Christian Leadership Development Courses (CLD)

Effective leadership for ministry requires that leaders understand their own gifts, skills, and leadership style, possess the capacity to train and motivate individuals and teams, and know how to organize, plan for, and implement programs designed to achieve major objectives.

CLD 510 - Foundations of Christian Leadership (3 hrs.)
CLD 510 is the gateway to the larger Christian Leadership Development (CLD) track at ACTS. It is an introductory course and has the objective of introducing students to the 12 elements of the ACTS Philosophy of Christian Leadership through a team of instructors. Each morning of this five-day course is devoted to leadership theology, theory and praxis; afternoons are comprised of self-assessment, panel discussions, and team building. CLD is cohort-based; CLD 510 introduces students to learning and working in teams called Affinity Groups. CLD is a mentored program; CLD 510 introduces students to mentoring objectives and begins the mentoring process. Some of objectives of CLD are accomplished online; CLD 510 introduces students to online learning and discovery. CLD 510 is the prerequisite entry course to the CLD track.
CLD 531 - Personal Dimensions of Leadership Development (3 hrs.)
The growth of the Christian leader cannot be left to chance. Christian growth is intentional, developmental, and cumulative; it begins within and emerges to shape all aspects of a leader's life. This course seeks to understand and encourage growth in Christian leaders in three areas: spiritual formation, ethical integrity, and relationships. Regarding spiritual formation, the development of the inner life of a leader is foundational for any and all capacity that a Christian leader will ever generate ("the breadth and depth of the base determines the height of the tower"). This foundation becomes the basis upon which Christian leaders make ethical decisions. Furthermore, the growth of a leader never occurs in a vacuum. Leaders develop in relation to others. Their relationships with their spouses, children, other leaders, friends, workmates, followers, etc., become the proving ground for their character and ethics.

This course seeks to understand and encourage growth in Christian leaders in three areas: spiritual formation, ethical integrity, and personal relationships. Regarding spiritual formation, the development of the inner life of a leader is foundational for all capacity that a Christian leader will ever generate (‘the breadth and depth of the base determines the height of the tower’). This foundation becomes the basis upon which Christian leaders make ethical decisions. Furthermore, the growth of a leader never occurs in a vacuum. Their relationships with their spouses, children, other leaders, friends, workmates and followers become the proving ground for their character and ethics.
Prerequisites: CLD 510
CLD 532 - Power, Change, and Conflict (3 hrs.)
Power relationships and the need for change exist in all organizations. Change often upsets delicate power balances and can result in conflict. As organizations attempt to respond to change, leaders must understand the role of power in the change process and how to mobilize the power of leadership in a healthy and godly manner. Conflict can arise for many reasons but often accompanies the transitions that result from change. Few interpersonal exchanges have as much catalytic potential for good as resolved conflict. By addressing and resolving their conflicts, individuals and groups of people develop an internal rigor, enhance mutual understanding, sharpen their mandates and deal proactively with important issues in their lives and societies.
Prerequisites: CLD 510
CLD 533 - Mentoring, Team-Building, and Equipping (3 hrs.)
The era of the do-it-all "super-leader" is (hopefully) over. While leading remains a prerequisite to effective oversight of a ministry, equipping, mentoring, and team building are the means by which effective leading occurs. Equipping has to do with ensuring that believers gain knowledge and skills commensurate with their tasks; mentoring has to do with showing the way, building relationships that encourage and challenge, and character-building; and team building has to do with relating cooperatively and effectively with others who seek the same goal. The legacy of a leader is largely determined by the degree to which that individual effectively equips, mentors, and builds others into a cohesive team.
Prerequisites: CLD 510
CLD 534 - Vision, Strategic Planning and Organizational Leadership (3 hrs.)
The course is designed to provide Christian leaders with a biblical perspective on planning within ministry organizations, the skills to develop a shared vision for ministry, and a set of practical planning tools for making progress towards that vision.
Prerequisites: CLD 510
CLD 535 - Cross-Cultural Encounter (1 hr.)
Effective Christian leaders have an understanding of, and an appreciation for, the nature and role of Christian leadership and ministry in multicultural settings. This "school on wheels" provides first-hand exposure to leadership realities encountered in Canadian multicultural settings. The CLD student has now taken all of the Christian Leadership Development courses, dealing with such topics as the foundations of Christian leadership (CLD 510), personal dimensions of leadership development (CLD 531), power, change, and conflict (CLD 532), mentoring, team-building, and equipping (CLD 533), and establishing values, vision, and strategic planning processes (CLD 534). CLD 535 Multicultural Leadership Encounter explores these various foci as they relate to leadership in and among Canadian multicultural settings. The course includes selected readings and assignments in advance of the weekend, group discussion and journaling during the encounter, and analysis and personalization of the basic principles of Christian leadership in multicultural settings after the weekend. Assignments are reflective, observation based, ministry, corporate church focused, and application oriented.
Prerequisites: CLD 510