on the leader I am destined to be as called by God, I believe to do so could be
very confusing. Some leaders that I might observe may not even be called to leadership
and may simply be practicing something they too, have observed or experienced along
the way. I believe it is more important that I get in touch with who God designed me to
be through prayer and spending quality time with Him and reading His Word. I believe
everything we need to know is already recorded in the Word of God and it is up to us to
search it out. This posture, however, does not mean that I don’t believe enlightenment
can be gained in reading printed materials but I still have to evaluate the writer of each as
I determine what I will embrace in such reading. I agree with the author that I need to use
the Bible as my filter for truth in every area of my life and ministry.
Morgan appears to integrate empowerment and delegation of authority, causing me to
sense that his writing is designed to cause one to either questions his/her biblical theology
regarding leadership or determine if change is needed.
It’s much like the approach of a debater who challenges one to rethink what he believes.
In such an approach to his challenge, one may be forced to “change” what he believes or
“dig in” and continue whatever he’s doing. Such challenges may also cause one to revise
the way he thinks.
Morgan states that “our role as leaders is to equip God’s people to do his work. The leader
doesn’t do the work – God’s people do His work.” To suggest that the leader doesn’t do
the work is a bit indifferent for me as I read this writing. Perhaps such a statement is or
can be true when groups or entities are larger and a clear vision is established along with
some guidance for execution, but I believe when groups or entities are small, inevitably a
leader will do some of the work as well.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
5
I do not agree with the conclusion of the author that Leadership is less about the words or
actions of the leader and more about the character of the leader. When I read the scriptures
in Mark 10, as Jesus is teaching His disciples about serving and leadership:
•
•
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they
said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
35 36 “What is your request?” he asked.
•
They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to
you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
•
But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from
the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of
suffering I must be baptized with?”
•
37 38 39 “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
• Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism
of suffering. 40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared
those places for the ones he has chosen.”
•
When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were
indignant. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord
it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.43 But among you it
will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever
wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man
came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
41 . . . I think that perhaps while Morgan notes what he calls “job description” or character
for leaders based on scripture as noted below, he does very little to address the “calling
of leaders” as Jesus discusses with His disciples. I believe that leadership is an internal
quality. As noted in Jesus’s response to the disciples’ questions in the scriptures of
Mark 10, serving is an external action. Just as God qualified David with the lion and the
bear for the future fight or defeat of Goliath and leadership, He prepares leaders through
some oppositions or trials that assure one’s ability to answer “the call” to lead. Hence,
leadership, I believe, is serving but influenced with God first . . . . “called.” I once heard
someone say that there are three phases to any calling: Servanthood – calling – separation
to the Gospel.
I do, however, agree with what he offers as the “job description” for leaders based on
scripture:
6
•
Encourage others (Rom 14:19)
•
Set an example with your speech, life, and faith (1 Tim. 4:12)
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
•
Remain pure (1 Tim. 4:12)
•
Embrace humility and gentleness (Eph. 4:2)
•
Promote peace and unity (Eph. 4:3)
•
Avoid arguments and quarreling (2 Tim. 2:24)
•
Gently instruct others (2 Tim. 2:25)
•
Maintain Emotional Control (Titus 2:6)
•
Demonstrate integrity in your actions and speech (Titus 2:7-8)
•
Live your life above reproach (1 Tim. 3:2)
I also agree with the writer that today’s leaders of politics, business, and church attributes,
as noted, don’t come to mind when we consider the Biblically sound kind of leader as
noted in the selected scriptures.
Further, I agree with the author that character is proven over a lifetime, leadership is not
easy but we sometimes make it harder than it should be, and with the right focus on Jesus
as the greatest leader of all time and a firm foundation in Scripture, I will gain significant
clarity and experience leadership success that will impact my life and everyone with whom
I come in contact.
Although we rarely experience open discussion on the part of leaders, bringing scrutiny
and understanding to his/her own leadership style, I do agree with the writer that if we did,
we could probably do a better job of aligning with God’s purpose for our lives and ministry.
When I consider the question raised by the author as to what people would say when they
think of me as a leader, I believe it would be fair for me to say that people would consider
me as a leader, to be servant first. I feel this way because they know that in my leading
characteristics, it is usually one of determining how I can personally help and be involved,
hands on with the tasks at hand. In doing so, I lean towards leading by example rather than
passing out instructions without the “buy-in” of those requested to follow.
Although I won’t try to discuss each of the aforementioned character descriptions of a
leader that the author references, I will make note of a few. In doing so, I would say that
they reflect or exemplify ways in which I present the character of a leader. The first of
those to mention is as it is described in Romans 14:19 in encouraging others. So often I
encounter people who want to reach a certain level of success or completion in personal or
other goals but lack the confidence to take the necessary steps to reach the goal/s.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
7
I encourage them in ways that help them look at themselves and what they “think” would
be necessary to accomplish the desired outcome/s. 1Timothy 4:12 addresses the matter of
setting the example with my speech, life, and faith. I am able to do this by teaching other
believers with my life. When I say my life, that includes by word, by demeanor or behavior
at all times, whether public or private, by love, by faith, by integrity. I often think about my
faith walk, its development and how I share some of the experiences I have had in my faith
walk- believing and experiencing, by faith, that God hears my prayers or my cries.
More importantly, He not only hears my cries, but answers me as well. I share and teach,
that while I don’t always get the answers I was hoping for, I know when I have gotten God’s
answer and my prayers remain in the manner of “not my will but His will be done” in any
given situation. Integrity is so important, because without it, I believe, it would be very
difficult to have the God kind of success as a leader. I have heard one preacher make a
distinction between “image” vs. “identity.” Image simply being the portrayal or pretense
of God’s chosen of a life while identity is that which truly is in the image of God. . . .Christ
Like!
I can honestly say that I do not pursue my own ambitions before the interest of others for
whom I am responsible or who are in my care. I do however, pursue my own ambitions in
the area of self-development or self-improvement even when such actions are not required
or expected.
It is my belief that a clear vision offers freedom within a framework in such a way that the
vision is not lost when placed in the hands of delegated executioners of the vision. When
there is no clarity of vision, it leaves that vision, I believe, open to much more scrutiny and
desire for change in that vision by those delegated to implement the vision.
I disagree with the writer’s notion that leadership is more about getting people to do what
you want them to do rather than helping people be who God designed them to be. A
leader, in my opinion, who is focused on getting people to do what you want them to do
rather than who God designed them to be is not a leader in the wearing the identity of
Christ Like behaviors, but rather one that is “self-serving.”
The ways in which I entrust leadership to others who I feel are capable of completing or
executing delegated tasks include insuring that the delegated tasks intent and processes
for completion are clear. Additionally, I feel it is very important that such delegated
individuals or groups are assured of the confidence I place in their capabilities to lead.
Further, I feel that it is important that persons or other entities that are expected to follow
such delegated leadership opportunities are assured of my confidence in the delegated
leadership.
Finally, I believe that while it may not be a requirement, it is equally important that
appreciation is communicated in ways that are significant to the delegated leader
8
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
participants. Sometimes, such appreciation can be as simple as “Thank you for a job well
done” and “I knew you could get the job done”. Affirmation is so important and yet so
often overlooked, whether personally or professionally.
If I were to leave my church today, the ministry would, indeed, continue to grow without
me. This is perhaps, true at many levels, but most especially, because I am not in a
leadership role that impacts the ministry at such a level.
Additionally, I don’t believe any leader is “indispensable.” I believe there is always
someone else just waiting to step in and carry out what it is that God has required for any
ministry function. Too often, I have seen leaders who believe that if they were to leave an
organization, the organization will fail. I believe such leaders are deceiving themselves and
therefore, not honest with themselves.
They certainly are not teaching duplication or even the expectation of others that a ministry
function can continue, in spite of their departure or change in assignment within the
ministry.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
9
WEEK 2 ASSIGNMENTS



Read Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make
Read 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Explain how many of John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of
Leadership you are (or are not) using in your own role as a leader
and what corrective actions (if any) you plan to take. Share
examples.

Include in your integrative paper, any of the top 10 mistakes from the
reading, you have made in your leadership role/s and discuss how
you corrected them. Give example/s where possible.
TOP TEN MISTAKES LEADERS MAKE
By Hans Finzel (Book Summary)
WEEK
2
Hans Finzel’s “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make”, establishes at the very outset, the
premise upon which the book is written. While he addresses the fact that each and every
one of us, has made mistakes, whether large or small, he enhances the reading by offering
a review of some of those mistakes. He categorizes those mistakes as “top ten” and basic
principles that upcoming leaders might avoid and those who are a bit more seasoned, may
consider for making changes in the acquired or learned leadership styles for better and/or
effective outcomes.
As Finzel defines a leader as “one of influence” I look at myself and consider whether I
can subscribe to such a definition. Of course to do so, I must consider what my past and
present leadership opportunities have been and compare them to his notion of strategies
applied, perceived outcomes, and actual effectiveness as related to the established goals.
Further, I certainly agree that in an effort to accomplish such predetermined goals, it is
imperative to identify specific, practical and logical tactics that will subsequently capture
the desired goals.
Finzel remarks, and I agree, that many of us lead much like we have been led. This
statement is very similar to that of parenting as well. . . .many discipline in the same
manner they were disciplined by their own parents. It is true that many books have been
written on both topics but the availability of “formal” training is not as easily accessed.
He identifies five (5) contributors to the failures of leaders:
· We replicate the poor leadership habits of others
· We aren’t born with leadership skills
· We lack good models and mentors
· We lack formal training
· We suffer confusion over the secular versus the spiritual in leadership philosophy
(servant hood vs. top down control)
Finzel, informally calls it “winging it”. In other words, we simply lead by the seat of our
pants. In fact, it is because of Finzel’s assessment of the general population of leaders is a
mode of “winging it”, he feels it is important we take a review of bad habits that can lead to
ineffectiveness and impact personal and organizational accomplishments.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
11
Finzel discusses, in his writing, what he defines as the “Top Ten Mistakes” that are made
by those who are truly called to be leaders and are willing to take on the adventure of
such leadership. Further, he offers solutions and/or strategies to avoid such mistakes. He
suggest and cautions us to recognize that all the good that can be done by a leader can
also be lost if precautions are not taken. I believe, as he apparently does, to take such
precautions, one must seek to find solutions and/or strategies to accomplish take the
needed precautions.
He notes that there are five levels of leadership. . . in other words: why people follow other
people:
Level 1: Personhood “Respect”… who you are and what you represent. Such leaders
have spent years growing people and organizations
Level 2: People Development “Reproduction” . . . what you have done for them
personally …your commitment to developing others will ensure ongoing growth. Long
range growth takes place. One achieves and stay at this level
Level 3: Production “Results” . . . what you have done for the organization …they like the
direction in which you are going
Level 4: Permission “Relationships” . . . they want to. . . your influence extends past your
stated authority. Work is allowed to be fun but staying at this level too long cause highly
motivated people to become restless
Level 5: Position (Title) “Rights” . . . they have to. . . your influence will not extend past
your job. People will begin to limit you. The longer you stay at this level the lower the
morale of the followers
Finzel, then goes further in his opinions and observations, as he discusses the top ten
mistakes and strategies to avoid them.
MISTAKE #1 . . . THE TOP-DOWN ATTITUDE
Considered to be the number one leadership sin, it can be seen as abusive authority,
deplorable delegation, lack of listening, dictatorship in decision making, lack of letting go
ad egocenetric manners. According to Finzel, this leadership style is the most prevalent for
the following reasons:
a. it is traditional
b. it is the most common
c. it is the easiest
12
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
d. it comes naturally
e. it reflects the depravity of man
It should be noted that Finzel offers the following alternatives to this approach to
leadership:
a. participatory management which allows others to give input while motivating and
inspiring them
b. facilitator style leadership is where one empowers others and makes it possible for
them to be successful
c. democratic leadership develops a team that enables them to have a democratic
process to determine the direction of the organization
d. flat organization is one in which the leader works side by side or leads the charge but
not on top
e. servant leadership puts ego aside or any need for recognition and work to enable all
members of the organization to complete their job to the best of their ability. Freedom,
empowered, affirmation, an partners with people are also the elements essential to
this type leadership
MISTAKE #2 . . . PUTTING PAPERWORK BEFORE PEOPLEWORK
Finzel cautions the reader (leader) to note that the greater the leadership role, the less time
there seems to be for people and the more important peoplework is. In fact, he reminds us
to think of people as opportunities rather than interruptions.
He believes that without quality emphasis of the people relations, nothing is accomplished.
He believes and I agree, effective leaders make room for people and considers leaving
them out is a big mistake.
MISTAKE # 3 . . .THE ABSENCE OF AFFIRMATION
Because, in Finzel’s opinion, everyone thrives on affirmation and praise, relationship is
as important to leadership as getting things done. He encourages the reader to avoid
underestimating the power of personal touch of kindness. Further, he challenges aspiring
leaders to learn to read the varying levels of affirmation needed. He identifies those
levels as the desperadoes (always in need of encouragement), up and downers (need
encouragement regularly), normal people (an occasional boost), and the auto pilots (maybe
jaded against empty praise).
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
13
His biblical based belief and recommendation on how leaders should encourage include
the following:
a. Listening (James 1:1)
b. Empathizing (Romans 12:15)
c. Comforting (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
d. Carrying Burdens (Gal. 6:2)
e. Encouraging (1 Thes. 5:11)
MISTAKE #4 . . . NO ROOM FOR MAVERICKS
Finzel reminds the readers that mavericks (non-comformists) can actually save
organizations from the slide toward institutionalism.
However, he notes that most large organizations “will get rid of them” before they take
root into the organization. He challenges the leader to learn to recognize the truly useful
mavericks. They can be identified as true mavericks when their care for an idea is in line
with the goal of the organization, others follow them and they get good results.
It should be observed that they can be encouraged when
· given space to soar
·
put them in charge of something they really care about
·
listen to their ideas and give them time
·
let them work on their own if desired and leave them alone and give them time to
blossom
On the other hand, they can be easily stifled when
· confronted with too many levels of management for decisions
·
keep close eye on them
·
thick policy manuals
· control decisions
· send everything to committee
· make them wait for decisions and team them up with small thinkers
14
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
MISTAKE #5 . . . DICTATOR IN DECISION-MAKING
Leaders are challenged to move past the “I know all the answers” attitude that stifles the
values of individuals. He cautions leaders that leaders should lead not just implement
concensus.
The leader will need to work with all members involved to form the mission of the
organization followed by “steering” them towards fulfilling it. He reviews the following
organizational structures:
· traditional model
· flat organizational chart
· the servant model
Great leaders, he states, are those who truly feel that the led are just as important as the
leader.
MISTAKE #6 . . . DIRTY DELEGATION
He believes that “overmanaging” is one of the greatest sins of leadership. This style of
leadership is when you give someone a job and then take it back. He offers the following
as reasons leaders do not delegate:
· fear if losing authority
· fear of work being done incorrectly
· fear of work being done better
· unwillingness to take the necessary time
· fear of depending on others
· lack of training and positive experience
He then offers the following five as essential ingredients for clean delegation:
· faith in the one whom you delegate
· release from the desire to do it better yourself
· relaxation from the obsession that it has to be done the leader’s way
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
15
· patience in the desire to do it faster oneself
· vision to develop others with ones delegation freedom
He also offers Four Stages of Delegation:
a. assignment
b. authority
c. accountability
d. affirmation
MISTAKE #7 . . . COMMUNICATION CHAOS
He believes that communication must be that passionate obsession of effective
leadership. He has observed that the bigger the group, the more attention must be given
to communication and when left uninformed, people have the tendency to dream up “wild”
rumors. He encourages leaders to communicate the mission and vision of the organization
to the far extremities of an organization. He further, stresses the importance of everyone
knowing the “rules of the game”. He advocates that the higher one goes in the leadership
chain the more they need to be mindful of who needs to be communicated with. Finally, he
offers the following aspects of communication:
a. vision and values
b. the chain of command
c. organizational chart or people map of relationships in the organization
d. job descriptions
In addition to offering the three basic ingredients of a job description (primary
responsibilities, key task to complete those responsibilities and to whom they report), he
closes with the notion that one should have a passion to communicate, communicate, and
communicate.
MISTAKE #8 . . . MISSING THE CLUES OF CORPORATE CULTURE
Finzel defines corporate culture as being the way insiders behave based on the values and
group tradition are held. He then offers six biblical suggestions to deal with the conflict
when it arises:
16
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
1. as a leader, listen to win
2. an effective leader will love diversity
3. continually look for unity
4. learn to like those who are different
5. learn to separate methodology from theology
6. long for God’s glory
MISTAKE #9 . . . SUCCESS WITHOUT SUCCESSORS
“Pride tightens the grip on leadership; humility relaxes and lets go”. In this area, Finzel is
concerned with mentorship. Leaders make two common mistakes:
1. staying too long in a position rather than long enough
2. leaders who stay too long do much more damage than those who do not stay long
enough.
Some reasons offered as to why some leaders stay too long:
· job security
· fear of retirement
· resistance to change
· self-worth
· lack of confidence in successor
· love for job/people
· loss of investment
MISTAKE #10 . . . FAILURE TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
The effective leaders chief preoccupation, according to Finzel, should be on providing vision
for the organization. He believes the constant is change and it is coming at a faster pace each
decade. Leadership must be devoting itself to the issue of goals and strategies. He notes
that managers ask “how”, but leaders ask “where and why”? He cautions us to approach the
future in two ways:
1. learner who is open to new ideas
2. closed expert who knows everything and the best way to do the task
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
17
THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS
OF LEADERSHIP
By John C. Maxwell
WEEK
2
1. The Law of the Lid – Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness
▪
Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness.
Your leadership ability always determines your effectiveness and the potential
impact of your organization.
▪
Let’s say you’re an 8 on a scale from 1 to 10. But let’s say that your leadership ability is
a 1. Your level of effectiveness would look like this:
▪
Let’s say you become a real student of leadership and you maximize your potential,
taking it all the way up to a 7. Visually it would look like this:
▪
By raising your leadership ability – without increasing your dedication at all – you can
increase your original effectiveness by 600 percent. Leadership has a multiplying
effect.
▪
Smart, talented people are able to go so far because of the limitations of their leadership.
To reach the highest level of effectiveness, you have to raise your leadership lid.
2. The Law of Influence – The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More,
Nothing Less
▪
True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from
influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned.
18
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
▪
Five Myths About Leadership
1) The Management Myth – that leading and managing are the same.
Leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management
focuses on maintaining systems and processes. Managers can maintain
direction; to move people you need influence.
2) The Entrepreneur Myth – entrepreneurs are skilled at seeing opportunities
and going after them. But not all of them are good with leading people in their
vision.
3) The Knowledge Myth – neither IQ nor education necessarily equates to
leadership.
4) The Pioneer Myth – being a trendsetter is not the same as being a leader.
To be a leader, a person has to not only be out in front, but also has to have
people following his lead.
5) The Position Myth – leadership is not based on rank or title. It’s not the
position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position.
▪
Several Factors That Make a Leader
1) Character – Who They Are – true leadership always begins with the inner
person. People can sense the depth of a person’s character.
2) Relationships – Who They Know – with deep relationships with the right
people you can become the real leader in an organization.
3) Knowledge – What They Know – information is vital. You need a grasp of the
facts to develop an accurate vision for the future.
4) Intuition – What They Feel – leaders seek to recognize and influence
intangibles such as energy, morale, timing and momentum.
5) Experience – Where They’ve Been – the greater your past challenges, the
more likely followers will be willing to let you lead.
6) Ability – What They Can Do – the bottom line is followers want to know
whether you can lead them to victory. As soon as they no longer believe you
can deliver, they will stop following.
3. The Law of Process – Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day
▪
Leaders require seasoning to be effective. If you continually invest in your
leadership development, the inevitable is growth over time.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
19
▪
The relationship between growth and leadership: It’s the capacity to develop and
improve one’s skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers.
▪
Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is ongoing, a result of
self-discipline and perseverance.
▪
The Phases of Leadership Growth
Phase 1: I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know – few think of themselves as
leaders and as long as a person doesn’t know the importance of leadership
he isn’t going to grow.
Phase 2: I Know That I Need to Know – at some point we discover we
need to learn how to lead.
Phase 3: I Know What I Don’t Know – if we don’t get better at leadership, our
careers will eventually get bogged down. In this phase you develop a plan for
personal growth on areas you need improvement.
Phase 4: I Know and Grow and It Starts to Show – when you recognize your
lack of skill and begin the daily discipline of personal growth, exciting things
start to happen. You start becoming an effective leader but you have to think
about every move you make.
Phase 5: I Simply Go Because of What I Know – your ability to lead becomes
almost automatic. You develop great instincts which results in incredible
payoffs. But the only way to get there is to obey the Law of Process and pay
the price.
▪
Benjamin Disraeli asserted, “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for
his time when it comes.”
▪
There is an old saying: champions don’t become champions in the ring – they are
merely recognized there. That’s true. If you want to see where someone develops into a
champion, look at his daily routine.
4. The Law of Navigation – Anyone Can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Chart the Course
▪
First-rate navigators always have in mind that other people are depending on them and
their ability to chart a good course.
▪
Before good leaders take their people on a journey, they go through a process in
order to give the trip the best chance of being a success:
o Navigators Draw on Past Experience – every past success and failure you’ve
experienced can be a valuable source of information and wisdom. Success
20
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
teaches you what you’re capable of doing and gives you confidence. However,
your failures can often teach greater lessons, if you allow them to. If you fail to
learn from your mistakes, you’re going to fail again and again.
o Navigators Examine the Conditions Before Making Commitments – No
good leader plans a course of action without paying attention to current
conditions. Good navigators count the cost before making commitments for
themselves and others.
o Navigators Listen To What Others Have to Say – Navigating leaders get ideas
from many sources. They listen to members of their leadership team. They
spend time with leaders of other organizations who can mentor them. They
always think in terms of relying on a team, not just themselves.
o Navigators Make Sure Their Conclusions Represent Both Faith and Fact
– A leader has to possess a positive attitude. If you can’t confidently make the
trip in your mind, you’re not going to be able to take it in real life. On the other
hand, you also have to be able to see the facts realistically. If you don’t go in
with your eyes wide open, you’re going to get blindsided. Balancing optimism
and realism, faith and fact can be very difficult.
▪
Charting A Course with A Navigation Strategy – here’s an acrostic that the author
used repeatedly in his leadership.
Predetermine a course of action.
Lay out your goals. Adjust
your priorities. Notify key
personnel.
Allow time for acceptance.
Head into action.
Expect problems.
Always point to the successes.
Daily review your plan.
▪
The secret to the Law of Navigation is preparation. When you prepare well, you
convey confidence and trust to people. Leaders who are good navigators are
capable of taking their people just about anywhere.
5. The Law of Addition – Leaders Add Value by Serving Others
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
21
▪
Adding Profits by Adding Value – Costco’s CEO, Jim Sinegal, believes the success
of Costco comes from treating his employees well.
o Costco employees are paid an average of 42% more than the company’s
chief rival and they also receive generous health care coverage.
o Sinegal shows he cares and respects his employees – he has an opendoor policy. He is on a first-name basis with everyone.
o Sinegal’s salary is well below what other CEO’s of similar size
company’s make because he is more focused on serving his
employees than making an exorbitant salary.
o The result: Costco has by far the lowest employee turnover rate in all of
retailing.
▪
The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we
advance others.
▪
There is one critical question: Are you making things better for the people who follow you?
o If you can’t answer with an unhesitant yes, then you likely aren’t.
o 90% of all people who add value to others do so intentionally. Why do I say
that? Because human beings are naturally selfish. Being an adder requires
me to think about adding value to others.
▪
Adding Value, Changing Lives – four guidelines for adding value to others.
1) Truly Value Others – effective leaders go beyond not harming others, they
intentionally help others. They must value people and demonstrate they care
in such a way that their followers know it.
2) Make Yourself More Valuable To Others – the more intentionally
you have been in growing personally, the more you have to offer your
followers.
3) Know and Relate to What Others Value – this can only come by listening
to your people’s stories, their hopes and dreams.
Learn what is valuable to them and then lead based on what you’ve learned.
4) Do Things That God Values – God desires us not only to treat people with
respect, but also to actively reach out to them and serve them.
▪
The attitude of the leader affects the atmosphere of the office. If you desire to
add value by serving others, you will become a better leader. And your people will
achieve more, develop more loyalty, and have a better time getting things done
than you ever thought possible. That’s the power of the Law of Addition.
22
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
6. The Law of Solid Ground – Trust Is the Foundation of Leadership
▪
Trust is the foundation of leadership. It is the most important thing. Leaders
cannot repeatedly break trust with people and continue to influence them.
▪
Your people know when you make mistakes. The real question is whether you’re going
to fess up. If you do, you can often regain their trust.
▪
How does a leader build trust? By consistently exemplifying competence, connection
and character. People will forgive occasional mistakes on ability. And they will give you
time to connect. But they won’t trust someone who has slips in character.
▪
Character Communicates – a person’s character quickly communicates many
things to others. Here are the most important ones:
o Character Communicates Consistency – leaders without inner strength can’t
be counted on day after day because their ability to perform changes constantly.
o Character Communicates Potential – weak character is limiting. Who
do you think has the greater potential to achieve great dreams: someone
who is honest, disciplined, and hardworking or someone who is deceitful,
impulsive and lazy?
o Character Communicates Respect – When you don’t have character
within, you can’t earn respect without. How do leaders earn respect? By
making sound decisions, by admitting their mistakes, and by putting what’s
best for their followers and the organization ahead of their personal agendas.
▪
No leader can break trust with his people and expect to keep influencing them. Trust
is the foundation of leadership. Violate the Law of Solid Ground, and you diminish
your influence as a leader.
7. The Law of Respect – People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves
▪
People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves. That’s how the Law of
Respect works.
▪
People don’t follow others by accident. People who are an 8 in leadership don’t look
for a 6 to follow – they naturally follow a 9 or 10. The less skilled follow the more highly
skilled and gifted.
▪
Occasionally, a strong leader may choose to follow someone weaker than himself. But
when that happens, it’s for a reason. For example, the stronger leader my do it out of
respect for the person’s office or past accomplishments. Or he may be following the
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
23
chain of command. In general though, followers are attracted to people who are better
leaders than themselves.
▪
When people get together for the first time in a group, take a look at what happens. As
they start interacting, the leaders in the group immediately take charge. But after the
people get to know one another, it doesn’t take long for them to recognize the strongest
leaders and to start following them.
▪
In time, people in the group get on board and follow the strongest leaders. Either that
or they leave the group to pursue their own agenda.
▪
Top Six Ways That Leaders Gain Others’ Respect
1) Natural Leadership Ability – if you possess it, people will want to follow you.
They will become excited when you communicate vision.
2) Respect For Others – when leaders show respect for others – especially for
people who have less power or a lower position than theirs – they gain respect
from others. If you continually respect others and consistently lead them well,
you will continue to have followers.
24
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
3) Courage – Good leaders do what’s right, even at the risk of failure, in the face
of great danger and under the brunt of relentless criticism. Can you think of
one great leader from history who was without courage? A leader’s courage
gives his followers hope.
4) Success – When leaders succeed in leading the team to victory, then followers
believe they can do it again. As a result, followers follow them because they
want to be part of success in the future.
5) Loyalty – When leaders stick with the team until the job is done and look out
for their followers best interests even when it hurts them personally, followers
will in turn learn to respect them.
6) Value Added to Others – Followers value leaders who add value to them and
their respect for them carries on long after the relationship has ended.
8. The Law of Intuition – Leaders Evaluate Everything with a Leadership Bias
▪
The Law of Intuition is based on facts coupled with instincts plus other intangible
factors, such as employee morale, organizational momentum, and relationship
dynamics.
▪
The Law of Intuition often separates the great leaders from the merely good ones.
▪
Leadership intuition is the ability of a leader to read what’s going on. For that reason, I
say that leaders are readers:
1) Leaders Are Readers of Their Situation – leaders pick up on details that
might elude others. They sense people’s attitudes. They are able to detect
the chemistry of a team. They know the situation before they have all the
facts.
2) Leaders Are Readers of Trends – leaders discern where the organization is
headed, often times they sense it first and find data later to explain it. Their
intuition tells them that something is happening, that conditions are changing.
Leaders must always be a few steps ahead of their people, or they’re not really
leading.
3) Leaders Are Readers of Their Resources – leaders think in terms or
resources and how to maximize them for the benefit of their organization.
They are continually aware of what they have at their disposal.
4) Leaders Are Readers of People – Intuition helps leaders sense what’s
happening among people and know their hopes, fears and concerns. Reading
people is perhaps the most important intuitive skill leaders can possess.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
25
5) Leaders are Readers of Themselves – leaders must know not only their
own strengths and weaknesses, but also their current state of mind. Why?
Because leaders can hinder progress just as easily as they can help create it.
▪
Without intuition, leaders get blindsided, and that’s one of the worst things that
can happen to a leader. If you want to lead well, and stay ahead of others, you’ve
got to obey the Law of Intuition.
9. The Law of Magnetism – Who You Are Is Who You Attract
▪
In most situations, you draw people to you who possess the same qualities
you do.
▪
Who you are is who you attract. If you want to attract better people, become the
kind of person you desire to attract.
10.The Law of Connection – Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand
▪
For leaders to be effective, they need to connect with people. All great leaders
recognize this truth and act on it almost instinctively. You can’t move people to action
unless you first move them with emotion.
▪
“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” You
develop credibility with people when you connect with them and show that you
genuinely care and want to help them. And as a result, they usually respond in kind
and want to help you.
▪
How do you connect with people?
1) Connect with Yourself – If you don’t believe in who you are and where you
want to lead, work on that before doing anything else.
2) Communicate with Openness and Sincerity – People can smell a
phony a mile away. Authentic leaders connect.
3) Know Your Audience – When you work with individuals, knowing your
audience means learning people’s names, finding out their histories, asking
about their dreams. When you communicate to an audience, you learn about
the organization and its goals. You want to speak about what they care about.
4) Live Your Message – Practice what you preach. That’s were credibility
comes from.
5) Go to Where They Are – Remove as many barriers to communication as
possible. Try to be attuned to their culture, background, education, and so
26
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
on. Adapt to others; don’t expect them to adapt to me.
6) Focus on Them, Not Yourself – Focus on others, not yourself. That is the
number one problem of inexperienced speakers and ineffective leaders.
7) Believe in Them – It’s one thing to communicate to people because you
believe you have something of value to say. It’s another to communicate with
people because you believe they have value. People’s opinions of us have
less to do with what they see in us than with what we can help them see in
themselves.
8) Give Them Hope – French general Napoleon Bonaparte said, “Leaders are
dealers in hope.” When you give people hope, you give them a future.
▪
Successful leaders who obey the Law of Connection are always initiators. They take
the first step with others and then make the effort to continue building relationships.
It’s not always easy, but it’s important to the success of the organization. A leader has
to do it, no matter how many obstacles there might be.
▪
You connect with others when you learn their names, make yourself available to them,
tell them how much you appreciate them, find out what they are doing, and most
important, listen to them.
▪
There’s an old saying: To lead yourself, use your head; to lead others, use your heart.
That’s the nature of the Law of Connection. Always touch a person’s heart before you
ask for a hand.
11.The Law of the Inner Circle – A Leader’s Potential Is Determined by Those Closest to Him
▪
Nobody does anything great alone, nor do leaders succeed alone. What makes the
difference is the leader’s inner circle.
▪
As you consider whether individuals should be in your inner circle, ask yourself
the following questions. If you can answer yes to these questions, then they are
excellent candidates for your inner circle:
1) Do They Have High Influence with Others? – One key to successful
leadership is the ability to influence the people who influence others. How do
you do that? By drawing influencers into your inner circle.
2) Do They Bring a Complementary Gift to the Table? – Bring a few key people
into my inner circle who possess strengths in your areas of weakness.
3) Do They Hold a Strategic Position in the Organization? – Some people
belong in your inner circle because of their importance to the organization. If you
and they are not working on the same page, the entire organization is in trouble.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
27
4) Do They Add Value to Me and to the Organization? – The people in your
inner circle must add value to you personally. They should also have a proven
track record as assets to the organization. Seek for your inner circle people
who help you improve.
5) Do They Positively Impact Other Inner Circle Members? – Team chemistry
is vital. You want your inner circle to have a good fit with one another. You also
want inner circle members to make one another better, to raise one another’s
game.
▪
Once you’ve reached your capacity in time and energy, the only way you can increase
your impact is through others. Surround yourself with high performers that extend your
influence beyond your reach and help you to grow and become a better leader.
12.The Law of Empowerment – Only Secure Leaders Give Power to Others
▪
If you want to be successful, you have to be willing to empower others.
▪
Theodore Roosevelt once said: “The best executive is the one who has sense enough
to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self- restraint enough to keep
from meddling with them while they do it.”
▪
When leaders fail to empower others, it is usually due to three main reasons:
1) Desire for Job Security – The number one enemy of empowerment is the
fear of losing what we have. Weak leaders worry that if they help subordinates,
they themselves will become dispensable. Rather they should realize that if the
teams they lead always seem to succeed, people will figure out that they are
leading them well.
2) Resistance to Change – Most people don’t like change. As a leader, you must
train yourself to embrace change, to desire it, to make a way for it. Effective
leaders are not only willing to change; they become change agents.
3) Lack of Self-Worth – Self-conscious people are rarely good leaders. They
focus on themselves, worrying how they look, what others think, whether they
are liked. They can’t give power to others because they feel that they have no
power themselves. The best leaders have a strong self-worth. They believe in
themselves, their mission and their people.
▪
Strange as it sounds, great leaders gain authority by giving it away. If you aspire to
be a great leader, you must live by the Law of Empowerment.
13.
The Law of the Picture – People Do What People See
▪
When leaders show the way with their right actions, their followers copy their good
example and succeed.
28
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
▪
Great leaders are both highly visionary and highly practical. Their vision helps them
see beyond the immediate. They can envision what’s coming and what must be done.
Leaders possess an understanding how:
o Mission provides purpose – answering the question, Why?
o Vision provides a picture – answering the question, What?
o Strategy provides a plan – answering the question, How?
▪
As author Hans Finzel observed, “Leaders are paid to be dreamers. The higher you
go in leadership, the more your work is about the future.”
▪
As you strive to become a better example to your followers, remember these things.
1) Followers Are Always Watching What You Do – Just as children watch
their parents and emulate their behavior, so do employees watch their
bosses. If the boss comes in late, then employees feel they can too.
Nothing is more convincing than living out what you say you believe.
2) It’s Easier to Teach What’s Right Than to Do What’s Right – Nothing is more
convincing than people who give good advice and set a good example.
3) We Should Work on Changing Ourselves Before Trying to Improve Others
– A great danger to good leadership is the temptation to try to change others
without first making changes to yourself. To remain a credible leader, you must
always work first, hardest and longest on changing yourself; this is essential.
If we work on improving ourselves our primary mission, then others are more
likely to follow.
4) The Most Valuable Gift a Leader Can Give Is Being a Good Example – More
than anything else, employees want leaders whose beliefs and actions line up.
Leadership is more caught than taught. How does one “catch” leadership? By
watching good leaders in action.
14.
The Law of Buy-In – People Buy into the Leader, Then the Vision
▪
The leader finds the dream and then the people. The people find the leader and
then the dream. That’s how the Law of Buy-In works.
▪
People don’t at first follow worthy causes. They follow worthy leaders who promote
worthy causes they can believe in. People buy into the leader first, then the
leader’s vision.
▪
As a leader, having a great vision and a worthy cause is not enough to get people
to follow you. You have to become a better leader; you must get your people to buy
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
29
into you. That is the price you have to pay if you want your vision to have a chance
of becoming reality. You cannot ignore the Law of Buy-In and remain successful as a
leader.
15.
The Law of Victory - Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win
▪
Victorious leaders have one thing in common: they share an unwillingness to accept
defeat. The alternative to winning is totally unacceptable to them. As a result, they
figure out what must be done to achieve victory.
▪
The best leaders feel compelled to rise to a challenge and do everything in their power
to achieve victory for their people. In their view…
o Losing is unacceptable.
o Passion is unquenchable.
o Quitting is unthinkable.
o Commitment is unquestionable.
o Victory is inevitable.
▪
With that mindset, they embrace the vision and approach the challenges with the
resolve to take their people to victory.
▪
Three factors that contribute to a team’s dedication to victory:
1) Unity of Vision – Teams succeed only when the players have a unified
vision, no matter how much talent or potential there is.
2) Diversity of Skills – Every organization requires diverse talents to succeed.
3) A Leader Dedicated to Victory and Raising Players to Their Potential –
Unity of vision doesn’t happen spontaneously. The right players with the proper
diversity of talent don’t come together on their own. It takes a leader to make
those things happen. It takes a leader to provide the motivation, empowerment,
and direction required to win.
▪
Leaders who practice the Law of Victory believe that anything less than success is
unacceptable. And they have Plan B. That is why they keep fighting. And it’s why
they continue to win.
▪
How dedicated are you to winning the “fight”? Are you going to have the Law of Victory
in your corner as you lead? Or when times get difficult, are you going to throw in the
towel? Your answer to that question may determine whether you succeed or fail as a
leader and whether your team wins or loses.
30
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
16.
The Law of the Big Mo – Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend
▪
If you’ve got all the passion, tools and people you need to fulfill a great vision, yet you can’t
seem to get your organization moving and going in the right direction, you’re dead in the
water as a leader. If you can’t get things going, you will not succeed. You need to harness
the power of the leader’s best friend – momentum.
▪
When you have no momentum, even the simplest tasks seem impossible.
▪
On the other hand, when you have momentum on your side, the future looks bright, and
obstacles appear small. An organization with momentum is like a train that’s moving at
sixty miles per hour.
▪
Truths About Momentum
1) Momentum is the Great Exaggerator – momentum is like a magnifying glass; it
makes things look bigger than they really are. Because momentum has such a great
impact, leaders try to control it. When you have momentum, you don’t worry about
small problems and many larger ones seem to work themselves out.
2) Momentum Makes Leaders Look Better Than They Are – When leaders have
momentum on their side, people forget about their past mistakes. Once a leader
creates some success for his organization, people give him more credit than he
deserves. Momentum exaggerates a leader’s success and makes him look better
than he really is.
3) Momentum Helps Followers Perform Better Than They Are
– When momentum is strong, people are motivated to perform at higher levels,
making all participants more successful than they would be otherwise.
4) Momentum Is Easier to Steer Than to Start – Getting started is a struggle, but
once you’re moving forward, you can really start to do some amazing things.
5) Momentum Is the Most Powerful Change Agent – Given enough momentum,
nearly any kind of change is possible in an organization. Followers trust leaders
with a proven track record. They accept changes from people when they have led
them to victory before. Momentum puts victory within reach.
6) Momentum is the Leader’s Responsibility – It takes a leader to create momentum.
Followers can catch it. But creating momentum requires someone who has vision,
can assemble a good team, and motivates others. If the leader is waiting for the
organization to develop momentum on its own, then the organization is in trouble.
7) Momentum Begins Inside the Leader – It starts with vision, passion, and
enthusiasm. The leader most model those qualities to his people day in and day out,
which will attract like-minded people to his team. Once you see forward progress,
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
31
you will begin to generate momentum. Once you have it, you can do almost
anything. That’s the power of the Big Mo.
17.The Law of Priorities – Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily
Accomplishment
▪
Leaders never advance to a point where they no long need to prioritize.
▪
Busyness does not equal productivity. Activity is not necessarily accomplishment.
Prioritizing requires leaders to continually think ahead, to know what’s important, to
see how everything relates to the overall vision.
▪
The Pareto Principle – if you focus your attention on the activities that rank in the top
20 percent in terms of importance, you have an 80 percent return on your effort. For
example if you 100 customers, the top 20 will provide you 80% of your business, so
focus on them.
▪
The Three R’s – requirement, return and reward. Leaders must order their lives
according to these three questions:
1) What is Required? Any list of priorities must begin with what is required of us.
The question to ask yourself is, “What must I do that nobody can or should do for
me?” If I’m doing something that is not necessary, I should eliminate it. If I’m
doing something that’s necessary but not required of me personally, I need to
delegate it.
2) What Gives the Greatest Return? As a leader, you should spend most of
your time working in your areas of greatest strength. Ideally, leaders should get
out of their comfort zone but stay in their strength zone. My rule of thumb: If
something can be done 80 percent as well by someone else, I delegate it.
3) What Brings the Greatest Reward? Life is too short not to do the things
you love. Your personal interests energize you and keep you passionate. And
passion provides the fuel in your life to keep you going.
32
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
18.
The Law of Sacrifice – A Leader Must Give Up to Go Up
▪
If you desire to become the best leader you can be, then you need to be willing to
make sacrifices in order to lead well. If that is your desire, then here are some things
you need to know about the Law of Sacrifice.
There Is No Success Without Sacrifice – Every person who has achieve any success
in life has made sacrifices to do so. Effective leaders sacrifice much that is good in
order to dedicate themselves to what is best.
1) Leaders Are Often Asked to Give Up More Than Others – The heart of
leadership to putting others ahead of yourself. It’s doing what is best for the
team. For that reason, leaders have to give up their rights.
The cost of leadership: Leaders must be willing to give up more than the
people they lead. Leadership means sacrifice.
2) You Must Keep Giving Up to Stay Up – Leadership success requires
continual change, constant improvement, and ongoing sacrifice.
3) The Higher the Level of Leadership, the Greater the Sacrifice – The higher
you go, the more its going to cost you. And it doesn’t matter what kind of
leadership career you pick. You will have to make sacrifices. You will have to
give up to go up.
19. The Law of Timing – When to Lead Is As Important As What to Do and Where to Go
▪
Timing is often the difference between success and failure in an endeavor. Every time a
leader makes a move, there are really only four outcomes:
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
33
1) The Wrong Action at the Wrong Time Leads to Disaster – If you take the
wrong action at the wrong time, your people suffer and so will your leadership.
2) The Right Action at the Wrong Time Brings Resistance – Having a
vision for the right direction and knowing how to get there is not enough.
If you take the right action but do it at the wrong time, you may still be
unsuccessful because the people you lead can become resistant. Good
leadership timing requires many things:
a. Understanding – leaders must have a firm grasp on the situation.
b. Maturity – if leader’s motives aren’t right, their timing will be off.
c. Confidence – people follow leaders who know what must be done.
d. Decisiveness – wishy-washy leaders create wishy-washy followers.
e. Experience – if leaders don’t possess experience, then they need to
gain wisdom from others who do possess it.
f. Intuition – timing often depends on intangibles, such as momentum
and morale.
g. Preparation – if the conditions aren’t right, leaders must create those
conditions.
3) The Wrong Action at the Right Time is a Mistake – the greatest mistake
made by entrepreneurs is knowing when to cut their losses or when to
increase their investment to maximize gains. Their mistakes come from
taking the wrong action at the right time.
4) The Right Action at the Right Time Results in Success – When the right
leader and the right timing come together an organization achieves its
goals and reaps incredible rewards.
▪
Reading the right situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you
succeed in leadership. If you want your company to move forward, you must pay
attention to timing. Only the right action at the right time will bring success. No leader
can escape the Law of Timing.
20.The Law of Explosive Growth – To Add Growth, Lead Followers – To Multiply, Lead
Leaders
▪
You can grow by leading followers. But if you want to maximize your leadership and
help your organization reach its potential, you need to develop leaders. There is no
other way to experience explosive growth.
34
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
▪
Leaders who attract followers but never develop leaders get tired. Being able to impact
only those people you can touch personally is very limiting.
▪
In contrast, leaders who develop leaders impact people far beyond their personal
reach. Every time you develop leaders and help them increase their leadership ability,
you make them capable of influencing an even greater number of people.
21.The Law of Legacy – A Leader’s Lasting Value Is Measured by Succession
▪
What do you want people to say at your funeral? If you want your leadership to have
real meaning, you need to take into account the Law of Legacy. A leader’s lasting value
is measured by succession.
▪
If you desire to make an impact as a leader on a future generation, then become
highly intentional about your legacy. We have a choice about what legacy we will
leave, and we must work and be intentional to leave the legacy we want. Here’s how:
1) Know the Legacy You Want to Leave – most people simply accept their
lives – they don’t lead them. I believe that people need to be proactive about
how they live, and I believe that is especially true for leaders. Someday
people will summarize your life in a single sentence. My advice: pick it now!
2) Live the Legacy You Want to Leave – I believe that to have any credibility as
a leader, you must live what you say you believe. If you want to create a legacy,
you need to live it first.
3) Choose Who Will Carry on Your Legacy – A legacy lives on in people, not
things. Too often leaders put their energy into organizations, buildings or other
lifeless objects. But only people live on after we are gone. Everything else is
temporary.
4) Make Sure You Pass the Baton – No matter how well you lead, if you don’t
make sure you pass the baton, you will not leave the legacy you desire.
▪
Our ability as leaders will not be measured by the buildings we build, or institutions we
established. We will be judged by how well the people we invested in carried on after
we are gone.
Jackie Robinson observed, “A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives.” In the
end we will be judged according to the Law of Legacy. A leader’s lasting value is measured by
succession.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
35
WEEK 3 ASSIGNMENTS



Read Preactive Leadership
Read Four Leadership Styles
Submit 2-3 page minimum integrative reflection paper how you
are (or are not) applying the logical techniques described in your
personal leadership gained in your reading of Owen Allen’s Preactive
Leadership.

You will receive a link via email to take your DISC Personality Profile
online and download your DISC text by Owen Allen entitled The
Specific Action Personality System.
PREACTIVE LEADERSHIP:
CONSIDERING PREACTIVE LEADERS
Author: Dr. J.Owen Allen (Book Summary)
WEEK
3
The author clearly states in the very introduction of his book, that contrary to the thoughts
of many, a “preactive leader” is not necessarily highly educated, highly intelligent, highly
connected or highly aggressive. In fact, simply put, he suggests such leadership is simple.
As a matter of fact, it’s more common sense than any of the aforementioned descriptions.
While the book is full of information, exhibited in it is lots of wisdom and common sense
approaches to leadership. It offers, in its principals, one a sense of order and prevents a lot
of time wasting in all environments.
According to the author, to be a Preactive leader, one must focus on Preaction in his/her
job and life rather than Reaction. Preaction, according to the author, means to accomplish
as much as possible in your life and on your job or assignment without seeing any trouble
in your tasks. In other words, it refers to action taken before I see trouble in my work or
life. A Preactive leader doesn’t react to trouble. He or she preacts to trouble. Preactive
leaders prevent trouble in tasks which makes one more effective and efficient in whatever
the role in life happens to be. Therefore, effectiveness is the degree to which I achieve my
goals. Efficiency is the degree to which I avoid waste.
The author writes that Preactive leadership is effective and efficient, and effectiveness and
efficiency are Preactive leadership.
Preactive leadership is based on four simple ideas:
•
There are six situations that happens in everyone’s life and job.
•
There are six actions that everyone takes on these six situations.
•
Three of the situations are effective and efficient and should be encouraged.
•
Three of the situations are ineffective and inefficient and should be avoided.
Subsequently, the secret to being a Preactive leader is to:
•
Seek the three effective situations in your life and work.
•
Avoid the three ineffective situations in your life and work.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
37
That’s Preactive leadership. That’s how, the author contends, you can double your
leadership ability in one week whether you’re leading a corporation, civic club, church,
government agency, family, or yourself as an individual.
According to the author, a leader is an action –taker. Any person who takes action
(behaves) in the presence of other people, and influence them enough to cause a positive
change in their behavior.
Leadership is action-taking in my life and work, and making certain that the actions I take
are effective and efficient ones.
According to the author, The Law of Bestness-best means the most suitable, useful, and
desirable.” The Law of Bestness states that leaders should take the one best action in
every situation they face. All leaders are paid because they always take the one best action
in every situation. As a university administrator, I was frequently faced with hiring what I
deemed the best possible candidate for the job at hand. That was not always the most
“qualified” but often, the best fit for the position at hand while at the same time, the best fit
for the team.
A situation is anything requiring you to take some action, at some time, in some place, to
some extent.
Actions take their identities from the situations to which they are responding.
The needs of situations define the best actions to take in those situations.
Preactive leadership is a learnable technique that anyone can learn, can practice, and can
be rewarded for using.
Accordingly, the author writes that Leadership is taking best Decision Actions in Choice
Situations to positively influence the behavior of others while directing and correcting
tasks. Accurate decision making is effective leadership, and effective leadership is
accurate decision making.
•
A decision is a choice
•
A decision is a best choice
•
Decision –making is the process of making best choices
Choices are made by humans, decision – making has four built in weakness
Decisions are judgmental choices formed by our personalities, cultures, education, training,
experiences, instincts and opinion.
38
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
As noted by the author, while decisions are never totally factual, they are judgmental
choices made at one point in time and space using facts available at that point in time and
space. Hence, accurate decisions are the best choices possible using sound judgment and
the available facts.
No decision is ever set in concrete because we live in a world of change. That means both
the past and the future must be considered when making a best decision.
A best decision, then, is the choice of an alternative thing, person, time, place, or amount
that best satisfies the needs of a situation with the least risk of Future Trouble.
It should be noted that decisions can be made in three different formats:
•
Mental-Verbal Format where the choice is made only by talking and thinking about it
•
Hard-Copy Format where the choice is made by writing it out on paper with visual arts such as
a numeric spreadsheet, charts, tables, and graphs
•
Simple Process Format where the choice is made both by talking and writing about it.
The writer notes that decision –making is one of the biggest keys to Preactive leadership.
Further, when one masters the technique of best choices, one has mastered Preactive
leadership.
•
The only way to be a Preactive leader is to learn to identify situations. There are two
communication weaknesses that make identifying situations difficult. Fuzzy words and
smokescreen statements. As noted in the reading, in several situations that I have experienced,
clarification was often needed before an assignment could be completed due to words or
statements that were used in the instructions for the assignment given. I learned to write
down the instructions as they were and asked questions for clarity. Clarification is a necessary
element to efficiency and effectively completely assignments.
According to the author:
• A “fuzzy word” is any fact, word, or phrase in a situation statement or choice statement that
could refer to two or more situations or that could imply two or more actions.
•
The two fuzzy word clarification questions are: “What do you mean by___________ or “What
would you like me to do to____________?
•
A “smokescreen statement” is any situation statement or choice statement that has a fuzzy fact,
or a missing fact, in any of its five what-who-when-where-amount factual categories.
•
The five factual clarification questions are: “What?” “Who?” “When?” “Where?” “Amount?”
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
39
•
The best way to remember the difference between a situation statement and an action
statement is that a situation statement describes the task, and is normally assigned to you by
another person. It usually starts with words like “We need to”… or “I want you to…” An action
statement describes the action you’re going to take on the task and is normally developed by
you. It usually starts with decision making phrase like “I (or we) want to choose the best…”
•
We should write clear action statements to mirror the facts of the superior’s situation and walk
through the decision to and implement the best Blocking Action to prevent the superior’s Likely
Cause situation from happening.
•
All of us need to develop the habit of being strategically and tactically Preactive, directive, and
offensive-minded in our lives and on our jobs.
The NW situation is the foundation of all leadership. It’s the most important, basic, and
frequent of all job situations. It’s the first of the situations we’ll learn in which we direct
tasks with a Preactive and offensive- minded type of leadership.
A Normal Work situation (NW situation) is any regular situation (task, assignment) you
undertake with clear and agreed on standards that requires you to choose Working Actions
that best satisfy those standards with the least risk of Future Trouble. NW sits can also be
called tasks, jobs projects, programs, contracts, assignments, and many other synonyms.
Accurate work is simply meeting work standards or the Master Principle of Satisfying
Needs.
According to the author, Work Improvement situation (WI situation) is the second
Effective-Efficient situation and is one of the five situations that is connected to Normal
Work situations that is a part of them. Action taken on WI situations are called Improving
Actions or upgrading actions, raising the bar, and continuous improvement. The purpose
of Work Improvement situations is to set new normal for products, service, and behavior
which is the reason for the technique being called Standard Betterment.
An improving Action is any action you choose and implement in a Work Improvement
situation to make a standard better and to make it exceed a recipient’s expectations in
a surprising and pleasant new way with the least risk of Future Trouble (FT). Standard
Betterment is making standards better so that work exceeds a recipient in a surprising new
way. Motive behind Standards-Betterment is respect and appreciation for the recipients of
our work, and improvements must be made without any thought of reward. Improvements
are gifts to recipients without cost or obligation to the recipient.
According to the author, common mistakes made in the technique of Standard-Betterment
are confusing improvements with Correcting Actions, thinking that improvements must
be big or believing that changes requested by customers are improvements. StandardBetterment is anything you do to clarify, define, simplify, explain, interpret, change, or
modify an existing task standard to make the standard better.
40
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Likely Cause situations are the third and last of the three Effective-Efficient situations
and Block Actions are the third and last of the three actions that can be used to direct
work toward its goals with Preactive and offensive-minded strategies and tactics. Likely
Cause situation is a weakness connected to the work in a Normal Work situation that’s
not causing trouble not but is threatening to cause trouble in the future and that can be
prevented by a Blocking Action so the Future Trouble doesn’t occur. Blocking Action is
any action you choose and implement to best neutralize a Like Cause situation, preventing
that weakness from “hatching” and causing future costs, losses, and trouble. Likely
Cause is a person, thing, or system connected to the work on a task that’s likely to fail is
additional pressure is applied to it.
The author writes, the motto of true prevention is “the absence of trouble-not the
suppressing of trouble.” False prevention is the suppressing of trouble-not the absence of
trouble. Trouble –Prevention is blocking Likely Causes before they can “hatch” and create
Future Trouble. Prevention is rooted in a mental attitude more than any of the other six
techniques because our natural fear of being called negative thinkers by family, friends,
and coworkers. Blocking, means to intercept something to achieve a positive result.
Blocking Actions are the only trouble-blockers in the field of leadership, if not being used in
your work it’s a matter of time one will experience trouble.
Further noted, according to the author, Preactive leadership is always used before
trouble starts. Reactive leadership is always used after trouble starts. Current Trouble
situation is any performance of any person, thing or system that was previously satisfying
a set, clear, and agreed on standard in a Normal Work situation but is now breaking that
standard in an unwanted way. “Trouble” is anything that’s breaking a clear standard in an
undesirable way.
List of some of the synonyms for Current Trouble are as follow:
•
Problem
•
Defect
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Deviation
Alligator
Complaint
Reject
Failure
Symptom
Nonconformance
Disobedience
Damage
Things-gone-wrong
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
41
A Suppressing Action is any action you choose and implement to best control, limit, fix, or
minimize the costs, losses, stresses, and damages of a Current Trouble in the work on a
task, and to keep those costs, losses, stresses, and damages from spreading.
Trouble-Control is suppressing existing trouble in an effort to fix it and keep it from
spreading.
The author states that, when faced with a Current Trouble the first thoughts that we often
get are the following: Why? Why did this trouble happen? What caused it?
He also defines True Cause as any verified mental, physical, or technical trigger event that
forced the performance of a person, thing, or system to break a previously set, clear, and
agreed on task standard in an unwanted way.
List of some common synonyms for True Cause situations are as follow: Taproot, the
reason, the cue ball, the spark, and the source.
A Correcting Action is any action you choose and implement to best remove, cancel, or
neutralize the True Cause of a Correct Trouble in a Normal Work situation, after that cause
has been verified as the True Cause of the trouble.
The following is a list of five types of True Causes:
1. You know the cause of the trouble and can remove it.
2. You know the cause of the trouble and cannot remove it.
3. You don’t know the cause of the trouble but can find it and remove it.
4. You don’t know the cause of the trouble but can find it, then can’t remove it.
5. You don’t know the cause, can’t find it, and can’t remove it.
The best way to find and verify an unknown True Cause is to write out the eight –level
process of elimination. The eight levels in the investigative funnel are the following,
according to the author:
1. What 5. Amount
2. Who 6. Critical Change
3. When 7. Probable Cause
4. Where
8. Verification
True Causes are costly, and that finding, verifying, and removing them is stressful and time42
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
consuming. The best of all worlds is not to have and True Causes, the best way to do that
is to take plenty of Blocking Actions in the Likely Causes.
Cause –Removal is finding, verifying and removing the True Causes of Current Troubles in
tasks.
The author states, Future Trouble situation is any performance of a person, thing, or
system that isn’t breaking a clear and agreed on task standard now, but that could break
one in an unwanted way in the future. FT sits can also be called potential problems, future
damage, possible losses, and future breakdowns, among other things.
A Preparing Action is any action you choose and arrange that waits to control the cost,
loss, stress, and damage of Future Trouble situation in work and that waits to keep the
damage from spreading if the trouble does happen.
A Trigger Report is any audible and/or visual signal that waits to be triggered by a Current
Trouble situation and that activates a Suppressing Action to limit the damage of that
trouble.
A Milestone Report is any audible and/or visual signal that measures either continuously or
at intervals the work on a Normal Work situation and reports the degree to which that work
is meeting standards.
The technique of Trouble-Readiness is choosing and implementing the best Preparing
Actions to wait to control the cost, loss, stress, and damage of Future Trouble in Normal
Work situations if they happen and to keep those damages from growing worse and
spreading if they do occur.
Preparing Actions are good and necessary when the Likely Causes of future damage are
unpreventable such as tornados, hurricanes, forest fires caused by lighting as examples.
Likely Causes could be blocked at home and on the job if we focused less on suppressivebias, and played the What If game more often to think up bold and creative new Blocking
Actions.
Trouble Readiness is the act of preparing to control Future Trouble and then waiting to fight
the damage of that trouble if it happens.
Leadership strategy is the general, overall set of values and actions a leader uses to direct
and correct personal or group work toward a goal in the most effective and efficient way.
The two basic kinds of leadership strategies are Preactive and Reactive. There are two
parts to all strategies: values and actions. There are two ways to apply strategies: as
an individual leading him or herself in a personal task or group leader in a group task.
Preactive strategies are the best overall strategies because they’re the most effective ways
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
43
to reach a goal and because they’re the only ones that prevent Future Trouble.
The author, based on the information in this book, notes that each of us uses leadership
strategies. Further stated is the fact that we may be using a predominant Reactive strategy
or a 50/50 balance Preactive and Reactive strategies, which means we’re using too much
Reactiveness in our lives and jobs.
He depicts further, Leadership “style” is the set of values (ethics, standards) that are
guiding a leader’s decision-making in a strategy. Theory X (autocratic, and Theory Y (team
working), both serve a good purpose when needed and either one can be best if a situation
demands that style.
All situations do not need X values, leaders who do that are using the wrong values in
some of their situations.
Leaders need the patience and courage to identify which set of Leadership values a
situation needs and the wisdom and strength to apply the correct values to that situation.
All leaders use leadership strategies daily, but the key to effective and efficient leadership
is to use predominantly Preactive strategies with predominantly theory Y values. Y values
are team oriented, relationship oriented, people centered, creative, empowering, open
communication, listening, using team decision making and instilling confidence, courage
and independence in followers.
Nobody becomes Preactive overnight. There’s a transitional period, and leaders become
more Preactive with experience and practice. Learning curves vary with the amount of
time invested.
Leadership tactics are the specific types of actions and the specific sequence of actions
that a leader uses to direct and correct personal or group work toward a goal in the most
effective and efficient way.
Offensive-Minded Leadership is using Preactive strategies and tactics to reach goals and
objectives by keeping trouble from starting that hasn’t started yet.
According to Dr. Allen in his writing, goals and objectives are synonyms for the word
standards. Further, he explains that the difference between goals, objectives and
standards are that goals and objectives are standards that are specialized in time. He
explains, further, that while goals measure the end of tasks and usually have timeframes of
one year or more in the future, objectives are intermediate targets within tasks that serve
as stepping stones to the goal and they usually have timeframes of less than a year in the
future. Regular standard measure work in real time and usually have immediate timeframes
that are continuously obeyed. Goals, objectives, and standards link together in chains and
should be compatible with one another in those chains.
44
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Leaders hold the power and control in a group and they set the tone for everything that
happens in the group.
In his discussion of Preactive Leadership Tactics, the following were noted:
Preactive Tactic One:
Have an offensive Attitude that keeps Trouble from starting
Preactive Tactic Two:
Have Clear and Agreed On Standards
Preactive Tactic Three: Use Theory Y Values in Every Appropriate Situation
Preactive Tactic Four:
Constantly Raise the bar
Preactive Tactic Five:
Have Constant Alligator Egg Hunts
The author, in his writing, offers the following Six Conclusions to Strengthen Your
Leadership :
1. Use theory Y Values. Recognize which values your situation actions need and
apply the correct X or Y styles, emphasizing Y values and using X values only when
absolutely necessary.
2. Use Preactive Strategies. Make Preactive strategies your habitual strategies, and
teach your coworkers and family to do the same thing.
3. Clarify Your Standards. Using the Standards-Clarifying Structure, review all the
standards in all your major tasks each week, and be certain all of them are set, clear,
and agreed on.
4. Accept Leadership Responsibility. If a person or group you’re leading is on the
down escalator, that person or group isn’t the blame. You’re to blame. Out them on
the up escalator immediately.
5. Improve Your Standards. Using the Standards-Improving Framework, review all the
standards in all your major tasks each week, and make at least one improvement in at
least one standard.
6. Prevent Future Trouble. Using the Trouble-Preventing Formula, review all the
standards in all your major tasks each week, and block all the major Likely Causes
threatening them.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
45
Transition means a crossing over, a passing from one place to another.
The chart below indicate the eight reasons given by the author for transitioning to more
Preactiveness and less Reactiveness in leadership:
The Strengths of Preactiveness The Weaknesses of Reactiveness
More accurate priority-setting
Better linkage management
Weaker linkage management
Has less waste
Has more waste
Better time management
Achieves more goals
Creates less stress
Creates more production
More “bang for the buck”
Less accurate priority-setting
Weaker time management
Achieves fewer goals
Creates more stress
Creates less production
Less “bang for the buck”
According to the author, the above comparison noted table shows that Preactiveness is more
powerful than Reactiveness. Despite such obvious differences in the comparison table, many
leaders continue to cling to their Reactive leadership, experiencing the culture of suppressivebias that they learned while growing up.
46
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
3
THE FOUR LEADERSHIP STYLES
Directions: Read the following descriptions of the four leadership styles. Which best
describes you as a leader? Note the contexts where you minister best and the strengths
that you bring to that context or situation. Also, be aware of your weaknesses.
DIRECTORS (THE STRONG LEADERSHIP STYLE)
Context: Directors are task-oriented leaders. As such, they bring this strength to ministries
that need more task orientation.
Strengths: Directors excel at the task-oriented aspects of leadership. Some are visionaries
and most set lofty goals for their ministries and regularly challenge people to accomplish
those goals. They’re change agents who question the status quo and may struggle with
maintaining traditions. They tend to be point pastors in their churches and are often
involved in leading church planting and refocusing efforts.
Weaknesses: While Directors are strong, task-oriented leaders, they often struggle with the
relational side of leadership. They have to resist the temptation to take control of a ministry
and to work around rather than with a ministry team.
INSPIRATIONALS (THE PERSONABLE LEADERSHIP STYLE)
Context: Inspirationals are people-oriented leaders that bring this strength to ministries that
need a more relational orientation. Like the Directors, they often gravitate to lead positions,
especially in church contexts.
Strengths: Some temperament tools call Inspirational leaders influencers because they
tend to be natural born leaders, especially in relating well to people. Thus, they, too, often
lead church planting and refocusing efforts.
Weaknesses: However, some Inspirationals can be loud and obnoxious. They enjoy being
the center of attention, and that often bothers followers. While Inspirationals are strong
relationally, they may struggle at accomplishing necessary leadership tasks and may prove
to be weak at administration.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
47
DIPLOMATS (THE SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE)
Context: Diplomats are people-oriented leaders who, like the Inspirationals, bring a more
relational orientation to the ministry context. They lead best in situations that call for a
person that is caring, supportive, friendly, and patient. They prefer a slower ministry pace
and resist change environments because they’re concerned about the risks change brings
and how it will affect people.
Strengths: Other leaders praise Diplomats for their loyalty and support, especially in
difficult times. They are great team players that cooperate well with their teammates in
accomplishing ministry tasks.
Weaknesses: Some people complain that Diplomats are so nice that it’s hard to be angry
with them when you need to be-you don’t want to hurt their feelings. Diplomats would
benefit by being more proactive and taking the initiative in ministry opportunities.
ANALYTICALS (THE CONSCIENTIOUS LEADERSHIP STYLE)
Context: Analyticals are task-oriented leaders. Thus, they can bring certain complementary,
task-oriented abilities to their ministry-contexts. They lead well in ministry situations calling
for people that are analytical, factual, probing, detail oriented, and that demand high
quality. An example is an academic or teaching setting such as a Bible college or seminary
classroom. They also function well as lead pastors of churches that emphasize a strong
pulpit characterized by deep Bible teaching, the teacher-pastor model.
Strengths: Analyticals are conscientious, self disciplined leaders that are self-starters. They
are good at evaluating their church and ministry programs and holding churches to their
theological moorings. Some people are attracted to Analyticals for their careful, accurate
Bible teaching. Analyticals who preach prefer to cover the Bible in depth, using lots of facts
and details to support their conclusions.
Weaknesses: In their leadership roles, Analyticals attempt to maintain the status quo or
even look to the past and tradition for direction. Consequently, they may not see the need
to move into the future and consider new ministry approaches. Analyticals have a tendency
to be critical of innovative leaders that do ministry differently, and they may even stir up
negative feelings toward them. They would benefit much by developing strong relational
ministry skills with their staff and congregation.
48
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
COMBINATIONS
These leadership styles also combine to form at least sixteen different styles. For example,
the Director style could have the following combinations: Director-Inspirational, Director-
Diplomat, and Director-analytical. Perhaps you noted that you have a combination of two
or possibly more styles.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
49
WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENTS




Read Overview of Crisis & Trauma Counseling Leaders Face
Read Overview of Global/Glocal Ministry
Read What is World View?
Prepare 4-6 page minimum paper that will explore the state of the church
in your context (area – Local/denominational). Include the following
points:
 Identify and describe the local setting where you attend church.
What are the people like? The community? Describe the social,
economic, political, environmental, spiritual, and cultural
dynamics impacting ministry in your locale. Identify major local
people/cultural groups.
 Discuss the factors in the local or denominational context that
impact the people your church is trying to reach. What is your
church doing to reach the people of your community?
 Describe the nature of worship, evangelism, missions, fellowship,
and discipleship in your church or congregation/denomination.
What does your church do in each of these areas?
Identify the challenges the church faces today and what is being
done to address or overcome them.
 Describe what, if any, efforts are being made to reach people
from different countries and cultures who are located within the
locale of the church.
 What is World View?
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
Dr. H. Norman Wright: The Complete Guide
to Crisis & Trauma Counseling
EXCERPTS
Important Things To Remember for the future as a Crisis and Trauma Counselor
•
A crisis is a sudden upsetting event- sometime foreseen, often not- that strikes people in a
vulnerable place at a bad time. The English word is based on the Greek term krinein, which
means, “to decide.” Crisises are life changing, in part, because decisions must be made that
nearly always alter the course of life. See additional highlighted notes on handout attached
titled “Crises And Crisis Intervention” by H. Norman Wright
•
Do not be a long ranger in counseling – have at least two – three people that you can trust,
competent and mature in Christ that takes the Bible as it is. Two –three friends that will be
truthful and tell you what is right and what is wrong, not someone that will is always tell you
what you want to hear. You will burn out these two – three friends. Jesus had three friends
•
Learn to Listen, not Talk – Do not be afraid to just listen. 70% of counseling is Listening, 10% is
•
You need to allow people to grieve to feel the pain, to process; this is all part of the healing.
•
The first 30 min. of a crisis can make or break a situation. What you say during a crisis moment
you talking, and 20% is you and the counselee interrupting.
will almost suddenly be forgotten because the person is mentally not there with you listening to
what you are saying. The person can be in a state of shock, sometime like a zombie, in a state
of disbelief. Sometime they might ask themselves, why not me? Why did God do this? What
could I have done differently? Why didn’t I see the signs of trouble with that person?
•
Don’t be afraid to say “I Don’t Know” because as a counselor, you will not know or have the
answer to everything, which is why it is important to have a circle of friends you can refer clients
to when you have a situation you cannot handle.
•
God has never used a perfect person
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
51
WHAT IS CRISIS COUNSELING?
Crisis counseling is not long term and is usually no more than 1 to 3 months
If a trauma or crisis is not resolved in a healthy manner, the experience can lead to more
lasting psychological, social and medical problems
Crisis Counseling provides education, guidance and support
The 8 Elements of Crisis Intervention are as follows:
•
Education
•
Observation and awareness
•
Discovering and using our potential
•
Understanding our problems
•
Creating necessary structure
•
Challenging irrational beliefs and unrealistic expectations
•
Breaking vicious cycles and addictive behavior
•
Create temporary dependencies
•
Facing fear and emotional pain
Education – Do not give counselee false hope, but a mind - set that they will be ok
The first 30 min to an hour the person might experience the following:
• Denial
52
•
Shock
•
Anger
•
Crying
•
Despair/Desperation can change to suicidal because they feel hopeless and alone
•
Loss
•
Abandoned/Alone
•
Powerless
•
Helpless
•
Hopeless
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
As a counselor, you will feel powerless/helpless or hopeless. Put your arms around them
and be quiet.
Sometimes the counselee will you words such as “why”, disbelief” “not again” “why me”,
“what did I do wrong”.
Sometimes they will feel confusion, vulnerable, lose appetite and simply be blank.
As a counselor, get to know the medication people are taking and how it effects people.
Have a list of the medications they are currently taking.
Notes from the video “The Case Of Stan”
•
Counselor – excellent eye contact, good body language where Stan felt comfortable
•
asked open – ended questions
•
summarized with questions what Stan said, very attentive to Stan
•
Counselor did not allow Stan to feel that he was going to give him all of the answers, they
would be working together to help Stan
•
Stan homework Counselor did not allow Stan to become dependent upon Him.
•
Counselor gave to complete and he made him think during their session.
•
Counselor did not allow Stan to make him his father in order to keep the doors of
communication open between even-though they talked about Stan’s true feelings about his
father, mother and siblings
•
Counselor did not give Stan any personal information
•
Stan- very insecure, inadequate, low self esteem, fearful, doubtful of himself, problems talking
to others, even felt like the counselor thought less of him
MAIN POINTS:
As counselors, we will be vulnerable and we will need help from others.
Jesus had 12 close friends around him.
We need 2-3 close friends that we can trust, friends we can talk with that will be truthful
with you.
Friends that will not always say that you are right when you are wrong about a situation.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
53
As counselors:
•
never make up an answer to give a client, it’s ok to say I don’t know, but I will get an answer for
you
•
It’s ok to refer a client to someone that might be better equipped to handle the situation the
client is dealing with. Some situations are too close to the heart of the counselor to deal with
in order to assist the client. That does not make you the counselor less than, in fact that’s the
smartest and most mature action a counselor can take.
•
A hurting counselor cannot help a hurting client. You will do more damage to the client if you
do not refer them to someone that’s healed and equipped to deal with a given situation.
Do not stop a client from crying. They need to be able to express their feelings, let them
cry as much as they want to cry.
Many clients are given the wrong medication. When you have a new client, always make a
list of what medications they have taken and what they are currently taking
As Christian counselor, when the client trust us we can take them further with the Word of
God.
MAIN POINTS
54
•
We will learn, we can never lead someone where you have not been
•
As counselor, we cannot help a counselee heal if we have not had much healing ourselves, you
need to refer the counselee.
•
People do not care about how much you know, but how much you care.
•
Do not build a camp in “Grief”
•
In the group counseling process, only have “One Subject” for discussion.
•
Avoid “Clicks” within the group
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
GROUP THERAPY
Group Counseling – Strategies and Skills
1st Video – Chaos Results of Leader without Skills
• No order
•
Very unsure about giving instructions to the group
•
Started introductions without a group member that left the room to smoke
•
No control over the group
•
Client Texting during introductions
•
Negative talk from all over the room
•
Member ran the group
•
No group dynamics
•
No respect for the leader nor each-other
•
CAOS
2nd Video – Results of a Skilled Leader
• Administered Guidelines
•
Freedom to share
•
Positive environment
•
Aware of negatives in the group and discussed
•
Probed deeper
•
Listened
•
Trust + Comfortable + Open up with issues+ Active Participation +Problem Solving = Looking
forward to next session due to their excitement
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
55
De-press – you have a certain image of how people look at you.
People see these in your life
•
Confidence
•
Strength
•
Stability
•
Strong Self-Esteem (healthy)
•
Psy. Healthy
•
Courage
•
Fearless
•
Humility
We don’t like to grieve our losses because society says it makes us look weak, pity
party, unstable.
Trust without judgment is what we experience with our 2-3 friends. What will it take for
you to open up?
True Humility – is when you know there is only one God and I am not He.
Integrity – Who you are when no one is watching. God sees right through you.
Every client knows their problem and how to resolve it - your job is to get it out of them.
You want the counselee to be independent without you.
MAIN POINTS:
We do not condemn or approve, we should simply listen to the person. It gives them
power, makes them feel comfortable and at peace.
Help people be free, which will help deliver them from Egypt (out of bondage)
In order to help others, we need to be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”
56
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 1
Crisis Counseling from a Biblical Perspective
Christian counseling knowledge of the biblical approach is essential.
One way to develop a biblical approach is to study the life of Jesus and His relationships
with others. The way He ministered to others is a model for all of us who seek to help
others
Techniques alone are not effective, Jesus relationships with people was the foundation of
His approach
Individuals, couple or families need to know that you care about them. You demonstrate
this by your warmth, understanding, acceptance and belief in their ability to change and
mature
JESUS’ EXEMPLARY MODEL
Jesus spent time helping people work through life’s
Jesus saw people’s potential and hopes despite their problems
Jesus Was Compassionate- His main concern was to alleviate suffering and meet the
needs of the people
Jesus Accepted People – He believed in them and what they would become
Jesus Gave People Worth – People were His top priority and gave them worth by putting
their needs before the rules and regulations the religious leaders had constructed. He
involved Himself in the lives of people were considered the worst of sinners and He met
them where they were.
Jesus Met People’s Needs – Jesus not only dealt with people in different ways, He related
to individuals at different levels of depth or closeness.
Jesus Used the Right Words – Jesus always based His choice of words and inflection of
voice on the situation at hand
Jesus Emphasized Right Behavior – His desire was that those that were seeking Him
would turn from their wrong ways. His emphasis was on living on the foundation of the
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
57
rock- a righteous life-not the sand – sinful life.
Jesus Encouraged People to Accept Responsibility – Jesus responded to the man at
the pool of Bethesda by asking “Do you want to get well?” A goal of crisis counseling is to
help the person in need accept and take responsibility
Jesus Provided Hope –Jesus was the light to a very dark world. He boldly declared that
only with God’s help could people reach their full potential.
Jesus Encouraged People- Jesus regularly and inclusively encouraged people around
Him
Jesus Emphasized Peace Of Mind – Jesus offered the hope of peace of mind.
Jesus Helped Reshape, or Refashion, People’s Thinking – He taught that focusing on
treasures in heaven instead of on earthly treasures would lead to a joy-filled heart.
Jesus Was a Teacher – Often He used direct statements and other times He used
questions
Jesus Spoke with Authority – He was not hesitant, backward or bashful, He was
authoritative
Jesus Admonished and Confronted – when necessary He admonished and confronted
people. Example in Matt. 8:26 NASB – “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?”
Jesus’ Holy Life – His ministry was one of helping people achieve fullness of life and
assisting them in developing their ability to deal with the problems, conflicts and burdens
of life.
Jesus Was Obedient to God – The relationship between Him and His Father was centered
on His obedience to God-the mainstay of His life. Example (John 12:49) and (John 17:4)
Jesus Was Faithful – He lived a life of faith and was able to put things in prospective and
see things trough the eyes of God. Example Mark 5:36
Jesus Was a Prayer Warrior – He himself would often slip away to the wilderness and
pray (Luke 5-15-16 NASB)
Jesus was Personally Involved – in His ministry – with the disciples and others. He was
not aloof; rather, He was personal, sensitive and caring.
Jesus Had the Power of the Holy Spirit – which enabled Him to be effective. Jesus was
58
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit, and the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him –so
that Jesus could heal (Luke 5:17).
The Holy Spirit has access to all the materials that other psychotherapists know and
use. He has direct access to the inner thoughts and feelings of thee counselor.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
59
CRISIS AND TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 2
Applications of Biblical Principles
WEEK
4
If we began to help people out of our own strength, we’ll make mistakes. Therefore,
we need to rely on the power and wisdom of God. In Proverbs 3:5-6 – we’re instructed to
“lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your
own insight and understanding etc.
LISTENING IS VITAL TO YOUR COUNSELING PRACTICE
One problem- Not knowing when to listen and when to talk. Talking 25% of the time is too
much. There is a time for advising and exhorting, but how will one know what to say unless
he first listened? Listening is crucial part of counseling.
60
•
Listening means – you’re not thinking about what you’re going to say when the other person
stops talking. You are not busy formulating your response. You’re concentrating on what is
being said.
•
Listening means – you’re completely accepting of what is being said without judging what the
other is saying or how he or she is saying it. If you don’t like the person’s tone of voice or you
can’t condone what he or she is doing an, therefore, you react on the spot, you may miss the
meaning.
•
Listen- because someone is most likely hurting. He or she is probably is not going to me him/
herself.
•
Acceptance doesn’t mean that you agree with the content of what thee person says, but it
means that you acknowledge and understand that what the person is saying is something he/
she is feeling-this goes a long way in helping others.
•
Listening- means being able to repeat what the person said ad express what you think he/she
is feeling while speaking to you.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WHAT’S INVOLVED IN HEALTHY COMMUNICATION?
•
The actual content
•
The tone of voice
•
The nonverbal communication
It’s possible to use the same word, statement or question and express many different
messages simply by changing the tone of voice or body movement.
Non-verbal communication includes facial expression, body posture and gestures or
actions.
Communication – 7% content, 38% tone of voice, 55% nonverbal
We’re usually aware of the content of what we are saying
but not as aware of our tone of voice.
We’re capable of giving one-sentence a dozen different meanings
just by changing our tone.
Learn to listen with your eyes, and read non-verbal signals
Counselees needs to sense that you ‘re in sync with him/her
Listen with your eyes to what he/she can’t put into words
LEARNING HOW TO LISTEN IS A NECESSITY
Seven factors that determine how well a person listen:
• Age- grandparents hold values and belief different from those held by you or your children
•
Sex – Men and women have been trained by the socialization process to hear and respond
differently. Women us more verbal responses to encourage the talker, use listening signals
like “mm-hmmm” and “yeah” just to indicate that they are listening. Men usually use
these responses only when he’s agreeing. Man usually makes comments throughout the
conversation, but a woman may feel bothered by these comments and interpret them as
interruption. This is why many women complain that “men always interrupt” or that “they never
listen to women”. Beware of these differences when counseling the opposite gender.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
61
•
Education- a trained psychologist will hear differently that a pastor who graduated from an
evangelical seminary
•
Past Experience - variety of experiences and relative degree of pain and difficulty a counselor
has lived through will affect his/her level of understanding
•
Perception of Failed Expectations and Goals – optimistic or pessimistic about their future will
usually have the same attitude toward their counselee’s expectations and goals
•
Personal Feelings About the Counselee - Counselors are attentive, open and positively
responsive to counselees they like and less toward a counselee they dislike.
If you are threatened by the counselor or are afraid of being dominated by the person,
you’ll listen differently from a counselor who is not.
It may be easier to listen to an angry person than to a sarcastic person.
Some tones or phrases may be enjoyable and others may be annoying to listen to
The repetitive phrases a person uses (some unaware of them) could bother you. Excessive
gestures, i.e., talking with the hands or wave the arms, could be overly distracting
•
Current Emotional and Physical Feelings – If you feel depressed, have a headache or
had very little sleep the night before, you’ll tend to hear more negative statements from the
counselee vs. happy energetic counselor may hear more positive statements. Listening skills
can be learned.
HEARING IS DIFFERENT FROM LISTENING
•
62
Hearing is the gaining of information for oneself
•
Listening is caring for and being empathetic toward others – we are trying to understand the
feelings of the other person, we are listening for his/her sake. Listening is determined by what
is going on inside the other person-what my attentiveness is doing for him/her.
•
Hearing is determined by what goes on inside of me-what effect the conversation has on me.
•
In Listening, we interpret and try to understand what we have heard
•
Listening is one of the most loving gifts you can give to another person whether it be counselee,
friend or family member.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Knowing When To Speak and When to Keep Quiet Is Crucial- (Ecclesiastes 3:7)
• Take a few seconds to think, and ask Go to give you the words. Then formulate what you
want to say.
•
Ask for More Information – If you don’t know what to say, then ask for more information, using
words such as “Tell me some more about it” or “Give me some more background.” This gives
you time to think.
•
Show Genuine Interest and Love – All of us must ask ourselves, How do I really feel about this
person who is coming to me? Am I genuinely concerned? Little will be accomplished without
being sincerely interested in the other and loving him/her.
•
Say the Right Words at the Right Time – the right answer, the correct answer, is the word
spoken at the right moment.
•
Keep Confidences – builds trust, it is a trait of a trustworthy person. Nothing that is told to you
in a counseling situation should ever escape your lips. (Prov. 11:13 and Prov. 21:23)
•
Say the Right Words in the Right Manner – our words, tones of voice and suggestions have
far greater impact than at other times in life when a person is in crisis or is traumatized. Words
can heal or harm, calm and lower the blood pressure or increase their anxiety. When you don’t
know what to say, don’t! It’s better to say nothing than to fill the air with words.
•
Teach and Give Advice Sparingly – Use the teaching technique only when a person
needs new information that would be difficult for a person to acquire on his/her own. Draw
suggestions from the person or give them options- not advice where they will come back to you
and say that you gave them stupid advice or it didn’t work and it’s your fault.
Teaching is an effective tool if it helps the counselee become more independent and move
toward maturity and most helpful during the adjustment phase of the crisis.
•
Questioning Is a Popular and Effective Technique When Used Properly - To correct
excessive questioning, go through your taped interviews, write down each question asked,
rewrite it into a statement rather than a question. By doing this, they learn a greater variety of
ways to respond and will become more conscious of their responses.
•
Know Why You’re Asking a Question –Use open-ended questions that give the person the
greatest amount of latitude and freedom to respond.
•
Probe to Further Discussion if Necessary - a counselee might benefit from further discussion
about the situation or issue, it may be beneficial to do a little probing, but should be kept
low key, unobtrusive, manner, and the counselor needs to carry the responsibility for what’s
discussed.
•
Help Your Counselees - Encourage along with listening is one of the most important
techniques in helping a person in crisis. (Thess. 5:14)
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
63
•
Reassuring Your Counselees Will Pave the Way for Growth
Eight types of reassurance that can be given to a person in crisis are as follow:
1. Their problem is really quite common
2. Their problem has a known cause and that something can be done about it
3. Though the symptoms are annoying, they are not dangerous. Your goal is to normalize
what they’re experiencing
4. Specific treatment methods are available
5. Resolution of the problem is possible
6. He/She is not going insane
7. Relapses might occur but that their appearance does not imply the condition is worsening
8. Problems are not the result if sinful action
Help counselees become more self-sufficient, wean them gradually from your insights,
help and counsel.
Your task is to work yourself out of a job and to rejoice with the person when that
occurs.
64
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 3
Application of Biblical Principles
Empathy- The word comes from the German word einfuhlung, which means “to feel unto”
or “to feel with.” It’s as though we’re in the driver’s seat with the other person, feeling and
sensing with him/her. It’s viewing the situation through the person’s eyes, feeling as he/she
feels.
Empathy requires the ability to go beyond factual knowledge and become involved I the
counselee’s world of feelings and doing this without personally going through what the
person does.
Empathetic Response Leads – Respond to the counselee’s surface feelings and also
focus on those deeper feelings the person may not be expressing or may not be fully
aware of at the time.
Additive Empathetic Response Leads- Counselor’s response to counselee’s hurt
and anger feelings which helps the counselee put deeper feelings into words, but this
requires the counselor to make inference an they are not stated as definite fact but in
a very tentative manner. This allows the counselee to accept or reject the possibility of
the statement. It allows him to say that part of your response was accurate and part
inaccurate.
Emotional Contagion – The best way to prevent compassion fatigue is by asking for help
to unload what you’ve heard or been through.
The Language of Others – Principle – speak the counselee’s language, real listening and
change can occur- discover if the counselee is visually oriented, auditorally oriented, or
kinesthetically (feeling) oriented. Listen to their voice tone, volume and phrases they use
and non-verbal communication.
Establish Rapport – Meet people where they are, be perceptive to know if your
communication is being accepted or rejected by the counselee. Do this by reading the
person’s verbal and nonverbal language and their response to you. Make adjustments if
you are not communicating effectively.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
65
Build Your Ability To Respond – The key factor is to adapt to your counselee. Let him/her
set the style and pace. It takes longer and be more difficult for you to discover a person’s
unique pattern and style when he/she comes to see you in a state of severe loss, crisis or
trauma; but in time, it is not only possible but also necessary.
The Art of Confrontation – Confrontation in counseling has been defined as an act
by which a counselor points out to the counselee a discrepancy between his/her own
perspective and the counselee’s manner of viewing reality. At its the best is an extension
of advanced, accurate empathy. It’s a response to a counselee based on a deep
understanding of his/her feelings, experiences and behavior. It involves responsible
unmasking of distortion, the client’s understanding him/herself and a challenge to action.
The purpose of confrontation is to help people make better decision for themselves,
become more accepting of themselves and become more productive and less destructive
in their lives.
Appropriateness of Confrontation – Build a trusting relationship with the person is prepared
to hear, consider and accept the confrontation.
Elements for Cultivating Trust - Adaptability – when your care and concern are seen
through your words, tones and body language, acceptance of your message occurs. John
8:11, Jesus responded to the woman caught in adultery by saying, “Go on your way and from
now on sin no more” (AMP).
Honesty and Acceptance – is an important principle to follow in counseling.
Destructive Elements In Counseling- Even when we attempt to follow the principles of
effective counseling, there’s always the possibility that our counseling could affect a person in
adverse manner.
List of destructive Elements in Counseling:
66
•
Passivity –As a counselor, very frustrating to a counselee, timing of when you are silent as well
as when you speak is important but can be determined by sensitive listening on your part.
•
Counselor Dominance – the need of the counselor is being met at the counselee’s expense
and this is not our calling. Symptoms of being dominant over a counselee is frequent
interruptions, impatience, changes of subject, attempts at persuading the person ad lectures.
Some dependent people may welcome this approach, but it doesn’t help them in the growth
process.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
•
Self-Disclosure – talking too much about yourself and your own struggles, feelings, family,
successes or failures causes the counselee to wonder how your ego trip relates to his/her
problem- the counselee’s need are not being met.
•
Interrogation – Don’t overload the early stages of counseling with questions, let the hurt person
talk or just sit quietly and think
•
Inappropriate Patterns of Response – create a distance between the minister and the
counselee and general caring, trust and openness cannot develop. These patterns protect
the counselor fro his/her own discomfort, fears or anxieties that are associated with deep
involvement in the client’s life. One way to promote distance is to prohibit the counselee from
crying in one way of weakness. The counselee begins to feel that crying is a sign of weakness.
•
False Reassurance – helps the minister avoid exploring significant feelings of the counselee.
Too much usage promotes dependency ad raises the question of whether the minister knows
what he/she is taking about. Sometime it can eliminate anxiety and conflict that need to remain
awhile so that the person is motivated to continue to seek counsel.
•
Emotional Detachment – Intellectualizing is a form of detachment that again keeps the
minister from real involvement.
•
Judgment – For people in crisis, such responses do not help them move through the crisis
phases but may keep them stuck at a specific point.
•
Inappropriate Confrontation – Ministers who use confrontation excessively are betraying a
belief that the problem must be fixed as soon as possible.
•
Pressure Tactics – usually ignore the feelings of the person and are perceived as punishment.
Realize, change is very slow, counselees need encouragement and our faith to move them
along. Some counselee lack faith and hope; and need our sense of faith and hope I the
Lord and in the future to carry them until their own faith and hope build and they can rely
upon their own inner strength.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
67
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 4
Helping Others Recover from Their Losses in Life (Part 1)
WEEK
4
In order to understand and appreciate fully the significance of crisis and trauma, we need
to understand the multitude and complexity of loss.
Loss is part of the human condition and an unavailable fixture of life. The inevitability of
major loss, however, does not mean that many of us are well prepared to handle this type
of stress. Significant losses in life are likely to engender overwhelming negative emotions,
disruption in everyday life, and long-term problems in resolving the loss.
Loss Requires Identification-loss is not the enemy, not facing its existence is. As each
change take place, you must experience the grief that accompanies it. You must consider
the losses in your own life prior to helping others.
Losses Are Not Easily Replaceable- The amount or intensity of loss that you feel is closely tied
to the replace -ability of whatever you lost. You can never replace the original of whatever you lost.
How Do You Discuss Loss? –Use direct questions to engage counselee in discussing his/her loss.
68
•
Construct a time line - helps the counselee find resolution when they see the time line with
the losses, some are able to balance out the losses with their blessings
•
What Do You Know About Loss? – Life is blending of loss and gain, loss an acquisition. In
creation, loss is the ingredient of growth.
•
Losses Often Go Unrecognized – economic losses, loss of job, deceive investors and wipe
out pensions, increase in gas prices etc. Some losses are not easy to recognize, so we usually
do not identify them as losses, therefore, we don’t spend time and energy dealing with them.
•
How Can We Not Fear Loss? –Whenever a loss occurs, it’s important to see it in the context of life
experiences so that there’s an understanding of the full impact of what has happened.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 5
Helping Others Recover from Their Losses in Life (Part 2)
When anyone enters into grief, they enter into the valley of shadows. There is nothing heroic
or noble about grief. It is painful. It is work. It is a lingering process. But necessary for all
kind of losses. It has been labeled as everything from intense mental anguish to acute sorrow
to deep remorse.
Genesis 6:6 says, “He was grieved in His heart” (NKJV). God Himself experienced grief; He
knows what it is like.
Grief Is Emotions Filled
With each loss comes bitterness, emptiness, apathy, love, anger, guilt, sadness, fear, self-pity
and helplessness.
The absence of grief is abnormal. Grief is a person’s own personal experience. A loss
doesn’t have to be accepted or validated by others for someone to experience or express
grief.
The word grief is derived from a Latin verb meaning “to burden.” Grief is not an illness, but
it may feel like one. A person’s body reflects the grief- tightness in the chest or throat, heart
palpitations, dry mouth, shortness of breath or hollowness in the pit of the stomach. Sleep is
disrupted, as are eating patterns.
Grief Does Not Have a Cookie-Cutter Solution
Mourning is the expression of grief. Mourning is derived from a Latin verb that means “be
anxious.” Mourning is a process of remembering and thinking about what was lost, and this
can make a person feel anxious or uncomfortable. Many people writing on the subject has
listed 9 to 12 stages, the difficulty in using the stage approach is that people do not pass
through them sequentially.
Some speak of phases; but as with stages, there are overlaps between the various phases,
which seldom distinct. Other talk about tasks which are much more consistent with the
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
69
concept of grief work. “Task” implies the mourner needs to take action and do something.
Grief has distinct components, but bereavement is probably the most complex, intense, and
prolonged human emotion.
Grief Has a Purpose
Grief responses express three things:
•
Feelings about a loss
•
Protest at a loss as well as a desire to change what happened and have it not be true
•
Effects of the devastating impact of a loss
The Bible Dignifies Grief By Presenting It As
A God-Given Therapeutic Response To Loss
•
God Grieves
•
God Responds To Our Grief
•
Grief Measures The Meaning Of Our Attachments
•
Grief Potentially Interrupts Life’s Routines
•
Grief Potentially Persists Over An Extended Period Of Time
•
Grief Is Potentially Expressed In A Variety Of Ways
•
Grief Is Potentially Facilitated By Various Expressions
First, the purpose of grieving over loss is to go beyond one’s reactions in order to face the
loss and to work on adapting to it.
Dr. Gerald May, M.D., said “Grief is neither a problem to be solved nor a problem to be
overcome. It is a sacred expression of love…a sacred sorrow.” The way out of grief is
through it, which means facing it.
Second, the stages of grief that people pass through are normal and can be immediate or
postponed, but the underlying principle is that people should be encouraged to do their grief
work.
Delaying grief results in depression. The person is refusing to mourn his/her loss, eventually it
70
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
will surface. People who carry this unfinished business with them into their future experiences
and relationships will suffer unrest, conflict and ongoing depression. Within delayed grief you
may find a residue of delayed anger. This needs to be admitted, identified and expressed.
Help the person deal with his/her anger, but also help the counselee accept it as normal,
otherwise they may experience excessive guilt over being angry.
Roy Fairchild’s statement on delayed grief states the refusal to mourn is the refusal to say
goodbye to beloved persons, places, missed opportunities, vitality, or whatever has been
“taken away,” which is how many religious people view these losses. The refusal to mourn
our earlier disappointments condemns us and rigidifies us, as it did in Lot’s wife.
Genuine
grief is the deep sadness and weeping that expresses the acceptance or our inability to do
anything about out losses. It is the prelude to letting go, to relinquishment. It is dying that
precedes resurrection. Our sadness reveals what we have been invested in; it is the cost of a
commitment which has been shattered.
Third, the worst grief is the one a person experiences personally. Suggest to the counselee
that they not compare themselves with anyone else.
Fourth, effective grief work is not done alone. Find out whom else they have in their lives
who could help them.
Fifth, the purpose of grief is to bring counselees to the point of making necessary changes,
so they can live with their losses in healthy ways. When the how questions replace the why
questions, counselees have started to live with the reality of the losses. Why questions
reflect a search for ways to adjust to the losses.
Helping Others Grieve Their Losses
•
Normalize- help the person realize that what they are experiencing is normal, that they are
not crazy, their feelings of crazy are actually a sane response to grief. See examples of all
symptoms of normal characteristics of grief.
•
Educate- the list on page 87 of normal symptoms in the grieving process.
Making Necessary Changes
•
Changes the Relationship –they must learn to exist without the person they once learned to
exist with the person
•
Moving On With Life- Keep the love one alive as a memory in a healthy and appropriate
manner. Form a new identity without the person’s presence in your life
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
71
•
Develop a new relationship –How can someone develop a new relationship with the one they
lost. We keep people alive all the time in our society as we reflect upon whom they were, their
achievements and their impact upon society.
•
Balance Their Memories – Thoughts and memories, both good and bad, positive and negative
need to reviewed realistically. By doing this, a balanced, realistic, accurate pool of memories
develops.
Relationship Loss
•
Length of the vertical line indicates how much the event meant to the person
•
Above the line, negative, upsetting or hurtful experiences are identified and again the length of
the vertical line indicates the intensity of the experience.
•
See steps one –step seven on pages 90-94 that assist counselees go on with their lives,
differently and new, (new depends upon the counselee’s grief work).
The Grieving Process – helping the counselee acknowledge and understand their loss is
essential to starting the grieving process. In time counselees need to overcome the shock
and denial and face the painful reality of what occurred.
SEE STEPS ONE - STEP EIGHT:
Facet One – Have counselee make a list of the effects of their loss
Facet Two – Counselee should tell others as soon as possible about their loss
Facet Three – The history of conflicts as well as recent disagreements will be an important
determinant of the grief response
Facet Four – How a person died will also say something about how the survivors grieve
Facet Five – Circumstances surrounding the death makes it easy for survivors to express
their anger and blame especially in the case of accidental deaths
Facet Six – Life-changing events that occurred in the past six months to one year are
important to recognize. An assessment of how the person views the impact these changes
have made is important for determining how a person respond to a loss
72
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Facet Seven – Social network will have an effect on how long the grieving goes on
Facet Eight – Concurrent changes and crises that arise following a death i.e., economic
reversals
Communicate the Loss – it’s ok for people to take charge and let others know what
they need and don’t need at this time in their lives. As helpers it is our task to give them
permission to do so. Counselees may have to educate others on how to respond to them i.e.,
call them, to ask how they’re doing, not to be put off by their tears or anger.
Defensive Modes- different ways to negate the pain of his/her loss
•
Denial –“No! That’s not true. It can’t be true!” – they are damaged emotionally, thus delaying recovery
•
Rationalization – “It really didn’t hurt that bad. There are better men out there. After all, I only went
with him for two years.” – statements purpose- to help us cope with the pain of the loss.
•
Idealization – a way of distorting reality by idealizing what was lost. Negative characteristics or
aspects are overlooked no matter what the loss is.
•
Practical Exercises – (writing two letters talking to your grief). Letter #1 from you to your grief. Letter
#2 letter from your grief to you
Appropriate Expectations to Have in the Grief Process – help the counselee understand
what to expect.
Grief brings – An intense amount of emotions that will surprise you and those around you
·
Most are unprepared for the global response we have to a major loss
·
Our expectations tend to be too unrealistic
·
More often than not, we receive insufficient assistance from friends and
society
There is no shortcut in grief, but with our assistance it will be easier for the griever.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
73
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 6
Helping a Grieving Person Recover and Say Goodbye
WEEK
4
The general approach is to help him/her identify and express their feelings.
Evaluate Feelings – it’s beneficial to help counselees look closely at an emotion in order to
determine its extent and describe what it feels like.
Depression – construct questions to describe what depression feels like
Anger – and even rage are common reactions to the loss of a loved one as people think about
what they have lost and how life has changed overnight.
Relief – in cases of prolonged illness, the relief occurs because they grieved the individual so
much prior to their death and emotionally detached from them at that time. The person had
been missing from their lives for some time, when death occurred it is actually welcomed.
This can also occur as “relationship relief” in the case of the death of someone who was a
constant source of criticism, abuse or oppression.
Implement Ways to Control feelings
•
Construct an Explanation Letter – a way of letting others know about their situation is through a
weekly update on their answering machine.
•
Designate a Crying Time – some have found it helpful to establish a specific time to cry until they
are no longer dominated by tears and there is balance in their life.
•
Create a Remembrance List – Many people struggle with not remembering the details of
their lost loved one’s life. An activity of creating a collection of 1,000 one-time statements,
the counselee will probably have most of what they want to remember and therefore, helping
themselves with their grief.
•
Start Journaling – many have heard of daily journaling as a means of recovering.
Say Goodbye Beforehand – When people say goodbye, they are acknowledging that they’re
74
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
no longer going to share their life with whatever they lost. They will always have the memory,
but now they acknowledge that they will live without whatever they lost.
Writing A Letter - Is both a way to say goodbye as well as a way to express intense feelings
of loss. It may be an angry letter or one that is full of joy and sadness
Saying goodbye is not morbid, pathological, a sign of hysteria or of being out of control. It is
a healthy way to make the transition into the next phase of life.
Take the Steps to Say Goodbye
•
Help the person identify what he/she thinks needs to be expressed in the goodbye. What
words would express appreciation and regrets or would complete something that was never
finished with whomever or whatever was lost?
•
Suggest they write a goodbye letter or talk out loud to the person or object they lost.
•
It is crucial to be as honest as possible. Remind them that their intention is to complete their
emotional relationship with what/whomever they lost.
•
Timing is important, it shouldn’t be done prematurely. If there are still resentments existing in
their relationship with the person or object lost, these need to be identified and relinquished.
•
Before writing the actual letter it is helpful to identify incomplete business i.e.
•
Making Amends
•
Offering Forgiveness
•
Expressing significant emotional statements
At the conclusion of the counselee’s exercises, suggest that he/she say goodbye. This
involves every aspect of the relationship: goodbye to any emotional and physical
incompleteness, pain or lack of forgiveness. Say goodbye to every part of the relationship.
Another variation of this is writing a “Letting Go” prayer
Looking Out for Those in Grief
•
Many drift like the homeless
•
As believers need to be alert for signs of grief and for life situations that lead to grief
•
Don’t wait for people to come to you
•
Reach out to them
We as Christians need constantly to be on the lookout for those in need. We need to
live life extending grace and aid through God’s strength and not on our own.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
75
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 7
What Is A Crisis?
WEEK
4
Crisis are turning points where counselees can possibly move toward growth, enrichment and
improvement; or it can move toward dissatisfaction, pain and, in some cases, dissolution.
CAUSE OF A CRISIS
A crisis is a loss of some kind; therefore, crisis and loss go hand in hand. Crisis can be a
problem that is too great or overwhelming, such as the death of a child or it can be a problem
to most people, is not serious but, for a given person, has special significance. Because of
this it becomes overwhelming for the individual.
Common Elements of a Crisis
•
A Hazardous Event – an occurrence that starts a chain reaction of events that culminates in a
crisis.
•
Vulnerable State – going without sleep for two nights can make a person vulnerable in a
situation that he/she would usually handle without difficulty. Being ill or depressed also lower
coping mechanisms.
•
The Precipitating Factor - is the straw that broke the camel’s back. The minor events are the
last straws, and the reaction and tears are in response to the serious loss.
The State of Active Crisis – When a person can no longer handle the situation, the active
crisis develops. Four indications of the state:
•
Symptoms of stress – psychological, physiological or both
•
An Attitude of panic or defeat
•
A focus on relief
•
A time of lowered efficiency
Balancing Factors – Some people feel that a problem will not lead to a crisis unless there are
deficiencies in one or more of the balancing factors of a person’s life.
•
76
Adequate Perception – the way a problem is viewed and the meaning it has for the person.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
•
Adequate Network – having groups of friends, relatives or agencies that provide support
during a problem.
•
Coping Mechanisms – if these mechanisms do not function well or break down, a crisis cam
be experienced. Theses mechanisms involve rationalization, denial, new knowledge, prayer,
reading Scripture just to name a few. The greater the number and diversity of coping methods,
the less likely a person will experience a crisis.
•
Limited Duration – experience and research show that a crisis ends and balance is restored
within a maximum of six weeks.
Life’s Transitions – the predictable event which is part of a planned, expected of normal
process of life, which leads to a crisis.
A transition is a “period of moving from one state of certainty to another, with an interval of
uncertainty and change in between.”
New Roles
We give up roles and, at times, do not replace them with others.
Geographical Changes
Moving from one country to another
Socioeconomic Changes
Shifting from the lower to the middle class or from the upper to the lower class.
Physical Changes
Going from a hearing person to a non-hearing person as an example.
Midlife Crisis
Changes in a man’s personality, usually occur rapidly and are substantial, thus appearing both
dramatic and traumatic.
The ministry of churches, if we are going to lessen some of life’s crises, is to prepare our
congregations in advance for the changes they will experience.
•
People’s Needs in a Crisis – people’s needs vary.
•
People Who Cope Poorly
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
77
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 8
The Phases of a Crisis
WEEK
4
The phases of a crisis based upon Lloyd Ahlem’s description in Living with Stress
(Regal Books, 1978). Page 145
•
Phase 1 – Impact
•
Phase II – Withdrawal Confusion
•
Phase 111 – Adjustment
•
Phase 1V – Reconstruction/Reconciliation
Counseling Guidelines – crises counseling is not therapy. It’s a skillful intervention, and it
follows a definite format.
Verbal Effect – When a person is in a crisis or traumatized, our words, tone or voice and
suggestions have a far greater impact than at other times in life.
What you say to people in crisis or to traumatized people can calm and lower their blood
pressure or it can increase their anxiety.
Assessment – it’s important to determine how well they were functioning prior to the
crisis event. Focus on previous coping patterns and any unresolved personal conflicts.
Understanding these can shed light on how an event led to crisis.
A crisis is an opportunity for the person to gain new strengths, new perspectives on life,
new appreciation, new values and a new way to approach life.
78
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 9
The Process of Crisis Intervention
STEP 1 – IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION
The waiting list has no place in crisis counseling. As a counselor, you need to act quickly
because your assistance can make the crisis less severe. It may help protect the person from
inflicting harm upon himself/herself.
Sustainment Techniques
•
Reassurance is used to help someone who is worried about cracking up, the right dose helps
the counselee overcome his/her feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
•
Direct Influence Procedures – encourages new behavior as well as reinforcing what the
person is already doing.
Our goal in crisis counseling is to help avert a disastrous outcome with beneficial direct
influence procedures.
Basic Intervention Procedures (BIPs)
•
Listen with your heart and eyes – to discover what he/she needs to know
•
Access their needs as well as their progress
•
Normalize - use their own words and descriptions to describe where they are in the crisis or
grief. They need to know that whatever they’re experiencing is normal for this stage or phase.
Validation brings reassurance and encouragement.
•
Reassure – let them know they will be able to work through the process even though they may
not feel like it. Assure them that others will be available to work through it with them.
•
Support – any ideas they come up with need to be affirmed by you to help them see that
they’re capable of moving ahead.
•
Educate – Let them hear from others who have grown in similar situations.
•
Monitor – Be on the lookout for decomposition, depression, regression withdrawal, suicidal
intention or anger that the counselee might act out.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
79
STEP 2: TAKE ACTION
People in crisis tend to flounder, and we need to move them toward meaningful, purposeful
and goal-directed behavior. They need to know that something is being done by them and for
them. This is not a time for them to complete questionnaires, take personality test, explore
their history or establish rapport.
Encourage the person to express his or her thoughts and feelings.
STEP 3: RESTORE BALANCE
Start achieving the limited goal of crisis counseling-to avert catastrophe and restore the person
to a state of balance. This is not a time to attempt personality changes.
The following are two ways to help a person restore balance.
1. Look at the information the person I giving you about the situation. Does he or she see the
complete picture or only selected aspects? Does he or she have all the facts? Is the person
distorting the situation because of his or her emotions or biases? Does he or she understand that
certain responses and feelings are normal during times of crisis?
2. Ask pertinent questions and prodding for informational answers can help the person in two ways.
•
You can help to fill in some of his or her informational gaps.
•
The person’s fears and concerns can be diminished as he or she receives accurate
information.
Both of these steps help to restore equilibrium.
STEP 4: FOSTER HOPE AND POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS
Don’t give counselees false promises, but encourage them to solve their problems. Your belief
in their capabilities will be important.
The problem solving approach-rather than giving false reassurances-is a positive step. As the
anxiety level of the person drops, he or she will see the situation in a more objective manner.
When this occurs, the person can reflect on what has happened and what is now occurring.
As the counselee gains greater strength and capability, he or she will be able to examine his or
her own part in the situation and his or her response of feelings and behavior.
80
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
STEP 5: PROVIDE SUPPORT
One of the reasons why a problem develops into a crisis is the lack of an adequate social
support system. Intervention in a crisis involves giving support, and initially, you may be the
only one giving it. Just being available to talk by phone is a good source of support.
“Urgent” calls during the early stages of a crisis need to be returned promptly and often.
Provide numbers of other agencies and ask for his or her commitment to call them if you are
not available in a suicidal situation.
The best way of supporting the person is to expand his or her support system as soon as
possible. This reduces demands on you and it helps the person through the crisis now. It can
also help prevent a crisis in the future.
See principles for counseling sessions involving either a couple or a family on page 175.
STEP 6: FOCUS ON PROBLEM SOLVING
Focused problem solving has been called the backbone of crisis counseling. You and the
counselee try to determine the main problem that led to the crisis, and then you help the
person plan and implement ways to resolve it. Set goals, be sensitive to current values, set
course of action, face the problem, and monitor feelings.
STEP 7: UNDERSTAND AND ASSESS SELF-IMAGE
This step is the most important step that involves the following:
•
Assessing and understanding the person’s self-image
•
Discovering how the crisis affects it ad how what you do affects it.
This is a time both to protect and to enhance the self-image. During crisis, there are both
anxiety and low self-esteem.
Typical responses of people who have feelings of low self-esteem:
•
Anger at other people or even at you
•
Desperation that involves demanding help
•
Passivity that involves sitting back and waiting for help
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
81
Your task is to be consistent in helping the person elevate feelings about himself or herself. It
also involves helping the person protect their self-image. Treat the person with respect and
courtesy, and do not be condescending. It sometimes helps to show an interest in some
untroubled areas of his or her life.
Avoid Labeling- You need to believe that the counselee has value worth and capabilities and
at the present time is simply overwhelmed by the difficulty.
STEP 8: INSTILL SELF-RELIANCE
To keep a person from becoming too reliant on you, you need to make it clear that you do not
have all the answers.
Assign Responsibility – Do nothing for the counselee that he or she can do successfully.
Deal with the Emotions at Hand – when people attempt to cope with their stress, their
emotions run deep. They may have to cope with the threat to their source of past security
and sense of competence and self-esteem. If these have been shattered, they have to deal
with feeling of loss and longing.
Cope with a New Role – the individual also may have to move into a new role of some
sort. The new role once selected and implemented, may carry with it some tress of its own.
Adjusting to the new role will occur because of shifts in position and status in the family and
community. It involves acceptance of the new solution/ role and the level of satisfaction
with the solutions-learning to live with being less than satisfied until the new solution/role is
stabilized.
It all comes down to this: You are the helper God has called to walk people through these
transitions.
82
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 10
When Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds
Trauma began in the Garden with Adam and Eve. Their act of disobedience led to their
banishment and the ensuing consequences. The losses they experienced were life changing
and overwhelming (Gen. 3). As often happens when trauma touches one family, there is a
ripple effect upon other members, as was the case with Adam and Eve’s direct descendants
Cain and Abel.
•
Trauma is the response to any event that shatters your safe world so that it’s no longer a place
of refuge. Trauma is more that a state of crisis. It is a normal reaction to abnormal events that
overwhelm a person’s ability to adapt to life – where you feel powerless.
•
Trauma comes from a Greek word that means “wound.” It’s a condition characterized by the
phrase, “I just can’t seem to get over it.” Not limited to those who have gone through a war
but also example of a father who saw his daughter fatally crushed in an accident, paramedic,
chaplain, nurses, the survivor of a robbery, the traffic accident or rape victim and in those
subjected to pressure or harassment in the workplace. Trauma in the faces of those in New
York 9/11.
When you experience trauma, you’re thrown about like a rodeo steer. Your world turns wild,
out of control, crazy.
Trauma - How Widespread Is It?
At one time, 75% of the general population in our country have been exposed to some event
that meets the criteria of a trauma. Now it’s even higher. The good news is that only about
25% of those exposed to such events become traumatized.
Trauma Affects Some and Not Others
They can be mild, moderate or severe. It depends on the person’s personality; spiritual or
religious beliefs, and the meaning they ascribe to the trauma and event itself (man-made or
natural disaster).
Not everyone who experiences trauma will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
which is an anxiety disorder that develops in response to extreme psychological and
emotional distress caused by a specific traumatic event.
Many of those you and I will counsel won’t be able to put into words what their lives of trauma
are like.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
83
Trauma – Neurological and Psychological Effects
This chapter on trauma is basic. It is meant to alert you to the fact that trauma exists and
is perhaps closer to you than you realize. If you are counseling someone who displays the
characteristics of trauma, keep the following in mind.
There is another side to trauma. The current research on those traumatized indicates that the
majority of victims say that they eventually benefited from the trauma in some way. These
are people who experienced as much pain as those who didn’t fully recover. How did they
benefit? There was a change of values, greater appreciation for life, a deepening of spiritual
beliefs, a feeling of greater strength and appreciation and building of relationships:
The most important element in recovering is to remain connected to other people.
84
•
Being traumatized is not incurable; recovery is possible, but it is a slow process
•
A person will need to work with a professional, someone who is equipped to assist those
experiencing trauma. This could include a highly trained minister, chaplain or therapist.
•
Healing comes through understanding. The more a person learns about trauma, the more he or
she will feel in control of his or her life.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 11
Helping the Trauma Victim
The time to help is immediately with the trauma occurs. The longer you wait, the greater the
imprint upon the brain.
SAFETY FIRST
Trauma is a thief. It steals from people. It takes away their sense of well-being security,
predictability and safety.
Make the person feel safe inside and outside the counseling office. Build the relationship
first, begin by building an atmosphere of safety, trust and exploration to ensure stability for
the person before going any further. Just talking and listening with your eyes and ears is more
important than technique. Ask everyone, “Tell me your story.”
Establish a connection - by matching the person’s thinking and speaking
Know the nature of the trauma- once you have discovered this, adapt your counseling to
the person
Give Reasons for Symptoms – provides the relief the person is looking for
Explore Trauma Memories with the Person – it’s important to fully explore the trauma
memories and observe the unique responses the individual has to the memories. In helping
the individual, it’s critical to work on one trauma at a time.
De-condition Harmful Affective Responses- reframe symptoms as “signs of coping,” as
“protective and healing mechanisms,” and as “a normal part” of the recovery process.
Triggers – the brain is like a video camera: it tapes and stores not only what it sees but also
what it feels.
CISD Approach
Alerting a person to a future anxiety can help to diminish the tension. If you try to help them
take charge of future triggering events, the recovery is enhanced.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
85
Common signs and signals of a stress reaction are seen in four categories:
•
Physical
•
Cognitive
•
Emotional
•
Behavioral
Our task is to assist the counselee in their journey and to encourage them in their faith.
Overcoming trauma is a process-a journey. No one travels the journey alone; the Lord is with
all of us.
86
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 12
The Crisis of Death
Death is the permanent, irreversible cessation of the vital functions of the body. Not all
functions stop at the same time. It used to be that the lack of heartbeat was considered final
evidence of death, but now the attention has shifted from the heart to the brain for a reliable
indication of when death has occurred.
WHY IS DEATH FEARED?
80% of people in our society die away from home or familiar surroundings. This in itself
creates a fear response, because we do not want to be alone when we die.
WHAT ARE SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEATH?
•
Accident or Disaster
•
Homicide
•
Suicide
•
Death by Natural Causes
It seems that those who lose a loved one handle it better if it was a natural disaster than
if it was caused by human events.
HOW DO FAMILIES GRIEVE?
Within a family, family members will grieve differently over the same person. Family grief is
not easy. Example, when the oldest child in this family died, it represented different things to
each family member.
•
Parents lost the firstborn – the star child
•
Father lost the one who would carry out his own frustrated dreams
•
Brother lost the buffer for his family expectations
•
Sister lost a domineering sibling, whom she resented.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
87
Each family member will cope with the loss in a personal way, which makes it difficult for each
individual to find the support he or she needs. Some will blame everything and everyone
except themselves, which is a form of narcissism.
HOW DO PEOPLE RESPOND TO THE BEREAVED?
It is important to show continual support and concern for the bereaved in tangible ways for
two to three months after the death-ending cards, making phone calls or taking an occasional
meal to them.
As a minister the following points need to be remembered at a time of crisis:
•
A bereaved person, no matter what his or her age, needs safe places. A person needs his
or her own home. Some prefer to withdraw, because their home reminds them of their loss,
but giving up the home and moving create more of a loss. A brief change may be all right, but
familiar surroundings are helpful.
•
The bereaved need safe people. Friends, relatives and a minister are necessary to give the
person the emotional support he or she needs. It is better to visit the person four times a week
for 10 minutes than to come once a week for one hour. This is a continual support without
becoming exhaustive.
•
The bereaved needs safe situations. Any kind of safe situation that provides the bereaved
person with worthwhile roles to perform will benefit him or her. The roles should be
uncomplicated, simple and stress free.
What most people need in order to minister effectively to others is a clear understanding of
what death is. For the Christian, death is a transition, a tunnel leading from this world into the
next. Perhaps the journey is a bit frightening because of leaving security we feel now for the
unknown, but the final destination will be worth the present uncertainty.
88
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 13
Deaths You Will Encounter
WEEK
4
THE DEATH OF A PARENT
A common result of the death of a parent will be the change in relationships with siblings. It
can build or destroy relationships. Some individuals feel the burden is on them, or there may
have been internal fighting to protect a family member. One of the greatest sources of conflict
with siblings is the will and estate. Often estrangement occurs with parental death and the
aftermath.
THE DEATH OF A SIBLING
There’s an assumption that the loss of a parent or spouse is the most distressing, but for
some adults, sibling loss is the hardest.
THE DEATH OF A FRIEND
The death of a friend impacts other friendships or social groups. These groups need to be
rearranged if they’re going to survive, but often there’s a gaping hole. See list of words by
counselees on page 274.
THE DEATH OF A PET
It is not uncommon when a pet dies that a person grieves more deeply than for a human
companion because Pets often give us something that others cannot - unconditional love.
DEATH OF A SPOUSE
When a spouse dies, the other spouse sense of self and security is shattered. Each partner
helps the other define the world and what’s in it. So this, too is lost.
DEATH OF A CHILD
Grief over the loss of a child is disabling. It will be more intense and last longer than grief
over the loss of anyone else. The death of a child has been called the ultimate bereavement.
The death of a child does not have to lead to divorce. With the right approach, this tragic
experience can become a time of mutual comfort, support and growth.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
89
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 14
The Crisis if Suicide
WEEK
4
Those in ministry will see a number of people who are thinking about suicide or have already
planned to take their own lives.
WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR LIVES?
The best description is psychological pain or psychache.
According to Edwin Schneidman,
founder of American Association of Suicidology, psychache is the hurt, anguish or ache that
takes hold in the mind. It is intrinsically psychological-the pain of excessively felt shame,
guilt, fear, anxiety, loneliness, angst, dread of growing old or dying badly. When psychache
occurs, its introspective reality is undeniable. Suicide happens when the psychache is
deemed unbearable and death is actively sought to stop the unceasing flow of painful
consciousness. Suicide is a tragic drama in the mind.
Suicide Hides Behind Many Faces
•
Depression
•
Relief of Pain
•
Revenge
•
Hopelessness
Myths Associated with Suicide
90
•
Suicide and Attempted Suicide Are the Same Class of Behavior
•
Suicide Is a Problem of a Specific Class of People
•
People Who Talk About Suicide Don’t Commit Suicide
•
Once a Person is Suicidal, He or She Is Suicidal Forever
•
Suicide Is Inherited or Runs in Families
•
If a Person Is a Christian, He or She Will Not Commit Suicide
•
Suicide and Depression Are Synonymous
•
Improvement After a Suicidal Crisis Means that the Risk of Suicide Is Over
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
•
Suicide Is Communicated (verbal and nonverbal)
•
The Suicidal attempt
•
Suicidal Threat
•
Suicidal Hint
•
Suicidal Activity
•
Suicidal Symptoms
•
The Recent Crisis
When you come in contact with a person who is suicidal, definite intervention is needed. A
person’s life is at stake, and whether or not you want to be involved. Your initial task is to help
the person stay alive.
Help the person gain insight into how he or she came to the place.
Guide him or her to make the necessary changes to ensure that it will not happen again.
Remember, you are not omnipotent and this person’s life is not on your shoulders. Your role
simply is to be as much help as possible.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
91
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 15
Helping the Suicidal Person and His or Her Family
WEEK
4
Establish a Relationship, Maintain Contact an Build Rapport
The relationship may be the reason he or she decides to stay alive. A suicidal person is
ambivalent toward life and death. The individual wishes to kill him/herself and I tired of what
is going on in life. At the same time, he/she wants to be rescued by someone.
Identify, Obtain Information About and Clarify the Problem
It is important first to hear the person’s story with a few interruptions a possible. Then you
can let them know that you care and that you’ve heard them
Formulate a Plan to Help the Caller
It is important to find out what part of the plain the caller has put into action and help the
person reverse his/her course of action.
Break the News
Part of the process of counseling that most of us would rather avoid is notifying a family
member or friend that a loved one has committed suicide. Encourage survivors to find
continual support.
Be alert to the needs of people. For the most part, suicide victims do reveal that they are
considering suicide, therefore, be equipped and prepared. The greatest help you can give is
you, your concern, your interest, your listening ear and the love of Jesus Christ as reflected
through you.
92
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
CHAPTER 16
Ministering to Children at a Time of Loss, Crisis or Trauma
4
Most common losses in the sequence most likely to occur in a child’s life:
•
Death of a pet
•
Death of a grandparent
•
A major move
•
Divorce of parents
•
Death of a parent (s)
•
Death of a playmate, friend or relative
•
Debilitating injury to the child or to someone important in the child’s life
Childhood Crises Impact Adulthood
Divorce
Children experience a multitude of losses, these not only include the disruption of the family
unit but also the possible permanent loss of one of the parents, home, neighborhood, school,
friends, standard of living, family outings and holidays, self-esteem just to list a few.
Abandonment
Often kids don’t know why they feel so alone and abandoned. Their physical needs are
met, but their emotional needs are neglected. They lack nurturing, hugging and emotional
intimacy. The verbal affirmations they so desperately need are shrouded in silence. Soon
they begin to think that something is wrong with them, and they carry this perception with
them into adulthood. Teens need constant assurance of their parent’s love and attention.
Children’s Crises Have Two Resolution Stages
•
Initial shock and then a high level of anxiety
•
The child’s reaction is less crippling, and he or she is able to look at the crises and evaluate it
instead of just responding to it.
Children with repeated experiences of loss of control soon lose total control. They must
face daily challenges.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
93
Children need direction
A child in crisis is a time when he or she is in danger of becoming extremely impaired
emotionally.
Trauma Threatens Children
Trauma sends four messages to children:
1. Your world is no longer safe
2. Your world is no longer kind
3. Your world is no longer predictable
4. Your world is no longer trustworthy
When called to minister to a child, remember the following facts:
•
The child feels responsible for what happened
•
The child makes different connections than yours
•
The child is egocentric
•
The child centers on one event to the exclusion of others
Children Use defense mechanisms while they are in a crises situation
•
Fantasy
•
Hypochondriasis
•
Projection
•
Displacement
•
Repressions
•
Suppression
•
Sublimation
Crisis counseling with children is supportive counseling. It is used when the child is about to
be overwhelmed-to help the child recognize his or her problems and put them in perspective.
94
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 17
Children’s Crises
The most common type of crisis children experience
Children may be the most hidden age group of all in terms of incidence of depression.
Parents often deny that their child is chronically unhappy. They fail to recognize, accept and
respond appropriately to the child’s depression. After all, who wants to admit their child is
depressed?
Characteristics of Depressed Children
•
Appearance
•
Withdrawal
•
Discontent
•
Rejection
•
Irritability
•
Provocative
•
Expressive
ABUSE
Abuse children grow up with a classic love-hate tension. They need their parents and want to
love them, but when they try to draw close, the abuse pushes them away.
DIVORCE
One of the most frequent distressful situations that will occur with children in your
congregation will be the divorce of their parents. Divorce can be one of the most traumatic
experiences a child a well as an adult can face.
When there is the loss of a parent, the child also may lose hope for the future. An uncertainty
occurs and the child can feel out of control.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
95
Advice for Divorced Parents
Provide to parents that are concerned about the effects divorce will have on their child basic
principles of helping people in crisis:
•
Listening
•
Encouragement
•
Reassurance
•
Being Available
Children need the assurance that even though their parents will be working through their own
struggles, they will still be taken care of by their parents, parents friends and other relatives.
The child will begin to realize that more than one person is supporting him or her. Assist the
child in selecting some task that he or she can accomplish to help overcome the feeling of
helplessness.
96
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 18
Guidelines to Help Children in Grief
Children are the forgotten grievers in our country. Adults seem to receive the attention,
and children are left out of the equation.
Children not only grieve, but their grief is unique and they need to grieve.
Features of a child in grief:
•
It comes out in the middle of everyday life. It can be predicted.
•
They can put it aside easier. One question may be about their grandfather’s death and the next
response is about their doll.
•
It comes out in brief but intense episodes
•
They express their grief in actions. They’re limited in their verbal expression.
•
They often postpone their grief or part of it.
•
Childhood grief often lasts throughout childhood and pieces of it last into adulthood.
•
Children grieve differently from adults. Instead of experiencing ongoing intense distress, many
children are likely at first to deny death and then grieve intermittently for many years.
Grieving occurs in Infants as well as toddlers to preschoolers
Varying Reactions to a Loss Are Normal for Children
•
Fear
•
Guilt
•
Anger
•
Confusion
Kids express their anger in different ways. It may be targeted like a well-aimed bullet or
sprayed in all directions like shotgun pellets.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
97
Prepare Children when a parent dies. They should be told what is going to happen and what
they are going to experience.
Keep children connected- children who remain connected after the loss are better able to talk
about the dead parent. See examples of how to describe to young children how and why
death occurred.
We help children learn how to handle loss by starting early. Overprotection and denial rob our
children of the opportunity to develop the skills they’ll need throughout their lives.
Top 11 Points for Adults to Use with Grieving Children:
• Give your children permission to grieve and encourage them to talk and ask questions
•
Be available when a child is ready to grieve
•
How to handle a child asking the same question repeatedly or a child answering you with why
to every answer you give them
•
Give them opportunities for creative expression
•
Create opportunities for playtime
•
Watch your expectations
•
Dismiss their myths
•
Make honesty a policy
•
Allow children to respond in their own way
•
Watch for signs of fear
•
Encourage children to continue normal routines
When children ask adults questions, adults need to admit that they don’t have all the answers,
but that they’ll get through it together.
Loss is natural and inevitable part of life. A key element in a child’s emotional development
is learning to deal with the feelings associated with loss and growing through the experience.
Parents, teachers and counselors who guide their children through the troubled waters of the
grieving process will equip them to handle the losses of their adult lives better.
98
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 19
The Crises of Adolescence
Adolescence is one of the most difficult transitions of life. It is a roller-coaster experience-a
time of stress and storm. This can be a time when self-doubt and feelings of inferiority are
intensified and when social pressures are at their peak.
The Crisis of Death
Adolescences need intimacy. If one who died loved them unconditionally, there’s a major hole
in their life.
Death
When an adolescences lose a parent in death, they often deny it in order to protect
themselves from this threatening experience and the ensuing feelings. If the relationship was
close, there will be intense pain of anger at being left alone.
Divorce
The young person becomes disillusioned about commitments and relationships: If my own
parents divorce, who can I depend on? How do I know that if I marry, it will last?
Illness
This creates fear about his or her own vulnerability. The teen’s fear may cause him or her to
withdraw, which then creates guilt, because the teen is not responding as he or she should.
Friends
Even a friend’s moving away brings a sense of loss. The pain suffered is as severe as
rejection. The same sense of loss can occur when the person has to change schools or make
any other type of move.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
99
Depression Affect Adolescents of Different Ages
Depression is actually more normal for this development stage than for some other stages.
Unfortunately, some of the depression of adolescence goes undiagnosed because the person
is considered to be going through the normal adolescent throes of adjustment.
Young Adolescents
Depression characterized by attempts to defend against the depression reflects three
common symptoms:
•
Boredom or restlessness
•
Flight or fight
•
Appeal for help
Causes of Teen Suicide
•
Psychosis or personality disintegration
•
Intense rage at another person, which cannot be expressed
•
Retaliation for actual or imagined abandonment
•
Blackmail or manipulation
•
A cry for help
Behavior
Child and adolescent suicide can be detected through behavioral changes:
100
•
Loneliness
•
Suicide
•
Alienation and Personality Restriction
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
CRISIS & TRAUMA COUNSELING
4
CHAPTER 20
Helping the Adolescent
As you work with an adolescent through an actual loss, help him or her through your
discussion of the event to take a different perspective such as seeing it as less tragic and
permanent, if that is possible.
It is common for an adolescent to say, “I just don’t know what to do. You tell me what to do.
Referral
Referral is not a sign of weakness on our past, but it is a positive step in order to give the
counselee in crisis a greater amount of help.
Confidentiality
The adolescent is concerned that you may inform his or her parents. The teens need to know
that what he or she says will be held in confidence. They’ll need to know that you may want
to tell if some kind of destruction is involved and it would be for their own protection.
Positive and Hopeful
Bring out the positive as well as attempt to reflect hopeful feelings. The teen will feel more
capable as you help him or her develop strength.
Communication
Sometimes writing letters, which are not sent, helps an adolescent work through his or her
crisis feelings.
Support System
The teen receives support when you listen and understand his or her feelings. The teen wants
his or her point of view to be heard and respected. As you listen to the young adult, he or she
in turn will listen to you as you offer your suggestions.
Helping in a Time of Trauma
When adolescents experience a crisis or trauma, they often regret which is why a knowledge
of child-counseling procedures is important.
Three elements required for helping adolescent according to author of Trauma in the Lives
of Children:
• Reliving
•
Releasing of feelings
•
Reorganizing
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
101
Choosing Appropriate Counseling Styles
Adolescents struggle with their feelings. They need specific suggestions and guidelines.
Styles Adolescents Prefer
Adolescents themselves have identified what they need as well as what they don’t need in a
trauma or crisis.
Styles to Avoid
Teens identified three types of adult responses that actually hurt them.
• Withholding
•
Incompetence
•
Reactive
Interaction that need to be avoided after a crisis
• Too Emotional
•
Too Wordy
•
Too Judgmental
•
Too Inquisitive
•
Too Reserved
Styles to Use When Relating to School
The teen might be wondering after a loss or trauma situation
•
Who knows what happened and who doesn’t know
•
If they’ll be embarrassed or treated differently
•
Will their friends want to hang out with them or come over knowing there’s a difference and a
loss in their life
•
How much should be shared with others
•
Should they get back into sports or cheerleading or go to the prom
As counselor, you should bring up all issues the teen could be concerned about or wondering
about. This will not only normalize what they’re feeling and wondering, but it will help the
teens receive some guidelines and answers. See on page 413 a list of suggestions you as
counselor could make to a teen if there has been a loss or trauma in the adolescent’s life.
102
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
GLOCALIZATION: HOW FOLLOWERS
OF JESUS ENGAGE A FLAT WORLD
By Bob Roberts Jr.
WEEK
4
OVERVIEW
According to author Bob Roberts, the term glocal is another term for the flat earth that
describes the seamless integration between local and global. Glocalization is GPS for
Christians in terms of where we are or where we want to be (Roberts 17).
I have come to the knowledge that glocal connects everyone and not destroy cultures and
customs in comparison to wars of destruction. The basis for the connection is information
and connectedness that allows for the integration of anyone, anywhere, anytime and
not domination (Roberts 21). Glocal is decentralization of everything, power, as well as
government. Within the church environment, everyone should be considered center stage
and not focused on self. I have found that people are becoming superstars especially when
they have a TV ministry. Even the praise team member singers began to get egos when they
are on TV every Sunday because family and friends place them on pedestals and many of
them don’t understand humility is necessary.
John 3:16 says that God love the whole world not certain people in certain areas.
John 3:16 King James Version (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The kingdom of God is not simply praying the sinner’s prayer and being baptized but, about
understanding God’s concern for all of society. This means that all ministers/leaders and
people within each congregation should be connecting with people globally. The Church
needs to combine missions with humanitarianism to formulate a new holistic faith that can
lead to societal transformation.
According to the author, technology created a flat world, connecting local with global and we
must respond to this by moving outside the walls of technology, in order to transform the local
community and in order to strategize with all other believers for world impact. The Acts 1:8
represent a true picture of local and global coming together.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
103
I have learned that in order to operate effectively in every dimension, the Church must no
longer simply depend on mission agencies and professional clergy; but it is necessary that the
Church equip every believer to influence the world with the gospel.
Core Values in the new Glocal World brings both good and bad values that form new cultures.
Sample listed below (Roberts 22-23):
1. Syncretism - pulling together the best ideas from a wide array of thoughts to formulate a new
ideology
2. Hedonism - a belief that everything is relative; there are no absolutes
3. Pragmatism - placing value on what works, produces, and sells
4. Collaboration - many people working together in many networks to achieve common objectives
The teachings of Jesus informs us about the kingdom. First, the kingdom is present, but it is
also not yet (Roberts 36). The kingdom theme is central throughout the Scriptures. Accepting
Jesus is only the beginning. The ultimate aim is the perfect rule and reign of God over His
kingdom. With this aim in mind, we must intersect our world with our living and serving.
Second, God’s kingdom is comprehensive (Roberts 38). God wants to transform every single
aspect of society. I must be like that of Jesus who claimed that it was not the healthy who
needed a doctor but the sick. Third, the kingdom Jesus inaugurated is about all of society
(Roberts 39). Matthew 25:35-46 provides a glimpse of what kingdom activity looks like
(Roberts 39). God is not interested in the number of churches planted nor the budget but His
interest would be am I helping hurting people in the world. As a Christian minister/leader/
congregant my goal must be personal and societal transformation. The best way to start
a new church is to begin new ministries and allow new churches to emerge from the new
ministries.
According to the author, we get our values from our family more than anywhere else (Roberts
51). Value is a conviction regarding truth that determines behavior (Roberts 51). The
following is a brief description of several core values we need in order to thrive in a glocal
world.
One essential value is convergence (Roberts 51). As Christians, we must understand how faith
intersects with technology, science, and entertainment. Those that are parents must take the
time to discuss current events with their children and to teach them how these events relate
to faith.
A second essential value is glocalization (Roberts 52). Glocalization is part of God’s masterful
plan that the whole world be filled with His glory. God ordained that we be connected at every
104
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
level of culture. The author suggested that all parents consider taking their children to serve
in an orphanage or shelter in a developing nation so they can gain a new perspective on the
world.
A third essential value is Innovation. According to the author, families need to be like the men
of Issachar in (1 Chronicles 12:32) who understood the times and knew what actions to take
(Roberts 53). Families must learn to innovate and improvise. Innovation requires thinking.
Families that learn to think have a greater chance of survival in our global era.
Networking - learn and understand the power of networking. God constantly weaves together
relationships, contacts, experiences and opportunities for a purpose (Roberts 54). As a bank
personnel officer I have hired individuals not simply because of their qualifications but also
because of their relationship with the person that recommended the applicant for the positon.
Faith is a critical value. Faith leads to hope. Without faith, we give up. One of my personal
examples of faith was when the doctors informed me several years ago that they did not
know what was causing me to swell up in my body. I then understood that I was in a spiritual
warfare battle and therefore, I made a decision to have Faith in God’s Healing power and I
was healed. Our examples of those of strong faith are Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David.
They thrived because of their faith. I represent God and therefore I have been chosen to live in
the twenty-first century in order to show Christ to this generation.
I would agree with author that every person in the pew must be mobilized to become a
missionary versus occasionally sending missionaries out into the field.
THE EARLY CHURCH MODEL
I must agree that churches are formed when people give their testimonies about Jesus and
verify their transformation experiences. I agree that Jesus must be the focus for churches
formation.
Interesting Challenges and tensions that prohibit churches from becoming totally engaged are
as follow (Roberts 81):
·
People who want to go deeper, but the deeper teaching never seems to make them more
·
Those who singlehandedly want their church to win the whole world to Jesus but they do
·
Territorialism and the need for financing from local congregations.
·
Pastors who shy away from empowering high capacity leaders out of fear that their
missional.
not understand that every member in every church is needed.
mission passion will take them and their money away from their church.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
105
THE KEY TO WHOLE CHURCH ENGAGEMENT
The primary job of the pastor is to mobilize the people in the pew to use their vocations
missionally, in both local and global arenas. A pastor’s success should be measured by how
many people are being mobilized. The result of making investments that generate new jobs
and other projects will offer hope and life to people living in developing countries.
Churches are exploding in the East because they have learned how to engage their people.
They don’t possess the consumer mind-set that we see in the West (Roberts 120). The next
Great Awakening will start in the East and will be global in scope (Roberts 122). And there is
one further thought we must consider. For the West to experience similar explosive growth,
there is a good chance we will be called upon to suffer for the faith just like many do in the
Eastern world. I believe that 911 was just the tip of the ice berg, there will be something
greater that will compel the people of the USA to stay on their knees in spiritual warfare
prayer.
OUR MOTIVE FOR SERVING
Jesus never used the gospel as bait to convert souls. His motive was always to serve others.
Our motive should be the same. We serve because Christ has transformed our lives. The fact
that God calls us to share our faith is not debatable. We serve not to convert but because we
have been converted (Roberts 140).
HOW NATIONALS VIEW US
By and large, nationals don’t have a very positive view of us. They don’t mind our views
of God; but our arrogance is offensive to many. They believe we look down on them, their
history, and their culture (Roberts 140). Jesus never came across that way. Take the story of
the rich young ruler, for example. Jesus gave Him a tough command to follow, but He wasn’t
in the guy’s face for rejecting the message. The man’s decision grieved Jesus. We must
understand that God is larger than our tribe. His love extends to all mankind. Consequently,
instead of treating people like spiritual slot machines, our faith must alter the way we relate to
those in other cultures.
MOVED BY COMPASSION
We live in a consumer-driven land that even affects how we view God. Ultimately, the chief
objective in life is to glorify and worship God. But our consumer mentality places us instead
of God at the center of our universe. We have a propensity to believe God must not be real
unless He is answering our prayers and tending to our needs exactly as we think He should.
Instead of being driven by our own selfish desires, we must become like Jesus, who looked
106
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
at multitudes of people and, with a servant’s heart, was moved with compassion. We would
also do well to model Paul’s attitude in Romans 9:2-3 toward his own people who had yet to
embrace Christ. He was willing to lose his own salvation if it meant his people would come to
Christ. Some believers use guilt as a motivator for evangelism. They get the idea that they
need to be winning lost souls every waking hour. But the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke
10:25-37 reminds us that it was the non-religious man in the story who best exemplified what
God has in mind for us all. He didn’t see the hurting man as a potential convert. The man was
moved by compassion; so, he forgot about his own schedule to care for the one victimized by
a band of robbers. Having an intimate relationship with God takes time (Roberts 144).
QUALITIES OF GLOCAL LEADERS
Preaching in a glocal world is not as much about sermons as it is about helping people live
transformed lives (Roberts 163). When the church turns the world upside down, pastors will
move from the preacher chaplain metaphor to soldier-diplomats (Roberts 164).
First, today’s
leaders must actively live the kingdom of God. To help others follow God, we must follow
God. Think about it logically. If Christianity does not work in our own lives, how can we expect
it to work in others’ lives? The Sermon on the Mount, which provides the best description of
kingdom living, establishes the pattern for how we should live.
Recognizing Opportunities - The leaders’ vision should include the whole church and
community transformation. Visionary leaders establish ever-expanding networks of people
who engage in ministry. They even look beyond their fellow believers and seek partnerships
with the nonreligious (Roberts 167).
Long-Haul Learning and Leading - Effective glocal leadership requires a great deal of
discipline and focus. Glocal leaders usually find themselves making commitments outside the
local church (Roberts 171). These commitments often put them in positions to impact their
congregations and change their world. Transforming the world takes more than a nine-to-five
work ethic. If you want to change the world, it helps to study people who made a world-
changing impact. What is the single focus of your life? How has God gifted you? What are
the roles you need to play that no one else can play? Set goals according to your answers to
these questions. And keep growing in every area of your life.
Fervent Praying - I don’t believe that a glocal leader can pray too much. I enjoy being around
those people who pray because the presence of God becomes so real and powerful in their
lives. Leonard Ravenhill called on churches to pray with such fervency that the heavens
shake. That’s the kind of praying that glocal leaders need. There are too many things at stake
to minimize the role of fervent praying (Roberts 174).
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
107
THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Never Optional
Considering the breadth of globalization’s impact, we can easily conclude that there is no
way we can see world transformation apart from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit
(Roberts 187). Moreover, the Spirit must not be viewed as an add-on to our strategies. His
power must be rooted through and through in all that we do. Acts 17:6 describes the kind
of transformation the Holy Spirit produces Christians turning the world upside down. To
witness this kind of transformation today will involve more than denominational programs and
charismatic personalities. It will require the work of the Holy Spirit. His presence and power
are not optional.
The fruit the Holy Spirit produced in our lives is a far greater tool for evangelism than
possessing skills. It is only through transformed lives that we will ever see the Church make
global impact. “There is a direct relationship between the power of the gospel being lived out
in the lives of people in a community and how much that community is altered by the gospel.”
In other words, it is how you live, not what you believe, that will transform the world.
In Conclusion - World transformation will require the participation of the whole Church.
And for the whole Church to collaborate on this mission will certainly require the work of the
Holy Spirit. Baptists, Post-moderns, Charismatics, and house churches don’t have time to
debate. We must come together, claiming the promise of 1 Corinthians 12:13 that we are all
“baptized by one Spirit into one body.” God has placed the Great Commission into the hands
of the whole Church. Every nation is valuable to the kingdom. Every people group has gifts to
offer. Wouldn’t it be just like God to use some “insignificant” country as the catalyst to bring
the whole Church together for this task? There will always be many nations among us. But
in the end, the book of Revelation informs us, every nation will serve only one King. We have
opportunities today like we’ve never had before. Will we take advantage of them? Will this
be the Church’s finest hour? If there was ever a time in history for the Church to stand on its
feet together and help, that time is now. When the Church rises to the occasion, the Spirit
will do His role of convicting hearts. And when hearts are convicted, the Church simply says,
“Come.”
WORKS CITED
Roberts, Bob. Glocalization: How Followers of Jesus Engage the New Flat World. Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2007. Print.
“Bible Gateway Passage: John 3:16 - King James Version.” Bible Gateway. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
108
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
WEEK
4
WHAT IS A WORLDVIEW?
A worldview in its simplest form, according to Nash, is a set of beliefs about the most
important issues in life. Achieving awareness of our worldview is one of the most important
things we can do to enhance self-understanding. Equally important is insight into the
worldviews of others which is essential to an understanding of what makes them tick. The
term to be used is conceptual scheme which means a pattern or arrangement of concepts
(ideas). A worldview a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place
or fit everything we believe and by which we interpret and judge reality.(Nash)
One of the more important things we can do for others is to help them achieve a better
understanding of their worldview. We can assist them to improve it, which means eliminating
inconsistencies and providing new information that will help fill gaps in their conceptual
systems.
The case for our attitudes against Christian theism should be made and evaluated in terms
of total systems. Christianity is not simply a religion that tells human beings how they may
be forgiven. Christianity is also a total world-and-life view. Our faith has important things
to say about the whole of human life. Once Christians understand in a systematic way, how
the options to Christianity are also worldwide, they will be in a better position to justify their
choice of Christianity rationally. The reason many people reject our faith is not due to their
problems with one or two isolated issues. It is the result of their anti-Christian conceptual
scheme, which leads them to reject information and arguments that for believers provide
support for the Christian worldview. Every worldview has questions it appears unable to
answer satisfactorily. One might wish that all Christians were able to effectively, defend their
faith. Our important task is to equip ourselves so that we are able to show detractors that the
Christian worldview is superior rationally, morally, and existentially to any alternative system.
Though philosophy and religion often use different language and often arrive at different
conclusions, they deal with the same questions, which include questions about what exists
(metaphysics), how humans should live (ethics), and how human beings know (epistemology).
The Major Elements of A Worldview:
God
Reality
Knowledge
Morality
Humankind
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
109
Our worldviews function as interpretive conceptual schemes to explain why we “see” the
world as we do, why we often think and act as we do. Competing worldviews often come
into conflict. These clashes may be as innocuous as a simple argument between people or
as serious as a war between nations. We must understand that competing worldviews are the
fundamental cause of our disagreements.
Worldviews are double-edged swords. The writer elaborates in stressing the fact that
an inadequate conceptual scheme can, like improper eyeglasses, hinder our efforts to
understand God, the world, and ourselves. The right conceptual scheme can bring everything
into focus. The choices among competing worldviews involve a number of difficult questions.
We must always contend with the ever-present possibility of non-theoretical factors adversely
affecting our thinking as well as it is difficult to be sure which criteria or tests should be used
in choosing among worldviews.
The Christian worldview is theistic in the sense that it believes in the existence of one
supremely powerful and personal God. Theism differs from polytheism in its affirmation that
there is only one God (Deut. 6:4). It is in conflict with the various forms of pantheism. Theism
insists that God is personal and must not be confused with the world creation. Theism is
distinguished from panentheism in that it takes the position that regards the world as an
eternal being that God needs in much the same way a human soul needs a body. Theists
reject panentheistic attempts to limit God’s power and knowledge, which have the effect of
making the God of patheism a finite being.
The existence of the world is not a brute fact, nor is the world a purposeless machine. The
world exists as the result of a free decision to create by a God who is eternal, transcendent,
spiritual (nonmaterial), omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent, loving, and personal.
Because there is a God-ordained order to the creation, human beings can discover that order.
It is this order that makes science possible; it is this order that scientists attempt to capture in
their laws.
Historical Christian theism is Trinitarian, the doctrine of the Trinity reflects the Christian
conviction that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct centers of
consciousness sharing fully in the one divine nature and in the activities of the other persons
of the Trinity. An important corollary of the doctrine is the Christian conviction that Jesus
Christ is both fully God and fully man. Christians use the word “incarnation” to express their
belief that the birth of Jesus Christ marked the entrance of the eternal and divine Son of God
into the human race.
Any final decision regarding the existence of the Christian God and the truth of the Christian
worldview will involve decisions about issues related to the Christian Scriptures. Since details
of that worldview flow from the Christian’s ultimate authority, the Bible, any negative reaction
110
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
to one will likely produce a negative reaction to the other. The author asserts that a positive
evaluation of one side of this equation should bear positively on the other. While all mature,
thinking persons have a worldview, many of them are unaware of the fact. People often
evidence great difficulty attaining consciousness of key elements of their worldview. Most of
us know individuals who seldom think deeply enough to ask the right questions about God,
metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and humankind.
•
One of the most important tasks for philosophers, theologians, and for anyone interested
in helping people in this important matter, is first to get people to realize that they do have a
conceptual system.
•
Second is to help people get a clearer fix on the content of their worldview. What do they
believe about the existence and nature of God, about humankind, morality, knowledge, and
ultimate reality?
•
Thirdly to help people evaluate their worldview and either improve it (by removing
inconsistencies and filling in gaps) or replace it with a better worldview.
When forced with a choice among competing touch-stone propositions of different
worldviews, we should choose the one that, when applied to the whole of reality, gives us the
most coherent picture of the world.
There are three major tests that should be applied when evaluating worldviews:
•
The Test of Reason
•
The Test of Experience
•
The Test of Practice
The test of logical consistency can never be the only criterion by which we evaluate
worldviews. Logic can be only a negative test, while the presence of a contradiction will alert
us to the presence of error, the absence of contradiction does not guarantee the presence of
truth. For that, we need other criteria.
The test of experience is divided into two parts:
1. The test of the Outer World - We have a right to expect worldviews to touch base with our
experience of the world outside us. They should help us to understand what we perceive. A
number of worldview beliefs fall short of this test. They include the following:
•
God created the world six thousand years ago
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
111
•
Pain and death are illusions
•
All human beings are innately good
•
Miracles are impossible
No worldview deserves respect if it ignores or is it consistent with human experience. The
human experience we consider when evaluating worldviews should be broad enough to
include experience of both the outer and the inner worlds.
2. The test of the Inner World includes the following:
•
I am a being who thinks, hopes, experience pleasure and pain, believes,
desires
•
I am a being who is often conscious of right and wrong and who feels guilty
and sinful for having failed to do what was right
•
I am a being who remembers the past, conscious of the present, and
anticipates the future
•
I can think about things that do not exist
•
I can plan and then execute my plans
•
I am able to act intentionally; instead of merely responding to stimuli
•
I can will to do something and then actually do it
•
I am a person who loves other human being, empathize with others, share
their sorrows and joy, know that someday I will die and have faith that I will
survive the death of my body
No matter how hard it may be to look honestly at our inner self, we are right in being
suspicious of those whose defense of a worldview ignores or reject the inner world.
THE TEST OF PRACTICE
Worldviews should be tested not only in the philosophy classroom but also in the laboratory
of life. It is one thing for a worldview to pass certain theoretical tests (reason and experience)
however, it is another for the worldview to also pass an important practical test … can the
person who professes that worldview live consistently in harmony with the system he/she
professes?
112
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
A QUESTION ABOUT METHOD
Literary scholars, historians, detectives, scientists, and worldview examiners who are good
at their job don’t stop with the first piece of information that confirms their theory, they keep
looking. As the amount of confirmatory information increases, the probability of the truth of
the hypothesis increases.
THE PROBLEM OF CERTAINTY
Logical certainty is found exclusively in such area as a formal logic, geometry, and
mathematics. In order for any proposition to be certain in this logical sense, it must be
necessarily true or false.
Propositions such as “Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave,” “God created the world,”
and “the Bible contains sixty-six books” cannot attain logical certainty nor can informative
propositions about history, geography, physics, astronomy, or home economics, nor can any
worldview. Once one leaves the area of purely formal reasoning for the world of blood, sweat,
and tears, one is required to abandon logical certainty for probability. Informative judgments
about particular things and events (or collections of things and events) can never rise above
probability. This is not a cause for regret as Edward John Carnell once observed: This
admission that Christianity’s proof for the resurrection of Christ cannot rise above probability
is not a form of weakness, it is rather an indication that the Christian is in possession of a
worldview which is making a sincere effort to come to grips with actual history. Christianity
is not a deductively necessary system of thought which has been spun out of a philosopher’s
head, wholly indifferent to the march of human history below it.
But even though no worldview can rise above logical probability, it may still be believed with
moral certainty. A single proposition or system of propositions that is only probable in the
logical sense may still generate certainty in the psychological or moral sense.
The word rationalist has many meanings but in this context the author is a rationalist in the
sense that he believes the following:
·
Human beings can know things not derivable through sense experience
·
The laws of logic apply to every level of being. Whenever we encounter a logical
contradiction, we can be certain that we are in the presence of error.
Most people who reject Christianity treat it as a refuge for enemies of reason, the truth is that
there may be no worldview in the history of the human race that has a higher regard for the
laws of logic. The respect for the laws of logic is an essential part of the Christian worldview
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
113
that worldview is understood correctly. There are large numbers of Christians who are
irrationalists in their understanding and portrayal of the Christian faith, but some people are
deficient in their grasp of the Christian worldview and in their understanding of what the laws
of logic, especially the law of non-contradiction are all about.
Nash writes that W.T. Stacie (former Princeton Univ. philosopher), states, religion is actually
against logic. “Should we say that there is contradiction in the nature of God himself, in the
ultimate being? Once logic is disavowed, God can be both one and two (or two thousand) at
the same time and in the same sense. If a distinction can be drawn between a monistic God
and a dualistic or pluralistic deity, than logic must have some relevance after all. Once logic is
denied, inconsistency becomes a virtue.
IS RELIGION ABOVE LOGIC?
Nash makes note of the following:
·
Thomas Torrance(theologian in the Church of Scotland and disciple of Karl Barth),
thinks human knowledge about God is impossible and human forms of reasoning
are completely incapable of understanding truth and reason as it exists in the
mind of God. Problem - if the principles of logic are as tentative and mutable as
Torrance suggest, how can one have any confidence in the validity of Torrance’s
own reasoning? If God himself cannot reveal timeless truths or universally valid
information, what leads Torrance to think that he can. Does Torrance believe that
he can do something that God cannot?
·
Herman Dooyewerd (Dutch philosopher of the Boundary Theory), believers feel
that human reasoning can be “valid” only on the human side of the Boundary.
No human reasoning can bring us to a knowledge of what is true beyond the
Boundary. If human reason is valid only on the side of the Boundary, then any
inferences the Christian might draw from the Bible (such as the belief that God is
transcendent) must be an illegitimate application of human reason.
Non-contradiction: if anything (call A) is a member of the class (call B), A cannot under any
condition also (at the same time and the same sense) be a member of the complementary
class of non-B. The class of non-man is the compliment of the class of man. The claim that
Socrates is also a member of the class of non-B (non-man) is tantamount to saying that
Socrates is everything else in the universe except man.
PROVING THE LAW OF NON-CONTRADICTION
This law cannot be proven. Any argument offered as proof for the law would of necessity
114
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
have to assume the law as part of the proof. Any direct proof of the law would end up being
circular. There is no difference between driving on the right side of a divided highway and
driving on the left side, there is a difference.
THE NOTION OF SELF-REFERENTIAL ABSURDITY
A condition necessary falsehood or logical nonsense. Example of Logical Positivism- “God
exist” is neither true nor false, they were meaningless.
J. P. Moreland (philosopher) another corollary of naturalism that is self-refuting is physicalism,
which is the position that “the only thing which exists is matter (where matter is defined by
an ideal, completed form of physical).” According to the physical view of man, Moreland
observes, “a human being is just a physical system. There is no mind or soul, just a brain
and central nervous system, Physicialism denies the existence of a genuine agent who
deliberates and chooses positions because they are rational, an act possible only if physical
factors are not sufficient for determining future behavior.
EVIDENTIALISM
W. K. Clifford captured the essence of evidentialism: “It is wrong always, everywhere, and for
anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.”
The argument of the typical anti-theistic evidentialist:
1. It is irrational to accept theistic belief in the absence of sufficient evidence
2. There is insufficient evidence to support belief in God
3. Therefore, belief in God is irrational
All beliefs are guilty until proved innocent. The claim usually assumes the form that all
religious beliefs are guilty until proved innocent. While nonbelievers are never obligated to
begin by proving that God does not exist, believers are supposedly under the obligation to
prove that God does exist.
The wise Christian will see reason, the laws of logic, as a friend of his worldview. The test
of reason creates embarrassing problems for a number of worldview beliefs that are held by
enemies of theism. Possibly the test of reason is a two –edged sword.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
115
Two most important challenges the Christian faith faces:
·
The accusation concerns the alleged inconsistency between what Christians believe
about God and the troubling presence in God’s creation of all kinds of evil. Anyone, the
charge goes, who believes that an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God created a
world with evil so pervasive is guilty somehow of believing a contradiction.
·
The Christian belief in the Incarnation, the belief that Jesus Christ is both fully God and
fully man. If ever there was a contradiction, critics argue, that is it.
THE DEDUCTIVE PROBLEM OF EVIL
The problem of evil rests on several essential Christian beliefs about God appear to be
incompatible with the fact of evil in the world. Christians believe that God is totally good, all
knowing, and all –powerful. We believe that God created the world. The difficulties that these
beliefs engender with respect to evil are obvious:
1. If God is good and loves all human beings, it is reasonable to believe that he wants to
deliver the creatures he loves from evil and suffering.
2. If God is all-knowing, it is reasonable to believe that he knows how to deliver his
creatures from evil and suffering.
3. If God is all-powerful, it is reasonable to believe that he is able to deliver his creatures
from evil and suffering.
It seems reasonable to believe the following:
·
God doesn’t want to eliminate evil (casting doubt on his goodness)
·
God doesn’t know how (raising questions about his knowledge)
·
God lacks the power (raising questions about His almightiness)
Based on the above statement, many conclude that the existence of evil in the world makes it
unlikely that God exists.
British philosopher J. L. Mackie, a deductive version advocate, in a 1955 article wrote, “It can
be shown not that religious beliefs lack rational support, but that they are positively irrational,
that the several parts of the essential theological doctrine are inconsistent with one another.”
Since a contradictory set of beliefs is necessarily false, the deductive version of the problem
of evil would if sound, pose the most serious threat possible to Christian theism. The problem
arises because of a supposed contradiction that lies in the following six propositions:
116
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
·
God exists
·
God is omnipotent
·
God is omniscient
·
God is omnibenevolent
·
God created the world
·
The world contains evil
The list of Christian belief is shown to be logically consistent, from which it follows that the
deductive problem of evil has been answered. The existence of evil in the world cannot be
used to demonstrate a logical inconsistency at the heart of Christian belief.
Nothing significant follows from the fact that Christians may admit they don’t know God’s
reason for permitting evil.
THE INCARNATION
Christians use the word “incarnation” to express their belief that the birth of Jesus Christ
marked the entrance of the eternal and divine Son of God into the human race. Incarnation
is an essential Christian belief. If this doctrine is false, the Christian faith is false. Correct
thinking about Jesus Christ diminishes neither his full and complete humanity nor his full and
complete deity. Jesus Christ is God. But he is also human. Any wavering with regards to
either claim results in a defective Christology and a heretical faith.
The target for opponents of historic Christian faith is Incarnation, not only because it is a
central belief, but also because it seems susceptible to the charge that this is one point where
Christians do believe a logical contradiction.
A being simply cannot be God if he lacks omnipotence, omniscience, and the like. According
to Thomas Morris in his book (The Logic of God Incarnate) if we first understand and then
properly apply the three major distinctions, we can work our way out of this problem:
·
The distinction between essential and nonessential properties
·
The distinction between essential and common properties
·
The distinction between being fully human and merely human
The word “property” refers to any feature or characteristic of something
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
117
Everything has properties and one way we refer to them is in using them as predicates
applied to a given subject.
Two type of properties - Essential and Nonessential Properties
Essential property is one that cannot be changed or lost without the object in question
ceasing to be the kind of thing it is. Essential to being God includes the following necessary
existence are omnipotence, omniscience, and sinlessness etc.
Essential and Common Properties
“Jesus was fully human without being merely human.” Jesus possessed all the properties
that are essential to being a human being. Jesus possessed all the properties that are
essential to deity. Once Christians arm themselves with the distinctions noted, they are
equipped to counter the critic’s accusation that orthodox Christology is self-contradictory.
Orthodox understanding of the Incarnation:
1. Jesus Christ is fully God, he possesses all the essential attributes or properties of God
2. Jesus Christ is fully human, he possesses all the essential properties of human being,
none of which turn out to be the limiting properties that weigh so heavily in the argument
of the critic, such as lacking omniscience
3. Jesus Christ was not merely human, he did not possess any of the limitation properties
noted that are in fact complements of the divine attributes
The writer notes that once these distinctions are applied to the alleged contradiction that
Christian opponents claim exists in the Incarnation, the contradiction disappears.
Opponents of Christian theism have not given up on the problem of evil but they have turned
to a different way of formulating the problem. Their move from the discredited deductive to
an inductive form of the problem of evil is a shift from the strong claim that theism is logically
false to the more modest assertion that it is probably false. According to advocates of the
inductive problem of evil, evil tips the scale of probability against theism. The existence of evil
makes theistic belief improbable or implausible. Most attempts to answer the problem of evil
are variations on one basic theme, that God permits evil either to make possible some greater
good or to avoid some greater will.
The fact that the theist doesn’t know why God permits evil is interesting, but by itself it shows
little or nothing relevant to the rationality of belief in God. Some Christians draw attention
to the importance of humans living in an orderly universe governed by a law as a plausible
reason for some kinds of evil.
118
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
British philosopher F. R. Tennant wrote:
It cannot be too strongly insisted that a world which is to be a moral order must be a physical
order characterized by law or regularity…Without such regularity in physical phenomena,
there could be no probability to guide us… no prediction, no prudence, no accumulation of
ordered experience, no pursuit or premeditated ends, no formation of habit, no possibility
of character or of culture. Our intellectual faculties could not have developed…And without
rationality, morality is impossible.
Michael Peterson in his book (Evil and the Christian God) notes, “That same water which
sustains and refreshes can also drown; the same drug which relieves suffering can cause
crippling psychological addiction; the same sun which gives light and life can parch fields and
bring famine; the same neural arrangements which transmit intense pleasure and ecstasy can
also bring extreme pain and agony.”
According to Nash, another approach to God’s possible reasons for allowing evil…soul
making. In order for God to produce the virtuous beings with whom he wants fellowship,
these individual must face challenges that teach them the intrinsic worth of virtues God
possesses, perfectly. God, according to the writer, has good reasons for placing us in an
environment that challenges and tests us.
The Problem of Gratuitous Evil Reasons
·
If God exists, then all evil has a justifying reason
·
But it is not the case that all evil has a justifying reason
·
Therefore, God does not exist
The most any human can claim to know is that evil that appears gratuitous is present.
It appears that many advocates of non-Christian worldviews are guilty of inconsistencies
when they talk about evil in the way they must talk for any problem of evil to exist.
Opponents of Christianity who eagerly and gleefully throw this issue into the face of Christians
need to pay more attention to difficulties that follow the incoherence their theories introduce
into their worldviews.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
119
THE CHURCH UNDER SIEGE
Norman Geisler author of (False Gods of Our Time), stated Atheism has infiltrated our major
social structures, including politics, education, and religion. Secular humanism cannot be
compatible to Christianity. Secular humanists believe that they have a duty to “liberate”
mankind from Christianity.
Pantheism has swept through American society ion the guise of fads, sometime in bold
costumes of “scientific in principles” or wholistic living”. Pantheism makes everything God.
This posture degrades God and makes him nothing of value.
Panthheism and atheism has affected our morals, both remove any objective, absolute
values or ethics from our world, reducing us and our actions to biochemical reactions
(materialistic atheism) or karmic destiny (pantheism).
CATEGORIES OF BELIEF
This chart shows that none of these views of God fits reality and reason except for
Christian theism. All gods except for the Christian God are false gods of our times.
no god(s)
gods(s)
(atheism)
___________________________________________________
many gods
one god
(polytheism)
___________________________________________________
Identified with
distinct from
universe (patntheism,universe
panentheism)
___________________________________________________
finite
infinite
(finite godism)
___________________________________________________
120
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
never does
sometimes does
miracles (deism)
miracles (theism)
ATHEISM ATTACKS GOD
Atheism does not result from any lack of evidence that God is there, but rather from a willful
rejection of the abundant evidence that God is there.
PANTHEISM ATTACKS GOD
Pantheism is not rational, its claims are self-defeating, it cannot be proved, its view of God
is inconsistent, it has no adequately, it destroys the distinction between good and evil, and
encourages indifference to human suffering. Pantheism fails to usurp Christianity. Like
atheism, pantheism cannot provide an adequate world view. It must be abandoned for the
reasonableness and truth of Christian theism.
NATURALISM ATTACKS MIRACLES
Atheistic and pantheistic attacks on miracles gave a strong Christian defense of the
supernatural… the miraculous intervention of the Almighty Creator, God, into this universe
which is his creation. Miracles are not optional to Christian belief… they are integral to
Christina belief. If there are no miracles, there is no resurrection. If there is no resurrection,
then Christ is not resurrected, and he is not God.
Apostle Paul stated the following in (1Corinthians 15:17-19) the following:
If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are all men most to be pitied.
Christian theism with its miracles, epitomized by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the
ultimate testimony to the superiority of supernaturalism over naturalism.
The Christian’s biggest and best tool is The Bible! We have the full inspiration of the Bible.
Churches and denominations are formed because of “worldviews”.
ATHEISM ATTACKS CHRIST
All atheists deny that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, giving a variety of inadequate guesses
to try to account for the overwhelming evidence of the resurrection’s reality. We should be
careful to note that the New Testament documents are historically, realiable. They tell us the
truth about Christ and his death and resurrection. Christ was not mythologized, he died on
the cross, He rose miraculously, from the dead. The Jesus Christ of Scripture is the Jesus
Christ of fact.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
121
PANTHEISM ATTACKS CHRIST
Panthheism attacks the person and work of Jesus Christ. They see Christ as an occult
magician. Some see him as divine only in some limited sense as all of us are divine,
part of the all-encompassing God. Pantheists directly contradict the Bible by refusing to
acknowledge Jesus as the Christ. They do not believe that Jesus Christ is unique.
Pantheists attack the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, referring, instead to reincarnation or
absorption into the divine mind. Christian faith can meet and refute every challenge from the
pantheists concerning Jesus Christ.
Christianity is superior to any other belief system. God and Christ are victorious: Truth is in
Jesus Christ, not in any man-made system of atheism or pantheism.
(Norman Geisler, (False Gods of Our time- A Defense of the Christian Faith) It is important that we
understand that while much of the Old Testament writings were specific to the culture of the
time, but the principles persist through culture of all times.
It has been stated that the most comprehensive and illuminating survey of Americans’
religious beliefs ever conducted Paul Froese & Christopher Bader discussion in their book
America’s Four Gods systematically, explores how Americans view God. They argue that
many America’s most intractable social and political divisions arise from religious convictions
that are deeply held but rarely discussed. Froese and Bader trace America’s cultural diversity
to this ultimate source –differing beliefs about God. They show that regardless of religious
tradition (or lack thereof), Americans worship four distinct deities: The Authoritative God, who
is both engaged with the world and judgmental; the Benevolent God, who loves and in spite
of our failings; the Critical God, who catalogs our sins but does not punish them (at least not
in this life); and the Distant God, who stands apart from the world. The authors show that
these four images of God form the basis of our worldviews and are among the most powerful
predictors of our feelings on America’s most contentious issues.
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
The universality of the idea of God means its necessity, or that under the proper conditions
it is spontaneous to the moral and religious constitution of the mind. Some would have us
believe that the universality of the belief is accounted for by tradition. But man is depraved
and “does not like to retain the knowledge of God in his heart.” Had not the idea of God been
native to the human mind, this antagonism of the sensibilities, strengthened by vicious habits,
would long ago have led most races to its utter abandonment. It is the innateness of the
idea that has perpetuated it in human thought and feeling.” Nothing else can account for its
persistence and universality. And it is to this that God always appeals in His other revelations.
122
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
There must be something in man that can respond to the truth which God would reveal
when He says, “Thus sayeth the Lord”. Many of the cults have a common thread. . . that of
“immoral” acts. Our intuitions must give us objective truth. It is duly noted that no mental
faculty can be more trustworthy than the intuitive. If our intuitions are not truths, no results
of our mental processes can be trusted. Our sense-perceptions can have no warrant of
truthfulness.
Men have found themselves mistaken in all their interpretation of sense-
perceptions, and in mental processes, while no intuition has ever been found untrue. The
ideal of God is wrought into the very nature of man. His mental faculties are trustworthy, and
he is capable of knowledge. The intuitions of his reason are absolute truths. Therefore, the
intuition of God in the moral reason of the race proves His existence.
In Conclusion, while this study has not altered, or strengthened my personal understanding
of God’s view of humanity, it has helped me become even more comfortable in sharing that
He, indeed, is real and His truths should be shared on a more consistent basis. One might
ask the question, what would it take for him/her to change his/her life. As in the scriptures,
(Zechariah 4:6), The Messenger Angel speaks to Zerubbabel, head of the tribe of Judah and
shares a “Thus Sayeth The Lord” sent that it is not by might, nor by power, but His spirit.
While the disciples gave witness to the fact that Jesus, in his might, raised Lazarus from the
dead, but that didn’t change their lives. He even exhibited his power when Peter walked on
the water, but they were simply amazed. It was by his spirit that change came. In the flesh
Jesus couldn’t change the lives of the disciples.
Without the Holy Spirit, all the miracles, sermons, and voices meant nothing. Experience
won’t change one’s life. It is the Holy Spirit that changes one’s life.
The Holy Spirit has a body, and that body is us. He came as a cloud, a dove, a pillar of fire.
(Exodous 13:21) It is up to us to impact the “worldview” of others.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
123
WEEK 5 ASSIGNMENTS
Prior to class, please complete the following:

Submit integration paper reflecting your understanding of Crisis &
Trauma Counseling gained from the assigned reading.


What are the 8 elements of crisis intervention?
Discuss the biblical principles and applications regarding
crisis counseling gained from the assigned reading.


Share your insights on the destructive elements in counseling.
Include in your summary, how effective this class has been for
you.

Please print out your DISC profile in color and bring it to the “faceto-face” final class. Online students may submit questions prior to
the final class for clarity of
DISC interpretations.

Local students attend face-to-face classes. Online students can
watch the recorded face-to-face classes 1 week after the class date.
LEADERSHIP III
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Allen, Owen. Preactive Leadership. Management House Books. Denver CO, 2012.
DiSC. Inscape Publishing.
Finzel, Hans.Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. David Cook Publishing. Colorado Springs, CO,
2007.
Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN, 2007.
Morgan, Tony, Developing a Theology of Leadership (Kindle edition, 2011)
Nash, Ronald H., Worldviews In Conflict: Choosing Christianity in a World of Ideas. Zondervan
Publishing House. Grand Rapids, MI 1992
Roberts Jr., Bob. Glocalization: How Followers of Jesus Engage a Flat World. Zondervan.
Grand Rapids, MI, 2007.
Wright, Dr. H. Norman, The Complete Guide to Crisis & Trauma Counseling. Regal Publishing,
Ventura, CA, 2011.
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
125
St. Peter’s Church & World Outreach Center
3683 Old Lexington Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27107
(336) 650-0200
[email protected]