BY NOEL BECCHETTI
“Your program is different.”
Pastor James Santos was driving a vanload of us up to Tagaytay, Philippines, on our way to Module Two of the A3 Philippines Class Three program. Pastor James is both Worship Pastor and Pastor to Young Adults at Faith Fellowship Ministry Center in Metro Manila. In his mid-30s, he comes out of years of experience in youth ministry. He and his wife have been married for five years.
Pastor James is part of Class Three, an intentionally inter-generational cohort that blends younger and more mature leaders, with a variety of backgrounds and ministries. I was asking him about his experience with A3 so far as we were driving up the hill. So far, Pastor James has completed the Orientation Session and Module One, with seven more modules to go.
“How is our program different?” I asked him. Like many leaders, Pastor James has participated in a number of training and development programs.
“The programs I have participated in were good, but in all of them, their focus was on leadership development—improving skills, developing gifts, increasing competencies. The difference in A3 is that your focus is on leader development.
“I have never been in a program with such a focus on us as persons. We are building a learning community--bringing down our defenses, sharing with one another, experiencing life together. It is such an encouragement to hear older, more veteran leaders share their struggles. It makes me realize that I am not alone.”
Pastor James (pictured 2nd from left) sharing with members of his A3 cohort
There are a lot of terms we use to try to describe A3: Learning Community, Life-on-Life Discipleship, Changing the Few Who Change the Many. But I think Pastor James nailed it. We believe that transformation begins from within—that who we are is ultimately more important than what we do. And it is gratifying to hear that the A3 difference is getting through, right from the beginning of the program.
THANK YOU for your support, prayers, and financial contributions that all make it possible for A3 to continue its focus on what we have been called to do—leader development.
Noel Becchetti has been serving as A3's VP for Leader Development since 2012. Noel and his wife Kyle currently reside in El Cajon, California.
More Information
- More on A3's leader development
- What does "Changing the few who change the many" really mean?
- See common paradigm shifts leaders experience through A3...
- Header image credit: photo of Tagaytay, Philippiines by Vincent Talavera on Unsplash
