Conference Theme Program

From Perspiration to Inspiration: Spiritually Grounded Leadership for Large Congregations

By Susan Beaumont on Friday, March 14, 2008, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Authentic leadership calls us to the effective, ethical and spiritual use of power in our congregations. Our work for the day will be grounded in the notion that congregations are inherently suspicious of leadership power and its potential abuses. Congregations demand effective leadership but are critical of those who act outside designated authority limits to get things done. We'll explore ways to build our own capacity for influence so that we can ultimately build participative, accountable congregations. We'll talk about ways to resist the inappropriate influence attempts of those who seek to thwart congregational mission and direction. And, we'll discuss effective ways to use leadership influence once a reservoir of authority has been established.