There are many parts to the NOW Leadership Initiative (NOWL.I.) — each piece working toward the goal of raising up newleaders in the NOW District. And a series of NOWLeadingPodcast episodes will help walk you through thewho/what/where/when/why/how of this toolkit.
In the first episode (“Get Started! Introducing the NOWLeadership Initiative”), President Paul Linnemann and Dust Kunkel introduce the brand new initiative in the Northwest. “Lift Your Eyes: Raising Up Leaders for God’s Mission” is a focus on identifying new leaders. In it, they unpack the eye-opening resultsfrom a leadership survey conducted across the District and how those results connect with the NOW Leadership Initiative (NOWL.I.).
As President Linnemann noted: “It’s not just professional churchworkers, ordained and commissioned ministers. We’re talking about people who are leaders in congregational ministry as lay people — so people that might fulfill an elder role or a Bible class leader role or a teacher role of some kind. There are also leaders that are responsible for the day-to-day running of an institution:the running of a ministry, managing budgets, and planning. Allthat stuff.”
In the second episode (“Get Rolling! Launching The NOWLeadership Initiative“), the two talk deeper about this new effortfor the NOW District. God’s focus is always outward giving His love away. They set the stage for implementing the toolkit with an important attitude focus on leadership built around God as “The Sending God.”
“It’s doing something and creating a culture that values thisa ctivity and recognizes it as something important for the church todo,” Linnemann said. “Not just so that the institution can survive,but so that the mission of God can move forward.” In the third installment of this series (“Get Looking! “I See InYou” — Implementing The NOW Leadership Initiative”) President Linnemann shares his own story of someone looking athim as a leader before he ever saw leadership in himself. “There’s just been a lot of twists and turns in that journey, but it really started with somebody saying ‘I see this in you,'” he said. After a quick listen to these episodes (each under 15 minutes inlength), you will gain a deeper understanding of the NOWLeadership Initiative (NOW L.I.) — and be ready to join the effort.
