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Riding the Leadership CREST
By Chris Cahill
T
here is a dream in the heart of every-
one – put there by God. By midlife,
the dream can be a bit beat up by
busyness, tough experiences and road-
blocks. But it never leaves. A sense of rest-
lessness, and the desire for something more,
could be the Spirit of God stirring in you,
calling you to something greater. Leaders
especially need that vision and purpose to
rise to the surface and be clarified.
A practical life development program has
been created by Dr. Dan Reinhardt, called
the CREST Leadership Development Pro-
gram, and it has been active in western
Canada for several years. In May, CREST
arrived in central Canada to help London
area leaders re-calibrate and refocus. Said
Dr. Reinhardt: “London is the perfect venue
for central Canada because it is a center for
Christian leadership in Ontario.”
The collaborative process teaches skills
that empower learning, build strong charac-
ter, and encourage re-commitment to God at
a deeper level. The first session of
CREST’s two-year certificate program was
held at Ivey’s Spencer Leadership Centre.
The program includes quarterly three-day
meetings, called Encounters, for a total of
eight sessions.
Dr. John Clifford, a physician here in
adventure and particularly the experiential
London, said “CREST is offering me a
aspect. It provides us with leadership tools
chance to look back and try to understand
and skills, and then holds us accountable to
the “whys” of my past, to look forward to
practice them.”
deepening my relationship with Christ, and
A final comment was made by Cathy
in that context to move forward.”
Ostapchuk, who feels that she benefited
Stephen Cheng, manager of the Psychosis
from CREST Leadership because she
Program in Windsor Ontario, said “the
“engaged in learning at unexpected levels:
CREST Leadership model is not as much
community building and learning from
about meeting spiritual giants or having a
other people’s stories. This kind of rela-
heavenly experience, as it is about being
tional learning is developing leadership that
human, knowing oneself and receiving the
will last a lifetime and leaders that will
gift of lasting relationships.”
finish strong.”
Debbie Wilkins, administrator at Com-
passion Canada, is “thankful for the CREST
A Life Restored
By Jason Shawera
M
y name is Jason and I am 27 years old.
I struggled with addiction for half of
my life, from alcohol, marijuana,
ecstasy, cocaine and opiates, until I met the devil
himself: crack cocaine. I watched my own worst
nightmare become a reality as I slipped deeper
and deeper into addiction and depression. The
years of partying, and neglect to my body finally
caught up to me in 2005. I knew if I didn’t make
real and drastic changes I wasn’t going to make
it. I cried out to God for deliverance and He led
me to the ministry of Teen Challenge. When I
had reached my end, and that is where God
began.
I arrived at Teen Challenge in London in the
fall of 2005, with my life at an all-time low. I
had lived a life of disobedience and rebellion, so
it was hard for me to come to a place with such
strict rules. I struggled to let go of the hard atti-
tude I had developed over years of running in
gangs in Toronto. That right outside the gates of
Teen Challenge lay death, waiting to consume
me, helped me quickly learn to obey. I also
learned to hold my temper and not act out impul-
sively. It was hard to face myself at times, and
the bad choices I had made through out my life,
but each day I learned to forgive myself more. I
slowly began to like the man I saw in the mirror,
and realized that God loves me no matter what.
No one said that living for Christ would be
easy, and life has thrown me some tough curve
balls. My father, James Brian Shawera, passed
away on November 23rd, 2006. He loved Jesus
and it is because of his faith in Christ that I am
alive and well today. My heart is grateful that
before his passing into Glory my father got to
Christian Life in London • Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Participating
in the CREST
program are
Stephen Cheng,
Debbie
Wilkins,
Dr. John
Clifford
and Cathy
Ostapchuk.
More information on the CREST leader-
ship program is available at www.crestlead-
ership.ca
Chris Cahill is a Certified
Financial Planner. He
spends much of his time
learning and engaging
the issues surrounding
social injustice and
global poverty. He and
his family attend North
Park Community Church.
Jason’s life was restored with God’s love and
the help of Chris Macdonald and other
faithful helpers at Teen Challenge Farm.
witness the power of God in action, to see his
son delivered from drugs and alcohol, and to be
proud of me.
God is still working in my life and each day I
grow closer to Him. I now have a loving rela-
tionship with my 22 month old daughter, Isabel.
A few years ago it was questionable if she was
going to have a Dad – if I could be part of her
life. Now she has a strong Christian father who
loves her dearly. God has surrounded me with
extraordinary, faithful people who love Christ
and help me adjust to my new life. I am cur-
rently working at Teen Challenge as an Intern
Assistant beside Christine Macdonald, who has
blessed my life with her desire to serve Jesus,
and with a strong Christian mentor, Jim Park, the
Teen Challenge Farm Manager.
I love God’s Word and want to share with the
world what God has done for me. People need to
know to not play with sin – it will rule your soul
and destroy your life. I have found what I was
looking for…I’ve got my final fix, in Jesus.
There is no high like the Most High!!!
(www.tcfarm.org)
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2 Corinthians 3:17