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South Africa Journal 9: How God Used Africa to Stretch My Heart

September 7, 2010 in Canadian, Community, Leadership, joy by Scott Cochrane | No comments

I’ve just experienced a truly incredible morning.

Here at the Bakubung Bush Lodge in South Africa we woke early to catch the sunrise. Under a brilliant orange sky we saw and heard South Africa Day 9the wilds of Africa come to life, with exotic birds bursting into song and a herd of wildebeests wandering by.

In this remarkable setting I took the time to reflect on this two-week South African odyssey I’ve been privileged to experience. With our World Vision hosts and a group of Canadian pastors, I spent time in some of this country’s most beautiful and affluent areas, as well as her most desperately needy regions.

I thought back to the days leading up to this journey, and specifically to the ways in which I believe God was preparing my heart. I had sensed a very real challenge from God’s Spirit to not simply come and look at what’s happening around me, but to really see things in and through God’s perspective.

So, what did I see?

  • I saw people who’s annual earnings most of us will spend on a month of Starbucks coffee, but who are rich in their love for God. To have had the privilege to worship with these people was to experience a freedom in worship I’ve rarely seen before.
  • I saw people whose generosity was not contingent upon their level of income. Among communities of people with very little of what the world would call “wealth” there was a consistent spirit of looking out for those with even less.
  • I saw in the hearts of the Canadian pastors on the trip a spirit of compassion and mercy that should inspire all Canadian Christ-followers. Their genuine love for the people we met should come as no surprise, but it was nonetheless affirming to see such care demonstrated.
  • I saw God do a work in my own heart. I was challenged to examine my own life and my own priorities. I found God changing my definitions of words like “necessities”, “security”, “possessions” and “needs”.

My final reflection would be that, as a result of this life-changing trip, I find that my resolve to see the Church in Canada become stronger, healthier and more vibrant to be more intensified than ever.

Because I believe to the core of my being that God has a truly global role for the Canadian Church to play. And the more we can see our churches prevail, the more we will see God work through us to truly make a global difference.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds. For all of us.

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South Africa Journal 8: Remembering to Close the Loop

September 3, 2010 in Canadian, Community, Disciplinie, Leadership, action, joy by Scott Cochrane | 1 comment

Think about the last time you led a ministry initiative in which you had to call in favours.

Perhaps you’re a youth leader who needed to round up extra drivers for that youth ministry outing, and you phoned all those parents to bring their mini-vans to run these kids across town.

Maybe you’re a senior pastor who needed to clear the church calendar for an important church-wide event, and you met with several key staff to get them to move or cancel their previously scheduled functions.

My question for you, and the one I’ve been challenged with today, is “How consistently do you remember to close the loop?”

South Africa Township

My journey through South Africa continued today with a stop at World Vision’s Umvoti Area Development Project office. Here our group of Canadian pastors met with the Umvoti World Vision staff, along with a group of local pastors.

As part of the meeting’s agenda we showed a video which we had shot in this region in April of 2009, and which we had shown at Canada’s Leadership Summit sites later that year. In filming the piece we had visited many area homes and interviewed many families and community leaders. In showing the video to some 7000 leaders at the Canadian Summit it had raised a great awareness of the needs in this region, along with an opportunity to respond through World Vision.

After showing this seven minute clip to these Umvoti leaders, one of the pastors rose from his chair and spoke words which I immediately processed as an important leadership principle.

“Thank you for showing us this video,” he said in his native Zulu through an interpreter. “Many times people visit us, and many times they take videos of us. Then they show their videos in other countries, but we don’t know what they have said about us. We don’t know what people are being made to think about us through their videos. But you have come back to us. You have shown us the video. This honours us. And we thank you.”

The eruption of applause confirmed that he was speaking on behalf of their entire community.

His comments reminded me that these people were not merely subjects in our video. They had given of themselves to make our project a success, and to show them the finished product was just the right thing to do.

Because when you call in favours, it’s incumbent upon the leader to close the loop. It’s just a part of leadership to go back to those you asked for help, and let them know how things turned out.

Tell the parents who drove the kids what happened as a result of getting all those kids to the event.

Tell the staff how in moving their ministry function to a different night your church-wide event had impacted the entire church.

I had to come half-way around the world to be reminded of this leadership principle. But it’s one I’ll be emphasizing with greater vigour upon my return to Canada.

How consistently do you remember to “close the loop”

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South Africa Journal 5: The Difference Between ‘Waiting’ and ‘Expecting’

August 31, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Tension, random by Scott Cochrane | 3 comments

Somewhere along the way there was a misunderstanding about this morning.

As we walked along the dirt path towards the large canvas tent ahead, I was hoping that this misunderstanding wouldn’t create a problem for our hosts.

South Africa Journal 5Our little band of brothers and sisters were walking together towards the gathering place of Hope of Glory Church, located in one of the sprawling slum areas of Durban, South Africa. Four pastors of some of Canada’s most significant churches, along with our World Vision hosts and a couple of us from The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada, were all moving towards this Sunday morning worship service with a high sense of anticipation.

But I worried about the misunderstanding.

You see, usually when pastors from North American churches visit a church in a third world setting like this there is an expectation that the visitor will preach. In this case, however, despite the considerable ‘pulpit power’ represented in our group, none of us were either prepared nor desiring to preach. We were genuinely looking forward to hearing the Word of God taught to us by our host pastor, S. D. Chili.

However, she, in turn, had expected that one of us would be preaching. Now that this misunderstanding had been ironed out Pastor Chili had busied herself preparing a message, later telling us that she felt great pressure preaching in front of these distinguished Canadian pastors.

She needn’t have worried.

For as we settled ourselves into our chairs and entered into heartfelt worship with this congregation of about 150 people, I had a clear sense that God was about to do something profound through this humble but powerful woman.

And that He did.

Pastor Chili chose as her text Romans 8: 18-19,

18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

Could any of us from Canada have preached from this text? Certainly. And each of us likely has.

But what God communicated through Pastor Chili not only connected powerfully with these desperately poor people from these slums, but also challenged and encouraged each of us from Canada.

She taught us the difference between merely ‘waiting’ and ‘expecting’. When one merely ‘waits’, she explained, we tend to just mope through whatever life hands to us. But when we wait in expectation that God intends to meet us in each and every situation it completely changes our outlook.

This was a powerful truth, delivered with a conviction I doubt any of us from Canada could have quite matched.

She went on to describe a funeral she had recently conducted, in which they had buried the 7th of 8 family members. The surviving family member, though obviously in great mourning, said at the funeral that her hope was still in the Lord.

That’s waiting with expectation.

As the service ended and we filed out of the tent, I couldn’t help but think how glad I was that none of us from Canada had been called upon to preach that morning. Each of us were incredibly blessed to have sat at the feet of this woman’s teaching.

And I know that as our itinerary now takes us out to the rural areas where World Vision is at work, I trust that God will help me to further remember and apply that I am not only ‘wait’, but to ‘wait with expectation’.

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South Africa Journal 4: How Loudly Should The Church Be Heard?

August 30, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Tension, action by Scott Cochrane | 1 comment

“The voice of the Church was neutralized by its lack of a shared vision.”

That statement, issued by a black South African leader, served as a defining moment on my first full day in Johannesburg. It’s a statement which I’m sure I will be thinking about long after I return to Canada.

On this day, my friends at World Vision had brought me and a group of Canadian pastors to the world famous Apartheid Museum. In gallery after gallery grainy black and white images filled the walls, each Apartheid Museumdepicting heart-breaking scenes of racially motivated injustice.

Later our group would meet to debrief our experience in the museum. And it was in this setting that I asked the question that had dominated my thinking that day.

“Where was the Church when all this was going on?”

It was then that one of our hosts provided a unique perspective on the role of the Church in his country’s history. “There were some churches who supported apartheid, even citing so-called ‘biblical evidence’,” he explained. “These churches, however, were in the minority. Most bible-believing churches spoke out strongly against apartheid. They were not, however, very effective in their opposition.”

I then asked the question that puzzled each of us.

“Why were the churches so ineffective?”

My friend answered with straight-forward clarity. “The voice of the Church was neutralized by its lack of a shared vision.”

He explained that South Africa’s churches had tended to work in isolation. He went on to say that, as such, rather than the Church speaking as one with power, conviction and authority, its voice was weak and marginalized.

As I thought about this insight, it prompted me to consider four questions we may do well to process in terms of the Canadian church:

  • Should the voice of the Canadian Church play a more vocal role in the spiritual life of our country?
  • What might future generations say about the voice of the Canadian Church?
  • Are there issues on which God might be calling the Canadian Church to speak with greater authority?
  • What would it take for this to happen?

Most leaders I talk with don’t believe that the Church in Canada should veer off-course and become a political influence. On this I would strongly agree. But when it comes to influencing our country’s spiritual direction perhaps there are things we can learn from South Africa’s history.

What do you think?

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South Africa Journal 3: Great Expectations

August 27, 2010 in Canadian, Community, Leadership, missional by Scott Cochrane | No comments

Have you ever found yourself working online, expecting that your internet connection will simply continue to keep you plugged into the world, when all of a sudden, inexplicably, you find that you’re offline?

I have, just now.

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a coffee shop, expecting that the latte you just ordered will arrive piping hot, only to have it served to you luke warm?

I have, just now.

Life is full of expectations, which are formed by our culture, our character, and our own experiences.

I’m sitting in London’s Heathrow Airport, where for the past few hours I’ve had a series of hit and miss experiences with my expectations. And while I can honestly say that none of these have been particularly inconvenient, in just a few hours I expect that my perspective will be utterly shaken.

I’m en route with a group of Canadian pastors to South Africa, where my friends at World Vision will be guiding us through the work they’re doing in some of the country’s most impoverished regions. In these communities expectations are very different. They think very little about the consistency of their internet connection, or the temperature of their coffee.

In communities ravaged by AIDS, where there is a lack of clean drinking water and where food sources are scarce, expectations are decidedly different. And I fully expect that in the coming days, as we immerse ourselves in this very different reality, that my own expectations will be turned upside down.

At least, I’m praying this is so.

And so as we board our London to Johannesburg flight I’m praying that God will use this experience to help me identify any expectations I’ve been clinging to that He would have me release.

And in doing so, I trust that my heart will be softened to what He would have for me in these coming days.

What expectations might you be clinging to that God would have you release?

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Communicating Between the Lines

August 19, 2010 in Canadian, Community, Leadership, Leadership Summit by Scott Cochrane | 1 comment

I’ve recently been reminded of an important principle in communication. I call it Communicating Between the Lines.

This refers to the fact that often what we communicate is overshadowed by what people think we have said.

I still remember a confusing conversation I had with a good friend of mine more than 30 years ago when he expressed interest in the well-being of my grandparents. My grandfather had undergone successful surgery to have a pace-maker installed to keep his heart working properly, and around the same time my grandparents had bought a second car; an AMC Pacer.

AMC PacerYou can see this misunderstanding coming straight down Main Street.

My friend, thinking he was asking about my grandfather’s surgery, mistakenly asked about his new Pacer. Naturally, I went on to describe their new car. I said it ran great, it had unique styling, and that it was blue.

My friend, still thinking we were discussing open-heart surgery, dropped his jaw in utter disbelief. “You mean…he SHOWED it to you???!!!”

Similarly, even as so much positive response has come in around our announcement that next year’s Global Leadership Summit in Canada would take place in September, the principle of Communicating Between the Lines has surfaced again, as questions have come in that show a need for a certain amount of additional clarity.

So then, here are a few basic F.A.Q.s with respect to next year’s Summit.

Q: Does this change mean we won’t see the content coming from Willow?

A: Summit participants in Canada will enjoy ALL of the content from the U.S. Summit.

Q: So, will Canada now be “on our own” instead of being part of the global experience?

A: Actually, we’re moving CLOSER to the global experience. Outside North America, the global Summit experience has always taken place several weeks AFTER the U.S. Summit. Canada will now be moving into closer alignment with the rest of the world.

Q: Why are you adding Canadian sessions? Aren’t the U.S. sessions good enough?

A: Again, this is a lesson learned from the Summit around the world. Up until now, Canada has been one of the very few Summit countries not to include at least one or two sessions originating from the host country.

Q: So, does this mean we’re just watching videos?

A: No! In addition to the U.S. content this will be an interactive event, being experienced simultaneously across Canada. From the Atlantic provinces to the west coast, Canadians will be engaged in a shared experience. There will be interactive elements and opportunities for full “real time” participation from coast to coast.

From time to time if I become aware of the need for more Communicating Between the Lines I’ll update this F.A.Q. And indeed if you have questions or ideas for next year’s event, note them below or email me at scochrane@growingleadership.com.

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Leadership Lessons from Toy Story; Communicate Change Openly and Directly

August 11, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Leadership Summit, missional by Scott Cochrane | 6 comments

One of my favourite scenes from the original Toy Story movie is when Woody assembles the toys for a “staff meeting”, where he intends to inform them that their owner, Andy, has had the date for his birthday party changed.

Knowing that this news is likely to evoke a strong reaction, Woody starts by bringing them a couple of fairly innocuous pieces of information (eg, “Does everyone have a moving buddy?”) before delivering the real news.

Almost under his breath, Woody nonchalantly looks on the second page of his agenda and mumbles, “Oh, and one minor note, the date for Andy’s birthday party has changed…to today.”

Watching Mr. Potatohead, Rex, Ham and the others totally freaking out is pretty hilarious.

The leadership lesson for Woody? How you deliver this kind of news is as important as what the news itself actually is. In this case, news of this importance required clear, open, up-front communication.

Similarly, at the close of this year’s Global Leadership Summit we delivered some fairly significant news; that starting in 2011 the Canadian Summit is moving to the end of September. And while we had no reactions nearly as intense as those of Woody’s friends, this news is worthy of open discussion.

Here then, is the background to this move.

At the start of June we met with our Summit host pastors, along with Bill Hybels, and asked them how we could extend the impact of the Summit. I was surprised to hear them say that we should move the dates.

After getting feedback from church leaders across Canada, two vital themes emerged. The first was that the single greatest factor which limits the impact of the Summit is the time of year.

Secondly, Canadian church leaders want the Summit to more fully reflect our own country’s leadership issues. This move will allow us to not only capture the entire U.S. Summit experience, but also enhance it with new content.

Moving forward there’s another Toy Story leadership lesson to be gleaned. Woody made the mistake of simply announcing this change and then moving on. We want to engage in dialogue. So here are a couple of questions I’d love to get your input on:

  • How can we leverage the Summit to impact more church leaders in Canada?
  • What are the most pressing leadership issues facing the Canadian church that could be addressed in the Summit?

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Recapturing the Zeal

July 23, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Leadership Summit by Scott Cochrane | 6 comments

Last December I took a group of 12 Canadian pastors down to Willow Creek in Chicago for a week of mentoring. On our last day we were able to huddle up with Bill Hybels for a Q&A session, and it was in that setting that a pastor from Edmonton asked a question which would spark a new day for The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada.

“Bill,” he began, “What do you see in the North American church that causes you greatest concern?”

Without hesitating Bill shot back, “The church in North America has lost its zeal for evangelism.”

In one sentence Bill was able to articulate a concern that has been gnawing at me for years. And in conversation with Canadian church leaders from coast to coast I’ve been hearing the same thing over and over: the Church, while making many great strides in many areas, seems to have lost its sense of urgency around evangelism.

Seeking to draw attention to this trend, The Leadership Centre Willow Creek Canada has partnered with our friends at Power to Change to bring Erwin McManus to Canada to explore the openness to the gospel in this country.

Erwin will be presenting his findings during a Canada-only session at this year’s Global Leadership Summit, but today I want to give you a sneak peak as to what this unique session will be all about.

Erwin McManus

The good news? Canadians have never been more open about their desire to address deep spiritual longings.

I believe we are about to see a renewal in intentional spiritual conversations that will lead to an explosion of evangelism. I can’t wait to see what God has in store.

What do you think it will take for the Church in Canada to recapture its “zeal for evangelism”?

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Preparing Your Team for The Leadership Summit: Watch the Jack Welch Clip

July 13, 2010 in Canadian, Leadership, Leadership Summit, joy by Scott Cochrane | No comments

As leaders continue to get their teams ready for this year’s Global Leadership Summit we’re looking at things you can be doing now to maximize the Summit experience.

One idea is to take advantage of Summit materials being released online. For example, on this  Summit web page you’ll find an excerpt from Bill Hybels interview with Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric.

This clip, part of the session to be shown at the Summit in August, Bill and Jack discuss the pace of leadership. Watch this clip with your team and discuss:

  • Where have we moved too slowly in our leadership?
  • Have we every moved too quickly? What have been the consequences?
  • What issues are presently before us that require quick action?

Remember; if you want to maximize the Summit for your team it’s important to take advantage of the time leading up to the event. Plan out ways you can prepare your team for an optimal experience.
And be sure to share your ideas with me so I can post them to others.

How are you preparing your team for this year’s Summit?

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