Planning and decision-making that leave nothing to trust in God is hardly Christian. The Holy Spirit gives the 'gift of faith' to the church (1 Corinthians 12:9) to bring moral and spiritual courage, strengthen God's people, and convince unbelievers of God's presence among his people, particularly when this gift effects 'impossible' signs and wonders (Matthew 17:19-20). This is 'fourth dimension faith' as I heard Paul Yongi Cho, pastor of the world's largest church in Seoul, Korea, describe it.

In that same talk Dr. Cho said 'Your worst enemies are your negative thoughts.' 'If your mind is negatively charged, spiritual power will never flow through you.' 'Like attracts like; optimism is contagious; an optimistic person attracts other optimistic persons, to help build the church to the greater glory of God.'

But leaders with vision will also inherit colleagues who prefer stability and 'more-of-the-same' to growth and challenge. I heard Lyle Schaller make this astonishing comment: 'Most people come to church meetings with one unspoken agenda: don't do anything to challenge my comfortable life'! 'Live' churches tend to have leaders who are disturbing risk-takers; who ask 'why not?'; who make faith-decisions - 'What does God want us to do?' - rather than 'Can we afford it?' They oughtn't to ignore traditions or precedents or budget-projections; they are guided, rather than ruled by them. These leaders put substance on things hoped for.

Having this sort of vision will show up the problems and inertia very early. Although the faith-filled leader will redefine problems as opportunities, he or she will still need to 'plan to budget a considerable portion of time for trouble-shooting and problem-solving.' (12)

Back in point 7 we talked about 'fides' faith, God's gift to anyone, Christian or not. In Denis Waitley's best-seller Seeds of Greatness his 7th 'best-kept secret of total success' is: 'Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy; you won't necessarily get what you want in life, but in the long run you will usually get what you expect.' (13) The positive power of this sort of faith is available to everyone.

Our human bodies, minds and spirits are nurtured by this gift. Norman Vincent Peale spoke at a Medical Convention. Over the stage was a sign, 'Medicine's Prescription - Faith'. One of the doctors there said to him, 'No physician has a right to go into the sick room who doesn't have faith'. Faith is essential for healing.

Faith is the powerful ability to do great things. Captain Cook 'discovered' (invaded?) Australia for the British. His journeys through uncharted seas in the good ships Adventure, Resolution, Endeavour and Discovery show amazing courage. On his statue in his home town, Whitby are engraved these words: 'Captain James Cook, 1728-1779, To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.' That's faith.

'Two men looked through the self-same bars, One saw mud, the other stars.'

Les Brown was a black adolescent in Florida who was declared by his school authorities to be ineducable. But later he persevered, and entered the state legislature for several terms. Invited to speak to a graduating class in his old high school, he said 'Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it, you'll land among the stars!' That's faith.

Fides-faith is pretty close to optimism, positive thinking: nothing wrong with that but faith for a Christian means much more. It's not just faith in yourself, but faith in God-plus-yourself.

Dom Helder Camara, the archbishop persecuted by the Brazilian authorities for taking sides with the poor has written a beautiful book of poems and verses, A Thousand Reasons for Living. Here's one:

I like the sort of birds that fall in love with stars and drop, worn out from trying to catch their light. (14)

Henry Ford said, 'Think you can; think you can't. Either way you'll be right!' Another wise person said 'Things turn out best for folks who make the best of the way things turn out.' The 'corporate just' shall live by faith!