August newsletter
From Chris Clarke, CEO
The best guidebook on succession planning I know is the Bible. Among the exemplars are Moses to Joshua, Jesus to the disciples, and Paul to Timothy. The worst are the fraught transitions between the kings. The good transitions are characterised by an emerging sense of call, a long period of preparation in both character and competency, testing through adversity, mentoring and spiritual direction, an honouring of the retiring leader, and the commissioning of the new leader.
Succession planning is not rocket science. So why do we struggle as a faith-based sector to do this well? I know that is a bold assertion, but I have long puzzled why so many leaders leave their organisations diminished and often in tears. Why do so many subsequent appointments fail? Why do many leaders feel ill equipped to step up?
As established and emerging leaders, how do we discern God’s call on our life and where do our vocational choices fit within that call? Similarly, how do leaders recognise their approaching ‘use by date’ before anyone else does? How do we plan transitions to honour the current leader, equip the new leader, and strengthen the organisation?
These are not always easy questions to answer and require considerable courage, perception, and humility on the part of leaders and boards. The consequences of poor succession planning are considerable, leaving lasting wounds for both leaders and organisations. Do it well and both the leaders and the organisation flourish.
Coming up, we have a Lunch and Learn webinar on succession planning. This session should appeal to a wide audience. Andrew Fraser (ex Rhema Media Group) and Zelda Robertson (ex Alpha NZ) will share how they came to the decision it was time to move on from their role, and how this sits within their wider sense of call. We hope you can join us.
Chris Clarke
Thank you so much to Maja, Kirsty and Immanuel for sharing with us at the July Lunch and Learn. If you missed this session you can now view the video by clicking the link below.
Accompanying the webinar, we also have provided extra resources on our website for anyone who would like to learn more.
Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry
Last week marked a significant week in the life of the Church in Aotearoa, with the release of the final report from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry.
If you are the leader of a Christian charitable organisation, it is important that you understand the findings and recommendations from this report.
Charlotte Cummings has specialist knowledge in this area and has put together a 12 minute video message offering some key points to aid your reflection.
The Commission's report is entitled 'Whanaketia - through pain and trauma, from darkness to light'. We pray that light will come in our nation, through the work of this Inquiry.
Wilberforce Foundation Policies
We have recently been working to update our Wilberforce Foundation policies. We know that writing policies and keeping policies up to date is a challenge for many charitable organisations we are connected with. So, we have decided to make our Policy Manual available for download from our website.
This manual also includes our Code of Conduct, which is a key document for our team.
Please note, you will need to do our own due diligence in making policies fit for purpose for your setting, and the Wilberforce Foundation accepts no liability should you choose to utilise any part of this Policy Manual.
We are also happy to share an editable version of this document, for ease of use. Feel free to contact us, if this would be useful for you.
We will be adding more policies over the coming months.
He Māhuri Tōtara
He Māhuri Tōtara is a Christian environmental leadership development course.
The course explores the unique environmental challenges and opportunities of
our world and the biblical imperative to care for creation in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The experience is full of workshops, hands-on activities, outdoor adventures and building relationships with likeminded people.
He Māhuri Tōtara for youth will be based at Te Ahi Kaa in Ōtautahi.
30th Sept – 4th October 2024
This course is supported by the Wilberforce Foundation, and facilitated by our team member James Beck.
Visit to Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga
If you're interested in hearing from CEO Lisa Woolley and other VisionWest staff about the haerenga they have been on over the last few years and how that has influenced their offering to their community, including a tour of Manaaki Kai, Pātaka Kai and the Whānau Centre, please register below.
Thursday 5th September
9:15am - 11:15am
97 Glendale Rd, Glen Eden
In this section of our newsletter, we invite a leader within our network or team to share what they've been reading and/or listening to lately.
This month we have a contribution from Zelda Robertson, the driving force behind Operation Mobilisation New Zealand.
Introducing Zelda Robertson, National Director at Operation Mobilisation.
Zelda Robertson, previously the National Director of Alpha NZ, takes pride in her work in the charity sector, specifically in charitable missions/ministries. Happily married to Craig and a South African-born mother of two (Tristan (11) and Scarlet (9)), Zelda has embraced New Zealand and follows where God leads.
Here are Zelda's recommendations:
I do have a treasure chest of timeless go-to books; no matter how many times I read them the learnings, experiences, and relevance don’t seem to waiver and direct correlation to my momentary struggles, questions, and experiences are uncanny at times. The Bible goes without saying, but also books that have shaped how I do things and bring my faith, personality type, learning type, gut instinct, and interpretation of observations of my environment together. These have helped in making some very small—and what might seem insignificant—day-to-day decisions and some very big, impactful, sometimes hard, and challenging decisions. So here are some of my go-to books for you to try yourself.
“Three Mile an Hour God” by Kosuke Kyama.
The title of the book struck me immediately. It spoke straight to me and I knew I had to read it. It’s taken me most of my 48 years to tame my Type A personality with patience, timing, and wisdom, and I’ve most definitely not arrived at a remotely satisfied place yet. However, Kosuke Koyama reflects beautifully on a theme lost to Western theology and Western culture in general: the need for slowness. He makes reference to “Love has its speed. It’s a spiritual speed.” The book was first published in 1979 and its insights are most definitely as relevant today as they were all those years ago.
“The Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible - What Their Stories Teach us About Thriving” by Mary DeMuth.
I read this book twice, just in case I missed something significant. Ever had that? I was struck by how eloquently the author describes their circumstances and journeys of being misheard, mischaracterised, or misrepresented by families, friends, or strangers. The resilience God placed in these women and His undeniable protection and guidance in their lives was well depicted. My take away was how I was inspired by each of these women and how the author reveals another dimension to their personalities which I had never seen or researched before. Finally, the ultimate message that we all know, but I guess can forget at times is that the one who understands and knows us perfectly is God and that He is truly our protector, comforter, and strength.
Built To Last” by Jim Collins & Jerry I. Porras AND “God is my CEO” by Larry Julian
These two books very much complimented my tertiary education and business faith journey with practical experience, especially having worked and shadowed the board of a company mentioned in Built To Last—Sun International.
These two books I consider part of my treasure chest of go-to books. I can highly recommend a parallel reading marathon; you won't be disappointed.
“A Woman’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare” by Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock
Finally: I’ve fallen back on its text many times. For women leaders, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and wives. It is a must-have in your personal treasure chest of books.
And if you've read my recommendations, here are few titles I'm excited to get to read this year:
“Care for Wholeness - Creating Authentic Restorative Environments" by Madz Deyzel
“Dad” by Craig Wilkinson
