By: Jim J. Adams, Ed.D.
19 pastors and leaders discover the benefits of thriving in an academic greenhouse of intense and practical learning in Denver, Colorado.
By: Jim J. Adams, Ed.D., LPC President
People don’t necessarily think of themselves as “greenhouse plants.” However, when it comes to nurturing a healthy and accelerated process of growth, the results can truly be remarkable.
This month in Denver, Colorado, Life Pacific College (LPC) launched a regionally-based cohort of our Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership (MASL). We brought together 13 pastors and leaders from the Gateway District of Foursquare Churches along with students from the East Coast, the West Coast, Central America, and Africa in what can only be described as a greenhouse environment of accelerated learning and burgeoning growth. Imagine it: 19 pastors and leaders together 24/7 for an entire week, dedicating 100% of their energy and passion as they engage in a dynamic process of what will be a two-year journey, learning and thriving together.
According to LPC Student Services Coordinator Beth Mead, members of this cohort run the gamut from pastors to entrepreneurs to artists to civic leaders; ranging in age from late 20s to 55 plus. Beth and our LPC team graciously and efficiently serve the needs of these students under the outstanding leadership of Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Remi Lawanson.
As I spent time listening to these 19 MASL students, I was thrilled with their commitment to this unique process of learning. In no way do these leaders fit the conventional derogatory reference to “greenhouse plants,” but rather, they are experienced and seasoned ministers who know what they need to learn and have come face to face with the difficult challenges of leadership. They are deeply committed to gaining the most out of the LPC MASL program, where they will experience a wealth of learning and engagement in a compressed period of time.
Gateway District Supervisor and Chair of the LPC Board of Regents Dr. Sam Rockwell is largely responsible for the partnership between LPC and the district he leads. His commitment both to the ideals of LPC and the financial resources for subsidizing the MASL program in his district have made this new regionally-based cohort possible. We are thankful for Sam’s leadership and partnership with LPC as well as his vision for what a regionally-based MASL cohort might look like, both in the U.S. and ultimately around the world.
In addition to LPC faculty who taught classes during the weeklong launch, guest lecturer Dr. Kneeland C. Brown from the Indiana Wesleyan University DeVoe School of Business challenged MASL students to deeper understanding of transformational and strategic leadership.
The MASL regional cohort is a critical step in the life of LPC, particularly in how we serve pastors and leaders in The Foursquare Church. We hope the success of this initial regional cohort will be just the beginning of other regional and even international programs of its kind for Foursquare ministers.
I witnessed many “lights” go on in Denver as these leaders began to make connections between their ministry experience and what they need to learn. I couldn’t help thinking of a greenhouse where thriving growth occurs uniformly and still uniquely in each plant. As LPC expands its influence among district pastors and leaders, I pray for many other lights to go on for people who, like plants, need just the right kind of environment to gain the most from their learning.
—
By Jim J. Adams, Ed.D., Life Pacific College President
The post LPC Denver Cohort: Just the Right Environment appeared first on Life Pacific College.