A week in the life of Dr. Wess Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International, doesn’t allow much down time, but all the hard work and effort is worth it to him.
Over the years, Wess has discovered that even the quickest minute can make a big impact in the life of a child, and he’s determined to use each minute he’s given to continue releasing more children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
What does a typical week for Wess look like? Typical is a word that’s difficult to attach to Wess and his schedule, but here’s a look at one week from early November.
Monday
8:30 a.m.
Wess begins the day by driving to a local conference center to meet up with the rest of the Global Executive Leadership Team for a retreat. This team is made up of vice presidents from different divisions within the ministry, regional vice presidents who oversee field office ministry, and a few leaders from our Global Partners.
10:00 a.m.
The retreat begins with devotion and prayer time. Wess was asked to share a devotional, and he leads a discussion centered on the concept of his new book, Just a Minute. Wess asks the members of the team to recount a time when one person encouraged or discouraged them in about a minute, impacting their lives forever.
Noon – 7:30 p.m.
The day continues with meetings on ministry strategy. Our top leaders discuss where the ministry is now in light of where they would like it to be 10 years from now.
Tuesday
8:45 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The retreat’s second day begins with another devotional time led by a co-worker. After devotions and prayer, the team discusses a variety of topics ranging from technology and how it’s used within their work groups, to what employees are saying about their experience working for Compassion.
The team takes a welcome break for lunch. This is a good chance for them to recharge before jumping in to more meetings for the rest of the day.
Wess is a great storyteller, and over lunch he shares with the others some of his latest adventures.
Wednesday
8:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
This is the last day of the Global Executive Leadership Team retreat, and they enjoy another meaningful time of reflection before diving in to more strategy sessions.
The rest of the team will stay at the conference center for the day, but Wess has a flight to catch!
3:00 p.m.
Wess hops onto a flight to Little Rock, Ark., where he will be interviewed for an upcoming radio program.
After arriving in the area, he picks up his rental car and drives to the hotel to prepare for the next day’s interview.
Thursday
8:00 a.m.
Wess re-reads the Just a Minute manuscript to get ready for his interview with Family Life Today. He goes over the chapters again to make sure his mind is focused on the topics he hopes to cover during the interview.
2:00 p.m.
The radio interview begins!
Wess talks with Family Life Today hosts Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine about the upcoming release of his book. He recounts the inspiration for the book and shares some of the stories found within its pages.
They are supposed to record enough for one radio program, but all three men are so engaged in the topic that the conversation grows into enough for three separate programs.
Along with Wess, Dennis and Bob also share stories from their own childhoods about how someone impacted their lives in just one minute.
7:30 p.m.
After a great day of recording, Wess gets on a plane home. He’s excited to see how children’s lives will be changed for the better after people hear the radio program and read this new book.
Friday
7:30 p.m.
Wess uses Friday to recharge for the week ahead, when he will write, attend several speaking engagements, and participate in more interviews.
For now, it’s time for a little fun at the Air Force vs. Army basketball game.
Wess enjoys the game, but he’s a little nervous as a former soldier surrounded by Zoomies!
Each week is full of new challenges and inspiration for Wess Stafford. He loves what he does and works hard to be an advocate for children everywhere.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ashley Mays and her husband live in Colorado Springs where she enjoys rock climbing, playing the guitar and writing. You can find out more about Ashley on her website at: www.ashley-mays.com.
4 Comments |Add a comment
Wess Stafford is absolutely a hero of mine. What a tremendous warrior for the rights and dignity of children. Children are so very vulnerable. They certainly need powerful people as advocates.
BTW, where are all the women on Compassion’s Global Executive Leadership Team? I only saw one who looked like she was actually attending the meeting. I’d like to see a few more women in these pics. It currently looks like a meeting of the Lions Club. Compassion’s donors are 60% women. I’d like to see that fact better-represented in Compassion’s leadership.
I believe that men and women each have a unique perspective to bring to the table when it comes to mentoring, caring for and nurturing the spiritual needs of children.
I totally agree with you Lisa, women should be represented on every level…
What a blessing and inspiration Dr. Wess Stafford is to so many people. Thank you Dr Stafford for your sacrifice of love an devotion for the children that are being released from poverty all over the world…Blessings
Amazing man of God. Wess is an inspiration for many of us. I am eager to read his new book- ‘Just a Minutes’