2027 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:
- INTRODUCTION TO ELF NETWORKS
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 time 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.
What Network Participants Are Saying
- "This year, I have been able to meet other fellow leaders from all over Europe and to connect with ministries that we can partner with. The teaching and discussions in the Leadership Foundations Network are really great foundations for my faith and my ministry. I sure can bring a lot back to my brothers and sisters in France."
- Julien Van Der Does, Area Representative, France - "This was my first time at the Forum, and I was totally amazed. All the plenary sessions, seminars, and workshops were extremely useful to me as a young Evangelical leader. I was part of the Leadership Foundations Network, and I was able to hear from gifted speakers and to connect with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ. I am very thankful for the Forum."
- Peter Bardos, Leader of Operations at 4MHU, Hungary - "Coming to the Forum is a dream come true for me. Here I met people who have the same challenges I do and also leaders who inspire me. Being here also allowed me time to rest a little bit; I feel loved, understood, and cared for. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in Hungary. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in my life."
- Nilmersson Pereira Da Silva, Pastor, Hungary
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
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
Martin Helgesson serves with the Apologia – Centre for Christian Apologetics and as pastor of Roseniuskyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden. He is part of the leadership of Langham Preaching Sweden, and travels to preach and speak on various issues related to Christian apologetics and expository preaching… Read more
Zefjan Nikolla is the General Secretary of BSKSH (IFES Albania) and pastor of Emanuel Evangelical Church in Tirana. He is involved in various national and international leadership and evangelistic initiatives ranging from youth ministries to attempts to reach government leaders. He is also the… Read more
Dave Patty has been involved in training youth leaders and leading national and international youth movements in Europe for over 30 years. He serves as the president of Josiah Venture. He is also a founding member of Concentric, which mobilizes and equips youth ministry trainers in over 60… Read more
Emanuel Tundrea completed his PhD in software engineering at Polytechnic University of Timisoara, Romania, in conjunction with the University of Nice, France, and then he earned his MA in Pastoral Theology in Oradea. In 2001, he joined the staff at Emanuel University of Oradea where he is… Read more
Network Programme
Sunday, 23 May
What is the European Leadership Forum, and why does it exist? In this session, we will learn about the vision and strategy of the Forum. We will also see how the Leadership Foundations Network can help you establish some baseline understanding and skills that will help you flourish as a leader in your own personal context and the context of the wider European mission.
The best way to become a good leader is to begin with loving God. We see this in the life of Jesus and His disciples. We must learn to be deeply connected to Him by abiding in Him if we hope to lead others to do the same. This session will help you to find personal delight in your intimacy with God, which is the foundation of all of our leadership.
Monday, 24 May
Too often, Christian leadership is tainted by personal ambition, empire-building, and a lack of integrity. But what should 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.
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.
Tuesday, 25 May
What is apologetics, and why is it essential for the church in our time and place? In this introductory session, we take a look at some of the challenges to the Christian message that we face. We also examine what it means to be called to the work of Christian apologetics, in terms of context, competence, and character.
No one who is a believer would consciously deny the full Lordship of Jesus Christ. There are, however, a number of ways we inadvertently diminish His Lordship. This talk explores how a diminished Lordship impacts the way we use our minds as believers. A strong foundation for apologetics must begin with an acknowledgement of Christ's full Lordship. How ought this to impact the way we think?
Wednesday, 26 May
Pastor Timothy in Ephesus was mentored by Paul, who encouraged him to seek out and train new generations of leaders. Jesus Himself trained His disciples. We must embrace the humility needed to be taught and coached by others and also, right from the start, be eager to serve in raising up a new generation of leaders. Mentoring is at the heart of this desire, and we need to understand how to make the most of it ourselves, particularly in the context of the European Leadership Forum. This session will also outline the opportunity of our Year-Round Mentoring programmes.
In this session, we will help you formulate a personal leadership development plan and see how the Forum can serve you in future years by providing the inputs and connections you need. This will flow from the conclusions you have reached in the previous session.