Join the 2025 Emerging Leaders Cohort to build your leadership capacity. One of our highest rated events, the Cohort launches with a 3 1/2-day in-person training retreat and continues with four virtual follow-up meetings and a one-on-one coaching call to understand the results of your TruCenter Motivations Assessment.
Participant Profile
This retreat is for the those who are stepping into leadership for the first time or those who are preparing for a leadership role. Ideal for emerging leaders who are 25-40 years of age.
If you are a seasoned leader who would like to further equip the newer leaders on your team, encourage them to participate!
Who You’ll Meet
You’ll meet emerging leaders from other mission organizations while being equipped by seasoned mission leaders such as Ted Esler, President of Missio Nexus, Michael VanHuis, Executive Director of Missio Nexus, Andrea Buczynski, former VP of CRU, and Dr. Jessica Stone, VP of TruCenter.
What You’ll Learn
You will be equipped to foster habits that are critical for healthy leaders, to build and lead an effective team, to develop organizational culture, and to avoid dangerous pitfalls.
Why You Want to Participate
The Emerging Leaders Cohort begins with a leadership training retreat in Orlando, where you will meet other young leaders and engage in an interactive learning experience. You will have the opportunity to shape the content when you register by completing a survey to tell us what topics would be most relevant to you. The monthly follow-up calls will be tailored to meet the needs of the participants.
How It Will Help You
The Emerging Leaders Cohort offers a place for you to explore your God -given gifts while strengthening your leadership abilities. In a community of your peers you will gain practical leadership skills and develop deeper intimacy with Christ so that you are able to assume your ministry role with confidence and competence.
Event Overview
Check-in begins at 4 p.m. on March 18, 2025, and our program will start with introductions at 5 p.m. Each day is carefully planned to include devotions, personal development, skill development, reflection, debriefing, and Q&A sessions. The retreat ends at noon on March 21, 2025, but the cohort will continue with four monthly virtual follow-up meetings, where participants will be able to continue to refine their leadership skills through ongoing training and development.
Quotes From Past Participants
- The content and interactions were all very good. I think Heart of a Leader and Intro to Design Thinking were specific takeaways for me. The devotionals were also great.
- Our session that we did during the initial week finding our purpose statement was a simple exercise but cleared some things up for me and helped me articulate some large projects that I am working on.
- Self-leadership and topics refined me personally.
- You did a great job of beginning small with understanding who God created us to be before even going into leadership styles and leading a team. It was a beautiful framework that will stay with me.
- Awesome! As large and diverse as Missio Nexus is, this group was the right size and a great mix of people. And maintained an intimate feeling.
- I am honestly very impressed with the design and pace of this cohort. And right when I returned, I did suggest to my supervisor and Executive Director that our other staff that are eligible need or should participate in this the next time around.
Event Facilitators
Michael holds a Masters in Global Leadership from Fuller School of Intercultural studies. He is an avid reader, serves as an Elder at his local church, and loves to be outdoors. He and his wife Laura live in Aurora, IL and have five children.
Ted Esler is the President of Missio Nexus, an association of agencies and churches representing hundreds of mission agencies and churches. Ted worked in the computer industry and then served in the Balkans during the 1990’s. He then held various leadership roles with Pioneers. He was appointed the President of Missio Nexus in 2015. He is the author of The Innovation Crisis., Ted has a PhD in Intercultural Studies (Fuller Theological Seminary, 2012).
Andrea Buczynski has served as the Global VP for Leadership Development and HR for Cru for the past twenty years. She came to Christ through the Four Spiritual Laws while a chemistry student at Penn State. Called to campus ministry 47 years ago, her formative ministry and leadership experience started with 15 years of campus assignments throughout the Midwest before coming to serve at the headquarters in Florida in 1993. Nine years as National Director of Staffed Campuses preceded a short time as Global Campus Ministry Leadership Development specialist, before taking on the Vice President role in 2004. She is currently serving as a Leadership Development consultant and coach with Cru, and a Board member for Christian Leadership Alliance. She enjoys coffee, good books and the beach.
Jacob has expertise in Pre-Empathy of Design, Design Thinking, Cultures of Innovation, Innovation Implementation, Change Management, and Organizational Strategy. He holds an MBA in International Business from Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business and a BS from Moody Bible Institute. He is also a Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner with specialties in Change Resistance and Resolving Change Barriers.
Venue/Location
San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, Winter Park, Florida (Orlando). San Pedro is 21 miles from the Orlando International Airport and 17 miles from the Orlando Sanford International Airport. Transportation to and from either airport to the venue is not provided.
Cost
Members: $1300
Non-Members: $1600
Includes: Accommodations, meals, and event materials
Contact us for commuter options.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received on or before February 14 will be refunded minus a $75 cancellation fee. After that, no refund is available.
Contact
For any questions, please contact us at Events@Missionexus.org.
Missio Nexus encourages interaction on diverse and difficult topics. Be aware that the information shared in this event may not reflect the views of the Missio Nexus staff, board, or other community members.
