Glen Prior + Jon Sato’s WiLD Story with the Free Methodist Church of Southern California

“You’re not just creating a conversation - you’re creating a culture.”

— Jon Sato, FMCSC

Below is our conversation with Jon Sato and Glen Prior who brought WiLD Leaders to their organization to help prepare leaders for ministry. They describe the impact of using the WiLD Toolkit with leaders from the Southern California Free Methodist Conference (FMCSC).

Using The WiLD Toolkit

Glen Prior and Jon Sato, FMCSC, share why they decided to use the WiLD Toolkit for the first year, and why they have decided to continue.

 

“There are so many things I wish I could ask myself 10 years ago, I wish I had WiLD 10 years ago, but as I go on I know I’m a better and different leader today because of starting WiLD 3 years ago. I’m not looking to be the same type of leader and the same individual one year from now...it doesn’t matter where you start, it matters where you’re going.”

- Jon Sato, FMCSC

 

Creating a Legacy - Using The WiLD Toolkit For Year 3 + Beyond

See how the WiLD Toolkit conversations can work seamlessly in an annual rhythm.

 
Program Flows - FMCSC.png

WiLD Toolkit Assessment Tools + Development Topics

  1. Developmental Readiness, Personality, Integrated Fulfillment – WiLD Tool: The WiLD Profile.

  2. Calling & Purpose – WiLD Tool: Calling & Purpose Inventory.

  3. Motivation, Goals, and Prioritization – WiLD Tool: Purposeful Goals Assessment.

  4. Emotional Self-Regulation – WiLD Tool: Leading Under Pressure Inventory.

  5. Transformational Experiences – WiLD Tool: Transformational Experience Audit.

  6. Leadership Competencies – WiLD Tool: Skills & Knowledge Inventory.

  7. Motivation & Learning – WiLD Tool: Motivation & Learning Inventory.

  8. Developing Others – WiLD Tool: People Investment Plan.

  9. Strategic Support System – WiLD Tool: Strategic Networking Audit & Guide.

  10. Ongoing Development Plan – WiLD Tool: The WiLD Plan.

The WiLD Toolkit + Deep-Seated Leader Development

Glen Prior shares how the WiLD Toolkit creates the opportunity for each of their leaders to experience deep-seated leader development.

 

 “It’s worth the investment even after 3 years...it’s going to show the places where there’s weaknesses and allow for people to edit and receive feedback and move forward without fear.”

- Glen Prior, FMCSC

 

The WiLD Toolkit + Editability

Jon Sato shares the impact of using the WiLD Toolkit and being a leader is who continually willing to edit for their sake, and for the sake of others.

“It’s something you do - and you will see the fruit later.”

— Jon Sato, FMCSC

The Intersection of Ministerial Preparation + Leader Development

 

“The WiLD Toolkit continues to evolve and get better. It’s based on learning and developing and it’s constantly learning and evolving and it means it’s not static…Then we started watching people going through it - and that speaks for itself.”

- Glen Prior, FMCSC

We started this multi-year initiative by focusing on providing a leader development/discipleship process to a group of 80 ministry candidates in the ordination process. In parallel, we trained and certified a group of seasoned ministry leaders as internal champions to become Certified WiLD Toolkit Facilitators. The WiLD Leaders team partnered with these seasoned leaders to deliver the WiLD Toolkit through the year. We partnered with the FMCSC to design a process that would adapt each year based on the needs of the ministry leaders. A combination of face-to-face and virtual delivery modes were employed.

WiLD Toolkit + WiLD Session

OUTCOMES + IMPACT

For the Individual:

  • Increased adaptive performance.

  • Expanded leader capacity and readiness.

  • Individual data-based outcomes combined with deep, personal reflection (pre-post Annual Developmental Plan).

  • Increased employability (Bi-vocational if necessary, through transferability of leader skills and competence).

  • Alignment of individual development and ministry mission.

For the Organization:

  • Conference level developmental profile with actionable data insights.

  • Strengthened leadership pipeline.

  •  Repeatable, scalable system for development that can cascade to local church level for systemic leader health and sustainability.

  • Shared language for developing leaders.