We are Raising Up Leaders in Rural Mexico!
We want to see people being raised up as capable leaders who will become great leaders in their families, churches, and communities. One of the most effective ways we've been able to see results of growth and awareness is through Leadership Retreats. During these times, people have a chance to participate in ideas, be encouraged by others, learn about teamwork, and be challenged to put their visions into action. It's been a very helpful tool for us.
Last December, some pastors came to us asking for help with their ministries. After mentioning that these retreats have been very helpful, they wanted us to do one with them. So we did.
Some said it was "encouraging and very much needed for their ministry" and others added that "this was a time of refreshing renewal" for them. They all mentioned that this was an urgent need for their leadership team in their ministries and they needed to do something about it right away.
This was a very fulfilling time for our team as it is our desire to help as much as we can the churches in our region as we also can learn from them. It's an exciting time of team building and focus as we understand that we are all working for the same Kingdom and know that our congregations are "not ours". Having that concept helps us build camaraderie with each other.
After everyone was picked up, we made our way to San Blas where we visited the ruins of a naval look-out area and an old church from the 18 century. We all shared our stories of how God has worked in our lives. As we left, we were able to leave those "ruins" there and focus on what was ahead.
We arrived at the Bungalow downtown which turned out to be very accessible to our needs. As Lain prepared lunch for everyone at the barbecue, we talked about the required reading for this trip, John Maxwell's The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day.
After lunch and an activity, we talked about what characteristics are found in bad teams as opposed to good teams and each ministry chose a few of the positive characteristics to work on. Then, Pastor Goyo led a session on Nehemiah chapters one and two just before dinner.
During dinner, some of the guys jumped in the pool while we had the movie Invictus projected up on the wall.
The next morning we debriefed the movie and looked at some of the positive characteristics in the way Nelson Mandela brought together his country when he became President. We moved on to a "Health Report" of our ministries and talked about ways we can do things better in light of all the information we had talked about in the previous 24 hours. This led us to challenge them to put together a one-day or weekend leadership retreat for their leadership teams in their ministries.
In the end, it was an excellent time and very, very productive. We were able to relax in the afternoon at the beach for a couple of hours before heading home.
Here are a few pics from the retreat...
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| A must-need pit-stop at Starbucks before we hit the road. |
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Sharing each others' stories at the ruins.
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Pastor Luis completely engaged during the activity.
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Positive qualities of a functional team.
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Some of the guys hopped in the pool during the movie.
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Planning time for a retreat with their own teams.
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Thank you to all of you who prayed specifically for this retreat. In general, when you pray and give, you are investing in our ministry and the ministers and ministries in which we have influence. Your gifts are very much appreciated!
At that same link, you can send a gift for an upcoming Leadership Course some of our pastors will be attending in Mexico City. The cost is roughly $265 US Dollars per person. We have three Pastors signed up and are committed to helping them; we would love to send more!
LET'S RAISE UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO TOGETHER!!
