Distinctives of Leadership

Discovering Purpose

God has created each person with unique talents, gifts and passions that He seeks for them to discover, develop and use for His glory.  This process includes:

• Discovering who God has created you to be.
• Discovering what God has called you to do, individually and corporately.
• Discovering how to prepare for as well as practice your calling.

Knowledge Outcome – Students should seek to discover God’s design and purpose in all dimensions of their lives.  Behavior Outcome – Students should seek to fulfill and glorify God’s design for them in all dimensions of their lives.

Grounding Values

Christian leadership requires an unreserved commitment to God and His purposes in this world, a confidence in the gospel truth and a devotion to faith, hope and love. Individuals who are deeply grounded in the Christian faith are:

• Willing to give expecting nothing in return.
• Willing to sacrifice personal gain for truth.
• Willing to forgo monetary success to pursue God’s calling on their lives.

Knowledge Outcome – Students should be well-grounded in the Scripture, the Christian faith (including ethics) and our common Christian heritage.  Behavior Outcome – Students should know, practice and articulate the Christian faith and ethics.

Broadening Knowledge

Engaging the world to make a difference requires an understanding of the world.  This understanding comes through:

• Broadening your exposure and knowledge of various cultures and worldviews.
• Broadening your knowledge of history, your understanding of the present and your imagination for the future.
• Broadening you ability to effectively communicate to a dynamic and changing world.

Knowledge Outcome – Students should be broadly educated in foundational concepts which enhance life and learning for success in the global community.  Behavior Outcome – Students should communicate, integrate and use their knowledge of foundational concepts from the perspective of the Christian worldview.

Deepening Skills

The deepening of professional and leadership skills enable students to excel in the marketplace and to engage society to facilitate transformational change.  This includes:

• Deepening your degree of competence in a chosen field of study.
• Deepening your critical thinking and analytical skills that empower you to take calculated risks.
• Deepening the integration between your faith and your field of study.

Knowledge Outcome – Student should be proficient in at least one specialized field of study.  Behavior Outcome – Students should integrate, apply and communicate their knowledge of their field of study (including appropriate technologies) from a Christian worldview.

Collaborating Service

Effective participation in communities requires students to learn to work well with a variety of people in a variety of contexts, to envision, initiate and lead profound change whether at home, at church, in the workplace, within the community, or across the world.  Practicing collaborative service means:

• Understanding your giftedness and how to work effectively in community.
• Meeting specific needs of communities through conscientious and committed action.
• Seeking to give all you are for a cause much greater than yourself.

Knowledge Outcome – Students should have the knowledge necessary for effective participation in communities.  Behavior Outcome – Students should practice interpersonal and collaborative skills as responsible members of their communities.