Leadership Network

www.LEADNET.org
Phone: 1-800-765-5323
Fax: 214-969-9392
2501 Cedar Springs, Suite 200, Dallas TX 75201
With offices in Atlanta, Boulder, Charlotte and Houston.

Mission:
Our mission is to accelerate the emergence of effective churches. Effective churches develop leadership teams; equip and deploy the people of God for service; understand and engage the culture; build authentic community; and achieve missional impact. Undergirding all of our activities is a desire to foster excellence in applied ministry that results in transformed lives and communities.

We believe the paradigm of the emerging 21st century church calls for the development of new tools and resources as well as the equipping of a new type of 21st century church leader, both clergy and laity. This "second Reformation" is centered on structure, organization, and the transition from an institution-based church to a mission-focused church.

Leadership Network has sought to focus on leaders who are life-long learners and churches in positions of influence to effect a wider distribution of change and innovation. In recent years, we have expanded our original constituency to include major initiatives in lay mobilization and the equipping church, denominational leadership at the middle and regional judicatory level, urban churches active in community transformation, and the next generation of emerging leaders.

Leadership Network is a private, operating foundation created in 1984 by social entrepreneur Bob Buford for the original purpose of identifying, networking and providing resources for the senior ministers and staff of large congregations (1,000 + in weekend worship attendance) in the United States. Churches served by Leadership Network represent a wide variety of primarily Protestant faith traditions, ranging from mainline to evangelical to independent, and are characterized by their culture of innovation, desire to be on the leading edge of ministry, and entrepreneurial leadership.

Leadership Network is now recognized as a primary resource to which 21st century congregations and church leaders turn for information, innovation, and networking.

Vision and Core Values
Vision: The Church will be effective in the transformation of lives, communities and the world.
Mission: Accelerate the effectiveness of the church by identifying, connecting and resourcing strategic leaders.
Values: We believe our dependence on God provides the framework that enables us to live into our values.
Integrity: We do what we say we are going to do.
Respect & Relationships: We respect the dignity of each person and encourage our dependence on one another.
Accountability: We own our responsibilities, focus on our mission team, and answer for our work.
Innovation: We understand that we live in a fast changing world that requires relevant creativity.
Impact: We want to make a difference in areas that matter to God.

Programs:
Leadership Network believes in the Diffusion of Innovation, a proven methodology of spreading innovative practices across a system. Our various programs work with different parts of the Innovation Curve. The various parts of the curve describe organizations as to their attitudes and behaviors in innovative church practices. Over its almost 20 years of ministry, Leadership Network has developed a five sector grid for assessing innovative practices of a church. We look for churches with "Three I's":

• Innovation - their practices are leading the way.
• Influence - their practices have a wide influence on other churches.
• Impact - their practices have a big impact within their local community.

These programs focus on innovators and opinion leaders within the early adopter part of the curve. The base programs select small teams of peers that are working toward the same innovative outcome areas. All of these communities of peers are seeking to improve their personal and organizational performance in these focused outcome areas.

Learning Communities change year to year. Examples include:

• Direct Action Community Transformation
• Multi Site/Multi Campus/Multi Venue Congregations
• Extending the Halftime movement through churches
• Community Collaboration Leadership Teams
• Senior Pastor Next Stage of Ministry
• Church Leadership Development Innovators
• Church Collaborative Approaches to Community Transformation
• Community Transformation Teaching Churches
• City Halftime Organizations
• Next Generation Senior Pastor

To inquire about Leadership Communities please send an email to: dave.travis(at)leadnet.org.

Events include:

• Learning Adventures:
  These once a year events are conceptual events designed to bring the learnings from a separate discipline into the church system.
• Large Scale Events:
  Such as Camp Improv
• Briefings:
  These are built off the learnings and approaches of our Leadership Communities. These events put the best models on a platform to reach other clients and influencers in a briefing format.

Resources
Resources can be ordered through our website. They include:

• Explorer:
  A monthly email to leaders focused on the concepts and principles related to innovative practices.
• Into Action:
  A monthly email to leaders focused on practical examples and tools related to innovative practices.
• Halftime report:
  A monthly report for individuals in Halftime.

Connect is a web-based community for leaders to interact with a variety of leaders across the country.

Consultation
We have several programs we conduct or assist a church or client organization in conducting. These programs are revenue-generating products.

• Wildworks Collaborative Services:
  Consulting services offered to selected clients for the purpose of enabling improved collaboration within their system.
• Halftime Event Kit:
  A product designed to help congregations and other groups conduct an effective Halftime Event.