2023 Leadership Foundations Network
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The Apostle Paul invested time and energy into the development of Timothy, which set him up for a lifetime of service. We all need the same kind of investment.
The European Leadership Forum is focused on helping you grow and develop as a leader. The vision of the ELF’s Leadership Foundations Network is to establish some baseline understanding and skills and to set these in your own personal context and the context of the wider European mission. You will meet and develop relationships with other leaders across Europe who are at a similar stage and who share the same vision and convictions. You will receive input from some of the Forum’s best speakers alongside tailored individual mentoring.
Applicants should be those who are attending the Forum for the first time and want to see the Forum as part of their long-term personal leadership development plan. It is a one-year track only: as part of the Network, we will help you make decisions about how to make the most of what the Forum offers and direct you towards appropriate ongoing mentoring and training opportunities.
The following three elements make up the strategy for every new leader who comes to ELF:
- INTRODUCTIONS TO NETWORKS FOR 2023
For those attending the Forum for the first time, there are an overwhelming number of networks you could be part of. We want to help you choose the right one that will help you develop as a leader in your next step. Over the course of the Forum we will be briefly introducing each Network so that you are able to make an informed and appropriate choice.
- NETWORK RELATIONSHIPS
It is crucial that we have times to get to know each other and pray together. This is an essential part of the track because it helps us understand the contexts in which we are ministering and establish friendships across Europe with those who are at a similar stage of leadership development. As we share and pray, we will gain a vital understanding of the breadth of Christian ministry that is being done across Europe.
- INDIVIDUAL MENTORING
The Leadership Foundations track includes a unique and important feature – a one-to-one mentoring session with one of the network leaders, which helps you tailor the Forum’s many opportunities to your own personal ministry context and development. These will take place over the course of the Forum.
Applicants should be those who are attending the Forum for the first time and want to see the Forum as part of their long-term personal leadership development plan. The Network is focused on helping participants grow and develop as leaders, showing them how to make the most of what the Forum offers, and directing them towards appropriate ongoing mentoring and training opportunities.
Network Leadership
Network Speakers
Ann Pritchard Blaser has led women through Bible Study Fellowship International for thirty years, teaching Scripture classes for women and training leadership groups. Her work now consists of mentoring and advising other women who are teaching and training leaders in Bible Study Fellowship. She… Read more
Leonardo De Chirico is the pastor of Breccia di Roma, a church that he helped plant in Rome in 2009, and Chair of the Theological Commission of the Italian Evangelical Alliance. Previously, Leonardo planted and pastored an evangelical church in Ferrara, Italy from 1997 to 2009. He earned degrees… Read more
Stefan Gustavsson is a member of the European Leadership Forum Steering Committee. He is the director for Apologia – Centre for Christian Apologetics and makes his home in Stockholm. He was the founding general secretary for 16 years of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance. Stefan travels widely… Read more
Michael Reeves is President and Professor of Theology at Union School of Theology in the UK. He is a Senior Fellow of Newton House, Oxford, and speaks and teaches regularly worldwide. Previously he has been Head of Theology for UCCF and an associate minister at All Souls Church, Langham Place,… Read more
Adrian Reynolds is Associate National Director for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC) in the UK. His responsibilities include leadership development. He has over 30 years of experience training and mentoring leaders in both the secular and Christian worlds. Before joining… Read more
Emanuel Țundrea grew up in communist Romania, but the faith of his parents had a huge impact on him. As a student he was involved in discipleship. In 2001, he joined the staff at Emanuel University of Oradea where he is serving now. He completed his PhD in software engineering in conjunction… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 21 May
Too often, Christian leadership is tainted by personal ambition, empire-building, and lack of integrity. But what does it look like when leaders are shaped by the gospel? This session will look at what it means to be “gospel people” (or “evangelicals”), why it is so important, and how we can cultivate integrity to the gospel.
Why and how do we evaluate gospel-need where we live and in the wider continent. How does this knowledge shape our own ministry and development? This session will include some tools for evaluation and a time to share together our specific country contexts so we can gain a wider view of the European situation and our place in it. We will also include a short session on how to make the most of the Forum.
Monday, 22 May
We know the Bible is the word of God, the Sword of the Spirit, but the truth is we are always tempted to read it through the lens of our culture, and not read the culture through the lens of Scripture. You can easily have the appearance of a commitment to Scripture but by adding in other authorities, dilute its message and compromise its integrity. In a culture of competing voices we need to be certain of the Bible, fight for its centrality and understand the subtle temptations to compromise.
What does it mean to love God and to love people as we engage and work in an increasingly hostile world? We have to be sure about what we communicate (content) and also the manner in which we present truth. In our social media world, this last issue is an important one for all leaders. We want our communication to be truthful, clear, and gracious. How do we hold these apparently opposing tensions together?
Tuesday, 23 May
The Bible teaches that believers (and leaders!) are saved by faith alone, but that faith is not alone. All believers in Jesus are commanded to be disciples of Jesus who are teachable, honest, faithful, and persevering. We need to be able to honestly assess our own spiritual state, be realistic about weaknesses, and set godly goals. This maturity includes a willingness to serve others in pursuing the same aims.
The Bible pattern is for leadership to be relational. We work with others for our mutual flourishing and want to lead others into deeper spiritual maturity. In order to be effective leaders, we have to think about how we lead and interact with others. How can we know ourselves in order to best serve those in our care, as well as colleagues and co-workers? This session will include practical help to apply relational leadership dynamics to our own situations, as well as introducing a specific tool to assess our own contributions.
Wednesday, 24 May
There is a clear Bible picture of helping others develop in the calling and gifting that God has given them. We see it in the ministry of Jesus and the disciples, and Paul and his helpers. We need to see how we fit into this picture, both as someone who will benefit from mentoring, and a leader who is called to mentor others.
How do we plan for the future? If we want to serve effectively, we have to make and fulfil plans. What is a wise, godly plan for personal effectiveness? What steps do we build in? This session will include time to build or amend a personal plan that will seek to honour God and lead to growth.