Below is a blog post by Pete Scazzero on what he learned from Bill Hybels at the Global Leadership Summit this year:

As I sat in the front row listening to Bill Hybel’s first talk at the Leadership Summit a few weeks ago, I was richly blessed. The following are five themes I brought to a time of stillness before God when it was over.  I pray you will consider doing the same.

1. We lead from a God-centered perspective, but we do it imperfectly. (In other words, give yourself grace for mistakes you will inevitably make).

2. You are the most difficult person you will ever lead.

3. A leader’s most valuable asset is not his/her time but their energy.

4. Six by Six (6 by6). What are six things you can do in the next six weeks to offer your best contribution to your organization? Order your life as a leader to stay focused and make the maximum impact you can for God’s kingdom.

5. Thank God for the great privilege to lead.  Only a small percentage of people get to do so in this life. As an 80+ year-old, retired, ex-CEO reminded him: “Enjoy every day you get to lead, it will be over in a blink.”  Amen!

If you were at the Summit, what might you add to this list?

Fall is a busy season for everyone who is involved in serving at a local church.

Unlike any other season, fall brings it a sense of order, planning and anticipation.

Establishing rhythms is essential to survive the fall “kick off season”.

Volunteers and staff alike are in high planning and implementation mode, from September… all the way through until at least July.

How can we be effective, organized and yet not in a state of “overload”?

Rhythms and Rules

One of the core elements of the teaching and training of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is understanding and implementing a rule of life and rhythms.

Planning for these 2 things will in the long run, will decrease stress, increase fulfilment and cause you to feel more centred on God and the purposes He has for your life.

Emotionally healthy spirituality requires quitting unhealthy behaviors in order to model and to enjoy a healthier life. You will want to learn new skills, and begin to do things differently as a leader, both personally and at home. Slow down to spend more time to rest, to be with God, to be with your spouse. Begin exploring and experimenting with Sabbath-keeping and the Daily Office in order to create rhythms and space in your life so that you can abide in Christ more consistently.

Want to know more?

Click here to read an article by Pete Scazzero about The Place of a Rule of Life.

Establishing your own personal rule of life will be worth every effort.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” -  Peter F. Drucker

We’re excited to report that over 250 people who attended the  Emotionally Healthy Leadership Conference in Mississauga and Calgary, signed up to a part of an exclusive online ongoing learning and conversation about this event.

It will give you access to exclusive videos and audio, polls, special resources and an opportunity to create conversation with others on this journey.

We’re calling it Going Deeper, and if you’d like to be a part, email us, and we will send you an invite.

Recently, Scott Cochrane, Executive Director of The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada, attended the Emotionally Healthy Leadership Conference in England.

He was pleasantly surprised by his learnings. He remarked, “Bill Hybels talks about the need for leaders to move people or organizations ‘from here to there’; but every leader will, at some point, feel ‘stuck’ along the way. Pete Scazzero’s Emotionally  Healthy Leadership Conference gives leaders the tools to help figure out how to get things ‘unstuck’.”

Here’s a great post from Pete Scazzero’s blog:

I spent a lot of time reading of about the impact of social media/technology on our formation in Christ along with the importance of learning from other spiritual traditions outside of contemporary evangelicalism to root us deeply in Christ.

What are the lessons I learned?

1. We need to learn from Roman Catholics, Orthodox churches and church history. Remember, Luther was anti-Semite. Calvin drowned an Anabaptist for believing in baptism by immersion. Jonathan Edwards had slaves. Azusa Street, in 1906, split on racism.  While my church historian friend, Dr. Scott Sunquist, reminds me that the roots of evangelicalism in the 18th and 19th century was marked by a generous spirit towards other traditions, that is not the case today.  We are often deeply judgmental and narrow. Our church family genogram since Pentecost has many riches and warts. By studying this history, we can see better what to resist and what to embrace.

2. The Desert Fathers (3rd to 5th century) and monasticism, in particular, have much to teach us today. Their commitment to fashion a desert in order to hear God and cleanse themselves from the idols that filled both the world and the church model for us the kind of leadership we need for the 21st century.  The Celtic missionary movement of the 5th -9th centuries was inspired by the desert hermits of Egypt. St Patrick’s memoirs reveal that his mission to Ireland was preceded by monastic training in what is now France. We too need to listen to these desert fathers today.

3. Business people with resources through history have played strategic roles in expanding Christ’s kingdom. When wealthy people have seen themselves as missionaries, it has been very significant. Our first evidence of a sustained Christian church in India (after Thomas) was a wealthy Persian business person who purchased land for a church, and sponsored a bishop and priests to come from the national Persian church.

4. Christian unity is not an option. It is at the heart of the Gospel we share and live. One of the major reasons Islam became so powerful was the church was divided and divisive in spirit at that time.

5. Ideas matter. We sometimes think we should not get caught up in theological disputes, but some ideas matter a lot. History shows us what ideas are important and which are not. This was especially true of Arius. He thought Jesus was very special, only not God (5th century). That turned out to matter a lot.

6. Conversion of individuals must lead to conversion of cultures. Christians in Ethiopia developed their own music and architecture. The same was true for Christians in Nubia. Every level of society, every expression of culture (media, education, etc) must be permeated by the gospel.

What might you add to this list?

The message of Emotional Healthy Spirituality is spreading across the nations. Recently, Peter Scazzero was in the United Kingdom sharing the Emotionally Healthy Leadership Conference. 

The feedback has been overwhelming. Here are some recent testimonials : 

I have been to many ‘good’ events over the years that have helped inspire and equip me for Christian leadership.  However, in the 20 years since I first attended an Alpha Conference I can think of nothing that has compared with Peter Scazzero’s  ‘Emotionally Healthy Leadership’ in terms of challenge, relevance and applicability.  I would urge colleagues to read the books and to get to hear this man.
Paul Newman, Whitley Bay Baptist Church

This was one of the most thought provoking and challenging seminars I have attended, practical, Scriptural and deeply apposite, it profoundly dares us to radically rethink our emotional and spiritual development. 
Reverend Canon John Harkin, Vicar Andover St. Mary

The conference was a truly inspirational day, even though I had already read the material and been privileged to visit Peter Scazzero’s church in New York for several weeks. Pete really lives what he teaches and therefore teaches with authority. I was particularly moved by the refreshingly honest feedback on what people felt as a result of some simple exercises. There was a sense of liberty to be real which is what is often so lacking in churches.

Thank you to Peter, Geri and the church for being so committed to bringing the message of EHS which really does bring transformation.
Antje from Christchurch

Pete Scazzero was truly inspirational.  Rarely do you see and hear a leader who has as much honesty and authenticity as this man.  Learning what it means to be emotionally healthy will not only change your leadership but will change you as a person. 
Rev Wayne Dulson – Loughton Baptist Church

Emotionally Healthy leadership was insightful, it made me re-examine how I interacted with my congregation. It helped me to understand how my life before being the pastor of a church has made me the leader that I am.
Lt. Marie Burr, Salvation Army Officer, Slough Salvation Army

We asked Pete Scazzero:

What exactly do you mean by the term Emotionally Healthy Spirituality?

Here’s what he said:

“Emotionally healthy spirituality means loving well. Grief, loss, understanding of our family of origin affects who we are today. We must embrace limits as a gift from God. Contemplative spirituality involves slowing down my entire life so that I can be with God. “

“Emotionally healthy spirituality could be called integrity because it’s being congruent with who I am on the outside vs. who I truly am on the inside. “

“That integrity touches all areas of my life: my spouse, my family, my friends, and my ministry. I was your classic “type A” church planter. In 1987 I planted a church. I wasn’t doing an inward journey-only as it affected my outward journey. The church grew very quickly in my early years, but six or seven years into the ministry, things began to crumble. Everything fell apart. I was exhausted, stressed out and I had a lot of pain and anger inside. I didn’t know what to do with that anger, because Christian pastors are not supposed to be angry. My wife was miserable. I really found myself at a wall. All of discipleship at that point-you could say I was a poster child for evangelicalism. But I said, “something’s wrong here.” So I began to go to a Christian counselor in 1994. There was so much introspection-“How are you feeling? What happened in your family of origin?” All of this was a surprise…but in January 1996, the bottom fell out. My wife came to me and said, “I quit.” Your leadership stinks. I don’t want to follow it anymore. You don’t have the courage to make the difficult calls that are needed. So I’m going to take the kids and I’m going to another church.” She got my attention.”

God got my attention.

“It was at that time that I realized I can’t separate emotional health and spiritual maturity. I was an emotional infant trying to build mothers and fathers in the faith.

That’s when I began to integrate into our church what we call emotionally healthy spirituality. It seemed like a small change but it was transforming. I love pastoring now. There was another way to do this thing.”

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Wow, thanks for your authenticity Pete! And thanks for investing your life into sharing this revolutionary tool that brings freedom and fulfillment to others.

We asked Pete:

If you could say anything to the leaders who are reading this  right now, about why this is such a priority, what would you say to them?

“I think for us as pastors and leaders, we cannot lead people where we have not gone. And we cannot give to people what we do not possess. We can love with a human love, but not with the love of Christ unless it’s overflowing out of us.

My number one job as a pastor and as a leader is to be with God, out of which I lead for God. My role is to do His will, not my will, and not the will of others. I follow Him regardless of where that leads me to go. To stay in that place requires an interior life, nourishing and drinking of Christ. Don’t live off of other people’s spirituality and don’t let your people live off of other’s spirituality.

We have to go before them-we have to lead first. We must say, “Follow me,” at least in broad strokes, not a cookie cutter. It’s as you follow Christ and find your pathway.”

 Leaders, Pastors in Canada – Are you up for the challenge?

Make the worthwhile investment, set the course for a foundation that will keep you strong as leader, long-term.

Join us at the Emotionally Healthy Leadership Conference.