Pre-Conference Executive Symposium – “Courage in a Toxic Culture”

 Christian women leaders are not exempt from the challenges of difficult relationships and
toxic environments in the workplace. This Executive Symposium will equip you with an
arsenal of tools to deal effectively with the negative and confusing relationships one
occasionally encounters with staff, organizations, boards, and leadership. (For more information click here.)
 
 
Pre-Conference "Explore the Culture" – Ministry Visits

 DARE to explore the culture of a Toronto ministry during one of our pre-conference ministry
visits. (For more information click here.)
 
  Pacesetter – “Interviews with Women Who Dare”

 Come to this first event of the conference and be encouraged, motivated and inspired as Lorna Dueck interviews "Women who Dare". These outstanding Canadian women leaders have made distinctive contributions in their particular sphere of work and ministry.


  Listen to interviews
from LW2006:

Captain Danielle Strickland
A powerful leader and dynamic preacher, Danielle lives incarnationally with her husband and son in Vancouver´s impoverished downtown eastside. They are part of the team giving leadership to the Salvation Army´s 614 Vancouver. Danielle breathes life into many leadership development and ministry initiatives intended to help win the world for Jesus.
> LISTEN TO: Track 1 / Track 2 / Track 3 / Track 4
Dr. Jane Ballantine, M.D.
Jane received her medical training in Northern Ireland and opened a private practice in Calgary in 1991. She has been involved in leadership development for many years in her church, teaching medical students and facilitating continuing education for physicians. Jane became the Alberta Medical Association´s President in 2004 after serving on its Board of Directors for 5 years. In addition, her influence is being felt nationally with her recent appointment to the Canadian Medical Association´s Board of Directors.
> LISTEN TO: Track 1 / Track 2 / Track 3 / Track 4
Donna Kennedy-Glans
Donna is the Principal of Integrity Bridges Canada and the author of Corporate Integrity: a Toolkit for Managing Beyond Compliance. She has more than 20 years of in-the-trenches work as a lawyer and business executive, representing large international corporations in over 30 countries who are struggling to manage integrity dilemmas at head office and on the ground. Donna is also the founder and Executive
Director of BRIDGES, a humanitarian social development organization that provides capacity building in support of the priorities of women in the Arab world, Africa and Near East. When she is not traveling internationally, Donna and her family reside in Calgary, Alberta.
> LISTEN TO: Track 1 / Track 2 / Track 3 / Track 4 / Track 5
 
 
Discovery Sessions –

The Core: Forging a Strong Foundation
In Friday morning's Discovery Session, Kaarina Hsieh, Dean of Students and Associate Dean
of Student Life at Tyndale Seminary, will challenge us to develope a deep spirituality that
undergirds a life of courage and daring.  Drawing from her mentoring, teaching, and
ministerial experience Kaarina will encourage us to take a spiritual inventory, build a spiritual
foundation, and forge forward, as Leading Women, into places of calling, even those of risk
and difficulty - and especially those requiring us to DARE.

The Context: Facing Unfamiliar Territory
This second Discovery Session will deal with the context in which Leading Women are called to DARE. Our leadership – in whatever venue it occurs must be undertaken with eyes wide open to the many factors which affect it. Shelley Campagnola, executive director of Ministry Resources, Inc. will examine Canadian social, political and economic trends, as well as trends related more directly to church and faith in Canada.

The Challenge: Navigating Change with Courage
This lively and informative session will provide practical tools and insight for initiating change and navigating the journey wisely. Peggy Grall, known as "The Change CoachTM" has helped hundreds of leaders make the transformation from change-weary to change-savvy. Whether you are the one God is calling to move out into new waters or perhaps you are leading your organization through change, then you will discover how to stop managing resistance and start engaging people´s hearts and minds to achieve the extraordinary! Learn how to Identify your personal Change Style to get the most from yourself and your staff.
 
  Summit Session –

The Call: Courage to Obey
Ignite your spirit with worship, music, and the challenge of God’s call to move out with courage. Shift your mindset from safe to risk; from comfortable to the edge - God is calling women to pick up the gauntlet for this generation. Joyce Rees knows the God of Joshua, Deborah and Mary. She has walked with courage into her calling and will stir up in us the courage to follow God into ours. 		  
 
Application Sessions –

Let these sessions help Ignite your leadership by moving you from information to application. They have been designed to create an atmosphere that will be experiential and thought-provoking as you take the content from the discovery sessions and begin to apply it to your own life and leadership.
 

Friday Application Sessions

Choose from one the following options:
A) Senior Leadership Track
The Senior Leadership Track application sessions are for CEO’s, Executive Directors or Senior Pastors in the not-for-profit, ministry or marketplace setting. These sessions will be led by two Executive facilitators—Elaine Poutney who is an experienced leader in International Ministry, and Jennifer Parr who is an organizational consultant and an experienced Marketplace leader. The small group session of 35-40 women will be especially geared to integrating your Christian faith and senior leadership experience with the concepts and insights from the Discovery Sessions and provide a peer-group forum to bring your workplace experience, leadership development and personal spiritual growth to bear on the discussion.
 
B) Panel Discussion
This theatre-style format will give you the opportunity to tap into the expertise of four distinguished guest panelists. Coming from different sectors of ministry and business, they will share their personal insight and wisdom as to how they have incorporated and applied the principles and information taught in the preceding Discovery Session. Opportunity will also be provided for Q & A from the audience. Learn from the personal leadership experiences of our expert panelists.
Session facilitated by Bonnie Pioveson, NextLevel Leadership.
 
C) Coaches’ Corners
The Coaches’ Corners option features several themes coming out of the Friday morning and afternoon Discovery Sessions. Two to three tables will be devoted to each theme; each table will be facilitated by coaches who have expertise in the area and will guide discussion around the particular theme.
On Friday morning the four corners will focus on:
>
   Spiritual Direction and Retreats: How do you find a spiritual director? How do you make the most of a spiritual retreat? How would you lead a spiritual retreat for others?
>
   Developing Healthy Life Rhythms: How do we make time and space in our lives for “burning-bush” experiences? Could the biblical concepts of “Sabbath” and “sabbatical” still be applicable today? Are there meaningful ways of developing regular routines and habits around the spiritual disciplines?
>
   Hearing God in Scripture: How can we make use of some specific Scripture-reading disciplines to hear from God in Scripture? How can Inductive Manuscript Study be used for life-transformative group Scripture-reading experiences? How can we integrate God’s Word into our daily lives?
>
   Developing Prayer Disciplines: How can prayer journaling and praying the Scriptures help you develop meaningful prayer disciplines? How does your personality type relate to how you pray? How can we do a better job of listening to God in prayer in communal settings?
 
On Friday afternoon the four corners will focus on:
>
   Leading Women in a Multicultural Society: How can women lead others in a variety of cultural settings? As women from any ethnic/cultural background, what does becoming interculturally competent leaders look like? How can women leaders from various cultural backgrounds be empowered in their leadership?
>
   Issues Women Leaders Face: What are some of the obstacles that women leaders face in various leadership contexts? How can we deal with those obstacles? What do we do when we’re in a situation that involves sexual harassment or bullying?
>
   Understanding Business and Professional Contexts: How can women in business and professional situations better understand the particular contexts for their leadership opportunities? Are there leadership issues that are specific to women in business and professional situations? What trends and impending changes do women in business and professional situations need to be aware of?
>
   Leading Response to Community & Global Concerns: Are there effective models for mobilizing response to community concerns? How can micro-enterprise help us in responding to situations of poverty? How can we mobilize effective philanthropy?
 
D) World Café
The “World Café” discussion format allows for direct dialogue with fellow Leading Women about how the Discovery Session concepts apply to life and leadership. The format allows for a series of interactive conversations that expand the discussion to include a wide range of insight and experience.
Saturday Application Session
This entire morning is focussed on "Navigating Change with Courage". Peggy Grall will also be facilitating the Application Session immediately following the morning break. This practical application session is designed to energize and awaken your courage to risk. You will gather at rounds with your peers to experience this interactive session. You will also take home useful tools that will help you and those you lead manage change.