REVIEW:  The Leader 101 Course:  Cultivating Habits of Highly Effective Spiritual Leaders

• Lesson One (June 2015).  Cultivating the habit of joy
• Lesson Two (July 2015).  Cultivating the habit of praying 10:2b
• Lesson Three (August 2015).  Cultivating the habit of looking expectantly for 10:2b answer
• Lesson Four (September 2015).  Cultivating the habit of carrying people (especially 10:2b answers) in your heart.
• Lesson Five (October 2015).  Cultivating the habit of shepherding your flock.
• Lesson Six (November and December 2015).  Cultivating the habit of interactive gratitude.

*Watch the video and then continue with the assignments below the video (click on the picture of Kent and Cathy Larson to watch this video).

Interactive gratitude.

Interactive journaling (note:  interactive gratitude is one form of interactive journaling) is a simple method for improving our awareness of God’s presence in both our thoughts and lives…  There are many reasons to improve our awareness of God’s active presence in our lives.  The best reason is the guidance and friendship we receive from “checking  in” with God throughout the day.  Other benefits include healing emotional wounds, enhancing character and building community… This process can be learned in a few minutes, and most people experience changes from the first time they practice it.  Following a simple sequence naturally elicits transforming conversations with God.  Wilder, Joyful Journey:  Listening to Immanuel, p. 1, 2.

LK10 and the Leader 101 Course

What does interactive gratitude have to do with LK10 and our Leader 101 Course?  There are at least three important connections…

1. It is critical that leaders of small groups (house churches, etc.) are continually cultivating joy in their own lives.  (“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Neh. 8:10.  For more on this, see the articles in Lesson One in Leader 101.  Read from the bottom up.)
2. The LK10 Vision is to see “vibrant families of Jesus” multiply in every region and people group around the world.  “Vibrant” means “pulsing with life”.  And, nothing promotes the “abundant life of Jesus”  (John 10:10) like His joy in us as a group (John 15:11).  We aim to create “high joy” house churches!  In the next two months, we’ll show you how to use interactive gratitude with your group as well as your individual life.
3. Interactive gratitude is a tool that helps us live out our “rhythms of attention”.  We value paying attention to our own heart, the hearts of those around us and God’s heart.  We believe that the starting place for Christian life and ministry is attention, not effort.  See John 5:19.

Assignments

Note:  All assignments are to be done in the presence of the Coach (Paraklete).  Listen, watch or read until He stops you.  Write down the phrase or idea where He stopped you and dialogue with Him about it.  Interactive journaling!

1.  Watch the video of Kent and Cathy above.  Talk to the Lord about what you hear.  Begin practicing interactive journaling as close to daily as possible.
2. Purchase the book Joyful Journal:  Listening to Immanuel by Jim Wilder.  Focus for now on the first three chapters.  Practice reading until… the Coach stops you.  Chapter three gives more details on how to do interactive gratitude.
3. Begin reading your interactive gratitude journal entries to your CO2 partner, your Leader Team and your house church.  Use this as an alternate way of “checking in”.  Notice what happens to you and to your group as you share your journal entries.
4. Teach interactive gratitude to your family and to your house church.
5. Send me an email sharing what you are learning and how you and your house church are benefitting.  I’ll share that with the larger LK10 Community.  Let’s teach and encourage one another.
6. Share this blog post with others you think would benefit.

More about Kent and Cathy Larson

Kent and Cathy have been on staff with the Vineyard Community Church in Laguna Niguel, CA since 2001. They have recently also joined one of our LK10 Coach Teams.