What

Leaders
Believe
21 Leadership Beliefs of
the Light of Jesus Family

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By Bo Sanchez 1
What Leaders Believe
21 Leadership Beliefs of the Light of Jesus Family

Philippine Copyright © 2011 by Eugenio R. Sanchez, Jr.

For more information about the

Light of Jesus Family,
Log on to www.LightFam.com
Or call tel. no. (632) 725-9999

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, except for brief quotations, without the
prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design and layout by Rey de Guzman

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 What We Believe
21 Leadership Beliefs of the Light of Jesus Family

For sometime, we thought that raising

leaders was a matter of having the right training
program, or the right formation program, or
the right curriculum, or the right organizational
structure…
As the years went by, we realized we were
wrong. We realized that all these are important,
but they’re not the essence of how to raise up
leaders.
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Today, we’ve discovered the Master Key C ofOP
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raising leaders. FR
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It’s nothing but old-fashioned discipleship.

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 And what is discipleship?
Again, it’s not a particular program or
system.
At the end of the day, discipleship is
relationship.
Discipleship is friendship.

The Power of a Friend Loving Another Friend

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus summarized the

entire Gospel into two commandments. He said,
“Love God” and “Love your neighbor.”
In John 15:12, He even cut it down into one
law. He said, “Love one another as I have loved
you.”
The essence of the Christian life is the essence
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of leadership. CO
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When a leader raises another leader, FR he
simply loves him in a relationship. He loves him
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as God loves him. As author and pastor John
Maxwell says, “People don’t care how much you
know until they know how much you care.”
In that loving relationship, a leader pours his
life into his disciple.
Whether the disciple becomes a leader or not
is no longer the most important goal. The most
important goal is to love a person.
He shares his love. He opens his home. He
gives his time. He offers his service. He shows his
wounds. He imparts his wisdom.
Leadership isn’t just about managing tasks.
Leadership is about loving someone so that
he becomes all that God wants him to be.

No Claim That We’ve Perfected This

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By stating our 21 Leadership BeliefsFRhere,
I’m not claiming we have perfected this brand of
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leadership. Far from it.
Goodness, it seems like we’re merely starting
in this journey towards this beautiful leadership!
And we have a long way to go.
But by God’s mercy, He always gives us
another opportunity to try again.
To write it down here means we’re declaring
that this is the kind of leadership we’re aiming
for.
Dearest leader, we bequeath these 21
Leadership Beliefs to you. And to the future
generation of leaders of the Light of Jesus Family.
This is our gift to you.
If we do our work well, you’ll be much better
than all of us. You’ll be more loving and more
gifted.
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And if you do your work well, you, too, will CO
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raise up leaders better than yourselves. FR

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 This is the only way the Light of Jesus Family
can continue to do God’s work in this world.
Here they are, the 21 Leadership Beliefs…

Dive in and be very blessed.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

For more information about the

Light of Jesus Family,
Log on to www.LightFam.com
Or call tel. no. (632) 725-9999
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 1

We believe we’re called to be

relationship-based leaders.

We believe that a great leader is a

relationship expert. He loves before he leads.
He lays down his life for his sheep.
We believe that our relationships and our
mission are one.
We believe that in our work, nothing
is more important than our relationships,
because the greatest commandment is love.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd

sacrifices his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
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We believe that a leader strives

for excellence, but especially the
excellence of love.

Emphasizing excellence in our work

is good, provided that it’s secondary to the
excellence of love. Our first goal as a leader is
to be the most loving, not the most excellent.
When love is sacrificed at the altar of
perfection, we lose the essence of the Gospel.
Jesus said, “They will know that you’re my
disciples by your love for one another” (John
13:35), not by how you uphold standards
of excellence. Love is the motivation of
excellence.

Three things will last forever — faith, hope and

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love — and the greatest of these is love. Let loveCOP
be your highest goal! (1 Corinthians 13:13-14:1)
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 3

We believe a leader doesn’t ask or

expect his members to be loyal
to him — but he simply gives his
loyalty to them.

We’re spiritual parents that bear spiritual

children and release them into God’s hands.
Our children do not owe us anything, but we
owe our children our lives forever. We are
loyal to them, not because they show loyalty,
or because they deserve it, but because that’s
who we are — we’re loyal persons.

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you.

Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly — not
for what you will get out of it, but because you are PY
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eager to serve God. (1 Peter 5:2) E EC
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 4

We believe our first and most

important assignment from God is
to make disciples via relationships.

Discipleship is relationship. Before we

preach, lead teams, or create plans, we’re
constantly discipling specific people to Jesus.
(1) Some are our leaders; (2) Some are new
people at The Feast; (3) Some are not yet even
attending. Individually and regularly, we
meet them over coffee or meals, loving them,
leading them to follow Jesus more.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the

nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new
disciples to obey all the commands I have given PY
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you. And be sure of this: I am with you always,E EC
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even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

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We believe a leader needs to live in

the truth.

We welcome the worst sinners in the Light

of Jesus Family, but those who preach God’s
Word follow a higher call: They need to live
in the truth. If a preacher falls into a pattern
of grave sin or grave consequence, living
in truth means he’ll voluntarily resign and
submit himself to spiritual rehabilitation
from the elders. If the sin is a grievous crime,
the erring leader shall be turned over to his
victim and the secular justice system.

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires

to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”
So an elder must be a man whose life is above
reproach. (1 Timothy 3:1-2) PY
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We believe a leader should always live

in relationships of accountability.

To be a leader is a dangerous job, open

to the usual temptations of money, sex and
power. We protect ourselves by always
surrounding our lives with relationships of
accountability — in our families, with our
friends, in our Caring Groups, and with our
fellow leaders. We commit ourselves to being
open, honest and vulnerable.

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in

a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore
that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you
also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens,
and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. PY
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(Galatians 6:1-2) EC
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 7

We believe we’re called to be God’s

messengers.

People thirst for God’s Word. People

will go to where their souls are fed. At every
Feast, the life-giving Word of God must be
presented in a simple, relevant and practical
way that the unchurched can understand.
At every Feast, people should go home with
their spirit nourished, inspired and instructed
by God’s Word. Because of this, the ability to
preach is intrinsic to a Builder.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly

as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from
the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your PY
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hearts. (Colossians 3:16) E EC
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 8

We believe we’re called to preach

hope.

People live every day in a world of

discouragement. People live with inner
hurts, past traumas and future fears. Every
day, people are burdened with many trials.
So at every Feast, without fail (no matter
what topic is being preached), the Builder’s
first message is always hope — to announce
that God’s love is able to meet their needs.
That the best is yet to come. That nothing is
impossible with God.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as

we put our hope in you. (Psalm 33:22)
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 9

We believe we’re called to preach

personal responsibility.
We preach faith and works. We don’t
preach the prosperity Gospel but the
practical Gospel. We preach that God
prospers us — but we also preach financial
literacy, simplicity and entrepreneurship. We
preach that God heals — but we also preach
about caring for our health. We preach that
a family that prays together stays together
— but also that a family that plays together
stays together. At the end of the day, people
determine their destiny by their godly decisions,
not just by their devotions.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if

someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save them?... In the same way, OPY
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faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,EEis
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dead. (James 2:14, 17) F

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 10

We believe in the power of focus.

Rather than be a flashlight, we would

prefer to be a laser that cuts steel. Our
singular mission is to make disciples of Jesus.
Our autonomous partner organizations
shall focus on the other missions of the
Kingdom — such as uplifting the poor and
proclaiming God’s love through media. That
is their focus and we support them. But our
mission is to make disciples through (1) The
Feast, (2) Caring Groups, and (3) personal
relationships.

The one thing I do, however, is to forget what is

behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
So I run straight toward the goal in order to win Y
the prize, which is God’s call through Christ JesusCOP
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to the life above. (Philippians 3:13-14) FR
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 11

We believe God calls us to love the

unchurched.
According to surveys, 85 percent of
Catholics no longer go to Sunday Mass
regularly. They may no longer be religious
but they still hunger for spiritual things. We’ll
make a serious effort to speak their language
when we preach, worship and relate with
them. We’ll make The Feast and CGs safe
places for the unchurched and broken. Except
for pastoral (like the CG head) and high-
profile roles, we’ll invite the unchurched to
serve God in various ministries.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders;

make the most of every opportunity. Let your
conversation be always full of grace, seasoned
with salt, so that you may know how to answer PY
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everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6) E EC
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We believe God calls us to love

the youth.

Our Feasts should reflect the

demographics of the population we’re
working in. In the Philippines, 70 percent
are 30 years old and below. Thus, we aim
that our Feasts in the Philippines reflect this
percentage. Generally, each leader should
attract people who are 10 years older and 10
years younger than he is. Generally, to attract
younger people, we push the youth to lead
and to preach, and for older people to take on
more supportive roles.

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know

how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said
to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must PY
go to everyone I send you to and say whateverEICO
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command you.” (Jeremiah 1:6-7) FR

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 13

We believe in seeking friendly

debate from other leaders for our
big decisions.

We believe that God leads us not just

through the team leader but through our
leadership team. In our big decisions, we
engage in friendly discussion, seeking
wisdom from all leaders. But at the end
of the day, the overall leader must make a
decision, and the entire team fully supports
his decision — even if it isn’t one’s personal
choice.

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers

bring success. (Proverbs 15:22) Y
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 14

We believe that we need to increase

our rate of failure to increase our
rate of success.

Generally, we believe that action precedes

clarity. We’re not afraid to fail. We believe that
many failures are the road to great success.
We believe that our greatest victories come
from our greatest failures. We don’t believe
in ready, aim and fire. We believe in ready,
aim, fire, aim, fire, aim, fire…. We fail quickly
so we can try again.

For the just man falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble to ruin. (Proverbs 24:16)
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 15

We believe that leaders shouldn’t just

be efficient; they should also give joy.

We believe that efficiency isn’t enough.

Being consistent is wonderful. But are our
organizations happy? Do we give joy to
people? The Light of Jesus Family aspires to
be a happy home for our members and our
guests. Create surprise and laughter and
excitement. Don’t just meet expectations.
Exceed them.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:

Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.
(Philippians 4:4)
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 16

We believe in empowerment and

succession.

We make ourselves dispensable by

raising up leaders. Raising up leaders is our
primary task. And we follow this rule: We
always raise up leaders that will be better than
we are — both in character and capacities.
Our biggest accomplishment is when the
accomplishments of the next generation of
leaders are bigger than ours. We also focus
on leaders who will lead leaders.

Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around

(Elisha). Then (Elisha) set out to follow Elijah and
became his servant. (1 Kings 19:19-21) Y
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 17

We believe that we should always be

in touch with new people, not just
our leaders.

We make a serious effort to always

listen to the unchurched at The Feast. We
deliberately build relationships with first
timers who are potential leaders. We pray
and call up those who send prayer requests.
We lead evangelistic CGs. Our goal is to
know what our “customers” want — so that
their voice won’t be lost in our busyness
and the layers of the bureaucracy of our
organization.

Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy

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who need a physician, but those who are sick; I COP
did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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(Mark 2:17)

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We believe in building many smaller

Feasts and many sessions in a Feast
— without preventing large Feasts.
By having many Feasts and Feast
sessions, we raise up many Builders, many
worship leaders, many music ministries
and many other servants. (Service blesses
people.) We’re also able to reach people in
each geographical location. We also avoid
the difficulties of pastoring a huge crowd
where individuals can slip through the
cracks and disappear without us having built
a relationship with them.

“You will need to appoint some competent leaders

who respect God and are trustworthy and honest.
Then put them over groups of ten, fifty, a hundred,
and a thousand…. You won’t be under nearly asCOPY
much stress, and everyone else will return home EE
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feeling satisfied.” (Exodus 18:20-23)

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We believe that the best organization

is decentralized and autonomous,
but not independent.
Within each district, we provide legal
and governmental leadership, registering
each province under the Securities and
Exchange Commission. But nationally and
globally, we provide spiritual leadership
only. Light of Jesus is first of all a spiritual
family. We’re united by our mission, vision,
beliefs, and (especially) relationships — not
by legal structures. Each district functions on
their own. We are starfishes, not spiders.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit

through the bond of peace. There is one body and
one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope PY
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when you were called…. (Ephesians 4:3-4) EE C
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We believe that building people

and relationships and structures are
important — in that order.

We first invest time, effort and financial

resources in our leaders and servants and
in our relationships, and second only in
structures. Though we also recognize that
structures are necessary for our work for the
Lord.

Upon disembarking, Jesus saw a vast crowd.

He pitied them, for they were like sheep without
a shepherd; and he began to teach them at great
length…. He told them to make the people sit
down on the green grass in groups or parties. The
people took their places in hundreds and fifties, PY
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neatly arranged like flower beds. (Mark 6:34, 39)
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We believe that our leaders should

work on their financial life so they
can have the freedom to bless others.
We believe leaders can only freely serve
the Lord if they have no financial bondages.
We encourage our leaders to be long-
term investors and entrepreneurs, so they
can teach their flock to do the same. Light of
Jesus shall teach them financial literacy and
stewardship.

God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all
things at all times, having all that you need, you
will abound in every good work.... This service
that you perform is not only supplying the needs of
the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many
expressions of thanks to God. (2 Corinthians 9:8, OPY
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 About the Author

Bo Sanchez is a
preacher, leader and
entrepreneur. He is the
author of 25 bestselling
books and publisher of
eight magazines. Bo also
has a weekly TV show, a
daily radio program, and a
daily Internet TV show. He
travels extensively around
the world as a powerful speaker. So far, he has
addressed audiences in 14 countries, including 36
cities in North America.
He founded many organizations, such
as Anawim, a special home for the abandoned
elderly, and Shepherd’s Voice, a media group that
publishes the widest read inspirational literature PY
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in the country. He is also founder of LightE C of
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Jesus Family, a spiritual community. FR
He was also cited as one of the awardees

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of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in 2006.
Privately, Bo is also a successful
entrepreneur. He frequently teaches and writes
about financial literacy, believing that our poverty
is hugely a product of people’s low financial I.Q.
on subjects such as debt-management, saving,
investing, and business.
In another endeavor he’s very passionate
about, Bo started the Catholic Filipino Academy
to help parents who want to teach their children
at home.
But above all these, Bo believes that his first
call is to be a loving husband to his wife, Marowe,
and a devoted father to his sons Benedict and
Francis. They live in Manila, Philippines.
For more information, log on to his website
www.bosanchez.ph or email him at bosanchez@
kerygmafamily.com.

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For more information about the EE
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Light of Jesus Family,
Log on to www.LightFam.com
Or call Tel. (632) 7259999.
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