Announcing the 2012 Enriching Retreat

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Rob Loane

We are a few months away from an annual highlight on our VP3 calendar The Enriching Retreat. We are gathering at a U.S. location this year, Green Lake, Wisconsin (October 5-7, 2012) for a time of shared reflection and discussion, pause and prayer. Randy Reese and I will be inviting a conversation around the topic of “Guiding Others on Their Leadership Journey.”

For so many of us the Spirit is inviting us to pay attention, to move beyond the work of leading to the work of developing and guiding others as leaders. For others of us we are needing time to slow down and to reflect upon what the Lord is up to in our context and in our person. How can we help our communities pay attention and discover God’s good work with us and among us?

We are excited that this years conversation will flow out of our forthcoming book Deep Mentoring: Guiding Others on Their Leadership Journey (IVP, to be released October 2012). We hope you and folks from your community will consider joining us for this unique opportunity. All of this is offered in the beautiful autumn setting of the Green Lake Conference Center. We are prayerfully looking forward to the conversation that develops at this year’s retreat. Click here for details…

A Few Good Practices

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Randy Reese

It is a good practice to glean what you can from those who know how to practice well. Last week VP3 hosted a webinar called, “Best Practices in Local Church Leadership Development.” Three panelists joined our time to share what they have learned over the years regarding an investment in the formation of those within their local communities.

Pam, Kent and Beth are seasoned at knowing how to notice the particulars of those whom they walk alongside. All three know how to “call out” what they see dormant in peoples’ lives. They are careful, yet direct in making appropriate and tailored prescriptions, helping people move toward a better place of maturity and a truer place of service. Quite frankly, I was impressed with the practices they keep in this sometimes misunderstood deal of leadership development. Their practice grows from a conviction that leadership development from a Christian perspective is first and always tethered to helping people tend to their followership to Jesus Christ. You will benefit from listening in on what they said. Here are some highlights… Continue reading →

A lesson that has been lingering…

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Rob Loane

During the month of March my wife and I led a mission team down to southern Brazil to serve at a ministry called Chain of Love. For two-and-a-half weeks we immersed ourselves in this community that provides, loving, secure, and caring homes for abandoned and abused street children in Brazil. If ever I encountered a “visual aid” for God’s kingdom work in the world today, it was there.

Chain of Love and the 100+ kids and staff became my teacher in so many ways. A central lesson that has been lingering with me is the importance in God’s economy of simply being with people.

The first day we arrived at Chain of Love Chris Kidd, a NAB missionary and administrator at Chain of Love briefed us on our 2 weeks. His initial words that night centered upon the importance of developing relationships with the children by spending time with the kids. He warned that this might be a bit harder than we might think for us task-oriented North Americans. Continue reading →

Empowered to Lead: A ‘Look’ at The Equipping Experience

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Brian Steenhoek

In the bigger picture of the VantagePoint3 processes, The Equipping Experience is a natural next step for those wanting to continue the discovery process begun in The Emerging Journey, with a particular eye towards the skills associated with the work of leadership. Like Emerging, it is an 8-9 month process in four stages that adds to one’s learning, practical skills for doing the work and activity of leadership. Continue reading →

A Gathering of Saints

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Randy Reese

Last week twenty-seven of us gathered together in Sioux Falls for a retreat. By the end of our two days together we realized we were no ordinary group of twenty-seven people. We became a remarkable community of brothers and sisters in need of some space, perspective, words, silence and friendship. The theme for our gathering was “A Sacred Heart.” The hope for the gathering can be heard in David’s prayer, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me (Ps 51:10).

There are no shortage of things that get us entangled and snared along the way of this deal we call ministry. This unusual gathering of saints had plenty of tangles and snares to share, but more so plenty of presence, experience and from time to time a word or two to offer. Continue reading →

Potential Next Steps…

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Brian Steenhoek

This is the time of year that many of The Emerging Journey groups are beginning to see that the end is in sight, and some in your groups may be wondering, “OK, what’s next?” If that’s the case, let me suggest some “next steps” for your participants and possibly your church in the bigger picture of the VP3 process. Continue reading →

The “Work” of Leadership

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Brian Steenhoek

When I completed my seminary work and entered my first role as an ordained pastor, one of the things that became eminently clear were the limitations to the preparation I had received for ministry. Hermeneutics, biblical studies, systematic theology and sermon preparation, were important skills that seminary had done an excellent job in preparing me. However, it was the ‘work’ of leadership and my on-going spiritual formation that seemed to be at the forefront of what the church was demanding from me in my new found role as a pastor. Continue reading →

Wrong or Right?

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Randy Reese

VantagePiont3 has been around for about a dozen years. In that time we have encountered remarkable changes in the lives of hundreds of people who have gone through one or more of our processes. And, we have also been able to see some of the ripple effects from those changed lives upon their local church communities. We have experienced in good measure James Houston’s wise words, “Shape the person and you shape everything else.”

This work I’m a part of at VP3 is such a good work…a deepening and empowering of peoples lives so that they might participate more fully in the ongoing Kingdom work of God. But, it has also been a hard work and in my more honest moments I sometimes confess why something so good and consistently life changing has been a rather difficult sell. ”What am I or we doing wrong?” is usually the question that immediately follows such honest moments. Continue reading →

Real Faith…Real Obedience

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Brian Steenhoek

February 2, politicians, cultural influencers and the like (some 4000), gathered in Washington DC, to participate in the National Prayer Breakfast. I am not usually one to pay attention to such occasions, but I was drawn into this event when I heard who was to be the main speaker for the morning. Eric Metaxas, the celebrated biographer of William Wilberforce and, most recently, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was asked to address this distinguished group. As I listened to his words, I was blessed and challenged by his wit and courage. Then I wondered about this quote from Tom Marshall, “The great question today is whether there exists in the Christian church a sufficient reservoir of spiritual strength with the capacity to raise up leaders of the right caliber to meet the challenge of the present leadership vacuum.” I wonder if the church has the kind of capacity to raise up the next Bonhoeffer or Wilberforce. Maybe we need more Ed Tuttles, apprentices of Jesus who have the courage to disciple and mentor people like Eric Metaxas.

Check out the video. I wonder what you find yourself thinking?

Eric Metaxas 2012 National Prayer Breakfast

Discipleship: The Critical Need in Leadership Development Today

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Randy Reese

Today BrianSteenhoek and I facilitated a webinar called, “Discipleship: The Critical Need in Leadership Development Today.” It seemed to scratch an itch from the responses of those who attended. We thought we would offer you a condensed version of some of our notes here. Continue reading →