Quotes from Duane Elmer

Power is meant to be shared with the goal of empowering others. Hoarded power weakens others and exalts oneself. Power, when grounded in biblical values, serves others by liberating them. It acknowledges that people bear the image of God and treats them in a way that will nurture the development of that image. In so doing, we honor their Creator.

Power is to be used in the service of others and only secondarily, if at all, for the benefit of oneself.

If a man is forever concerned first and foremost with his own interests then he is bound to collide with others. If for any man life is a competition . . . then he will always think of other human beings as enemies, or at least as opponents who must be pushed out of the way . . . and the object of life becomes not to help others up but to push them down.[7]

Most of life is a matter of nonessential differences.

Second, building trust requires risk—mostly emotional. Testing strengthens trust. Friendships grow while working through difficulties together and finding resolution. This includes clarifying misunderstandings, admitting wrong, apologizing and forgiving. As we deal with the bumps in a relationship, mutual confidence increases. Soon both parties are confident the other will not intentionally hurt them.

I'm not sure Dave realized in that split-second decision what a profound message he was sending to his "father," Mr. Yaka, and the long-term impact it would have on them and their ministry—even the continent!

Martin Luther: "He who believes his doctrine to be perfectly right and true has only to lift his hands and touch his ears and discover they are the long furry ears of a donkey.

Humility before God generates humility toward others. If humility toward others is not evident, it's unlikely we see ourselves correctly before God.

local people notice we aren't there to learn from them but to teach them; we won't ask questions but will give answers; we aren't there to be with them but to train them; we won't build trust but will attempt to transform them; we're not there to dialogue but to lecture. Paulo Freire, the Brazilian educator, calls this a "subject-object relationship." Unchecked ethnocentrism turns human beings into objects to be manipulated.

Servanthood is revealed in simple, everyday events.

Servanthood is revealed in simple, everyday events. But it's complex because servanthood is culturally defined—that is, serving must be sensitive to the cultural landscape while remaining true to the Scripture.

A truly effective leader, however, must be able to see the shades of gray inherent in a situation in order to make wise decisions as to how to proceed. The essence of thinking gray is this: don't form an opinion about an important matter until you've heard all the relevant facts.