
Time to Go Back to School: Fall CLA Online Academy
Take your Christian leadership and the skills of your entire team to the next level of excellence with the CLA Online Academy. This experience is designed for nonprofits leaders who desire to personally develop, need flexibility, and appreciate the ease of online learning.
The CLA Online Academy’s state-of-the-art platform is powered by Azusa Pacific University College. Course modules run for ten weeks and require, on average, one-hour per week to complete. This online experience is divided into five two-week sessions. These five sessions include an inspirational reading, topic-specific readings, an interactive online presentation, group discussions, and a written reflection.
Fall 2015 Term
Modules Begin: September 28, 2015. The registration deadline this quarter is September 21,2015.
Each module features practical and biblically-based content. CLA facilitators are thought leaders and expert practitioners who are passionate about guiding this experience. Learn more about each class, its facilitator, and how to register by following the links below:
CCNL Required Core Module
- CCNL Stewardship
- About the facilitator: Suzy West is Vice President, Operations and Finance, of Christian Leadership Alliance. She joined CLA in October, 2000. Prior to that time, she was a legal secretary and bookkeeper for 18 years, then received two paralegal certificates from University of California, Irvine in 1993. Suzy worked as a paralegal in the fields of real estate, estate planning, corporate law and bankruptcy for the next seven years, as well as prepared tax returns for an accounting firm.
Board Governance
- Essentials of Governance
- About the facilitator: Randal Dick is the Founder of Profit Environment LLC and a Special Assignment Consultant with Design Group International™ where he helps a wide variety of business and Christian leaders overcome challenges and maximize success. Randal is a graduate of The Governance Academy and has been personally trained by John and Miriam Carver, two of the world’s leading authorities on corporate and nonprofit governance. He served on boards in five countries and has trained and coached boards in over a dozen countries.
Executive Leadership
- Biblical Foundations of Executive Leadership
- The Executive and Board Relationship
- About the facilitator: Mark L. Vincent is CEO of Design Group International, an organizational development company he co-founded in 2001 to help organizations and their leaders discover clarity and implement solutions. Out of a successful career in pastoral ministry, project management and leadership development, Mark co-founded Design Group International, a firm that helps organizations and their leaders discover clarity and implement solutions.
Financial Management
- Accounting Basics for Ministries
- About the facilitator: Rachel McMichael, is an audit manager for CapinCrouse. As a manager, Rachel provides supervision and guidance to the senior staff and senior associates during the attestation and audit engagement process. She works closely with our clients and often functions as the primary contact to assist clients in getting their day-to-day accounting questions answered. In addition to her audit responsibilities, Rachel also oversees the Southeast tax practice.
Marketing Communications
- Understanding Your Target Audience
- About the facilitator: Shannon Litton is president and CEO of 5by5, a marketing and digital agency which serves change makers, those who work where life change happens. The 5by5 team delivers messages with undeniable clarity, reach, and results. Prior to establishing 5by5, Shannon co-founded a successful agency, worked in marketing for a technology leader in the educational space, and provided marketing consulting to non-profits engaged in multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns.
People Management & Care
- Talent Acquisition and Retention Lifecycle
- About the facilitator: Carolyn B. Thompson is an experienced training designer, facilitator, event planner and HR consultant for Training Systems, Inc., a customized performance improvement and HR consulting company dedicated to helping small and medium sized organizations enhance their ability to recruit, inspire and retain quality employees and improve performance through training.
Resource Development
- The Annual Fund
- About the facilitator: John B. Savage, EMBA, has been working and partnering with Nonprofit executives and organizations throughout North America for nearly 30 years. As Founder & President of The Savage Group, he and his team help National and Regional organizations grow their revenue, improve their effectiveness, and fill the gap during leadership transitions. John has served on the Stewardship and Leadership teaching faculty of City Vision College, Azusa Pacific University, and Artios Institute, and as an Independent Study Advisor in Leadership for Bakke Graduate University.
Christian Leadership Alliance is grateful for the support of ECFA for their sponsorship of this learning experience. ECFA enhances trust in Christ-centered churches and ministries by establishing and applying Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship™ to accredited organizations.

What is Christian Leadership Alliance?
Christian Leadership Alliance equips and unites leaders to transform the world for Christ. We are the leaders of Christ-centered organizations who are dedicated to faithful stewardship for greater kingdom impact.
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