The vision of the Emerging Leaders Program is to identify, equip and train emerging leaders who aspire to greater levels of responsibility within Teen Challenge. Since the past several months we have been looking at our ELP core value responsibility:

Recruit
Equip and Train
Spirit-filled
Praying
Optimistic
Next-Generation Leaders
who lead Self well
Influence others
Buy into our vision
Invest time and resources
Love the Lost
Inspire others to action
Treat others with dignity

and are Yoked-up with a mentor/coach

This concept of being yoked-up with someone else is God’s heart and Greg Hammond’s desire for a peer culture in Teen Challenge. As we continue to look at our call to raise up sons and daughters, we see in Jeremiah 23:4 the Lord’s promise to Israel “I will also raise up shepherd-leaders [servant leaders] over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord” (NASB). To yoke is “to join, to couple, to link or to unite” such as in a pair of draft animals fastened together by a yoke” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yoked?&o=100074&s=t. A son or daughter is always yoked-up with someone else; they are yoked up with Christ first and then a mentor, coach or disciple – someone who will walk alongside and disciple them so that none will be missing from the fold.

Greg describes it this way:

As a leader, you always need a person; someone who can cast vision for your life and help you reach your destiny. Our leaders learn who they are in Christ (identity), what they have (covenant promises) and where they are to go (destiny) through discipleship. Accountability won’t let you stay where you are. From the on-set our new students are peered with a student leader (an intern, a big brother or a big sister) who offers understanding and lend support to help them think right about the journey and stay the course. We are preparing leaders from the word “go” because everything is preparing them to go to work in the kingdom.”

Our student leaders are also peered with senior leaders who can offer the same support, care and accountability they give to the students. The Rep as a Shepherd-leader tend to sons and daughters – they feed, nurture and lay down their lives for their sheep. At TC we coach, mentor and support our emerging leaders to be the best leader they can be.What is the one-thing you can do today for your sons and daughters? How about helping them to get yoked-up with a mentor or coach? It could be a TC staff, a pastor, a youth leader, a local business person – someone with whom they have established a relationship, who have taken interest in their destiny and can spend time with them. What would happen if each one tend one?

“Teamwork is what makes common people capable of uncommon results.”
~ Pat Summitt

We are on the last two descriptions of our acronym RESPONSIBILITY:

Recruit
Equip and Train
Spirit-filled
Praying
Optimistic
Next-Generation Leaders
who lead Self well
Influence others
Buy into our vision
Invest time and resources
Love the Lost
Inspire others to action
Treat others with dignity

The Golden Rule comes to mind when I think about treating others with dignity. “in everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you” (Matt7:12, NASB).  How often do you see people mis-treating each other? I see it most often at a restaurant; somehow we get the notion that our waiter or waitress is below us because they are serving us. However, Jesus made the point that those who seek to be greatest in the kingdom must first be a servant.

The word treat is defined as “to deal with or develop; to act or behave toward” and dignity as “nobility, elevation of character” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dignity?s=t. We deal with and develop people around us so that they feel noble, exalted, worthy. We place value on them.  Jack Lannom in People First says “we must accept the truth that people possess exalted dignity, exalted worth, and exalted potentiality.”  “One of the chief responsibility of every leader is to communicate as often and as clearly as possible to each one on the team “I believe in you; you are significant; your contributions are meaningful and highly valuable” (Jack Lannom). This week you’ll have plenty of opportunity to treat others with dignity; here is a simple rule of thumb “ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them!” (TM)

In June we hosted our very first Revolutionized Leadership Interactive Webinar and here is what we talked about: The Role of the ELP Rep as Spiritual Parents.  At our last Rep’s webinar we looked at the relationship between spiritual parents and true sons and daughters. Spiritual parents are dependent on God to guide the way that true sons and daughters walk in. God has a part to play and we have a part to play. God’s part is that He will dwell in us, He will walk with us, He will be our God and He has called us His children. Our part? To be separate (Rom 8:14-16).

There are 3 essential ingredients in operation in this relationship between spiritual parents and sons and daughters. Spiritual parents teach the Word of God, the Holy Spirit comes with power and brings revelation and, we are exemplary leaders  before them – a specimen worthy of imitation (1 Thess 1:4-5, NASB). When we teach the Word, truth is revealed to the point where “it’s no longer outward conformity but intrinsic, inward change” (Greg Hammond).

The objectives of operating in the School of the Spirit is our sons and daughters have confidence in God; fear is removed, their beliefs change, their values change and they make the main thing the main thing – dependence on the Holy Spirit is their daily walk. In addition, everything we do is motivated by love and, we teach our sons and daughters to make the first commandment first place in their lives – love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.

So what are 2 or 3 practical things we can do daily to make this process a part of our TC culture? Listen to the recording of the webinar to learn more.

“I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that  I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now, Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again” – Anonymous

Click this Icon to watch the full Revolutionized Leadership Interactive Webinar we had in June 2013!