Leaders of Christian Organisations

David Sveen is the President of Cedarstone Partners, Inc. He earned his BS in Business from Northern Illinois University in 1978 and his MBA from DePaul University in 1986. In 1994 he earned his MA in Educational Ministries from Wheaton Graduate School and in 2004 his Ph.D. in Theological Education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His professional background includes thirteen years in senior management with investment banking firm Griffin , Kubik, Stephens and Thompson, as well as an adjunct assistant professorship of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College since 1995. He also coordinates the Summer Tutorial Program for Central and Eastern European Scholars and Christian Leaders at Wheaton College. In 1993, he founded Cedarstone Partners, Inc. and currently oversees its consulting practice. He serves as a trustee of the Domanada Foundation, and also serves as a board member for International Sports Ministry and the Trust Company of Illinois. Dave and his wife, Kriste, have five children and make their home in Wheaton, Illinois.

Kurt Tillman is a partner at Cedarstone Partners, Inc., a management consulting and business services firm. He specializes in foundation and nonprofit programming, communication, and development. His professional background includes twenty years in education and thirteen years as program director for a private foundation. He has been involved at both the staff and board level with nonprofit organizations for many years, including Chairman of his local church and President of the Wheaton College Alumni Board. Kurt earned his BA in Social Science from Wheaton College in 1978 and his MA in American History from Northern Illinois University in 1987. Kurt and his wife Meg have three children and live in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

NETWORK SPEAKERS

Bobb Biehl is an executive Mentor. In 1976, Bobb founded Masterplanning Group International. He has consulted personally with over 500 clients. He has met one-to-one with over 5,000 executives and invested an estimated 5,000 hours in private sessions with some of the finest leaders of our generation. Based on thousands of hours of practical experience, he has originated 40 tools (books, tapes, notebooks) in the area of personal and organisational development. For over 31 years, Bobb was on the board of directors of Focus on the Family. He holds a bachelor’s (’64) and a master’s degree (’66) from Michigan State University. Bobb and his wife, Cheryl, have been married since 1964. They have two adult children, 2 grand children, and four great grand children. www. BobbBiehl.com

Henryk Krol is the President of DR Studio and CEO of DEOrecordings Association, an innovative media ministry based in Poland that combines traditional media (6 FM Radio stations), art (professional recording studio and publishing), and new tools (13 Web portals, multimedia productions) with deep, Bible-centered convictions and a primary goal of evangelism. His heart is in building cooperation and partnership across denominations and countries to network for better effectiveness in spreading the Gospel. Henry holds a PHD in engineering. His research focuses on how to best use the Internet without forgetting to "stand firm" on the biblical truth as the final authority. He is married to Boguslawa, with whom he has three children: Filip, Paulina and Szczepan.

Dave Patty is the founder and president of Josiah Venture, an organisation focused on training next-generation leaders in 11 countries of Eastern Europe. He dreams of a movement of God among young people in Eastern Europe, one that finds its home in the local church and which transforms society. He lives with his wife Connie and three children in Frydlant, Czech Republic.  He holds a BA in Theology and a MA in Education. He has lived and served in Europe for the past 25 years. Before moving to the Czech Republic he ministered to youth in Germany with Cadence International.

Introduction and “Getting to Know You”
Kurt Tillman & Dave Sveen

Kurt and Dave will introduce the European Leaders of Christian Organisations Network. For the majority of the session, participants will be divided into rotating small groups in which each person will describe: 1) Who you are; 2) What you do; 3) Why you are here.

Practical Lessons I Have Learned from My Own Mistakes in Leadership
Henryk Krol

It is good to learn from the mistakes of others and not from your own. Still, our own mistakes we remember much better. In my career of around 40 years of leading, I have developed my personal "code" that works for me: A leader takes time and senses opportunities that are future proof and are manageable; a leader detects potential in people he meets and recruit them,  knows his limits, and so forth. This lecture will explain how I have discovered those obvious truths for myself.

Day 1 for Track A and Day 2 for Track B

The Fog Cutting Arrow & The Team Focus Arrow
Bobb Biehl

“Clarifying any topic quickly ... avoiding the frustration of mental fog “
The “Fog Cutting Arrow” is a tool you can use to clarify your thinking on any topic in a matter of minutes.  Reduces your speaking preparation to a fraction of the time.  Reduces your writing preparation time to a fraction of the time.  Prepares you for debates in a fraction of the time.  In short, the “Fog Cutting Arrow” dramatically reduces the time it takes you to clarify your thinking on any topic and prepare for any presentation or, engagement.

“(50,000 Foot Level) Focusing top leadership’s thinking ... avoiding team confusion”
The “Team Focus Arrow” can focus your team’s next year’s big picture plan faster than any single tool I have ever developed in the past 35+ years.  The “Team Focus Arrow” does not allow you to get bogged down in details but keeps you focused on the “big picture”.  The “Team Focus Arrow,” in an amazingly short time, shows you the strategic moves for your entire organisation for the coming year. And, the “Team Focus Arrow” adapts instantly to any organisation, of any size, in any country.

The Strategic Planning Arrow & The Organisational Chart Model
Bobb Biehl

“(20,000 Foot Level) Getting your team on the “same sheet of music” ... reducing team mis-communication”
The “Strategic Planning Arrow” is one large sheet of paper (24” X 36”) helping the entire team gain perspective on the strategic plan for the team’s future.  One sheet helps show how the needs, purpose, objectives integrate with priorities.  One sheet helps tie milestones, resources, and roadblocks to priorities.  One sheet helps each of the projects, departments, divisions fit together as one team, to accomplish one purpose.  And, this one tool can be used in any organisation of any size.

"Organising a “championship” team ... avoiding / reducing team conflict”
Your organisation without a clearly defined organisational chart operates roughly like a soccer team where the head coach tells a team of her / his finest players, “This game I’ve decided on a brand new strategy … just go on the field play any position you want ... and, remember we must win this is the championship!”  This session is to help you know how to get the right team members in the right roles and the wrong ones out of the places they are now in, as soon as possible.   

Day 2 for Track A and Day 3 for Track B

Leading with Integrity
Dave Sveen

We live in an age where cynicism is commonplace, trust has been severely tested, and the pursuit of self-indulgent power and image has engulfed our leaders.  This should not be so.  In this session we will deal with issues of integrity, virtue, and leadership traits which are in accordance with the commands of God and are a reflection of His character.  We will consider the historical teachings on integrity, as well as examine the scriptures for guidance on leading with integrity. 

Day 3 for Track B and Day 4 for Track A

Leadership Distortion – Four personal needs that can unknowingly sabotage your leadership
Dave Patty

Effective leadership is about more than skills and techniques.  Good leaders create emotional bonds with people that energize and motivate them.  Each of us has four basic needs that are meant to be filled by the Father.  When these needs are met in a leaders heart he or she is a natural channel of God’s father heart to others.  When not, they distort leadership in profound and far reaching ways.  Recognizing and resolving these leadership distortions can significantly increase your effectiveness as a leader.

Day 3 for Track A and Day 4 for Track B

The Leadership Star & The Fund Raising Process
Bobb Biehl

“Upgrading your current team ... avoiding “bureaucratic” thinking”
This session could be called, “How to fire an employee in a Christian way.”  Typically 80% of your staffing problems / pressures are with 1-2 problem team member(s) who should not be on the team – and, you already know exactly who they are.  Once they are working somewhere else, they are actually happier and your entire team works far better as a team. This session teaches you a proven process you can use for the rest of your life. And, it teaches you to make needed staff changes, but are not exactly sure how to approach the situation.

“Getting others excited about your dreams ... avoiding the discomfort of asking for help”
How would your ministry be different today if you had 2-3 times your current budget starting tomorrow?  Every ministry is ultimately limited by the amount of dollars it has to function.  This session teaches you some “rubber-meets-the-road” practical principles of fund raising funds which can increase your confidence in funding for the future.  Any one of the many principles taught in this session is well worth the time invested in the entire session. 

The Process Charting Process & The “7 Vital Signs” and “5 Critical Standards” of Healthy Growth
Bobb Biehl

“Save time, energy, money ... avoid waste”
Process charting is your organisation’s key to transferability, process improvement, effectiveness, efficiency and a wide variety of other very practical elements of refining your organisation’s foundation.  Once your organisation is “up and going” it is time to start making it more effective, more efficient, more profitable.  Here is where process becomes “worth its weight in gold” as the saying goes.  This session is basically an introduction to process charting.  If you are a systems engineer you can skip this one.  If not, this can be revolutionary to your confidence in the refinement process.