Heres HOPE

Church leaders & presidents of Churches Together in England endorsed HOPE
HOPE
WAS A catalyst TO
MAKE
MISSION
HAPPEN
Although the three of us were the leaders of
HOPE 08, we had paid-for administrators. If I was
to give leadership to it going forward, we knew it
would be different. Because of the strength of the
relationships, there was a high level of trust, and
we felt that HOPE had the breath of God on it.
HOPE was a catalyst to make mission happen.
We valued Mike’s prophetic insight even though
we knew we would rarely get him to attend Board
meetings. But it was vital to have him in the room
for the 24 hours of prayer to hear from God,
as Mike is so sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
I agreed, but only if the relationships remained.
So Mike and Andy became part of the HOPE
Board as critical friends, not ‘yes men’. We had
journeyed together and I needed them as much
as they felt they needed me to take it on.
I recognised that it would be very different
to the way we had operated.
Andy is a passionate evangelist, always checking
that we are communicating the gospel, always
asking, ‘What about the lost?’ And Steve is an
amazing mix of big picture and detail. He gives
visionary leadership and, as chairman working
with others who are willing to take risks, he would
let us go with our instincts. It was Steve who
would focus on the details and say, ‘It’s not what
we say, it’s the tone we use’, and it was Steve who
would keep us on track, even deciding how to
arrange the chairs in a room for maximum
communication.
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