LeadershipConneXtions

Connecting With Tim Adour in Allentown

Tim has been a friend since 1997 when I was the senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Homer, New York and he was the senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection (Assembly of God) in Syracuse, New York.

We hit it off, became good friends and have really enjoyed being on the journey together. We don't see each other as much as we use to. I am now in York, working at Living Word Community Church and Tim is the senior pastor of Church of the Revelation (Assembly of God) in the Bronx, New York.

It was great to connect with Tim again and to hear all that is going on in his new ministry. I got together with Tim (one of our LCI Partners) because Tim will be doing a week course for LCI on Spiritual Leadership in Chile in November. We met to talk about that course and also look at other possibilities for Tim's involvement with LCI.

Tim is also going to Moscow late summer to do a pastor's conference and will be speaking on leadership issues at that conference. (That is not an LCI trip, but is one through his denominational connections.)

Anyway, it was a good time being with a good friend. It makes me realize that there are good friends I have who live great distances away and we just don't connect too often. That is one of the "sadnesses" of life on this planet. And it makes the times of being together even more important.

I hope you'll each have some good times in the near future with good friends and good conversation with those friends.

Brian Rice

Preparing for Chile Training With My Friend Tim Adour

Last Friday I drove up to Scranton, Exit 191a to meet with my good friend Tim Adour. Tim is the senior pastor of Church of the Resurrection (Church of the Rez) in  Syrcause. We met in 1996 when I moved to New York and became good friends. We have walked a leadership journey together for many years.

Tim is currently working on a master's degree in leadership. He has a real interest, not only in being the best leader he can, but in developing other leaders. Plus, Tim loves global missions, has a heart for cross-cultural ministry, and has traveled and ministered in a variety of countries.

We spent about two hours sitting in a Border's Cafe (a very nice one, by the way) and talked about leadership, caught up on life and ministry and family, and made plans for the November training in Chile.

Tim will be going with me to Santiago, Chile in November to teach the LCI course, Multiplying and Developing Leaders. I am real excited to do this in partnership with him. Not only will I have a week to spend with a good friend, but we'll have lots of iron-sharpening-iron conversations about leadership. And the course participants will have the benefit of learning from a very authentic leader.

What happens when you put a Pentecostal, Assembly of God pastor/leader (Tim) together with a former Baptist and for the most part pretty generic evangelical (me)  [note I said generic, not geriatric!] to do leadership training in South America?

I'll let you know in about two months. I anticipate very good things.

Brian Rice

Teaching on Mentoring

The mentoring workshop John taught was a combination of the best insights on mentoring from contemporary studies on that subject AND a biblical examination of mentoring models in the Scriptures. (John teaching in the classroom.)

John said the participation and contribution from the attendees was excellent and that the participants had engaging dialogue along with insightful questions. John saw a real desire on the part of the leaders to grow in their effectiveness as leaders.

That is something that we find everywhere we go. There is a real hunger and desire on the part of these "under-resourced" leaders to learn and grow in their ability to lead. It is a great privilege every time we are able to resource these dedicated leaders.

Below is John with two of the staff who work at Puerta al Mundo.

Brian Rice

John Hilliard Coaching in Honduras

John Hilliard just returned from Tejucigalpa, Honduras where he worked at the missions training center for Puerta al Mundo. He did workshops on mentoring for 30 participants. These participants ranged from the youngest in their teenage years to veteran, senior leaders.

John says he was humbled by the dedication of the participants. For many of them, it was a financial sacrifice on their part to attend the training workshop.

John says he was also struck by the lack of resources for leadership develoment. His ministry as a partner with Leadership ConneXtions was exactly what our vision and strategy is all about:  Leaders resourcing leaders who work in some of the "least resourced" areas of the world.

Brian Rice

John Hilliard to Lead Mentoring Workshop in Honduras

John Hilliard is a board member for Leadership ConneXtions as well as a presenter, facilitator and mentor for LWCC's Leading Edge ministry.

John will be heading to Honduras in July to work with missions leaders to equip them in the area of mentoring. John will be doing three workshops on mentoring:

1. Introduction to Mentoring Leaders
2. Self-Assessment and Preparing to Mentor
3. The Heart of Mentoring

Part of the vision and strategy of LCI is to partner with and equip leaders like John to travel to the least resourced places and work with leaders who want to grow in their leadership.

John will also be visiting Guatemala next weekend to attend the dedication of one of the largest churches in Latin America - Mega Frater. I think the new sanctuary seats 12,000 people!

Keep John in your prayers.

Brian Rice

Gava Wedding Picture

Our dear friend Omar Gava recently had the great privelege of escorting his daughter Ailin for her wedding to Diego.

We are very happy for the entire family.

I thought Omar looked quite "dashing" in his tuxedo!

Brian Rice

Life Long Learning

I was in upstate New York for three days. I went up to connect with a number of friends I hadn't seen for some time. It was great seeing these friends, catching up on what God has been up to in our lives and looking ahead to the future.

One of my best friends during the seven years in New York was Tim Adour. Tim is the senior pastor of Church of the Rez. Tim is a visionary, passionate, high energy, get the job done leader. We've had a lot of great leadership conversations over the years.

Tim had a vision (that he nurtured for about six years) to start a new church in a struggling, blue collar area (East Syracuse). They have been up and running for the last four months and they are already making an impact on that community.

Tim is a great example of life long learning that the very best leaders commit to doing. About a year ago, Tim launched into a "personal re-engineering process." He was already a good leader. He wanted to become a better leader. Part of Tim's vision was for him to become a developer and empower of other leaders. He is well into this process.

Tim (although he is much younger) reminds me a bit of Pablo Casals who was still practicing cello several hours a day when he was in his 80's. When asked why, he simply said, because I am still improving! That's the mindset of a leader committed to life long learning.

-BR