One of the major discontents of our society is dealing with its leaders. Tens of thousands of people filled the streets recently, because they are fed up with being led by leaders who are unapt, unprepared, who are lacking character, who are not taking responsibility, who are corrupt and looking only to fulfil their personal interests, not those of the people they lead.
A prominent religious leader recently said, referring to the state of our country, that we should all be ashamed, because after 25 years of freedom and democracy, we did not change our society into a better one.
Because of unworthy or worthless leaders, people are dying on the street, in entertainment venues or at work, in circumstances in which they should be secure. Our children are dying in maternity wards or while they play in the park, leaving behind traumatized parents. People are dying in Romania because ambulances do not arrive in time or because, in critical situations, when every second is vital, there is no organizing, or the protocols are scanty. People are dying in our country because there are no leaders who would anticipate crisis situations and who could develop strategies for coping with the crisis, where everyone would know what to do and has what is needed to meet the needs. Because we lack quality leaders, people are uprooted, migrating to countries that are led in a better way, more ethical, more intelligent, searching for a better life there.
Even more painful, people are dying in our country because of spiritual darkness and the Church of Christ, who is the only hope of the world, often only reaches them post mortem, when there is nothing that can be done. The church seems to have withdrawn behind protective walls, limiting itself only to deliver services, when it should be amongst people who suffer, who are wandering through darkness, who are dealing with rejection, intolerance and indifference. We excel in issuing verdicts, in identifying sins, in blaming, forgetting that we are expected to show mercy, compassion and especially involvement.
To be able to change these things, we need people who are capable to lead – lead themselves without being dependent on other people and without waiting for cues from others; lead their families; lead where they are, bringing a positive influence, being part of the solution, not part of the problem. This is our calling – to be light and to lead the world, from its current state of drifting, towards Christ. It is not enough to know what is good, we need to know how can we help those around us or those we lead to progress and how can we contribute to the change of our society towards good. To achieve this, we need to constantly develop our leadership skills. Communism was a toxic system that killed the entrepreneurial spirit. You were not allowed to think – other people were thinking on your behalf. You were not allowed to have initiative, because you were perceived as dangerous, even as an enemy of the system. The decisions were centralized and given to people who did not fear God, all the others simply functioning as pawns. We got used to being told what to do, when and how to do it. It is time we change this.
The Global Leadership Summit is an annual conference that aims to encourage and equip leaders from various environments, especially the evangelical church leaders, Christian entrepreneurs and those who are in positions of influence. Biblically, each one of us is called to influence. An impressive number of people are involved globally in making the Summit work, investing time, energy and skill, so that they can provide a tool for growth. The content comes from some of the best of the best, people who have proven through practice that they know how to lead and do it with excellence.
The 8th Romanian edition of the Summit is underway and we are glad we can be useful in this very important but often neglected field of leadership. The speakers selected for this year are bringing challenging, instructive and motivational content. Among others, we will listen to Bill Hybels, Jim Collins, Brené Brown, Liz Wiseman and Craig Groeshel, who are returning speakers. They will deliver many new and useful teachings for those involved in leadership – in church, organizations, businesses, school etc. We also have some new speakers, with powerful messages, selected for our culture and the problems our society is facing.
The first event took place in Oradea, on October 30-31, at Speranta Baptist Church. Over 100 leaders from the region took part in this 2 day training event. The challenging content, the creative process time following each message that was done in small groups, the excellent organizing represented an encouraging start of the 2015 Summit in Romania.
The next events will take place as follow:
- Cluj-Napoca: November 13-14
- Hateg: November 20-21
- Timisoara: December 4-5
- Bucuresti: February 5-6, 2016.
We intend to bring in each of these venues evangelical leaders – those involved in business, education, health, government etc., and those who need to improve their personal lives, their ministries and their service to those around them. Along with the volunteers, the tech teams, the facilitators and music bands, we intend to offer our guests an outstanding experience for growth and learning. We can get better, we can grow and we can help Romania become a dignified country, a better place. We can make our churches and ourselves fulfill our calling more efficiently, becoming more fruitful and bringing a positive influence in our community.
We are expecting you at the Summit and we ask you to pray for us. We need the equipment to work well, the teams involved in organizing to stay healthy and away from issues that could keep them from being present. We also pray for the guests to be encouraged and equipped, to take away things that are useful, implementing them where needed.
For detailed info about the speakers, about the venues, about the schedule and for registrations, please visit www.glsromania.ro .
Following you can view images from our last Summit in Oradea:
