Leading in the Glory-strength of God By Tami Heim

Be assured that from the first day, we heard of you; we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works.

We pray you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more about how God works, you will know how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul — not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory strength God gives.

It is a strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. ~ Colossians 1:9-12, The Message 

Paul’s prayer for the believers in Colosse is our prayer for each of you.

At CLA, we’re called to catalyze your lifelong transformation as a leader. That transformation impacts your ministry and those whom your ministry serves. This ripple effect amplifies the authentic presence of the Holy Spirit, alive and active in the world. And we get excited about that because our mission is to equip and unite leaders who will transform the world for Christ.

We are just two weeks from the 2013 CLA National Conference in Anaheim. The theme this year is “The Authentic Leader.” When I consider authentic leadership, I imagine:

• Hearts wholly open and surrendered to God’s will and way — all the time
• Men and women who manifest the work of the Holy Spirit in how they steward life and love others
• An alliance of leaders who allow God to radiate his holiness and grace, irresistibly drawing people to God
• A different world because Christian leaders lead for God’s glory and his glory alone

At CLA, we believe wholeheartedly that lifelong learning and the power of the Holy Spirit drive a leader’s transformation.

This year at our annual conference, you’ll find 85 workshops and 22 full-day ITI sessions scheduled to challenge and stretch you. Each learning experience promises to equip you and provide insight into what it means to be an authentic leader.

The great news is that our conference is but one of the many lifelong learning experiences CLA offers for you year-round. Check out our new website and see what is available under the RESOURCES tab on the top navigation bar. You’ll discover many opportunities to learn and grow on an annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily. I encourage you to look closely at the Credentialed Christian Nonprofit Leader (CCNL) program. Enroll in this experience and radically accelerate your knowledge and wisdom as a leader.

I’m grateful to be serving shoulder-to-shoulder with you.

We desire you to continue to explore, engage, learn, and lead with excellence in the glory-strength of God.

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Tami Heim is the president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance.