Surprise! Meet the Board of Directors!
People are often surprised to discover that Legacy Shepherding Ministries has a Board of Directors. I guess I haven’t done a very good job of highlighting them and their valuable contributions over the years, so let’s correct that oversight. The Board of Directors is made up of three officers, based on the minimum requirement for non-profits in the state of Illinois. The current Board consists of the two men described below, plus myself.
Bruce Norquist has served on the Board for 16 years! He’s been with me almost from the start! His incredible support has meant the world to me. Bruce has worked at Moody Bible Institute for over 14 years. He is currently the Dean of Student Care and Concern. Before Moody, he worked as a Residence Director at three different Christian colleges for 12 years. Throughout his career, Bruce has worked to develop hundreds of student leaders. His strengths include mentoring, building relationships, developing emotional intelligence in himself and those he leads, teaching and modeling how to have hard conversations, and engaging in complex student care and conduct issues. Bruce is currently working on a Master’s degree to become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. His skills line up well with this ministry!
Twenty-one years ago I invited Bruce to be in a small group I led. Shortly thereafter we started meeting one-on-one as well. Initially, the focus was mainly on Bruce. Over time it became more mutual. When this ministry began, I knew I needed spaces where I could be poured into, since I was giving out so much. I prayerfully reached out to Bruce and asked if we could increase the mutual intentionality of our times together, spending half the time on him and half the time on me. Bruce and I have met almost every other week since that conversation 16 years ago. My one-on-one times with Bruce have helped me stay sane, healthy, and able to invest in others. He’s been an enormous part of my support system.
David Cooper has served on the Board for 5 years! He currently works for One Collective (formerly International Teams) as Director of Global Engagement, and also as a Personal Narrative Storywork Coach, with a certificate in Narrative Trauma Care from the Allender Center in Seattle.
When I first met David, he was working at a job that was killing his soul. He felt stuck in life and stuck in some past wounds. I invited him to consider entering into a spiritual mentoring relationship through Legacy Shepherding Ministries. Through mentoring, David experienced life-changing breakthroughs and started taking steps toward discovering and living out his greater purpose in life. David really resonated with this kind of work. As he grew and developed new skills, he began to support and mutually invest in me, especially through times we spent together on quarterly weekend retreats. David is considering becoming a counselor. So I now basically have two counselors on the current Board! Maybe God is trying to tell me something! (I need double help!) J
Past Board members include Howard Cooper, a former pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, who served for one year, and Brit Gilman, who is currently the Campus Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel – Elgin.
When I first met Brit over 25 years ago, he was working in a soccer store. I invited him into my small group and at the Lord’s prompting began intentionally investing in him, meeting with him one-on-one and in small group, like Jesus modeled. It was evident, the Lord was at work in Brit. As Brit grew and followed the unique redemp- tive path the Lord had for him, he felt led to become a missionary with the Chicago Eagles, a division of Missionary Athletes International, ministering to at-risk youth through soccer. Eventually Brit began working at Harvest Bible Chapel, where he is now a campus pastor! Brit served on the Board for 12 years. (Fun fact: I was the Best Man in Brit’s wedding, 24 years ago.)
Three of the Board members stories are examples of what this ministry is about – intentionally investing in individuals who then invest in others. The impact is multiplied! Not only have these men subsequently invested in others, they have also invested back into me and this ministry. The Ministry has been in good hands with this amazing group of men supporting it behind the scenes.
Updates On Some People We Are Investing In:
Jake – When we began meeting, Jake was a worship leader who wanted to discover what God uniquely wired him to do, and to grow in boldness in leadership, among other things. Over the time we’ve met, I’ve watched Jake grow in confidence, in using his voice, in leading up, in being less controlled by what others think of him, and in living more out of who he is wired to be. It seems Jake’s on-going transformation has been noticed by others as well. On August 1st he received a promotion! Jake is now the Executive Pastor at Renewal Church in West Chicago!
Fun fact: Jake started in ministry with the Chicago Eagles, just like Brit, one of the past Board members mentioned earlier. So God put two Chicago Eagles soccer guys in my life, who both became pastors, leading churches at very high levels, whose impacts are outscoring Messi, Ronaldo, and Beckham combined! Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole!
Jeff – Jeff has a huge heart for discipleship and student development. He continues to put into practice the discipleship tools he has learned through this ministry. Last year, in his role as a Residence Director at Moody Bible Institute, Jeff invested in 9 male Resident Assistants (RAs) who invested in 45 Lead Team Men who invested in 185 male students in residence halls.
This year Jeff received a promotion! He is now an Assistant Dean in Residence Life at Moody Bible Institute. As part of his new role, Jeff oversees the Life Groups leadership structure. Jeff invests in Graduate Resident Assistants who invest in Executive Student Leaders who invest in Life Group leaders who make spiritual community groups available to each dorm floor on campus. Also, Jeff recently spent a week conducting leadership training with aviation students in Spokane, WA. Get this, over 50% of missionary aviators, mechanics, and maintenance specialists in the world get trained through Moody. They serve over 40 countries around the world.
Fun fact: Jeff’s previous supervisor at work was Bruce, one of the Board members mentioned earlier. But I got connected with Jeff mainly through Jeff’s brother-in-law, who I also mentor. It’s a small world! Thankfully, Jeff didn’t have any bad things to say about his supervisor. That could have gotten awkward, being that his supervisor is one of my best friends…and an unsung hero of this ministry.
You Can Make A Difference:
Each of the six men highlighted in this letter have experienced the impact of being personally invested in, and now they are passing that impact on by investing in other people. The impact is being multiplied! That’s what this ministry is about.
Would you please join my financial support team and join me in praying regularly for these influential young leaders?
Contributions are tax deductible and life changing.
Every penny will help!
In His Love,
Randy
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