Passionate Leadership

Passionate leaders are governed by values, not just superficial values, but deep imbedded beliefs. Beliefs that lead to major change and transformation. Beliefs that drive and direct your daily actions. Beliefs that direct and guide your priorities. Passionate beliefs are hard to get off your mind. God seems to remind you constantly what He has laid on your heart and soul. He brings people alongside you who often connect to your passion at some level. Passionate leadership

1. Passion inspires and connects people to your vision.

2. Passion helps turns visions into reality.

3. Passion helps followers engage and get off the bench of bystanders.

4. Passion produces energy - if you see people without energy or drive it is generally because they have no passion or are not connected to the passion of leadership.

5. Passionate leaders influence and inspire.

6. Passionate leaders are issue and cause oriented.

Too often, I see a mission field inspired by passion, but not enough are attached to the passion of the leader. Why?

I think it’s because too often we are so busy or not busy at all to connect to deeper values and passion of the leadership. This can be attributed to the lack of communicating the passion on a regular basis. Not enough knowing or understanding the difference that is being made. Do people know why you exist and why there is such passion for the vision God has laid on your heart? In order to experience passion, leaders must be vocal about the vision or the organization they represent. Many leaders don’t have a job they have passion for. Passionate leaders engage people to work harder and believe harder. They inspire and influence. You will know a passionate leader by his or her commitment, even when times are difficult. A passionate leader leads with purpose. I remember as a young man, I would drive to a metal manufacturing plant where I shuffled up to a metal stamping machine and listened to the hum and the repetition of the drop of the punch for hour upon hour. I can remember the boredom and the constant need to look at my watch as I anxiously awaited the ring of the bell signifying that my time in this gulag was over and I was going home. I packed as quickly as I could because I couldn’t wait to get out of there. The only time I wasn’t first to the parking lot to leave were on paydays! On my drive home, all I could think about was that I needed to be back tomorrow doing the same thing - ugh! I compare those days to the years that followed - years I was in business for myself, an entrepreneur in the business world. I worked hard and stayed late because I wanted to and because it was mine. I was passionate about the opportunity I had so I would do more, I would read more, I would accept more responsibility. I was always striving for more and I learned more. It was always a question of how could I be more productive and more effective so my income would also be more. But I was not always happy and fulfilled. Sometimes I felt like square peg trying to fit into a hole. Sometimes there were business reversals and even great losses in the midst of some varying levels of success. But it was still the best training ground for where God has lead me today. I can look back on the excellent adventure God has had for me and see how God prepared me for a special role in His Kingdom. And for that I am most passionate. God tugged at my heart or may I say grabbed me by the collar, and called me to the most fruitful mission field and yet the most neglected - children. The furthest thing from my mind, even though I had raised 8 children and by now was enjoying our grandchildren. He developed a passion in me with 4 simple questions that haunted my life from the day I first heard them. These questions caused me to take note of what is truly important to Him.

“Bill, did you know we can take the gospel into every public school in America?" When I heard that question, I must tell you I was a bit stunned and caught myself remembering the day Prayer was banned in our schools, or the day the Ten Commandments had been ripped from the walls. I could remember hearing about this thing called separation of church and state. So I Remember saying, “say that again." He went on to explain to me that in June of 2001, the Supreme Court ruling made it possible to go on to all the school campuses to share the gospel with the elementary age children. What flooded through my mind is all that had changed, and the very difficult problems we as a nation face today in our culture and society as a result of segregating God out of the schools and off our main streets. But before I could gather my thoughts. the next question hit me.

“Bill can you imagine? What if every Bible believing church in America would adopt 1 public school, and committed to pray and see that public school as their mission field. Can you image how God could use this?“ I visualized in my mind how many times I have driven through communities, even my own, and passed by an elementary school teeming with children, and then noticed across the street or on the same block, a church. Often these churches would have a sign out front saying "Go ye into all the world", or would be advertising an event, hoping to reach out to their community. I was touched as I thought about the possibilities, and I said to myself "God forbid we as Christians do not take advantage of this opportunity."

“Bill, do you know at what age the majority of people who now sit in the Church were saved?" I didn’t know so I guessed. I answered about 30 years old. “No" he said, “the research says, better than 80% of today’s church members and church leaders were saved before their 15th birthday." ”Really?," I said in amazement! I remember I went home and looked up the research in a well documented book, "Raising Spiritual Champions" by George Barna. The book verified the statement; in fact it went further and the author said in the research they had found that a child aged 13 has already established the world view they will adopt and subscribe to during their adult lives. If that was not another “zinger”, here was another! “Bill, did you know it is estimated that nearly 80% of the children in our public schools will never darken a door of a church in their lifetime?" My mind was racing, what does this foretell about the future? You can’t build enough prisons. You can’t build enough hospitals or drug rehabilitation centers for what is ahead. The only thing that will change anything is a change in the heart, and the only one that can change the heart is Jesus.

Eternal life and the souls of the children are at stake. This realization made me stop and review the doors God has opened right in front of our noses. We can go right to where the children are, the schools, and we can share the unfettered Word of God. We can disciple these children and establish them and their families in the churches; churches who are willing to adopt a school. Every church that adopts provides the needed manpower to work in the school Good News Club. Child Evangelism Fellowship will provide superior children’s ministry training, outstanding curriculum, and tools, along with liability insurance and background checks. What was startling to me is why we as the CHURCH have not taken advantage of this opportunity, even on a larger scale. It makes no sense to me why every church that claims the name of Christ does not join this chorus and become passionate about reaching the children. We have a way to truly make a difference in the next generation and to see real change. What are we going to do? God forbid we do nothing! Can you feel my passion? This is a really really Big Deal!