CrossCulture Event Encourages Student Leaders to "Dream Big"

CrossCulture Event Encourages Student Leaders to "Dream Big":

HAMILTON, ONTARIO - Twice a year, 120 youth and young adults from the Hamilton area gather together at a CrossCulture event for a time of teaching and practical service at local ministries or community groups.

Now in its sixth year, CrossCulture is run by TrueCity Hamilton's Youth Network in partnership with International Teams. The day-long event provides an opportunity for young leaders to gather for breakfast, participate in a time of worship and testimony, and then go out to pre-arranged service sites. Everyone returns at the end of the day for worship, a message, and a time of prayer.

Esther Dillabough co-founded CrossCulture while attending Redeemer University. 'I was part of a team that essentially operated as a think tank, providing a place for students to create outreach opportunities and get other students involved. The idea for CrossCulture came to me and another student and eventually spread to other churches in the city who had a similar vision: to bring people together for a day and provide teaching around how to integrate worship, service, and social justice into a lifestyle, and then provide practical opportunities to serve at local agencies and churches.'

??Esther sees the events as a great way to really connect people with their community. 'We wanted to see what it would look like to serve together and make a bigger impact in the city. We partner with existing ministries, so we can encourage them and learn more about them, ultimately exposing people to ministries they may not even know existed in their own community. Often CrossCulture serves as a catalyst that leads to long-term involvement with these ministries and with our community.'

For CrossCulture's student leaders, many of whom are students at Redeemer University, it is an invaluable opportunity to be stretched and to truly invest in the youth and young adults that come to the event. As they near graduation, students on the planning team are responsible for replacing themselves, a process that Esther says is exciting to watch. 'Our leaders do a really great job of identifying in their peer group someone who has leadership potential and would be a good fit to help plan the next CrossCulture. It is really fun to see the younger students come onto the team and develop those skills.'

The 10th CrossCulture event took place on March 26. As they look ahead, Esther asks for prayer that the CrossCulture team will continue to dream big. 'We hope and pray that God would give students big dreams, and that youth pastors and church staff around the city would continue to help them make these dreams a reality.'

Where the Sidewalk Ends (Repost from Rwanda Mama)

One thing that I love / live for / look forward to... are garage sales in Kigali.
Never really went to a garage sale when I lived in Canada but here - you can't keep me away!
Most happen when embassy or NGO people leave after their 2 or 3 year contract is finished. Oh the treasures they can have... chocolate chips, books, brown sugar, molasses, DVD's, fajitia seasoning, etc. etc.

I went to one last Saturday between gettting the team settled into painting one of our houses for former street kids and getting them lunch. One of the treasures I found... 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'!

I SO remember getting this book of poems read to me in I don't know what primary grade and then signing it out of the library to read by myself at home. Needless to say I snagged it and when I arrived home to my kids, I promptly sat them down for a poetry reading.

Nothing like the things that bring my two worlds together.

I am writing these poems
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
So please excuse the handwriting
Which may not be too clear.
But this afternoon by the lion's cage
I'm afraid I got too near.
And I'm writing these lines
From inside a lion,
And it's rather dark in here.
By Shel Silversteien

Next garage sale... tomorrow!!

Lead with All the Senses

Lead with All the Senses from The Soderquist Center on Vimeo.

WHAT CAN I DO?! Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are

Guest post by David Livermore: Great leader and researcher. Great friend with a great challenge!

My newest book, What Can I Do: Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are just released. I wrote this primarily for Christian readers who want to make a difference globally but aren’t convinced that a two-week trip overseas or an occasional donation is enough.

I rarely meet someone who doesn’t give a rip about HIV-AIDS, freedom in the Middle East, poverty and disease, human trafficking, or any number of other global challenges facing our generation. But all too often, we’re shamed with another series of statistics about how sweet our lives are compared to most people around the world.

I’m all about seeing our lives in perspective. And I start the book out in that very place—seeing ourselves in light of our global neighbors. But all too often, global types like me stop there. We rant and rave with a global chip on our shoulder trying to get people to care about poverty, disease, and war and we don’t offer people practical steps for what they can actually do about it.

Having sometimes seen those tendencies in myself (apologies to those of you who have been subjected to my personal and public rants), I embarked on this project a few years ago. The book stems from research across many different disciplines and professions.

The main section covers dozens of stories and practical ways we can all make a difference globally—in our families, through our jobs (with chapters devoted to how individuals are doing so through business, art, education, science, health care, etc.), at school, in our communities, etc. It was deeply inspiring to work on this project because I learned so much personally from the many people I interviewed and the stories I encountered.

A more complete review of the book will be available on this website soon.For now, you can download the introduction and a couple sample chapters here: What Can I Do Sample. Feel free to share them with others or use them however you wish. And I’d love to hear your own stories of ways you’re learning to play your part in our global village. The book is available at Amazon and bookstores everywhere.

Global PartnerLink hires Wayne Johnson as new President and CEO

Former Head of Opportunity International Joins Forces with Global PartnerLink
Calgary, Alberta - March 5, 2011

Global PartnerLink announced the hiring of Wayne Johnson as the new President and CEO. Johnson brings over 25 years of sales, marketing, fundraising and international development leadership experience to Global PartnerLink from both private industry and the non-profit community. 

“We are thrilled to have Wayne join the Global PartnerLink team. His proven leadership, creative and innovative style, and international program experience will help us grow to the next level as an organization”, says Ned Benner, Chairmain of the Board, Global PartnerLink.

Johnson previously served as the founding CEO of Opportunity International Canada, Executive Director of a large Christian children’s camp in a major turnaround role, and as the Director of a niche marketing consulting organization, which served over 50 non-profits across Canada, Asia, Latin America and Africa.

“Bible translation is foundational to effective evangelism, church planting and discipleship. It is the missing key for many people groups who are marginalized and often the poorest of the poor. Literacy skills are also crucial, leading to improved education, health, job training, and cultural stability”, adds Johnson.

Keith Pickerill, Executive Director, Seamless Link, of the Christian and Missionary Alliance of Canada sees growth at Global PartnerLink, “…Two years ago Global PartnerLink was launched as a spin off from Wycliffe Bible translators. The objective was to dramatically accelerate the rate of scripture translation by working alongside organizations led and staffed by nationals, not westerners. There are still over 2000 languages around the world that still do not have the scriptures in their own mother tongue, or heart language,” explains Pickerill. “Wayne will help us as Canadians do our part in ensuring that people from every people, tribe and nation will be able to worship God in their own heart language… ”

Global PartnerLink works in 13 of the world’s poorest countries with 16 nationally led and staffed Bible translation and literacy organizations. They fund and facilitate 60 translation and literacy projects involving 80 indigenous languages spoken by over 3,000,000 people. Within 8 years Global PartnerLink plans on being involved in an additional 140 unreached languages and people groups.

www.globalpartnerlink.ca

Congratulations Wayne ... you will do a great job!

Hope in Forgiveness

I came across this quote from Miroslav Volf recently, and its challenged me to think and act! Read it slowly or perhaps a few times as I did.

"Forgiveness is the boundary between exclusion and embrace. It heals the wounds that the power-acts of exclusion have inflicted and breaks down the dividing wall of hostility. Yet it leaves a distance between people, an empty space of neutrality, that allows them either to go their separate ways in what is sometimes called 'peace' or to fall into each other's arms and restore broken communion.

Much more than just the absence of hostility sustained by the absence of contact, peace is communion between former enemies. Beyond offering forgiveness, Christ's passion aims at restoring such communion--even with the enemies who persistently refuse to be reconciled."

The truth is, this forgiveness thing has been on my mind for some time. If I'm honest, I have to admit that I've got a lot of work to do in this department! So I've built a daily habit of "forgive - release - bless". Simply put, I reflect and pray about people, situations, conflicts, etc., and then ask for insight on who I need to fully forgive, then release them and ask God to bless them.

Note that in all these cases, the presenting issues or conflict are over. Where needed, I've asked for forgiveness and in some cases, I've been asked to extend it. What I'm working on now is finishing the job ... doing the remedial work in my own soul so that I can truly "release and bless".

As I've practiced this simple ritual since December 2010, I've been surprised by:

1. The number of people I've needed to "release and bless"
2. The cumulation of negative stuff that needs active attention to dismiss
3. The freedom and "more positive" outlook in my own soul

Recently I was prompted to add one more feature to this soul work. That is, in the case of a very old wound, I needed to call a trusted friend and tell him that I had forgiven, released and blessed someone we both knew. It felt good to bless and be blessed by my friend ... by healing the old wound, not reopening it! 

I wish I could say, "follow these three simple steps and you'll be fixed for life", but I can't. Somehow God cherishes us in our journey away from brokenness, so I imagine that people like you and me still have a lot of work to do in this soul area.

However, I can say that in each situation (or person) that I've released and blessed ... I feel much less blame or self-justification and ton more compassion. I've begun to feel that 'neutral space between', that is peace. This is a huge reward in my own soul.

So join me in changing the world, by finding hope in forgiveness. Try the ritual of "forgive - release - bless" for a week and see what happens in your own soul.

Rejoicing and Rebuilding in South Sudan

Rejoicing and Rebuilding in South Sudan: February 18, 2011: Gord Skopnik, Program Leader for Impact Southern Sudan with International Teams Canada, was in Sudan in 2005 for the signing of the Naivasha Agreement, a comprehensive peace agreement struck between the north and the south in order to end the Sudanese Civil War and develop democratic governance country-wide. As part of the agreement, a referendum was scheduled for January 2011, giving the people of South Sudan the opportunity to vote on the issue of succession from Sudan as a whole. Gord remembers the 2005 agreement as a great cause for celebration, and feels that the referendum results (98% in favour of succession) is an even greater reason for the people of South Sudan, many of whom have been displaced, to rejoice.

With the referendum on the horizon, many people began over the past few years to return to Sudan from refugee camps in Congo, Kenya, and Uganda to re-establish and start life over again. The returnees, some armed with supplies provided by the UN, have been faced with the difficult challenge of rebuilding their lives in their homeland, as thousands and thousands have returned to a devastated country without an infrastructure in place to support them.
Still, Gord says, the refugees continue to move forward. 'It is very exciting for them, that they can come back to their homeland and find it relatively safe. With the exception of some disputed areas, the country has been fairly peaceful, and the peace was maintained even throughout the vote. With the results of the referendum, they feel more secure to start work on the reconstruction of their country. Outside countries can now get involved due to the end of the embargo on Sudan as a whole, and the Southern Sudanese will receive aid to help in the reconstruction of their country.'

Gord says that his personal prayer for Sudan, and what he has been preaching to both the local people and government and community leaders, is that they would maintain their integrity in Christ, and abstain from corruption. 'These things have destroyed much of north and east Africa. Because the governments are full of leaders without integrity, countries break down and fail. I don't want to see that for Sudan. I'm excited to see the rebirth of a country that is built on Christian integrity, morality, and principles.'

An excerpt from South Sudan Oyee, the proposed national anthem of South Sudan:

Oh Eden! Land of milk and honey and hardworking people,
Uphold us united in peace and harmony.
The Nile, valley, forests and mountains
Shall be our sources of joy and pride.
So Lord bless South Sudan!

Life in the slow lane

If you know me, then you know I'm an Eagles fan. While I love the guitar work in the song, "Life in the Fast Lane", I'd never want to live the lyrics.  As it turns out, I may not be the only one who doesn't connect with them ...

Life in the Fast Lane drains my will to live. I abhor this one. I loathe this song with every fiber of my being. (Music critic from the Louisville Examiner)

And hey, as an adult with ADHD, Dyslexia with a little OCD thrown in ... I have my share of "brain in the fast lane"!

But this post is about a leadership discipline that could be called, moving to life in the slow lane. It something I recognize but really struggle to put into practice. To be honest, I'm working on it these days and getting some traction, so its easier to write about it now.

The truth is, there is a huge set of encouragements, even rewards for being a "manic leader". You know, on the go, productive, involved and busy! And if you are like me and you love what you do ... and you love the people you do it with ... why not just keep up the manic pace?

Any sane person can recognize a bunch of reasons to slow down the pace, but let me suggest that you'll never be the leader you were called to be unless you take time to reflect.

Whether you lead a small group, a department or an entire organization, there are insights and directions that can only be discovered "away from the action." And, if you lead other leaders, they will observe your style and emulate your best (and worst) characteristics.

The more significant decisions require the most reflection. That means, looking through the lens of past performance, present reality and future possibility. Of course, no matter what the circumstance, this must be done with a sense of hope.

When we embrace reality and look honestly at what could be, we meet our God who continues to create and transform. As leaders, we regain the sense of hope that what is, can be changed and it can be change for good.

For me, this sense of hope comes when I move into the slow lane and take precious time to reflect. So I take time every day to reflect on major decisions, then each week I take some extended time and every quarter, I take time away from the action ... mostly to be reflective.

Lots more I could say, but this is a good start ... so, join me in the slow lane!

Fun Infographic on cell phone useage

Via: Online IT Degree