I mentioned to you last fall that I was entering a transition period as I approached my retirement as education commissioner for the Church of the Nazarene. It has, indeed, been a fascinating transition time for Anne and me.
In October 2011, we moved to Bradenton, Florida. Returning to Manila, Philippines in January 2012 for a three-month volunteer assignment at the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) was like returning home. Anne, Stephen, and I spent five plus ministry shaping years in the 1980’s at the young Nazarene seminary in Manila. What a delight and privilege to serve again on the beautiful campus with a vibrant and mission driven campus community.
At the request of Dr. Dan Copp, education commissioner for the Church of the Nazarene, I led a missional review team of five Nazarene educators on an International Board of Education (IBOE) visit to the Nazarene Seminary in Haiti! Very meaning visit for the team, and for the school leadership and the seminary Board of Trustees.
Anne and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary (June 22) with a trip to Italy! It was a “once in a lifetime” cruise and extended visit to friends in Italy with whom we had worked in years gone by. Great memories revisited!
During these months of transitions, several BoardServe related projects were completed:
1. Best Practices for Effective Boards, a book I co-authored with Drs. James Couchenour and Dwight M. Gunter II was published in July by the Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, a book division of the Nazarene Publishing House. You can order the book at www.beaconhillbooks.com. The ISBN number is:980-0-8341-2834-7.
2. The DVD, Building Better Boards, a 60 minute video in seven segments, was produced this summer in Manila by the World Mission Communication – Asia Pacific team and me. You can contact WMC-AP at info@wmc-ap.org to order the the DVD.
3. The BoardServe website was redesigned this summer by the WMC-AP team in Manila and was launched in August. The web address for the site is: www.BoardServe.org.
Please take time to glance through the website and share the site with friends and colleagues.
My previous blog, Learning to be Last, is now integrated into the BoardServe website under the blog tab on the home page. I want my blogs of the future to be more interactive even as I place articles on the site for you to read and engage.
For instance, it has been said that our lives can be characterized, summarized and perhaps condensed into one sentence. Could the same be said of the governing board(s) on which we serve? I tend to think so. What do you think?
If you agree, how would you characterize the most effective board(s) on which you serve…in one sentence? Least effective? You do not have to include your name or the name of the organization for which the governing board functions. However, I encourage you to write a “one sentence” statement summarizing the board with which you are most familiar in the comment section below. Themes for future blog posts may emerge from this exercise.
In an upcoming blog I want to share my presentation (text and power point) to the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary Board of Trustees on the subject of “Govern Diligently.”
For now, think about the “one sentence” mentioned above!
It is good to be back.
