Courageous Conversations


	Home "the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men" --The Apostle Paul "The captain of the ship determines direction by the responses he makes to waves he cannot control." --Adapted from a Chinese Dictator The captain of a ship determines direction . . . by responses to waves controlled only by God "If you have no agenda you are not a leader. If you do not respect others agendas you're not a servant. A servant leader does not fear the conversation between agendas." --Randy Willingham "A godly leader risks his agenda because he has no fear of accountability." --Randy Willingham "The bottom line of church leadership is a relational objective." --Randy Willingham "A godly leader follows so that others must adapt." --Randy Willingham "Leadership with low outcome control and high self-control is a key difference between influence and manipulation." --Randy Willingham What are Courageous Conversations? And, why engage them? Courageous Conversations are high value conversational engagements that surface, articulate, and act upon loving truth. We mix compassion and courage in a blend that simultaneously comforts and challenges ourselves and others. "Why Go There?" 1. Faith based Integrity . . . the truth demands it. We trust the truth, rick trusting each other, and, most of all, we trust God to do what we cannot. 2. Spiritual Growth . . . speaking the "truth in love" has been tied to spiritual growth for over 2000 years (Ephesians 4:7-17) 3. Love each other . . . "love" without truth produces illegitimate and dishonest harmony that sacrifices real mission 4. Experience God . . . God promises his presence among us when we engage each other openly and honestly (Matthew 18:15-21) Courageous Conversations take us to the place of constructive tension. Would you benefit from facilitated conversations with the following characteristics? disciplined in focus yet receptive to new direction gentle in kindness yet brutally honest deliberate about outcomes yet trusting God for surprising results We seek God among in our midst to reverse hopelessness, defeat cynicism, out-believe the impossible, and escape ourselves. Courageous Conversations are NOT about conflict but they do not fear conflict. They are about discovery, love, trust, and genuinely purposeful relationships. Please join us if you believe truth and love expressed in gentle boldness would upgrade your personal Christian walk or church experience. However, if you do not believe more truth and more love in your spiritual relationships would be a spiritual upgrade we are NOT the people to call.