GDI's philosophy of ministry is grounded in its core values, guided by its mission and vision, and flexible in its implementation. This focused, flexible approach to ministry is important for a number of reasons:

1. GDI is called to pioneer models and discover principles, tasks which demand both focus and flexibility

2. The profile of the people GDI serves demands focused flexibility

3. The diverse and rapidly-changing nature of the times we live in make a flexible approach more effective

God has called GDI to pioneer models and discover principles. Many of GDI's programs serve a dual purpose. The first is the more obvious training or equipping of the people that GDI is serving. In the midst of this training, GDI is also looking for and testing principles and models of ministry. An effective ministry event or program does not just serve those who participate in it -- it provides models and principles that can be articulated, replicated and passed on to the wider Body of Christ. One example of this way of doing ministry can be seen in Life Focus. Doug and Charlene Fike created Life Focus years ago as a way of helping people discover, clarify and live out their callings. Over the years they articulated principles and developed a variety of tools that were taught, tested and refined in a variety of contexts -- seminars, mentoring relationships, internships, etc. Several years ago this material was reshaped into a coaching format, Transformational Leadership Coaching's Life Focus track. The same material is currently being reworked into a new seminar format called Destiny Discovery Quest which will allow a wider group of people access to the life-changing, tested principles and growth methodologies. Life Focus is impacting more people at a deeper level now because the time was taken to glean transferable principles and pioneer different models for getting those principles across.

Flexibility is important in working with leaders of leaders. GDI is called to serve leaders of organizations. People in these positions juggle many responsibilities and are often near burn out, resource-poor and emotionally fragile by the time they are ready to take advantage of the help and perspective GDI offers. Flexibility is often necessary to get these leaders to the kind of safe place that is necessary for their rest, healing, growth and graduation to the next phase of their lives and calling.

Focused flexibility is essential when giving support to leaders walking through transitions or desert seasons. In wilderness seasons of life God is not working at productivity, efficiency or outward success. Instead roots are deepened, identity issues addressed. Character weaknesses, emotional wounds, and heart issues are revealed and engaged. Although the journey through the wilderness has predictable phases, the timing and outworking of these phases is different in each case. In the wilderness both time and emotional/mental/spiritual space must be cleared for God to work. A task-oriented, one-size-fits-all approach tends to short circuit the process. Effective support for people in wilderness seasons often boils down to flexibility, patience, and an ongoing response to God's work. Even planning the length of a wilderness season retreat or sabbatical is difficult, since the amount of time it takes each individual to internally unplug, shift into neutral, find new perspective and transition back into their lives depends on a number of factors. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that people going into the wilderness rarely are at the place of being able to accurately diagnose what they need or how much time it will take to get there. Winter always turns to spring, but no one can predict exactly when. Leaders on retreat or sabbatical at Three Hills often extend (or sometimes shorten) their stays because part way through the experience they begin to understand what God is doing in them as well as the time frame necessary to complete that work. GDI is committed to be as flexible as possible to allow Kingdom work to be completed in these leaders.

The rapidly-changing nature of the times we live in calls for a focused, flexible approach to ministry. Technological advances and cultural shifts that include the internet, wireless technology, cell phones, virtual communities and online education are changing how people relate, learn and live. Organizations that look for security in "doing things the way they've always been done" are finding that security harder and harder to grasp. Those who anchor themselves in unchanging principles and clear vision, however, are free to be hold their methods lightly. GDI is commited to build an organization that not only survives but excels in the quickly changing environment of the times we live in. This requires a focused, flexible approach.

As GDI has grown over the years by responding to God and looking for better ways to serve those they are called to, we have discovered biblical precedents for developing a focused, flexible approach to ministry.

Jesus was focused and clear about his mission, but his way of achieving it was always changing and often bewildering, even to those who knew him best. He fulfilled the law, but was accused of breaking it. He also fulfilled the Messianic promises, but not the way people expected. Even Jesus' closest friends were often confused or offended by his methods. Consider their responses to his walking on water, meeting in tax collectors' homes, turning water to wine at a wedding party, talking to Samaritans, healing Romans, helping noisy beggars, touching disreputable women, avoiding crowds, offending powerful religious leaders, asking people to drink his blood, etc, etc. Jesus' clear focus allowed him to walk through approval and slander without being distracted from him calling.

Jesus responded to the needs of the people around him, giving specific priority to those who showed faith (the centurion, the noisy and persistent blind man, the desperate widow who touched his robe, etc). He was flexible in his methods of dealing with impossible situations, which forced the people to look to God rather than trusting a system or way of doing things. He rarely healed people the same way twice. He challenged the disciples to feed a huge crowd of hungry people -- and then used the little bit that was there and brought it to God who multiplied it. He rebuked the disciples in the storm, not because they were ignorant of God's methods for storm-calling, but because they didn't trust God.

Following Jesus' example, GDI looks for flexible, creative ways to respond to the needs, hunger and rising faith the organization encounters. When, for instance, GDI is contacted by a transitioning leader who is hungry to meet God but doesn't fit into any of GDI's current programs, the attempt is often made to custom-design something for them.

GDI's focused, flexible philosophy of ministry is the natural outgrowth of its core values. Combining a value for bringing Christ into every facet of 21st century culture with a commitment to maximizing impact by investing in leaders only works with a flexible methodology. Add to that a high value for innovation and entrepreneurship and the resulting conglomeration of ideas and posibilities makes the need for focus obvious. Leaders from different facets of culture -- church, the arts, family, business, politics, and education -- each embody these values in very different ways. GDI's values and vision are being achieved when each of its leaders embody Christ in the unique way God intends -- a way that perfectly fits that arena of culture. This the same value looks different when it is lived out by a business leader, a touring musician, a senator and the church planter. GDI is able serve this wide variety of people by being clear about its focus and values, and very flexible about how they are applied.

Photographs: First: Jonathan Reuel, copyright 2005. Second: IMSI. Third: Jonathan Reuel, copyright 2005. Fourth: Doug Fike, copyright 2006.