We are dedicating a three part series to walking through Impact 360 Institute’s core purpose of “cultivating leaders who follow Jesus.” In Part I we looked at why the word “cultivating” was important and strategic for the Institute’s work and in Part II we examined how we define the word “leader.” If those two words communicate the “how” and our “who” of our work here at Impact 360 Institute then the focus of “who follow Jesus” is the “why.” For our Institute purposes “who follow Jesus” is built upon these assumptions:
Our work is focused on those who have a relationship with Jesus.
Our worked is targeted to those who already are Christians and interested in growing their faith and their ability to influence. That’s certainly not to say evangelism isn’t important work. It most certainly is and there are organizations built to do that well. Our work is focused on those who have an existing relationship with Jesus and are ready to build upon that base of understanding with others who also have that relationship. This flows into our next point…
Our work is focused on those who have an existing relationship with Jesus and are ready to take it to the next level.
Our work is focused on a form of discipleship.
A fundamental element of following Jesus is a willingness to have one’s life spoken into and shaped by the eternal truths of Scripture. We want to take someone who has a disposition of wanting to grow in their relationship with Jesus, want to understand how that will inform how they relate to others, and grow them in their understanding of such things. Our strong belief is that one needs the appropriate balance of head knowledge and spiritual formation to do this effectively on behalf of Kingdom work. What this means is one possesses the right understanding of the Gospel combined with the right heart to share in a way to be heard. One who follows Jesus would always be interested in growing in their practices of such things and our work is targeted to those ready to take the next steps.
Our strong belief is that one needs the appropriate balance of head knowledge and spiritual formation.
Our work is focused on following Jesus’ model of leadership.
When we talk of leadership we know it can mean many things to many people. The interpretation we are focused upon is one that can be found in the model of Jesus’ life; one that takes the disposition of a servant. We seek to focus on the ability to influence others ultimately to see the work of Jesus in our lives and to do that we must seek to honor Him in all we do. This is well-reflected in the practice of servant leadership. Influence is often gained by the opportunities we take to serve others. A true servant heart can build opportunities for this influence to be used to demonstrate to all how God loves us. Seeking to be more like Him and reflect him through our interactions with others is a paramount byproduct of our core purpose work.
At the end of the day the key work of Impact 360 Institute is not around apologetics, worldview, leadership, understanding one’s vocation and calling, or building biblical community. These are really important ingredients and qualities we wish to help build in people. The key objective has to be the development of Christ-like character and spiritual formation practices or our work is empty. We wish to be a part of God’s Kingdom work here on earth and equipping others to grow in their understanding and practices of their individual roles in this is our highest calling. We are excited to serve and it is our expressed desire to continue to cultivate leaders who follow Jesus through our ministry and work.
Go Deeper:
Learn more about who Impact 360 Institute is!
Consider how to effectively lead your peers.