by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 1, 2010 | Communication, Decisions, Empowerment, Leadership, Self-Leadership, Success, Vision
We hear a lot about how leaders must have a burning red-hot vision from God. If we accept Bill Hybel’s definition of vision (I do), then what exactly does it mean to have a vision? How can you tell if you’re moving in the right direction? Great! I’m glad you’re pondering that question.
As a subscriber to Harvard Business Review OnPoint Journal, I behaved like a child at Toys R Us upon receiving the Winter 2010 edition. “Turning Your Vision into Reality” is this month’s theme and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Vision is popular buzzword among leaders, especially church leaders. Unfortunately, many pastors attend conferences and come away with visions hijacked from others, falsely believing that God will do the same for their church. I call this ministry pornography (I’ll blog about that later).
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 26, 2010 | Accountability, Fun Stuff, Money and Finance, Self-Leadership, Top 5
What is Black Friday you might ask, It’s the day after thanksgiving, the kick off of the holiday shopping season, a day you will find great deals, and lots of people. If you have never done a black Friday before you will need to have a plan in place. You can’t control your job, investments or home value, however, you can control how you spend.
Therefore, before you hit the stores (you may already be out there by the time you read this), ask yourself the following questions:
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 15, 2010 | Accountability, Communication, Empowerment, Personal, Self-Leadership, Success, Vision
You have a purpose in life. Let me repeat: You have a purpose in life! You know in your heart what’s most important to you.
What Is A Personal Vision Statement?
A personal vision statement is a preferred picture of what could be and what should be in your life. Additionally, it’s a plan for people to accomplish the goals they set. It shapes your identity and crystallizes principles which are important to you, and supplies a foundation on which to build a preferred picture of the future. In short, it communicates who you are and what you plan to accomplish. A personal vision statement can be based on your mission, goal, or your passion.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 10, 2010 | Accountability, Decisions, Empowerment, Personal, Relationships, Self-Leadership, Teamwork
To say I’m excited about mentoring a fine group of men is an understatement. In fact – I’m ECSTATIC! How often are we allowed the chance to impart and pour our lives into others? I told our men that this will be one of the most difficult assignments they’ll ever encounter. I will teach them…stretch them…develop them…train them…correct them…as they transition into fine Christian leaders in their homes, communities, and church.
(Praying for our Men of Promise. Sunday, November 7, 2010)
I crossed the burning sands of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., on March 4, 1987 @ 10:54:35pm while attending Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. While pledging* (The Men of Alpha Phi Alpha DO NOT participate in or condone any form of hazing :-D), my line (The Naughty 9) read poems that instilled hope and inspiration. The inspiration from these poems gave us the strength to reach towards the finishing line. I shared with the Men of Promise how nothing great comes without sacrifice, dedication, and hard work. Therefore, I believe this poem, “The Test of a Man” will prove beneficial to their development.
THE TEST OF A MAN
(Author Unknown)
The test of a man is the fight that he makes,
The grit that he daily shows;
The way he stands upon his feet,
And takes life’s numerous bumps and blows.
A coward can smile when there’s naught to fear.
And nothing his progress bars,
But it takes a man to stand and cheer,
While the other fellow stars.
It isn’t the victory after all
But the fight that a Brother makes.
A man when driven against the wall, still stands
erect and takes the blows of fate with his head held high,
bleeding and bruised and pale,
Is the man who will win and fate defied,
For he isn’t afraid to fail.
Question: What Scriptures, poems, or quotes get you through the day?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 9, 2010 | Accountability, Goals, Leadership, Mentoring, Relationships, Self-Leadership, Teamwork, Vision
Five years ago I received a clear calling. This calling was as clear as my call to preach and pastor. God directed me to personally develop and mentor 100 men to become devoted Christians and strong spiritual leaders.
THE NAME – MEN OF PROMISE
The process and material to develop these leaders is called Men of Promise. Inspiration for our name comes from the Moses’ encounter with his father-in-law Jethro who asks Moses, “What are you really accomplishing here?” Moses would sit and hear ALL the people’s disputes against each other from morning till evening (Exodus 18:13-14). Jethro told Moses, “This is not good. You’re going to wear yourself out and the people too.” (Exodus 18:15-16). He goes on to instruct Moses to “select from all the people CAPABLE, honest men who fear God and hate bribes and show them how to lead.” (Exodus 17-21). Men of Promise are today’s emerging leaders in our church. Some are ready and some are raw…but they are our best.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Nov 8, 2010 | Christian, Christianity, Preaching, Self-Leadership, Teamwork
On Sunday, November 7, I kicked-off a new message series entitled, “Identity Theft.” I was inspired to teach this series after hearing Craig Groeschel of Lifechurch teach on it. I am excited about this series and believe It’ll empower ALL to pursue God’s best version of themselves!
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