Onelife School of Leadership: Liz’s Reflections
As I was preparing teaching for the School of Leadership this year I found myself considering the Galatians passage on the fruits of the Spirit:
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control’ - Galatians 5:22
I lingered over gentleness and found myself asking God: ‘how does gentleness really play out as a fruit of the spirit within leadership? What does that look like?’ I didn't get much of an immediate answer and moved on pretty quickly. However this came back into my mind in the middle of the residential as I watched God move in the lives of the delegates.
The volunteer team set the culture of the week and led with gentleness and passion held together in a beautiful balance. The delegates then also seemed to carry this into their conversations, the sessions and in their response to what God was doing. It created safety, depth, fun and powerful transformation.
After one session where we teach on Identity we witnessed this group of 18-25s being redefined by Jesus, what he has done and what the bible says over them. Where an even more extended time of ministry would have felt appropriate here, we knew how God was going to seal this deep work in the delegates and it required the delegates to trust us with a significant gear change!
The evening planned after the Identity session is what we call 'Crazy Chris' where Chris Smith, our Director of Operations, creates an evening of entertainment, games and fun like no one else can. Through the childlike abandonment, we watch the profound truth of identity really sink in as delegates shed their inhibitions and struggles with self confidence and rediscover a confidence that is like that of a child knowing they are being delighted over by their dad.
One delegate who found the evening massively out of his comfort zone, reflected the following morning that the games were a real growth moment for him to step into confidence. From that moment on, a fresh confidence, freedom and joy overspilled from every conversation and every room he walked into. It was truly beautiful.
God used the School of Leadership to show me what the fruits of the Spirit look like in leadership – especially the fruit of gentleness, and this is what each delegate takes with them back home, leading within their families, friendships, universities and jobs.