For Him and Them by Dean Cowles, YPN President

A monthly message from YouthPartnersNET President Dean Cowles.

For Him and Them by Dean Cowles

June 2006

There's an old but true saying -- "Learning is Lifelong".

We believe that here at YouthPartnersNET, which is why we put so much emphasis on helping our ministry partners develop and sustain after-school tutoring programs for urban and Native American children. But this learning process doesn't end once school is over or graduation comes. And in order for these programs to "thrive and survive" we are firmly committed to helping the leaders develop a lifestyle of learning.

For Him and Them

In these past few months your gifts have helped YPN conduct several Executive Director Leadership Training seminars for those leaders. Using the theme of Noah's Ark, we call this unique one-of-a-kind grassroots faith-based intensive training "Building Your Boat & Keeping It Afloat". In April we held our second ED training in Chicago at Uptown Baptist Church, a prominent inner-city faith community with a proud heritage and tremendous outreach. We had folks come as far away as Oregon. One was so impressed that he has set up an ED training in his hometown of Portland for October 16-17. An urban pastor from DC also asked if he could host one at his church in August, which we're going to do. Here's what another new ministry leader from Philly had to say about her experience:

The YPN Executive Director Leadership Training is one of the first investments you would want to make into your ministry. First, this experience will put you in touch with reality. Do you really want to pour yourself into this level of ministry or not! The Bible urges us to count the costs. Secondly, Dean Cowles is a reservoir of information, administrative techniques, and procedures that make effective executive directors. Through his experiences, he shares "nuggets" of information that cannot be gleaned from textbooks. The added blessing in this is that support to your ministry development continues after the training sessions adjourn. I was enlightened and enriched by this training. Even more, I feel empowered.

In God's Love, Ramona

In the middle of May, we held another ED training in the Los Angeles area in conjunction with a major urban youth workers conference we support. Once again the new ideas, hands-on learning, fundraising tips and techniques, and overflowing manuals gave these partners the tools and "talents" they need to keep their ships from sinking. Two leaders from Houston who attended are setting up this training for their network back in Texas later this fall.

For Him and Them

I also presented a packed fundraising seminar at the conference and, from that, two other ministry leaders from Phoenix asked to spend time with me to schedule training in their area. I told them that I had to hurry and fly home to see my oldest son play in the Colorado State Soccer Championships (proud papa) but as God would have it I would be in Phoenix the next week to increase my own "lifelong learning" to be further trained as a "ministry coach". So we met for lunch the next week and they were so anxious to help their friends get this desperately-needed leadership training that they agreed to find 10-15 people for the Phoenix ED seminar June 26-27.

In addition to all that, while on the West coast I met with a major foundation that is very interested in supporting this kind of Leadership & Organizational Development program along with a critically missing piece from most training: "year-long coaching and follow up".

So please keep us in your prayers as we plan, promote and travel to these cities. It's very exciting for me to see the grassroots growth and local ownership of this training model. Along with Networking and Education, Training is the key third leg of our ministry outreach program. Here's a list of cities where we'll be in the upcoming months. Check out our website for further details and locations. If you're nearby, I'd love to meet you.

Phoenix: June 25-26
Indianapolis: July 20-21
Washington DC: August 14-15
Portland: October 16-17

If you'd like to sponsor one of these leaders, that would be great. It costs us about $275 per person for the training, travel, manuals and materials...but they only pay $89. So, we give scholarships of $186 to each person. We believe learning is enhanced when folks have to invest something. That principle has proven to be true and productive. Many times folks will tell me, "Dean that one idea you gave me was well worth my $89".

And with each seminar I come away learning something new in the process. So indeed "learning is lifelong" for me and you too!

For Him and Them,

Dean Cowles

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