Image via WikipediaI just want to post a quick note, effectively an apology, to those following me on my blog. I am not posting regularly at this point due to two big factors: 1) I am working a 20+ hour a week job to supplement our income while we live in the monastery and work out the final phase of selling our house in Ft. Mill (we have accepted an offer, the closing date will be determined very soon), and 2) the nature of the scenario has been both delightful and difficult. So my time is quite limited and I'm being stretched (especially emotionally) through this transition and I prefer to not groan publicly (though I pray I get better at this). We are gaining definition and clarity in the coming week that should prove to be a significant determination as to how things form, so your prayer for us is great appreciated.
We finished the Ascent conference last night in the Cornerstone building on the Mosaic campus (right by the monastery, if you are not familiar with the property layout here in Newport News). It was a terrific event and God moved among the youth to bring tremendous healing in many souls. We had Matt Lockett (from JHOP in DC and Bound4Life) speak Saturday morning and Ryan Kondo (from IHOP-KC) led worship during the day on Saturday. The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever. We are grateful to be a part of the prayer movement He is building into His Church in our day.
Image via WikipediaI believe that to be an effective leader one has to be constantly learning; teachability and hunger are invaluable gifts God can give to a person if they aim to lead long-term. In thinking about leadership, you can basically break down a leadership style into 2 categories: transformative or transitional. Transformative leadership is largely positive, seeking to empower the next tier of leaders and leading by their pace and example... able to inspire. Transitional leadership is of the stick and carrot variety, setting a bar in terms of performance and example and deploying punishment and rewards according to results. I believe that while a person's personality mix determines which style comes most 'naturally' to them, in truth leaders need some capacity to walk in either fashion... according to the scenario they are leading and its respective ebbs and flows. 
