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Perilous times call for courageous leaders to step forward and take their place centre stage. And in these times of global upheaval, that call could not be more urgent. Dr A R Bernard qualifies to speak on Courageous Leadership. He was one of the few leaders that the city of New York turned to for counsel and direction in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. A world renowned and celebrated statesman, when A R speaks, world leaders listen. Strategic Leaders’ Summit 2009 is your unique opportunity to spend a day in the company of this erudite communicator. You will leave inspired and empowered to be a difference maker… ready to attempt something daring and dangerous. Dr Tayo Adeyemi SUMMIT HOST & CEO OF NEW WINE INTERNATIONAL
REGISTRATION FEE
£50.00 per delegate INCLUDES DELEGATE PACK, LUNCH AND TEA & COFFEE BREAKS
EARLY BIRD SAVING
20% discount
£40.00 per delegate
BEFORE TUESDAY 17TH MARCH
GROUP SAVING*
10% discount £45.00 per delegate BASED ON TEN PEOPLE OR MORE * Leaders are encouraged to take advantage of this, as delegates will be working in teams of ten. NOTE
Only one discount applies at a time.
TO REGISTER YOUR PLACE VISIT
WWW. SUMMONEDTOLEAD .CO.UK FOR YOUR FREE BROCHURE AND FURTHER INFO CALL
020 88 555 888
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TOPICS INCLUDE
• Mentalities for 21st Century Leadership • Building a ‘Mission Impossible’ Team • Courageous Leadership in Perilous Times • Strategies for Effective and Efficient Decision Making DR A R BERNARD
Dr A R Bernard is the founding Pastor and CEO of the 30,000 member Christian Cultural Centre in Brooklyn, New York - the largest church in New York and one of the fastest growing in America. In 2008, he was recognised as the most influential clergyman in New York and one of the most influential African American New Yorkers; and was voted one of New York’s most influential. He is also a member of the Board of the New York Economic Development Corporation as well as an adviser to the New York Police Department. He is currently the President of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, representing 1.5 million Protestants and Orthodox Christians in the city.
DESIGN BY: CCDGROUP.CO.UK
A R Bernard has two regular TV programmes as well as a compelling radio show; and is the author of Happiness Is . . . Simple Steps to a Life of Joy.
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nd it came to pass, when they had done
A circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole. And the Lord said unto Joshua, this day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Joshua 5: 8-9 Some time ago, I was involved in a theatrical production that took place in London's, West End. I met many gifted and talented (struggling) actors who came from diverse backgrounds. There was one in particular who stood out to me. He was in his early 50's, well dressed, debonair and possessed a great personality. He was obviously wealthy (the red Ferrari parked outside was a dead give away) and took pleasure in treating the whole cast to food and drinks on our lunch break. He was a very likable man and had many good and genteel qualities. However, my perception of him was challenged by the revelation of his involvement in the porn industry. Not only was he a porn star but he was also considered to be a major player in British porn who had sold millions of videos, DVD's, sex toys and the like for more than 20 years. He was very open about his occupation and told me how he got started in the porn industry. After many years of doing porn, he now wanted to move into 'serious' acting and was hoping that this particular production would aid his chance of being considered for mainstream film roles. He shared with me the obstacle he faced in dealing with the stigma of being a male porn star. He knew many high profile celebrities, however, they were reluctant to risk their own public image by giving him the 'right' exposure he needed. Ironically had he been a female porn star he would have had a far greater chance of breaking into the mainstream! As mentioned the revelation of him being a porn star 'challenged' my initial impression of him. In person he was the opposite of my own perception of a porn star and in some respects seemed quite conservative. When I reflected over what he had told me about the challenges he faced in trying to
become a serious actor, I thought of the greater challenge he would no doubt face, within church, if he came to Christ. Although we profess that the blood of Jesus is able to wash ALL our sins away, unfortunately, in church culture the stigma attached to the sin tends to remain. There are sins that you can stand up and openly testify that you have been delivered from. More so you would probably win the admiration of the congregation. Then there are those who (in an environment where all are saved ONLY by the grace and mercy of God) would rather remain seated, not because their past sins were any worse, but to avoid the stigma their particular sin still carries. Without a doubt, the blood of Jesus is able to totally wash away our sins. However, how does one deal with the stigma (reproach) that some sins carry that continue to thrive long after they come to Christ?
Corporations, celebrities, politicians and other public figures spend millions on slick PR in order to control how they are perceived by others. Although God looks at the heart of man, in contrast many people are quick to judge by outward behaviour without considering the heart of the matter. As shallow as it may seem, how you are perceived can either make you or break you. It is for this reason that many of us wear masks in order to live up to the expectation and perception of others. There is a mask you wear to church, a different mask for work and still another mask when you are with friends. Many of us are afraid to take off the mask for fear of being judged, scrutinised or misunderstood.
Divorce does not carry the shame it did 50 years ago, especially as the rate of divorce today exceeds 50%. Nevertheless there is still a stigma attached, especially in deeply religious circles. In Christ, can someone who WAS a lesbian or a homosexual ever be free from being perceived as still having these sexual issues? Can someone who WAS a rapist receive the same vindication as someone who was a drug dealer? Can someone who suffered from a mental illness find social acceptance? It would seem that those who in the past committed the most heinous of sins can only find absolution and acceptance in the extreme side of the most liberal of churches, where quiet frankly, 'anything goes'.
PERCEPTION
We live in a world where how you are perceived is more important than who you really are.
In contrast, Jesus did not dance to the tune of public opinion, nor did He adhere to social taboos. He dined with sinners and publicans (Matthew 11:19). He publicly conversed with a Samaritan woman, which was considered taboo (John 4:9). He welcomed the touch of the woman with the issue of blood, an offense punishable by stoning (Matthew 9: 20-22). He vindicated the woman who was caught in a sexual act (John 8:3-7). These are just some of the examples of Jesus' seemingly disregard for public opinion. It is important to know, that this is not arrogance on Jesus' part. Nor was He insensitive to the feelings of others. His actions stemmed from a far greater virtue than all others combined. It was the virtue of humility!
HUMILITY
Humility is the key to dealing with the present stigma to our past behaviour. Humility will automatically put God on our side. God champions the cause of the humble and delivers them in the time of trouble (Psalms 41.1). Humility gives us the ability to stand in the face of humiliation. - TO BE CONTINUED-
If this article has been a blessing to you in anyway please email pearls@ministryinart.com
MZ Are you still known as Ann Nesby from Sound Of Blackness? Yes, they refer to me as the former lead singer of the Sounds
MZ Sound Of Blackness made it very big in the
secular chart was that the plan? Of course with that many members you’re going to have conflict, sometimes family disagree but you have to learn to agree to disagree and settle issues in a Christian manner.
MZ Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis put you on the map was that God ordain or “luck”? Definitely God ordained, being in the right place at the right time and being obedient to God’s will was the reason for the success. MZ Did they change the original plan of the group and if so did it work for everyone? Yes, the original plan was for recording artist Vesta Williams to be the guest artist, they asked me to demo the songs for her and after I completed the
demo they decided that they would use my work instead. So it worked out for me in the sense that it allowed me to utilize my gift on a world stage and be signed as a solo artist prior to the release of the Sounds Of Blackness first project. It worked out for the Sounds because they were a local choir for 20+ years prior to me joining the group. The signing of the group by Jam and Lewis provided an opportunity for us to travel the world.
MZ Is it true that Janet Jackson played a big part of Jam & Lewis signing the band? Yes, Janet was recording her 4th studio album Rhythm Nation 1814 and Jam and Lewis decided to take a break from recording by taking her out for some entertainment. The Sounds were doing a stage play production “Music For Martin” and after she heard the group she was so impressed that she told Jam & Lewis that they must sign this group. MZ Is Sound Of Blackness, now just a band that was? No, they are currently working on projects and touring as a group.
sister, Great Grandmother, Grandmother prayer warrior and friend.
MZ Lula Lee sounds like someone on Broadway, who is Lula Lee? Lula Lee is a combination of my legal name, which was passed down by my Grandmother who passed down the gift of singing to me, and my husbands last name. MZ What is the Lula Lee project? An Inspirational Gospel project from the heart of Ann Nesby featuring young new raw producers and songwriters such as J Isaac, Roosevelt George, Darnell “Baby D” Davis, DJ Spen, Lerel Frederick and world renowned artist and producer extraordinaire Tonex. I intend for this project to minister to the whole man. MZ Would you say that Lula Lee was
about trust and believing in God? By all means, in fact the second single is a song entitled “I Trust You Lord” that everything that God promised will come to pass.
MZ Was this project every frowned on
being in such a large band? At first I had to learn to stop looking back too interact with the group members but as time went by I learned to concentrate on totally committing myself to the audience.
by people of the kingdom? There’s a possibility but I’m also aware that when were pleasing God we can’t be concerned about pleasing people or being under people bondage because God’s will is not always man’s will so as long as I feel that I’m pleasing God he get’s the glory and I’m satisfied.
MZ Did you ever imagine your voice
MZ Thank you for your time
MZ Was it difficulty-going solo after
would have opened such big doors for you? It was always my dream but it was my trust and belief in God that he would bring it to pass. Are you Ann Nesby the singer, actor or songwriter? I am all of the above, as well as Mother, wife, daughter,
MZ
Contact Details: Public Relations Back2BackPR International Carol Crawford +1206.355.9543 back2backpr@hotmail.com
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Ever tried prayer and found it difficult. This book is a tool to empower, transform and assist you on your way to experience victory in your life. This book is a “must have” in your library whether you consider yourself religious or not. There are some books that you read for information and then there are books you read for transformation. Pastor Beverley Marrett is an anointed intercessory prayer warrior, gifted worship leader and song writer, yet simply loves God and desires to serve the body of Christ.
This book is awe-inspiring, and profoundly impressive that guarantees change. Available on all leading book sites ie Amazon; WHSmith, Waterstones, Tesco including the publishers site authorhouse.com
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by Ewan Denny loyalty. A loyal customer is one that you delight over and over again and he looks forward to doing business with you. He will pass many of your competitors’ premises en route to you so that he can purchase from you. The trick is knowing how to get customers to do this and to remain loyal to your business. There are of course many things that you need to do but I am going to focus in this article on what I consider to be the main thing that you need to do. And that is you must develop a reputation for excellent customer service. Not many businesses achieve this. Think about it, when was the last time that you received excellent customer service from anyone? If you are a new start-up or even an established company, let me share with you five things that you must do in order to establish a reputation for excellent customer service. As a professional business coach, I get to work with all types of businesses, many of whom are new start ups. I see the passion on the part of the new business owner but I also see the fear and the worry that his or her business idea may be right but the timing may be wrong because of the troubles in the economy. I always remind them that it is definitely possible to establish a new business even in this difficult climate and that it is also possible to do it successfully. What is required is that greater attention needs to be paid to the business model and to winning new customers, and having won them, to develop a long lasting relationship with them so that they will want to return and spend more money with you. In doing so, you are developing customer
First, you must be reliable. Consistent performance is what customers want most. They want to be able to depend on you. So do what you say you are going to do. Do it when you say you are going to do it. Do it right the first time and get it done on time. Don’t keep coming up with excuses and blaming this and that, just keep your word. Second, you must be credible. Customers want security, integrity and the assurance that if there is a problem, it will be promptly dealt with and at no extra cost. They don’t want hidden agendas or too much small print to read that will catch them out later. They want you to be up-front and honest. They don’t need hard sell tactics, hidden charges and the like. If they buy your products, they want them to be safe and guaranteed.
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How to Survive the credit crunch
Third, be attractive. Appearance can be deceiving but customers draw a lot of conclusions based on what they see. Anything the customer sees, hears, feels, touches or smells concerning your service, is shaping his/her opinions of your service for better or worse. Look at your business through your customers eyes and make improvements. It is easy to get bogged down in the work so that you don’t step back and take a look at your business from the point of view of how customers sees it. Every now and again you must do this. Fourth, you must be responsive. This means that you must be accessible, available and willing to help customers whenever they have a problem. It also means keeping them informed and providing a service as soon as possible. Don’t make it easy for people to buy from you but hard to sort out a problem. The fifth thing that you need to do in order to establish a reputation for excellent customer service, is that you must be empathetic. Every customer is a special individual who wants to be treated as such. He has his own wants, personality and reasons for buying, and to that extent you must treat him as someone special and help him solve his unique problems. If you do this, he will continue to be your customer. Being empathetic means putting yourself in the customer’s shoes, trying to grasp his point of view, and feeling what he feels. It means listening intently and asking the right questions. It means speaking his language and tailoring your services to help him as best as you can. Don’t treat him the way you want to be treated because he is a different person with
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different problems, and he has a different point of view. Instead, treat him the way that he wants to be treated. Customers buy for their reasons and not yours. Gone are the days when you can be nice to some customers and be rude to those that you don’t like. Customers have many choices nowadays and if they feel that you are not serving them correctly, they will take their wallets and purses elsewhere, to your competitors, and spend their hard earned money with them. Your objective is to satisfy each and every customer, each and every time. If you do this consistently, they will love you and come back to shop with you. Keeping your customers is the best way to survive the credit crunch. And the more you practice these techniques, the more you will increase and maintain your reputation for quality customer service, and thereby attract new customers.
Ewan Denny’s book ‘The Marketing of Jesus Christ’ can be purchased from Amazon,Barnes & Noble and other leading stores. For business advice or speaking engagements contact Ewan Denny on 07962 630 724
What happens when the pastor’s daughter of a large, predominantly black church in Manchester, England, falls in love with a non-christian? What happens when the person that she falls for is white? How will the church react? What are the rules for this situation and how should it be handled? How is racial prejudice dealt with on both sides? What will the Pastor do? This intriguing story of “Loving on the Edge” takes place in a 5000 strong Pentecostal church in the UK and causes a storm that blows through the entire congregation and brings it to the brink of disaster. Set in 2007, this love story, filled with romance and controversy, is based on real life issues that face many churches today.
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