Leadership Ministries Worldwide

World-class resources for gospel-centered ministry

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Pray for Believers in China

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God is being revealed in China. Did you know?
  1. The number of Christians in China has grown by 10% annually for more than 20 years.
  2. It’s anticipated that there will be more Christians in China than any other country in the world by 2030.
  3. There are more Christians in China today than there are members of the Communist Party there.
Praise God for His increase! Yet, we must recognize that the growth of Christianity represents a real threat to those in power in China. Xi Jinping, China’s President, seeks to curb the growth of Christianity, ordering that all Bibles be removed from bookstores and online retailers. Churches are being closely watched and believers are persecuted.
Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in China – that God will sustain and strengthen them as they suffer for Him, and that God will be glorified as His Kingdom in China continues to grow.

Spanish Materials are being Sent to Argentina

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Free Distribution of Spanish Materials

Last week we were able to send 928 Spanish versions of the Preachers Outline & Sermon Bible to pastors in Argentina. Praise God! We pray now that the Lord would raise up leaders who are committed to His word. Join us in praying that these new materials pastors receive will better equip and empower them to shepherd their communities and congregations in such a way that brings glory to God.

The Importance of Business

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Surprisingly, God Himself tells us how to start and operate a business. God’s Holy Word actually spells out how to be successful in business as well as in life. In fact, early in the creation process, God ordained labor to be one of humanity’s major activities. When He created the first man (Adam), He immediately charged him to get busy and work, to subdue and manage the earth, to tend and look after it (Ge.1:28; 2:15). This means that having work to do, the privilege of a job, is of critical importance.

Think for a moment: What would the world be like without structured businesses? There would be no jobs to provide work or income, no companies to construct houses, make cars, or build stores, no products or services available to sustain human life.

Indeed, without businesses, we would likely still be living in a primitive society. Humanity never would have progressed as it has through the centuries without businesses nor would we have achieved the quality of life we enjoy today. Knowing this should make business one of the most honored institutions on earth. It is you, the business owners and professionals whom God has
called and gifted to lead, who enable humanity to function as it has through the ages. Whether yours is a single-person operation or part of a huge conglomeration, you play an important role in providing the products, services, and flow of money that are essential worldwide. Likewise, you are key to the progress, development, and strength of communities and nations. You have an integral role in helping people meet their most basic needs:

• Their physical needs—by creating jobs through which people can provide food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities for themselves and their families

• Their practical needs—by supplying beneficial products or services that make life more productive, enjoyable, and comfortable

• Their emotional needs—by providing purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction through meaningful work

• Their spiritual needs—by giving them at least one day a week for worship and rest, which enables them to support churches and other ministries that are helping the needy and taking God’s Word to the world

Your call to business leadership, whether as an owner, executive, or manager, requires much of you. It requires wisdom, fearlessness, and fortitude—the fortitude to make difficult decisions and take extraordinary risks. Indeed, there may be days when you feel you cannot go on, that your situation is hopeless, that you are unprepared, or that your responsibilities are too great. In addition to everything else, you may feel all alone. But, thankfully, you are never alone as you go through the long, difficult days. God is always there, always available for you. If you seek Him, He will give you wisdom and direction, and you will feel His power working in you. He will enable you to overcome your fears with an infusion of sound thinking (Jas.1:5). His presence will strengthen you and give you the courage to move forward (Is.41:10). In fact, He invites you to bring your heavy burdens to Him. Just ask Him for help and He promises to empower you to persevere through the darkest, most hopeless conditions. He will give you rest even when your troubles are so overwhelming that you cannot sleep (Mt.11:28-30). God has promised you all of this and more, everything you need as you lead your business or area of responsibility.

 

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How Faith Influences the Founder of a Consulting Firm

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If you are looking for a strong and zealous businesswoman, look no further: Jenny Whitener has lived her professional life with great tenacity and has used her God-given gifts of problem-solving and innovative thinking to serve and empower businesses all over the world. She is the founder and current CEO of Bridge Innovate, a business that strives to team up with organizations to help build leadership, strategy, innovation, and change capability. She is a seasoned facilitator and architect of collaborative design sessions for many organizations all over the world. I had the incredible privilege of sitting down with Jenny and experiencing firsthand the wisdom and passion she possesses.

Walk us through your vocational journey.

I graduated from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree and a minor in marketing and debate. I started my career with Delta as a flight attendant, and that was three years of really understanding and dealing with the public. I was not very close to my faith during that time—it was all about exploring the world, meeting new people and growing my career.

When I left the airline business it was difficult, I remember pulling into a job interview for a healthcare company and my car had just died. I sat in the car praying, “God help me out, I don’t have a job or a car, I really need this job. Help me to do well in this interview.” I went in and landed the job. So I worked for Kaiser Permanente in Sales and Marketing and it was a great experience. After three years I became Marketing Director. In those three years, we grew so much that the Kaiser Permanente medical director told me that we needed to stop marketing because we were bringing in so many people that they couldn’t recruit enough doctors to work in the clinic. I said, “Let’s talk about your physician recruiting problem.” Within six months I was working for him, reinventing their approach to physician recruiting and credentialing. Whatever problem the company had they would put me on it. By the grace of God, I could go in and figure out what the problem was and come up with solutions.

I was eventually recruited to Prudential Health Care where I ran physician recruiting and launched a Physician Leadership Institute. While attending a healthcare education conference, I met a partner from Ernst and Young, and after about two years, he approached me and told me I needed to work for them.

I had the opportunity to meet Don Sweeny, who was a partner at Ernst and Young and who ultimately hired me. He is a phenomenal Christian and has been a great mentor to me throughout my career. It was God’s blessing that I went into such a large firm under the mentorship of such a strong Christian man. I eventually got a global post and had an office in both Atlanta and Paris. It was very exciting.

Around that time I got married and at the age of 42 I had my first child and by 44 I had my second. Both were such special gifts. With that, I knew that I couldn’t continue consulting the way I was and be a mother. I remember my husband saying to me, “You should just launch your own business!” and I said, “You think I could do that?” With his encouragement, I had an LLC and within a month I had my first consulting project for $10,000. When these kinds of things happen in your life, it is so obvious that He is with you every day, every step of the way. I launched my business in 2002 and God has really taken care of us. It has always been the right balance of work and time to be a mother to my kids.

What was the experience like starting Bridge Innovate?

Early on, I think entrepreneurs experience a lot of fear around being accepted or wondering if they will be successful. Overcoming the fear of being rejected and having the community to talk with about that was huge for me in starting Bridge Innovate. Another part of it is experiencing failure and constantly saying “Lord, lead the way. If this isn’t the right project for me, open the next door; don’t let my bias and orientation close the door.” Having both of those things and being prayerful and open are so important. I wanted to be open enough to hear everything that God might be telling me, even if it was just a casual meeting because that could shape the next opportunity for my life. Often we engage with opportunities and we don’t see them, or notice that they are special moments that God has given us.

What has God taught you or shown you through your role at Bridge Innovate?

First is to trust Him. When you have payroll, or when you have a business, you know that there is risk associated with that and sometimes I find myself worrying about when the next new project is going to come in. We have all been given gifts, so it’s not like I can just sit here and wait for God to deliver, it’s really trusting him and knowing that I have to put my effort in. A lot of that is trust and prayer.

When it comes to weaving your faith into your business, one of the things that I do, especially when I’m really afraid, is I turn it over to God and I say “Your will be done. If I am here to help influence leaders, let my work be His extension.” That gives me the courage. I will wake up in the morning and think, “I have to go in and face this client and help them solve this problem today. Am I ready?” But I get that inner strength by having that conversation with God before an event. I’ve had people come up to me after a session and say “You’re a Christian aren’t you?” and that pleases me so much. It is the most celebrated moment when people can see it in your work.

“Your will be done. If I am here to help influence leaders, let my work be His extension.”

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced in regards to your faith and your business? How have you handled it?

Definitely ego. I have so much fun solving problems. It’s like if you are an athlete, and you are winning a race, for me, winning the race for consulting is solving the problem with a client. It becomes so exciting that I have to continue to remember, in terms of my earthly life, that the time with my church, family, and business is the order it should go in. That is the balance and trying to maintain that balance and not letting the thrill of solving a problem with a client overshadow some of the other more important aspects of my life.

Have you experienced any resistance or hardship being a woman in the role you are in?

Absolutely. It has been interesting in the press with a number of women coming out about the complexities they have faced with harassment because of being a woman. At a very large company that I worked with for years, I had a similar situation. I was being pulled into the national division and a man I worked with was upset that he wasn’t, so for a month, he tried to get me fired. Women have to be prepared to do their job and to earn their place, but they also have to be prepared to stand up when there is a wrong and do it respectfully. You have to decide what you are going to stand up for, and you have to have the internal strength to make that stand.

Also as a woman, you can’t expect to be a mediocre performer and compete in a male-dominated world. If you want to compete you have to know more, be more, and perform better, so that it is without question that you deserve the job. I don’t think it is right for women to sit back and say “based on my gender, give me the role,” but instead demonstrate that you can perform and that you should have it. That’s hard work, and you have to be willing to do that.

How do you feel like being a Christian has led you in your role as a leader and CEO?

I know that the future of my business is in the hands of God; it’s not in my hands and I recognize that every day. And for that, I am thankful to Him, and I know he will progress the business at the pace he wants, and when he thinks it’s time for me to stop, it will be obvious.

Do you think Christian Business Leaders across the country are doing a good job of leading our nation?

I hope so. One of the reasons I was so committed to Christian education for my kids is because I remember meeting with Chad Dirkse, the President of Chattanooga Christian School. He talked about how the role of Christian education is to celebrate and amplify the talents that God has given all children. That means whether they are going to work at Subway or to do open heart surgery. How they live their Christian values and how through their life they are a testament to Christianity—that has to permeate all they do. It starts in their schooling and then becomes a way of life.

I pray that for all Christian leaders. We need Christian leaders who are the mayors of cities, senators, and heads of non-profit organizations. We need Christians to be involved in leading our world, both in the ministry side but also in business and bringing that set of values and ethics and Christian world-view to how we make decisions in this very complex world. We really do need to foster that way of thinking for our children in all the different careers they will pursue.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to start their own business?

You have to be passionate and start your business with the mindset that failure is not an option. Wake up every day continuing to modify your approach and listen to the customers. Gather their perspective and continually adjust your approach to the market. Remember that for every contract signed, there are 10 or 20 that you lose. In the early stages, it is a numbers game, so you have to be tenacious and listen to the market, which takes an extraordinary amount of energy.

You need to continue to look at what your competitors are doing, continue to challenge your assumptions, and continue to look at new technologies. If you are not doing that you are not enhancing your entrepreneurial skills and someone else will beat you. You need to have zeal and drive to continue to challenge yourself to know more, and learn more, and be observant and to use that to shape your business.

If you could say one thing to other business leaders who are Christians or just in the business community as a whole, what would it be?

To invest in the next generation. It has been a great blessing for me to partner with the Chattanooga Fellows Program. God has given me the resources, and this is a great way for me to give back. It has been so meaningful to support and mentor the young professionals that are coming through the Chattanooga Fellows program; to see the excitement in their eyes and to see how different they all are and how passionate they are about their faith and connecting it to business. It is very inspirational, and I think it could be very inspirational to other business leaders like myself. It has been a long time since we were that age and it is exciting to reconnect with that level of energy and passion.

One thing Jenny learned from her parents was that if you were going to do something, you must give it your very best, and try to exceed people’s expectations. I believe Jenny’s parents would be proud. She has found the avenue where she can maximize the gifts God has given her and has excelled. She desires to engage and be faithful to not only her work, but to her family, her community, and to the next generation of leaders. Jenny’s dependency and trust in God have and continue to be vital in her success, and I pray for more leaders to live their lives in such a way, making God’s glory the heartbeat of all they do.

How Faith Influences the CEO of an Award-Winning Non-profit

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An integral and foundational piece to human growth and city flourishment is non-profit work. One of the most well-known and award-winning non-profits in the Chattanooga area is First Things First. First Things First is an organization that provides healthy relationship skills through classes, events and multimedia outlets. They aim to be a community resource for the Chattanooga area by providing the most up-to-date research, content and educational experiences to all. The back bone of this organization is the CEO herself, Julie Baumgardner. I had the privilege of getting to sit down with Julie and talk with her about her experience with First Things First and the ways God has and continues to shape her into the leader she is today.

"As a counselor and somebody who worked in the healthcare profession, I saw so many of these issues impacting society: fatherlessness, divorce, unwed childbearing, and the thing is—they are all preventable."

What was it like starting First Things First?

Scary. We were started as an experiment and I had just come out of corporate America. We were really launching something that was very different and unique. It could have gone either way in terms of how people took it, because we were talking about very personal things. Interestingly, while they may have been very personal, people’s personal decisions impact the larger community. So you hear people talk about “what happens in my home” or “what happens in the bedroom” is nobody’s business but mine. The problem is that in truth the behavior in your home does impact all of us. So starting First Things First was a scary and exhilarating moment all at the same time.

What made you want to start First Things First?

Some business leaders actually came up with the concept and started it. So what made me want to be a part of it was knowing that it was prevention-oriented in nature. As a counselor and somebody who worked in the healthcare profession, I saw so many of these issues impacting society: fatherlessness, divorce, unwed childbearing, and the thing is—they are all preventable. So, I was all about educating people and giving them information, because I do think that when people understand the construct of things they can actually take those skills, use them, and do better rather than flying by the seat of their pants.

What drives First Things First’s mission?

I think that if the team were sitting here, they would say that everybody wants to have healthy relationships, and in order to have healthy relationships you need skills. You need to know how to communicate with people and how to appreciate opinions other than your own. People need to know how to deal with conflict, problem solve, make decisions, and to think about someone other than you, and a lot of people don’t have those skills. I definitely work with all ages and when we get together on a weekly basis, it’s all about watching the light bulb go on and watching people have an aha moment. We are guiding people to be the hero of their relationship story.

Have you noted any new or different challenges within families or with the people you serve over time?

Oh yes. I think it has become very complicated and convoluted. When parents don’t take responsibility and actively engage with their kids, and sometimes even when they do, there are just so many things speaking into the lives of people today. Social media: you’ve got young people on Instagram and Snap Chat who think they know who they are talking to, but they don’t really know. They may be talking to someone somewhere who they’ve never met. There are just so many people speaking into the lives of others who may or may not be out for their best interest. I think there are a whole host of things going on. Some parents who are completely asleep at the wheel and some parents who are working diligently just to keep a roof over their kid’s heads and put food on the table, both absent on each end of the spectrum, therefore there are things that are filling the void. Twenty years ago we absolutely didn’t have the issues we have now with social media and technology. Technology is even impacting marriages. So you have that to contend with. You also have this very loud culture voice speaking to people saying things such as, “What do you mean you can’t have a child outside of marriage? Who has the right to tell you that? It’s your body and nobody should tell you what to do.” But if we are looking at what is in the best interest for children, there are definitely reams of research for what is in the best interest for children, and that is to have a mom and a dad and a healthy marriage.

Have you experienced setbacks and/or challenges? If so, how have you handled it?

We had a grant that was a million dollar grant that we had had for 9 years. They decided to go in a different direction and wanted to change how we did business, so we ultimately decided to walk away, which was a big deal. We were walking away from a million dollars and having to replace that. It was really scary. We are in our third year away from the grant and really doing okay. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m thankful. I’m thankful to not be jerked around anymore. It has also allowed us to do more faith-based experiences in addition to the secular work that we do. I definitely spend a lot of time in prayer; I am very prayerful about what I am doing. My goal is to grow as a leader, and to be thoughtful and wise and discerning about what I do. And to constantly be looking to the future, thinking about new and creative ways to engage people.

Not operating out of fear, but operating out of the fact that I am doing this with a right heart and am seeking to do the best I know how to do, I have to trust that God will honor that.

What has God taught you or shown you through First Things First?

The biggest thing he has shown me is that he is absolutely faithful. Even through the really hard gut wrenching times, I can look back and it is unbelievably evident that he is faithful. I also know that I am not in control. I have been entrusted with something and I take great responsibility for that, but I am definitely not in control. For somebody that is really type A and who is out there leading a lot, sometimes it is a battle. Not operating out of fear, but operating out of the fact that I am doing this with a right heart and am seeking to do the best I know how to do, I have to trust that God will honor that.

I would absolutely say that in every way I do business, handle the business, and talk to people it is with biblical principles.

How do you feel that being a Christian has led you in your role as a leader and CEO?

I would absolutely say that in every way I do business, handle the business, and talk to people it is with biblical principles. Everyone here seeks to treat people the way Jesus would. We talk about that all the time. Sometimes people are really prickly, but what would Jesus do? He would move in closer.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story pertaining to your work or how you view your role at First Things First?

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6. I literally can wake up in a panic attack and heart be racing and breaking out in a cold sweat. I’ve always been that way, I’m less so now than I used to be. I have just really learned that He keeps his promises. In twenty years now when I get really anxious I can just look back and think “Well here we are twenty years later and look how He has been faithful.” I could tell you stories about how crazy the timing has been on stuff; there is just no other explanation. Being prayerful is also huge. Also, reminding myself that His yoke is easy because I can either carry the burdens and be in toil about it or lay it before the foot of the cross.

This is very humbling work, because really no matter how good you are, if you are not letting Him lead, then it is going to be a problem. You have to be prepared that it is going to be hard work. I love what I do, but it is no less a challenge to me today than it was twenty years ago.

Do you have any advice for people wanting to go into the non-profit world?

If you feel like that is where God is leading you and that is what you are passionate about, then whole-heartedly embrace the ride, because it is definitely a ride. I don’t think it is for the faint of heart because some of the meanest encounters I have had have been with other Christians. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. I also think that it’s complicated and highly competitive. I am a firm believer that if God has called you to do something and this is His work, He will use you to accomplish his work, and maybe not in the way you thought. I don’t think there has been a year where I felt like “Oh fundraising, what a breeze!”

Keep your eyes wide open for where He is working and where He wants you to engage with Him in the work. This is very humbling work, because really no matter how good you are, if you are not letting Him lead, then it is going to be a problem. You have to be prepared that it is going to be hard work. I love what I do, but it is no less a challenge to me today than it was twenty years ago.

Sometimes we think if we are going into ministry that we won’t encounter difficulties with people, but the reality is that people are people. You run into complicated stuff no matter where you are, and that’s really the challenge, letting Christ lead you in the midst of absolute insanity.

If you could say one thing to other business leaders who are Christians, or just the business community as a whole, what would it be?

I would say from a non-profit perspective, this really is a new day. I think that if we want to make a difference we need to help non-profits function more like businesses rather than entities that are always functioning out of “there’s never enough.” That means that people can have great hearts, but if they don’t know how to lead or be an administrator, or do the work that it takes to make it happen, they are probably not the entity that needs to be leading that charge. Sometimes it’s hard for business people to make the transition to working with nonprofits. I have watched people in the business world who are highly successful not know how to make the leap to helping nonprofits be successful. I would just say that the nonprofit world desperately needs more for-profit people who are willing to come alongside them and grow them and teach them and help them be better, but in a way that is helpful and not condescending.

Julie is a woman who is to be admired, a woman who truly seeks the peace and prosperity of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). I pray for what Christ has consistently shown to Julie—that we learn to release our illusion of control and let God have what is truly his—our lives and our businesses. He is faithful.

A Paradise In Every Heart

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What does it mean to “make a paradise in every heart?[1]” To “plant the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul[2]?” To tend and cultivate for the Lord, day after day, month after month, year after year?

Deep in the heart of Southern Africa, in the country of Zambia, known for Victoria Falls, copper, incredible biodiversity, and as “one of the fastest growing economically reformed countries,[3]” there is a paradox of Christianity. In a country that professes to be 95% Christian, many are unfamiliar with basic tenets, including the concept of sin, and even the redeeming love of Christ. This has been largely due to the historical failure of evangelical missions.

But that is slowly becoming a story of the past.

Throughout Zambia, a new wave of missionaries are educating community leaders, who are in turn spreading the Gospel within their respective neighborhoods. Thanks to advances in technology and free biblical training resources through digital platforms like LWM’s Lystra Global, pastoral resources are more available now than ever, allowing new church plants to quickly grow and spread.


In Kitwe, a city located in the Copperbelt region of Central Zambia, pastor Daniel Sitali, has lived this history. He was raised in a Christian household, because every household was Christian. He attended church because everyone attended church. But one Sunday, when he felt a pastor preaching directly to him at his sister’s church, holding him accountable for not living a proper Christian life, he did what many of us would do—he refused to go back. It wasn’t until a group looking to plant a new church literally rang his doorbell looking for volunteers that he was finally confronted with God’s calling for his life. They preached to him from the Bible, sharing with him the truth of sin and the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. They told him to change his life and accept Christ as his savior. They held him accountable and encouraged him on his road to salvation. And on December 25, 2000, Daniel gave his life to Christ. He then, in turn, joined in door to door evangelizations to share the gospel with others.

Over the years, Daniel worked with several church plants, serving primarily as a worship leader, before being promoted to assistant youth pastor. At the time, he was content and happy sharing the good news and helping others find their way to Christ. But as providence would have it, the pastor he worked with told him that he was destined for more. He pushed him to attend the Central Africa Baptist College (CABC), and study to become a pastor himself. While at CABC, Daniel received free access to Lystra Global resources, including The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible. After graduating in 2015, Daniel became a full-time youth pastor. Since then, he has seen dramatic and incredible conversions.

One of the most notable came when he preached to a congregation of people living with HIV/AIDS. Many of them had given up on living, and only attended church because that’s what everyone did on Sundays. So he decided to preach to them about the woman with the blood disease from Matthew 9:21-22. He told them that the woman’s faith in Jesus as savior allowed her to accept the redeeming love of God which cured her. He told them of the promise of everlasting life and the unending forgiveness of God. Afterwards, he was approached by many people who thanked him, and four who gave their lives to Christ that very day.

Daniel was recently asked to take over a church that has been without a pastor for a year and a half. It is a small congregation of about ten people, but it is surrounded by “Christian” churches that focus on reaping worldly rewards. These churches ignore the true meaning of salvation in Christ, and often lead their followers into dangerous situations. Daniel works tirelessly to fight their influence in his community and in his church, but is often met with resistance from what many see as an “easier road” to salvation. But he will never give up; he knows each and every soul is precious to our Lord.

Daniel still sees himself as a newcomer to Christianity, and works diligently to educate himself and those around him, using the resources from Lystra Global to prepare his sermons and inform his arguments against “false churches.” According to him, “What I like about The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible is that it provides good information and background of a text or a book of the Bible, and the sermon outlines are very easy and clear to understand and follow.”

Daniel’s hope is to grow spiritually alongside his community, so that they can greet Jesus together, as one family, one body in Christ[4].

He endeavors to honor his calling to ministry by proving faithful to the Word of God and to his congregation[5]. And in that, he needs our help and prayers. He has accepted a flock that is continually under attack, and works tirelessly to sow and reap the love of God in every soul—to create a “paradise in every heart” for Jesus. But he needs his brothers and sisters in Christ to help him. As his conversion was brought about by his community, so too can the conversion of his new community, and even his country, come through our love and support.

[1] Maria Valtorta      [2] C.S. Lewis      [3] According the World Bank in 2010      [4] Ephesians 3:6      [5] 1 Corinthians 4:1-2