Leaders are Readers: The Mission of God's People

Harry S. Truman said, "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers."  This 'Leaders are Readers' series highlights books I read and my reflections on them to bolster my leadership learning as I serve students on campus.

Today's book is:  The Mission of God's People - by Christopher J. H. Wright

There was one thought that kept floating through my mind every time I picked up this book to read another section:  I wish my students would read this.

It would give great fodder for conversation around what the mission of God's people is, why we exist as an IV group on campus, and how those two things collide.

It was a great reminder of who we are called to be as God's people, and gave me a more thorough biblical look at our mission, beyond what I was taught in Sunday School as a kid.

Plus, as you read it you'd come across these great nuggets of truth that were packed with punch.  Like this one:

"When a whole community was called to know God, as Old Testament Israel was, it was a comprehensive social agenda, not just a badge of nominal national religion" (pg 151).

Wa-pow!

Here are some questions I'm reflecting on now that I've finished the read:
1) What would our InterVarsity chapter look like if students served and led from a place of God's mission as God's people, and not out of obligation, guilt, or fear?

2) How can I use the content and framework of this book to communicate the mission of God's people to my students?

Why I'd recommend it to you:
1) It's an academic read, but it doesn't read like an academic read.  It feels more conversational and logical as opposed to intellectual and stuffy.

2) I thought the sections gave helpful reflection questions for both individuals and groups.

3) It is thorough.  And I mean thorough.  It definitely feels like a textbook you would give out to a seminary class.

4) It gives a full, biblical exploration of the mission of God's people, not just the New Testament or one passage in the Bible.

What I'd be aware of:
1) It has TONS of side quotes and such.  I found them to be distracting although once in a while enlightening.  I skipped most of them because I hate having to read the main content and then go back to the side quotes or vice versa.


2) It took me a long time to finish reading.  Now granted, I'm a slow reader to begin with.  But, it confused me as to why it took me so long when it was a relatively easy read.  I definitely had a little celebration party for myself when I finally finished it.  Just a potential warning, I guess.

Regional Staff Training: 3 reasons why I'm going to miss it

In case you didn't know, I graduated...again.  

Instead of a degree, though, I got an InterVarsity branded laundry bag.  Maybe it sounds lame, but for someone whose job inevitably gets her massive amounts of t-shirts, it's actually very practical.  And practical gifts are great!

Anyway, Regional Staff Training is NY/NJ's training for new staff.  It's a 4 day training that happens twice a year, for 3 years.  I've really enjoyed this aspect of my job, so here are 3 reasons why I'm going to miss Regional Staff Training:

1. It was a reminder that my colleagues are just like me.  At the beginning of every training module, our cohort shared a significant incident (whether negative or positive) with the group and our reflections on it.  It was such a valuable practice that reminded us that we were not alone.  We struggle with similar struggles.  We understand each other's hardships of this ministry.  We experience the grace God pours out to us.  It helps dismantle any form competition or comparison that may build up when we're not together.

2. We learned side-by-side and from each other.  One of my favorite and most helpful parts of RST has been the workshopping element.  There were segments of training where we would share with each other some aspects of ministry and leadership that we were struggling with, and then helped by sharing some ideas of what to do or some best practices we had.  Sometimes you just need someone who's not your supervisor to give you feedback and ideas. 

3. It was really fun!  The NY/NJ staff are pretty fun people.  We like playing games, talking, eating, reading, having adventures, and spending time with each other.  We respect each others' need for alone time and encourage the value of play and rest.  What a great way to develop camaraderie and build relationships in a non-work context.  

We celebrated together, mourned together, learned together, and laughed together as peers and colleagues at Regional Staff Training.  Why wouldn't I miss it?

Post-Basileia Story: The gift of an image

It's been another hard year, but Basileia was so good and refreshing that I nearly forgot all about how hard it was.

One of the reasons is because of a significant moment for me during chapter time.  While I had been leading these sessions earlier in the week, I decided to step back and give control over to the new Servant Leadership Team (SLT, student exec board) to get some practice.  So I kept my mouth shut as much as I could and let them run with their ideas.  They started off by posing the question, "What does vision mean?" to the group for discussion.  Then Marian spoke up.

"Well, I like to think of vision as a picture of an island," she said, in her usual light-hearted manner.  She went on to explain how we are standing on an island, looking out and seeing another island across the water, and how it looks so beautiful and wonderful that we just can't stay on this island any longer - we must get in a boat and go to that other island.  Vision is the picture of getting to that other, better island.

via Unsplash

To you, it may seem silly or insignificant, but let me tell you a little bit about who Marian is.  Marian was one of the very first students I started working with when I switched campuses to RIT.  My official capacity began at Basileia the year Marian was one of my new student leaders.  It was a crazy year of learning about the campus culture and learning how to lead in the midst of that learning.

One of the ways I led was by teaching the new team what vision was and how it described the current state of the chapter.  The image I used was that of an island.  I said that some students were in the boat, ready to go to that wonderful island but just didn't know how, and some students were back on the shore, confused about why we needed to leave this perfectly good island in the first place.  I often exhorted the SLT to lead other students in such a way that invites more students to come on board the boat, and invites the students who are already on board to have greater clarity around the direction in which we're going.

It was such a distinct image for me that I even journaled about it.

So hearing Marian share about this image was a rattling moment for me in bringing the past 3 years of staff to the present.  It was a moment of experiencing God's presence, with Him saying, "I have been and still am doing a good work in you and through you."  It was a concrete, tangible way to hold on to Jesus in a time where not many of those moments come around.

What a gift from the Lord!