Southern California Leadership Community--Day 3

We finished the first gathering of the Southern California Leadership Community for Externally Focused Churches with each church presenting their two-year strategic plans along with their 6 month Action Learning Plans. We intentionally call these Leadership Communities not "learning" communities because the real work, done by real people, in real time is done between the gatherings. We leave each gathering with our Action Learning Plans where we declare, "This is what we purpose to do to advance the ball in the next six months." At each subsequent gathering we start with our Fast Fire Updates where we present what we did. It is a very helpful process that encourages exponential, not incremental progress.

During the final report outs there were some interesting things said:

From EFree Fullerton: Our goal is to go from "We're HERE for you" to "We're here, and here and here for YOU."

From North Coast: We want everyone to engage locally before engaging internationally. Currently every other day one of their small groups is engaged in a service ministry outside the walls.

And many other such insights. Churches were challenged to set BHAGS where God has to show up and where progress is not just a matter of working a bit longer or harder. Many churches have as their goal to have 100% of their attenders engaged in ministry / service outside the walls within two years. This will be a great cohort!

We closed by everyone coming up to the white boards with two sticky notes--"What I'm taking with me" and What I'm leaving behind." Very good close.