The four points of By Heart’s growth compass are: Technology, Curricula, Speaking the Bible (our Bible study series), and our in-church leaders known as “Recitation
coordinators.” Recitation coordinators are the engine that make recitations run. Their initiative, encouragement, and delight in the word inspire a church to grow through the discipline of Scripture recitation.
Three recitation coordinators, Charity Jacobs from the International Christian Fellowship in Oberursel, Manka Niba from IBC Essen, and Darko Stojanov from IBC Cologne and the International Gemeinde Köln, attended a Leaders Workshop in the prayer room of the International Baptist Church of Düsseldorf where the By Heart ministry began 28 years ago. Topics ranged from defining a new event and passage selection to recruiting and handling objections. The discussions were lively and heartfelt.
By Heart invests in our Recitation Coordinators. Their job is challenging, and it can feel lonely when enthusiasm is not evident around them. In this workshop, we were fortunate to have Andrea Hesterberg, a licensed mediator, team-builder, and member of Healthy Churches Global, bring some practical advice on leadership and teamwork. This component strengthens how we work together. Andrea got us started on the right foot. She also arranged for the room we met in and was a wonderful help in organizing all the details.
We have more topics in our leadership training. Using web meetings we can deliver these trainings, bridging geography and schedule challenges. Moreover, we also look forward to our next face-to-face meeting.
