When it comes to leadership books, we all want something that is both inspiring and practical.
Twenty years ago, my friend Dr. Don Davis asked me to write something to equip urban leaders to manage ministry projects. As World Impact’s VP of Strategic Planning, I had been learning a lot about this subject and by 2005, I drew upon my years of hard lessons in ministry and wrote The Heroic Venture. Using the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a template, I wanted to pass along my experience to inspire and instruct the next generation of leaders.
Since then, we visited many people who were receiving World Impact’s ministry training, and when we asked them about their most helpful books, The Heroic Venture was often mentioned. Among those was Dr. Hank Voss, now a professor at Taylor University. Dr. Voss has been using this book in his Christian Leadership class, believing it presents an unusually practical tool for leaders called “PWR” (prepare, work, review). PWR is a form of design thinking that is easy to use in various ministry situations.
Last year Dr. Voss asked me to discuss The Heroic Venture with his class. I asked them for suggestions if I were to update the book and they came up with several good ideas. So I set out to write a second edition, which was completed in May.
Not long after its release, Cathy was in conversation with Crossroads Prison Ministries, one of our valued partners who connects volunteer mentors with prisoners through correspondence Bible studies. One of their courses helps prisoners learn to “have healthy interaction within their families, classrooms, communities, and workplaces.” Crossroads said The Heroic Venture would be a great book to give to the students who complete this course, because of its alignment with the course content. Many of you helped us supply them with a year’s worth of copies for their graduates.
We are excited to see this second edition being used to inspire and train not only prisoners in their leadership journey, but young Christian leaders at Taylor University as well. Please pray that God will expand its usefulness to others.
If you are interested in using The Heroic Venture for leadership development in your context, you can find it at Amazon.com by searching for The Heroic Venture: Wise Leadership in Uncertain Times.
