"In particular, the course really challenged me to reexamine my leadership in the sense of my motives. Do I lead for the sake of getting recognition from people? Do I lead for the sake of having this leadership position and so that people look up to me? What are my real motives?"

Karl says that he had to admit that too often he acts in order to obtain people’s approval. "I saw that fear was really a motive for me, something I had to come to terms with." In the back of his mind he already knew this, says Karl, but the course helped him face the truth head-on. It also gave him guidance for changing his thought patterns.

Karl says he now rereads some of the course material daily. He reminds himself of his tendencies and how he needs to change. "Each day I ask myself, what I am doing here? What are my motives?"

The youth pastor admits candidly that he is still a work a progress. "Because it had become such a pattern for me, it’s not like I could just look at what I needed to change and then walk away and be done with it." However, he believes that as he identifies his fears he is slowly but surely breaking their negative impact on his life, his relationships and his effectiveness as a leader.

Because of Karl, the Lead Like Jesus principles have sparked the interest of his fellow church leaders as well. Greg Anderson will be facilitating a retreat for the Murray Street Baptist Church leadership on April 4, 2004.

"I’m hoping that not only will we learn, but that we’ll also be able to come away from the retreat with something tangible that we can move forward with," says Karl. "We’ll be asking ourselves, what are we working toward, what’s our goal, what’s our strategic plan for this church?" Karl hopes to eventually see the entire congregation informed, excited and moving towards a clear vision for the church.