By: Mitch Arbelaez on March 1, 2014
Yes! I am a product of the 80’s. Psychedelic colors, big hair, parachute pants, Members Only jacket, MC Hammer – “You can’t touch this,” break dancing (still got some moves), and of course rock ’n’ roll! We were cool, we were hip, we were the bomb. Parents didn’t get us. They were lame, out of…
By: John Woodward on March 1, 2014
Recently Leonardo DiCaprio did the interview circuit for his new movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a movie that depicted a wealthy trader on Wall Street who had a “lust for wealth and the lust for consuming everything around him.” This drove him to extremes of debauchery that make up much of the movie. It…
By: Telile Fikru Badecha on February 28, 2014
The Rebel Sell: How The Counterculture Became Consumer Culture by Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter, is informative work on the roles that countercultural rebels played in America using very compelling stories to elucidate their points. The countercultural notion that the authors discuss in this book is new to me and I appreciate the opportunity to…
By: Liz Linssen on February 28, 2014
Throughout the centuries, we have seen movements that have arisen to redress society’s oppression: the French Revolution, Marxism, Communism and so on. Movements that responded to the pain of the hurting masses, that rebelled against the dominating powers in order to “level the playing fields”. In more recent years, we have seen this through the…
By: Sam Stephens on February 28, 2014
Reading Shelly Trebesch’s Isolation: A Place of Transformation in the Life of A Leader, brought to mind an experience I had twenty years ago while traveling in Germany. I see that as an ‘Isolation’ according to Shelly’s description, one that leaders are taken through voluntarily or involuntarily. Passing through such a valley of ‘isolation’, transforms…
By: Michael Badriaki on February 28, 2014
Everyone at some point enjoys the consumption of a particular good, item and commodity. For example, I consume a certain amount of information weekly as I read the different books assigned in my doctoral program. I think that consuming is not the problem in and of itself’, but it’s extremes to which humanity can be…
By: Sandy Bils on February 28, 2014
Three weeks ago, I was able to participate at the leadership summit of Willow Creek in Germany. Willow USA and Germany hosted a large conference with 8000 leaders in Leipzig, Germany. In the last years Willow emerged to an important inspiration for a lot of German Churches. Many pastors joined the conferences, bought books by…
By: Garrick Roegner on February 28, 2014
The motif of entering into the desert, a dry and waterless place, for a time of spiritual testing, pain, and growth is prevalent throughout the Bible. Shelley Trebesch in her book Isolation: A Place of Transformation in the Life of a Leader explicates these periods of isolation for Biblical leaders from Moses to Paul, not…
By: Julie Dodge on February 28, 2014
“Out of the crooked timber of humanity nothing straight was ever made.” (Immanuel Kant)[i] As an undergraduate I took a course in psychological theory in which we were encouraged to consider each major theory and ask critical questions about their theological basis (if any). One of the exercises that stood out to me was a…
By: Ashley Goad on February 28, 2014
When someone says counterculture, I tend to think of the yogurt shop down the street that markets healthy frozen cups of goodness. There is also CounterCulture Coffee and endless CounterCulture vegan and vegetarian restaurants. What is this word “counterculture?” Miriam Webster defines counterculture as, “a culture with values and customs that are very different from…
By: Bill Dobrenen on February 28, 2014
This might age me, but I have always loved the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary. Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers began performing together in Grenache Village in the early 1960’s. Their music was traditional American Folk, and they popularized such songs as Lemon Tree, 500 Miles, and Puff the Magic Dragon. …
By: Richard Volzke on February 28, 2014
Heath and Potter’s book, Nations of Rebels, reminded me just how consumer oriented that I am. I’m a typical American that unfortunately allows manufacturers marketing to influence how and what I buy. Reading this book and answering the questions that the authors asked allowed me to see just how much branding and marketing influences the…
By: Richard Rhoads on February 28, 2014
You need to talk with Larry; he is a man of humility and great wisdom. These were the words my Pastor spoke to me after asking him, “Who would be a good person to seek out for mentorship during my time in seminary?” To be honest, his words surprised me. I’m not quite sure what…
By: Phil Smart on February 27, 2014
When tested by Myers Briggs, I found myself as an ENFJ, not an INFP. Perhaps this is why Isolation by Shelly Trebesch didn’t move me or inspire me as other readings have. It’s not that I haven’t tried to think as she suggests, and I do understand the value. Some parts of the reading actually…
By: Fred Fay on February 27, 2014
Literature on effective leadership had been prolific. Ken Blanchard defines it as “the capacity to influence others by unleashing their power and impact for the greater good”.[1] Leadership is influence for mutual good is a good starting point. Kouzes and Posner add that leadership as “the art of mobilizing other to want to struggle for…
By: Sharenda Roam on February 27, 2014
“Jesus & Isolation in Reverse” While reading “Isolation: A Place of Transformation in the Life of a Leader” by Shelley Trebesch this week for my doctoral program I ran across her “Table 1 – Summary of Fourfold Processes in Isolation,” (44) and “Table 2 – Isolation Examples and Their Experience of the Fourfold Process.” (47)…
By: Chris Ellis on February 27, 2014
Isolation—A Place of Transformation In The Life of a Leader is written by Shelley Tresbesch an Assistant Professor of Leadership and Organizational Development at Fuller Seminary. She identifies two types of isolation. The first is ‘the setting aside of a leader form normal ministry involvement in its natural context usually for an extended time in order…
By: Deve Persad on February 27, 2014
For almost three years we have been a one car (notice that it starts with “C”) family. This past year my son obtained his driver’s license. As a result we needed to purchase another vehicle. We did so, gladly, even willingly. Research was done, test drives were done, we even waited for a sale and…
By: David Toth on February 26, 2014
As district church planting director for my denomination I was really enjoying the ministry! Talking with leaders, both pastors and others, who showed some interested in see an new church planted was not a chore, it was invigorating. And then, quite involuntarily, God threw a curve ball. Move to Hungary? As a Christian and Missionary…
By: Mark Steele on February 23, 2014
I became keenly aware of the emotion that comes from church splits when I tried to help a CEO friend find a consultant to lead his leadership team through a strategic planning process. Unbeknownst to me at the time, he was the CEO of a denominational split over sexual diversity issues. The strategic development consultant…
