Two weeks ago, we welcomed some of our global heroes at our home office. These are men and women who lead churches and organizations that are committed to fulfilling the Great Commission in several countries of the world. We gathered for five days to celebrate ILI’s twentieth anniversary and to renew our commitment to living a life of bold obedience to God.
Who They Are
Like every true-life hero, these men and women are ordinary followers of Jesus Christ who dare to believe God for extraordinary visions. Sometime during the course of their life, they found themselves wondering what they could do that would make a difference for the building of the Kingdom of God, in a world where more than five billion people are living without the abundant life that Jesus promised and walking towards an eternity without God.
… And then we Met
At some point during the last twenty years, each of these men and women heard about the Eight Core Values of the best visionary leaders. They spent a few days learning about these values and being equipped with practical leadership tools in a Spiritual environment of prayer and worship, seeking God’s presence and direction. Finally, they embraced the challenge to multiply themselves in other leaders around them and embarked with us on a journey that has resulted in one quarter of a million men and women equipped to lead.
What They Embraced
As each of these heroes testifies, they began living and leading by these eight transformational Core Values and teaching others to do the same:
Their intimate relationship with God became a focus in their lives and the foundation for their leadership.
Their hearts began to burn with passion for the world without Christ and for the hurting and suffering – “the least of these.”
They sought God’s direction and He gave them purpose and a vision to pursue.
They honed their Gospel message to the lost and became more effective at reaching those who don’t yet know Christ.
They began investing in other leaders, exponentially multiplying their influence and legacy.
They reordered their lives to make their families top priority in their leadership.
They became faithful stewards of their resources, time, and the gifts of leadership bestowed on them by God.
They have been guarding their integrity by living holy lives who are accountable to others, so they can run the race and finish well (and commit to continue doing so)
The end result is far beyond what I could express with five hundred words. Believers have come to know Christ, followers became disciples, and those grew to become workers. Leaders have been better equipped to serve, churches were planted, and countless lives have been transformed because of these heroes.
Are you a hero, too? What is the foundation of your leadership? How would you measure yourself according to these Eight Core Values? Where do you need to grow? Let us know by posting a comment below. If you haven’t attended one of our training conferences yet, we may be able to connect you with one or more of these heroes, so you can join them.
Data and information are essential for knowing how effective your organization or ministry is, but knowing the right data to measure is the most important key to your success.