I was at an annual assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) years ago, and the theme was "Inward, Outward, Upward." At the time that denomination was doing some soul searching and restructuring as a result of economic difficulties, and the theme provided an entry point for examining the inner workings of the church, the church''s relationships with those outside the church and denomination, and with our Father above. The day I began this book, years after the church assembly, I referred to the same theme to describe efforts to bring community leaders representing different groups and institutions together. These leaders each have to focus inward to run their organizations effectively, but they can''t afford not to have an outward focus on other organizations, and they also focus upward as they seek to craft stronger organizations for community progress and the good of their citizens. I am a big believer in reflection and introspection. I have referred to the inscription a
