FROM THE CEO
Leading with Excellence
CLA’s enduring commitment to your ministry.
By Frank Lofaro
The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. Vince Lombardi
Leading Christian ministry is exciting and challenging. Our goal at Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA) is to be your most valuable resource for ideas, strategies, and training as you lead with excellence.
I’m a fan of the New York Giants. I have always enjoyed observing the leadership dynamics between an NFL coach and his team. Since the Giants started back in 1925, they have had six Hall of Fame coaches. But one former Giants assistant coach may have been the best ever at leading his team to championship performance—legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. He lived a commitment to excellence, leading the Packers to win five world championships in a seven-year stretch, including victories in the first two Super Bowls. In fact, the Super Bowl trophy won by the Packers again this year is named in his honor.
Lombardi’s words are vitally important for those who lead Christian ministries today. We must always strive for personal and professional excellence. The apostle Paul sometimes used sports metaphors to illustrate the Christian life: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Cor. 9:24-25). Our prayer at CLA is to equip you to finish well the race to which you have been called.
CLA: Equipping Today’s Leaders
2010 was a bellwether year for CLA. Outcomes magazine continued to offer cutting-edge insights, and CLA provided valuable training opportunities for ministry leaders nationwide. Our 2010 national conference in San Diego was well attended, and our Steward Leadership Summit in Denver last fall set a new attendance record while receiving high marks for excellent training in ministry fundraising. Our webinars set new attendance records, and our redesigned Outcomes ONLINE electronic newsletter proved a must read for many.
However, our most significant news in 2010 was the decision by the CLA Board to join forces with Azusa Pacific University (APU) to form a new center to provide relevant, accessible training on Christian nonprofit leadership for churches, parachurches, and other nonprofit organizations. Joining with APU, one of America’s preeminent Christian universities, allows CLA to impact an even wider audience of Christian leaders. APU’s outstanding faculty, excellent resources, and growing online learning programs elevate CLA’s ability to impact the leadership of Christian ministries nationwide.
CLA remains as you’ve known it, only better. In support of CLA’s commitment to excellence, we continue to explore new ways to deliver the in-depth organizational leadership training you need. We continue to offer all the programs and services you’ve come to depend upon as well as adding innovative ones.
The most exciting new venture is a robust professional certificate and online learning program for the Christian nonprofit world. These certificates will be offered in eight core areas of organizational effectiveness: Financial Management, Fundraising, Executive Leadership, People Management and Care, Marketing and Communications, Internet and Technology, Legal and Tax, and Board Governance.
Each certificate will consist of five or six online courses in "basic” and "advanced” levels. The first two certificates will be Financial Management and Fundraising, with all courses being created with the assistance of APU over the next three years or so. This allows us to expand our reach, offering top-quality and highly relevant products to a much wider audience at an affordable price point. CLA members can also receive credits towards certification through in-person CLA workshops and seminars. We’re also expanding our Summit, which focuses on fundraising, to include a financial management track this year.
The theme of the 2011 CLA National Conference is "Equipping Today’s Leaders.” We will be hosting 120 workshops, 25 full-day ITI sessions, and specialized summits. Equipping today’s leaders for excellence is the heartbeat of CLA, and I hope to see all of you in Dallas, April 26–28. If you haven’t yet signed up, there’s still time to join thousands of your fellow Christian ministry leaders. Visit our conference website (claconference.org) to learn more.
Frank Lofaro is the president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance. The 2011 CLA National Conference will be held in Dallas, April 26-28. Visit claconference.org today to learn more or register.
