About the Leadership Learning Series
We are likely at all different points in our leadership development journey. Some of you may be right at the beginning – starting to lead a small group or managing your first big project. Others are much farther along – shepherding a large staff team or providing strategic leadership for a sizable ministry. But none of us are at the finish line. Leaders are continually growing, adapting, and learning. The Leadership Learning Series includes virtual workshops, book clubs, and webinars designed to develop and enhance leadership and management skills. You'll have a chance to learn from leaders in the church, ministry, and the marketplace, as well as connect with other staff, leaders, and supervisors within Reliant.
One of the goals for the series is to provide opportunities for you to learn from speakers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. The speakers selected will all be Christians dedicated to the Gospel. As a broadly evangelical mission agency, Reliant's intention is not to endorse or promote any doctrinal position over another but rather to foster a space for conversation, learning, and development.
Past Webinars:
Difficult Conversations in the Workplace
Difficult conversations are an inevitable part of management. Whether it's discussing poor performance or delivering a management decision that the other person may find disappointing, leaders must approach these situations with both confidence and grace.
This interactive workshop will provide you with specific tips and strategies for difficult conversations with staff. Part of the workshop will include virtual breakout groups. With a smaller group of peers, you will have a chance to practice what you've learned as well as discuss some of the challenges and successes you've had.
Note that this workshop will focus on discussions in which a power differential exists in an employment setting (e.g., a supervisor and staff member). While some of the principles may apply, we won't be talking specifically about discipleship conversations or conflict resolution with peers.
Difficult Conversations in the Workplace
Leadership Rhythms of Christ with Eddy Moratin
Ministry is busy. It might feel like you are pulled in a million different directions every day. This is not a new phenomenon. Even Jesus experienced a constant flow of demands and pressures during His earthly ministry, yet the Savior of the world recognized the value of slowing down and focusing on the present moment. And He had, unquestionably, the most effective ministry ever.
While now may be one of the busiest seasons of ministry for you, take advantage of this opportunity to learn from an experienced nonprofit and ministry leader. Eddy Moratin shares seven internal self-care habits of Jesus that empowered His outward discipline: Love, Direction, Reflection, Retreat, Listening, Questioning, and Story. With today's challenges, reminding ourselves of these timeless and essential practices that Jesus modeled during His ministry will impact how we lead and care for those around us.
Power Dynamics in Ministry with Dr. Rob Dixon
The reality of our world is that some people have more power than others. That's true even in churches and ministries. As Christians, how do we think conceptually about power? How should we steward the power we have? And is it possible to redistribute power in our teams and ministries? These questions and others were addressed by Rob Dixon. In this webinar, we examine the concept of social power and consider how power works, both for individuals as well as in our ministry communities. You'll be helped to understand how your personal power interacts with the community you are a part of, and you'll emerge with ideas for how to use the power you have to advance your church or ministry's mission in greater measure.
Ahead of viewing the webinar, please make time to reflect on the following questions:
- When you consider the idea of power, what feelings come to mind? Why those feelings?
- How would you define the idea of power in a setting like your church/ministry?
- How do you see power at work in the context of your ministry?
- What questions do you have about power as you think about your work?
Rob Dixon (DIS, Fuller Theological Seminary) is an associate regional ministry director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and senior fellow for gender partnership with the InterVarsity Institute. He is an adjunct professor at Fresno Pacific University and Fuller Theological Seminary and provides training on flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships for numerous organizations around the country.
Further Reading
- Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space and Influence by MaryKate Morse
- Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church by Diane Langberg
- A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing by Laura Barringer and Scot McKnight
- Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power by Andy Crouch
- Subversive Witness: Scripture's Call to Leverage Privilege by Dominique DuBois Gilliard
- Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships by Rob Dixon
Caring for Stressed and Anxious Ministry Staff with Pastor David Outing and panelists Susan Londres-Larrett, Steve Reed, and Paul Standinger
A 2020 American Psychological Association survey revealed that Americans are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress, which they have described as a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come. Ministry staff are certainly not immune from stressors, and it very well may impact their work.
During this webinar, we'll be hearing from counselors and ministry leaders who have spent their careers caring for the mental health and well-being of others. Leaders will have a chance to learn from their wisdom and experience about how to care well for stressed and anxious ministry staff. And you may learn some tips to manage stress and anxiety yourself!
Caring for Stressed and Anxious Ministry Staff
Drowning in Empathy: The Cost of Vicarious Trauma
Spiritual Abuse in the Church: Power to Harm, Power to Heal with Dr. Chuck DeGroat
Why does spiritual abuse seem to thrive in churches? We've seen the news stories and heard the rumors. Maybe we have been hurt by a narcissistic church leader. Dr. Chuck DeGroat has been counseling pastors with Narcissistic Personality Disorder and those wounded by spiritual abuse and narcissistic leaders and systems for over twenty years. He knows firsthand the devastation this leaves in its wake and how insidious and painful it is. In this webinar, Dr. DeGroat takes a close look at spiritual abuse, how it manifests itself, and how churches can address spiritual abuse and create healthy cultures.
