I was recently in a southeast Asian country to help train local leaders who would be training leaders in their churches. We call these multi-day training events TOT's - Training of Trainers.
At supper time I had a very encouraging conversation with "S" (name changed for security). He is the principal of a new Bible school, a part of the Baptist church in his country.
He said he had been searching for curriculum to teach leadership to his students and had read a lot of leadership books but didn’t find material that was easy to understand and at the level his students needed.
While he was searching he talked with a person in his church who had attended a TOT in 2009. This person suggested my books. "S" read them and was delighted to find exactly what he had been looking for. He decided to use my books for a couple of his classes.
The students read the lessons and then came to class for discussion and application. The results were amazing. He shared many stories of how the students' lives were transformed. The lessons on forgiveness and brokenness have often produced tears in his students. The teaching on authority promoted several of them to write letters to their pastors asking forgiveness for rebellion. Sometimes he deliberately provoked the students to test their character. For example, they would ask to go the library and he'd refuse, just to test their reaction. One of the requirements for graduation from his college is character change. A denominational leader came to him and asked, “What are you teaching in leadership that is producing these changes?”
Wow, I was so encouraged to meet him! We have often felt that we failed since no programs were established from our 2009 training. But here is essentially a LEAD (leadership development) program being led by someone who didn’t even attend the training. His approach is great and, although he doesn’t have a lot of students, if he keeps working with 10-15 every year, he’ll have a great impact over time.
