by Frank Viola and Brandon Cox
It’s hard being out front. Mainly because when you create something new, it’s unfamiliar to the masses.
While mastermind groups are incredibly popular (and very dear) to the world of high-level entrepreneurs and business leaders, most pastors, teachers, missionaries, seminary professors, life-coaches and others in ministry don’t know much about them.
So their first response is to shrug their shoulders when hearing about a “mastermind” event.
They immediately equate it with a pastor’s network gathering, a leadership seminar, a “support” group, or just another conference. It could even sound like a strange little gathering of spiritual gurus who discuss secrets the rest of the world isn’t privileged enough to hear.
Every pastor or teacher we’ve ever met is looking for a breakthrough in their ministry.
Each one is looking to resolve a problem and/or to take their ministry to the next level. They are looking for greater impact. To accomplish more with less.
This is the primary reason why they will invest a boatload of money into attending conferences. But here’s the unspoken truth – aside from the brief mingling in the hallways and during meals, they are hoping one of the speakers will give them the antidote – the breakthrough they are looking for.
The problem is that most of the time (or should we say nearly every time?), they walk away excited with a notebook full of scribblings, but there’s no real breakthrough. Nothing earth-shattering took place. It was just another event. And things go back to normal.
People who are tired of “normal” and ready for real radical change attend masterminds instead.
Contrast the common conference experience with spending three days with a small group of highly-motivated and highly-gifted leaders, facilitated by someone who has been guiding mastermind groups for years.
And consider that those three days are completely focused on your specific breakthrough. The gathering is focused on your specific challenge or problem. It’s focused on you and your needs as a minister of God’s Word – specifically and directly.
Plus, consider that you are also a contributor to the needs and breakthroughs of the others at the event. So you’re not just a passive spectator (like in a conference).
You are given a platform to minister – a venue to use your talents and insights to help others.
But that’s not all. At this 4-day event, you have time – a lot of it – to form high-level connections with the others. Ongoing and meaningful connections.
That’s exactly where the power of a mastermind gathering is found. And it’s why they are so popular in the business world and why they’ll always trump a conference. Especially when it comes to giving you a breakthrough.
I (Brandon) have attended tons of big events. I enjoy them – primarily the experience of traveling, seeing new places, and absorbing content in a concentrated format. But I’ve never been to a conference that changed the entire trajectory of my ministry.
On the other hand, when I walk away from a mastermind experience, my concerns have been heard, my ideas have been tested, and my heart has been encouraged. I also walk away with the cell phone numbers of new friends and confidants.
And I’m empowered by the thought of reporting back to my friends how my leadership is different because of their collective influence.
All of the above are the reasons why I (Frank) created The Insurgence Experience – a premium mastermind gathering for those who preach and/or teach the kingdom message (in any capacity).
Each year since 2015, the pastors, teachers, and leaders who attend the mastermind receive the breakthroughs they’ve been looking for – the breakthroughs they don’t get at the big conferences they attend.
Yes, it’s an uphill battle trying to introduce a new concept and experience to pastors and teachers who only know the old models. But I (Frank) for one have always loved “being there from the beginning” and experiencing what’s on the cutting edge.
Effective leadership just doesn’t happen by accident. Yes, those whose lives seem to have enormous impact obviously require the blessing of God. But those who lead effectively also know the value of taking action, getting high-level help, and leading boldly in new directions.
I (Brandon) made a commitment at the outset of this year and verbalized it to our church staff. I would lead throughout this year with a “bias toward action,” rather than simply having ideas lacking execution. This change has made all the difference, especially the decision to reach out and invite the influence and voices of others!
I’m ready for real and actual breakthrough. I desire the connections and conversations that will actually change everything.
How about you?
==> CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR THE NEXT MASTERMIND GATHERING
P.S. There’s one kind of leader who isn’t a good fit for a mastermind group. It’s the proud leader who would prefer to hide in a big conference than to learn from his or her peers in a mastermind event. But then again, proud leaders aren’t very effective when it comes to producing eternal value because “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
About the Authors
FRANK VIOLA has helped thousands of people around the world to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and enter into a more vibrant and authentic experience of church. His mission is to help serious followers of Jesus know their Lord more deeply so they can experience real transformation and make a lasting impact. His signature book is INSURGENCE: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.
BRANDON COX helps people to discover their purpose and helps leaders to expand their influence. He’s a pastor and leadership coach, editor of Pastors.com and Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox, and writes and speaks about how to use digital marketing.