This summer, Denver-area Christians have an opportunity to participate in an international ecumenical leadership conference by joining in a local live satellite broadcast of the 2014 Global Leadership Summit.
The two-day summit will to be held at the Willow Creek Association in South Barrington, Ill., near Chicago Aug. 14-15, while being simultaneously streamed on screens in more than 14,000 churches, including Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch.
“We’re convinced that leadership is critical to church vitality,” according to the Willow Creek website. “A church’s effectiveness in pursuing its God-given mission is largely dependent on the character, devotion and skill of its leadership core—which can be formal or informal, staff or volunteer, clergy or laity.”
The summit will feature talks from a variety of leaders including best-selling Catholic author and businessman Patrick Lencioni; president and CEO of General Electric Jeffrey Immelt; former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina; and actor and philanthropist Tyler Perry.
Father Doug Grandon, parochial vicar at St. Thomas More, has attended the seminar the last two years.
“I learn a great deal from business leaders who share their experience managing human and financial resources,” he said of past summits, “and find it easy to apply business principles to the business of the Church.”
He encourages deacons, priests and seminarians to attend, as well as business leaders and lay ministers.
“As a former Evangelical myself, I appreciate the zeal for souls evidenced by the Evangelical leaders who speak at the GLS,” Father Grandon continued. “We Catholics have much to learn from them about the successful evangelization of the unchurched, in particular.”
Debbie Scott, a parishioner at St. Thomas More Church in Centennial and Denver-area GLS coordinator, attended the summit last year for the first time.
“The GLS offers a different approach; a Christian flavor to leadership,” Scott said—specifically mentioning parish staff, religious women, youth ministers, students and parents as potential attendees as well. “It’s for anyone looking for better leadership skills at their parish, work, or at home.”
In addition to the talks, attendees can gather with other Catholics to network during lunch and breakout sessions to be led by Father Grandon and Deacon Steve Stemper, deacon at St. Thomas More and CEO and president of The Catholic Foundation of Northern Colorado.
The Catholic Foundation has a code to allow participants to attend at a discounted rate if registering by June 23. For more information, contact Scott at dbbscott7@gmail.com or 303-688-3380. Cherry Hills Community Church is located at 3900 E. Grace Blvd. in Highlands Ranch.
