February 15, 2012: Volume 1, Number 8
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COMING UP!
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March 8, 2012
CONFLICT CHECKUP
Conflict is a Tool - Not a Time Bomb
April 12, 2012
CONDITIONING FOR THE COURSE Pace-Setting Leadership
May 10. 2012
CLEARING THE HURDLES
Leadership Challenges
REGISTER NOW
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MORE WITH
30 60 100 MINISTRIES Near You
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February 19, 2012
Vista Grande Church
Sandia Park, NM
February 24-26
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Los Gatos, CA
March 30-31, 2012
FCCI Regional Conference
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| Greetings! |
"I just don't think I can share my struggles with another person," said Joe. "How do I know he will accept me ... and that I can trust him?" Joe raises an important point. Love and trust are not only crucial in an accountability relationship, but they are key factors in authenticity. Read in this issue how Love and Trust are a Hothouse for Transparency. We continued with our Spiritually Healthy Leader� Series in February. It is exciting to encourage each other to go deeper! A few spots are still open for the March workshop. Don't wait to register. Keep growing!   Dalton and Vicki
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CONFLICT: A TOOL OR A TIME BOMB?
"I Feel Like I'm Going to Explode!"
| Have you ever ...
- Wondered where a conflict came from because you thought you'd been getting along so well?
- Avoided conflict because you thought it was wrong to disagree?
- Struggled in a conflict until you felt you'd explode?
 Surprise ...conflict can actually be a good thing.
During March's Spiritually Healthy Leader� workshop, Conflict Checkup, you'll learn to identify the causes of conflict and how to address them constructively. You'll walk away with tools to use to turn conflict into a means for growth.
The workshops are interactive and address all facets of spiritual health, from relationships to conflict to leadership.
Workshops are not closed small groups; registration is OPEN.
Best of all, the series is flexible. You can select one or all or a combination of these workshops, to be held monthly throughout 2012. For instance, consider bringing your ministry team to the Conflict Checkup workshop on March 8.
Learn more about SHL� Workshops ... and register now.
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 Feature: LOVE & TRUST: A Hothouse for Transparency
| At first glance, a member of the royal family and a low-born commoner seem an unlikely pair to build an unshakeable relationship. But Jonathan and David together paint an inspiring model of an accountability partnership based on love, trust, and transparency.
Jonathan was the oldest son of King Saul, already seasoned as an army commander and courageous warrior. David was a mere shepherd boy who had just slain Goliath. Their bond was based on mutual respect. Soon, they entered into a covenant, signifying a commitment of love and trust from one man to the other.
 In the same way, an accountability partnership is built between two believers of the same gender who make a commitment to share, think, and stretch. Such a relationship can be a powerful tool in spiritual health when it's founded on love, trust, and transparency.
Love: the Glue of Commitment
"Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself" (1 Samuel 18:3). Here, the Hebrew term for "love" refers to deep affection for a friend. It is described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as patient, kind, not self-seeking, not easily angered, and forgiving. This love celebrates when truth reigns over evil. It protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres through life's tough times. Like the bond shared by David and Jonathan, it is the kind of love that glues friends together.
Trust: the Foundation for Commitment
But while love is the glue in a successful accountability relationship, trust is its foundation. The right accountability partner for you must be someone you respect. With the agreement comes the responsibility to create a safe place for each other to be yourselves ... and the commitment to encourage each other to address issues and situations that will cultivate spiritual growth and health.
Transparency: Give and Take Built on Trust
Together, love and trust create the environment for authenticity. In the ultimate act of transparency, Jonathan stripped off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David. He took off his tunic, sword, bow and belt, and gave them to David, too (1 Samuel 18:4). In other words, Jonathan removed his protective layers. Exposure and defenselessness are uncomfortable for most of us, and even more so for soldiers like Jonathan who fight battles for a living.
An authentic accountability partner is willing to disarm himself. He also insists that you be genuine, too - even when it may be uncomfortable for both of you to peel away layers. Comfort takes a back seat in the relationship. The responsibility to be lovingly truthful is more important than remaining unchallenged.
The Other's Best Interest
David and Jonathan proved their mutual loyalty time after time. Jonathan warned David of conspiracies and encouraged David in times of danger. David remained faithful to Jonathan, even when threatened by Jonathan's father, and fought unselfishly for Israel. They felt protected and loved by the other, yet never lulled into complacency. David and Jonathan have inspired Christians throughout the centuries to push each other to grow and yet provide the safety net of loving acceptance.
Love, trust, and transparency are precious commodities. It's easy to see why they lay the foundation in any relationship, especially one so intimate as an accountability partnership.
Growth Point
A healthy accountability relationship is built on love, trust, and transparency.
Scripture
Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. (1 Samuel 18:3)
Prayer Points
- Confess discomfort you may have about entering an accountability partnership. Ask God to give you a heart willing to grow through this act of obedience.
- In what ways can you demonstrate trustworthiness to an accountability partner?
- What may be some layers you may need to peel away with a trusted accountability partner?
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What People Are Saying ...
| "Thanks so much for the insight you shared at today's Healthy Relationships: Made to Relate SHL� workshop session. I look forward to stretching myself, through the power of Christ in me, to turn my natural tendency of extreme assertiveness into godly confidence. What a powerful concept! I can shed my inclinations towards pride and ambition and transform them into a pure, joyous, and forthright confidence in my pursuits that can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit in me. WOW!"
Katie Connolly, Principal
Katie Connolly & Associates, LLC, Albuquerque, NM
Find out more about equipping, coaching, and training opportunities with 30 60 100 MINISTRIES here. |
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