Leader's Training & Gazillions of Zooms

Leader's Training

On Saturday, September 26th, I had the privilege of leading the first of a series of video meetings via Zoom with our Campus Staff team and a group of student leaders to dig into a demanding subject - LEADERSHIP. I loved seeing these students excited to meet and talk about leadership on a Saturday morning. Remember, I work with college students, Saturday mornings are rarely the best option, but they themselves picked this time because they wanted to be sure there was no competition.

One student made it all worth it when she said, "I often think of a leader only as those who have a huge impact or someone far beyond my ability to influence, so I had all but given up on the idea of being a leader. But, seeing and hearing that God uses people differently, for larger or smaller impacts, and that a Christian's calling to follow Jesus is synonymous with influencing and leading others toward God has given me new hope in being a leader."

Gazillions of Zooms

Just like so many others in the world, COVID-19 has not stopped life from marching on, but it has increased video meetings a gazillion-fold. We are no different!

• In August, our team had a 10-session Training Course with our church pastor about a Christian Worldview.

• Each throughout the month, I have meetings with our Campus team, Leadership team, entire COBH team, bible-studies, workshops and church Elder Session.

• In September, our team met for a 4-session Evangelism Training workshop.

• Our team has begun a type of group discussion for students who are really asking great questions about Jesus and how He is relevant to their spiritual reality via Zoom.

• There is, also, the home dynamic of Isaac having school via Zoom 5 days a week!

• And, not necessarily Zoom, but part of our team is taking an online course at the School of Biblical Counseling of CCEF, "Dynamics of Biblical Change." It involved several hours of lecture and reading per week.

Our personal connections have begun to increase as the situation normalizes here in Belo Horizonte, therefore, please continue to pray for us as we venture out, face Zoom fatigue and walk by faith and share the hope and the good news of Jesus.

Leadership Team 2016

A big change in my role this year has been participation in a newly formed Leadership Team for CO Belo Horizonte. It is a small group of veteran staff, each with an Area of Responsibility seeking to maintain and direct the Vision, to Shepherd our team and to be primarily Executive in our decisions. 

In July of this year (2016), our Director, Demps Dempsey, and his family began a 1 year Sabbatical. Leading up to this, there was much discussion about how to fill the leadership gap during his absence, but also in how to move towards sustainability in our Brazilian context looking towards the future. The idea of a specific leadership team collective, rather than a top-down single Director was discussed as something that might be an option for our reality. So this current Leadership Team is our first trial run. Then, when Demps returns, the goal is for him to be freed-up to focus on coaching, shepherding and vison-casting for the future and expansion with the Leadership team functioning to guide the grassroots ministry and infrastructure. 

So, this next year is sure to be the busiest ever, with retaining my Resource Director responsibilities, Leadership Team, participation in church leadership as an elder, and still leading myself and my family with a new baby arriving in October. It's a lot, but I am trying very hard to remember what the Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Please pray with me that I may have the same response as Paul did, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."