Last week, the Campus Ministry team had the privilege of assisting our fabulous Year 12s as they ran their Week of Worship. It was so great to see all their hard work finally come to fruition after the many hours put in behind the scenes.
The truth is the whole process would have been easier if I had done it myself. I know how to speak publicly, run a band, coordinate a program, and decorate a stage. I have done those things as part of my job for more than 15 years, and I have done them for large scale events. I can do these things because I am experienced, so they come with ease. Ease, however, doesn’t empower anybody, and it doesn’t help new leaders grow.
The growth and empowerment are not in me doing what I already know how to do; they are not in my team doing what they are experienced in. These things come when we invest in others, help them if they fall, and cheer them on when they succeed.
The success of Week of Worship was in the Year 12s leading worship with confidence, speaking boldly and clearly, running a program with precision, and influencing the behaviour of their peers. If the Campus Ministry team had run the Week of Worship, it would have been managed by a handful of people. But the blessing was in seeing an entire cohort of students step into their leadership and bravely try new things.
You might not be running an entire week of programs or building a stage, but you can empower others. When you let kids try and fail, when you pick them back up again, when you repeat your instructions for what feels like the millionth time, and when you cheer them on as they step into bravery, confidence, leadership, and mastery.
Pr Bethany Chapman
Campus Ministries Chaplain
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