Introduction to the site

Foursquare Christian Education has launched this site as a vehicle for Christian school administrators in Foursquare churches to communicate directly with one another. When used to the fullest benefit, this site will allow you, the school administrator, to post responses to issues and articles that are initiated by our Christian school administrator network. Members of this network are administrators in Foursquare Christian schools with extensive experience, wisdom, practical insight, and concern for the health and success of other Christian school administrators.

To use this site, please scroll through the articles, reading those that interest you. As you encounter ideas or leaders to interact with, you can click on the comment button to enter the discussion. You will want to check the site often for updates and additional postings that may extend the dialog or answer questions you raised in your initial posting.

Equipping Leaders to Make Disciples

PRIORITIES for Empowering and Releasing Leadership

Rod Light

Our call is excellence, passion, and effectiveness in children?s ministry and Christian school administration.

Call to Leadership ? The goal of everything we influence is to network leaders through personal relationship, enrich leaders through fellowship and equipping opportunities, and to release the coaching potential of these leaders as they impact the lives, leadership, and ministries of others. The following 10 characteristics of Foursquare Christian Education will directly relate to the formation and release of leadership in children?s ministry and in Christian school administration.

Call to Evangelize ? It is the ultimate goal of Foursquare Christian Education and our leadership development teams to strengthen the evangelism and discipleship ministries of local churches throughout the U.S. Evidence of this outcome is best seen in the fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ, whether this is a children?s ministry leader, a Christian school administrator, young children, elementary or tween children, or students being education and discipled in Foursquare Christian school ministries.

Call to Disciple ? Our contention is that the most effective means of achieving the outcome of discipleship by strategically implanting the Word of God in the lives of our youngest children, and by nurturing the primary relationships in the lives of these children as they learn to commit all their ways to the most important relationship with Jesus Christ. As children?s leaders, parents, and school administrators continue to develop their own discipleship, they impact the lives of those they lead expanding the ever-widening circle of fully devoted kingdom disciples.

Call to Network ? Christian school administrators who learn and develop together:

• Regional Coaches are being identified from our strongest and most effective schools.
• Regular interaction among these coaches is building common purpose, approach, and accountability as contact is made with other school administrators.
• The network of school administrators will encompass every known Foursquare school and identify all previously unknown school, home school, or day care ministries.
• The network is intended to be a source of support and encouragement rather than an accountability group or educational training or certifying agency.
• Participation of our Regional Coaches in associations such as ACSI (The Association of Christian Schools International) will ensure a larger affiliation and network with Christian school education and educators.

Call to Communicate ? Multiple approaches to communication will reflect our commitment to regular, clear, and relevant communiqués with our leadership teams, and a larger national audience of children?s leaders and Christian school administrators, and the pastoral leaders whom they serve. Our guiding principles in communication include:

• Quality, appealing, and timely content and appearance
• Platform our field specialists, their insights and recommendations
• Provide advance notification of newly released ministry resources
• Fully utilize every web-based approach, i.e., website, e-newsletters, interactive blogs, etc.
• Identify specific leaders with whom to communicate, rather than generic communications
• Listen to feedback from the field as to content and approach for future communiqués
• Continue to engender the need for relational and relevant communication
• Three Directions newsletters in print and online formats will be produced in 2006
• A Christian School Administrator web log, or blog, will be operational in early 2006

Rod Light, rlight@foursquare.org, is National Minister of Foursquare Christian Education