Baseball great Darryl Strawberry joins Maxwell to share Christian testimony

By Bob Holmes

Dr. John C. Maxwell says when you reach your full potential and excel at who you are you will be “unforgettable.”

“Unforgettable” was the topic the influential leadership expert chose for his fourth Leadership Forum at Columbia International University. The bestselling author, coach and speaker challenged the audience of community members as well as CIU faculty and staff, to “excel in what you do” to become “unforgettable.” 

“In your career you don’t want to go to the next position, you want to grow to the next positon,” Maxwell said from the stage in Shortess Chapel. “If you go to the next position, sometimes you won’t make it there because it is unfamiliar territory. If you grow in that positon, when you get there, you already know what’s there because you grew into it. You want to have a growing life. That’s how you excel at what you do.”

It was a busy day on the CIU campus for Maxwell. At a luncheon for event sponsors, Maxwell offered advice from his book, “Change Your World” which includes 25 values that Maxwell calls cross-cultural and based on The Golden Rule — treat others as you would like to be treated.

“Values are birthed out of principles, and principles work in every situation, but values are those principles that are most special to you that allow you with passion to embrace them,” Maxwell said, noting that current problems in America reflect a lack of values, not a lack of good laws.

Meanwhile, Maxwell also addressed sessions for pastors and denominational leaders where he challenged attendees to make personal evangelism a priority over church growth.

“America has lost its way in the area of values, but the church has lost its way in the area of evangelism,” Maxwell said. “It’s rare to see a church training and equipping people to share their faith. Fifty-three percent of the people in your community are not coming to your church, my church or any church. They’re not coming to church. What part of they are not coming to church do we not understand?”

Sharing the stage in the Leadership Forum with Maxwell was former baseball Major Leaguer Darryl Strawberry, who during his playing days, abused alcohol and drugs, but today is an itinerant evangelist sharing how Jesus Christ guided him out of darkness. 

With record enrollment in 2020, CIU consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South. Request information on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary at (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024 or www.ciu.edu.