Leadership Development
/By Betsy Stalcup, founder and executive director of Healing Center International
By Betsy Stalcup, founder and executive director of Healing Center International
HCI has eight Leadership Development groups that each meet once a month. The purpose of the groups is two-fold. First, to create safe, wholesome community where leaders can bond with other leaders as they share the joys and sorrows of life. Secondly, to teach and practice the skills that are essential to healthy leaders. We are learning, maturing, and growing together. Our Leader team, a small team of us who lead Leadership Development groups, are in the process of creating a four year curriculum of leadership essentials. We will meet again the first weekend in January and covet your prayers.
In the past we have covered such topics as:
Quieting
Listening to God
Immanuel Prayer
Listening to others
Returning to joy from distress
Listening to God on Behalf of others
Understanding and self-assessing maturity
Healthy self-identity
Healthy relationships with others
Relational Circuits
Attachment styles and how to develop a secure attachment to God
How transformation works
We’ve been focused on helping leaders form healthy communities since 2013. We believe God has called us to focus on the leaders who teach the classes or lead in other ways. Our groups meet once a month for two hours. Typically, we start our meeting by sharing highs and lows. We want to know each other’s joys and sorrows! Then we teach and practice a relational skill. Our groups are relational! Not much in our culture can be described as relational since our culture does not put a high value on healthy relationships.
Through the years we’ve been quietly growing. Relational growth does not happen quickly! It is a bit like growing apples, you have to plant the seed, let the rain fall and the sun shine, prune a few branches, and wait a long time to see the seed become an apple.
But we do not mind. We are in it for the long haul!
We are seeing growth and transformation all around us!
Those who attend Leadership Development are encouraged to join our Leadership Network. People often attend a few times to decide, if they want to join. Yes, there is a long application with questions about what kind of training you’ve had before, and how you came to faith—but that is because we truly want to know you.
My friend Krista is a great example. It was only when I read her Network application that I learned that she wanted to be a therapist. I prayed for her at the time, then more than a year later she approached me for some advice about graduate schools. This led to some coaching and ministry about where God was calling her. Today she is in a doctoral program at Fuller Seminary pursuing her dream. It thrills our hearts to see our leaders moving into their destinies. It is not about HCI, it is about people getting the support they need to take that next step forward.
We believe that relational connections, people cheering you on and helping you interact with God are vital to becoming who God made you to be and we believe that healthy community can provide what is needed to take the next step.
Is there a cost to join? No. But we encourage those who are receiving life from us to support us in some way through time, treasure or talent.
Here’s the exercise, Listening to God on behalf of Others. Enjoy! We would love to hear what you experience! Or, join us in a Leadership Development group this month!
To sign up for a Leadership Development group, register here.
Ready to commit to a group? Join our HCI Leadership Network here.