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Thank you to the 1,400 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 questions!
I hope readingÂ
7 Questions with Raul Costea
helps you in your leadership.
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Cheers,
Jonno White
7 Questions with Raul Costea
Name: Raul Costea
Current title: Pastor and Coordinator
Current organisation: Hope Church
I moved from the northern part of Romania to the southern part of Romania to do missions over 20 years ago. At first, my wife and I took care of a group of orphan girls. Then my team and I, 5 people total, moved to another town and began to evangelize to the people there. These new converts grew and matured and we planted a church there. It is fully functioning and self-sustaining now. A couple years ago, my family and I moved and we began to plant another church in a city in southern Romania. We have a team and are in the beginning stages of that right now. My main focus is evangelism and church-planting.
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1. What have you found most challenging as a church leader?
Dealing with the leaders in our church when it comes to them applying our church philosophy.
2. How did you become a church leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?
God called me to the southern part of Romania to plant a church in a town with no believers.
3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?
In the morning, I start with prayer. Then I go to the gym to exercise. Once I get to the office, we have prayer with our team. Then I start my day and it varies. I have administrative tasks, spiritual preparation, meetings with leadership, meetings to counsel or evangelize, or filming for our digital ministry. This is from 10am-6pm. Then after that, I eat dinner and spend time home with my family.
4. What's one book apart from the Bible that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?
It wasn't a book. It was a Big Impact Course that I took, put on by a group of leaders in Romania. This course made it more clear and simple what it means to be a leader and how to lead well.
5. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?
I learned to say 'No' without feeling that I need to explain myself.
6. How do you develop a healthy leadership pipeline in a church?
Identify a person's call. Having a confirmation about their character from a church/community. Developing their competence.
7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a church leader so far?
When I was first starting out, I was doing ministry/evangelism in a small village. There was a guy who wanted to beat me because I wanted to talk to him and his family about God. He came with his friends one day, but God had other plans. He eventually became a believer, a church leader and now he is a pastor.