Raukura 2007: Reflecting on Leadership
January 15, 2008
This is part of a series of posts using reflections produced by staff and participants at the Raukura: Intro to Strategic Leadership Module held at St Johns College, Auckland, in December 2007.
These reflections have been compiled as a Study Guide, and are available in printed form for below cost at $10.00 a copy including postage and handling (contact us for more details). Alternatively, you can download a PDF version here.
Reflecting on Leadership
By Jocelyn Czerwonka - Youth Coordinator for the Diocese of Waiapu
The Tikanga Pakeha Diocese of Waiapu is geographically very large. It consists of 3 large regions: Hawkes Bay, Eastland, and the Bay of Plenty. The regions are divided by mountain ranges, valleys and rivers. All are vastly different in geography, culture and population. And within regions there are also vast differences: e.g. between rural and city life. As a Diocese we are committed to our 3 Tikanga relationship and our present Bishop has done much to enlighten our own people about such a relationship, particularly through the year of the Pilgrimage.
Walking in to a newly formed Diocesan Youth Facilitator position 18 months ago created huge challenges for me. Coming from the background of being a nurse, wife, mother, vicar’s wife and part time voluntary youth leader brought some strengths and some weakness to the job.
What makes a youth leader?
Is it someone who sees the need, has a passion for young people and seeks Gods leading? Is it someone that is first obedient to God? Someone who asks God to show them where He is leading them? Someone who says, ‘Here I am God, send me’?
Perhaps for me the real call to youth leadership came when my own children were needing spiritual formation as young people and there seemed to be no one to do it. I remember praying in church for the right person to come to our church and take up youth leadership. While on my knees, I vividly remember feeling God challenging me and then the response that followed was: Here I am Lord, use me if you can.
But how to deal with the doubts?
I had no theological background, and I was not an up-front person. But now I find myself in a job of leadership, as Youth Facilitator for a large, mainly rural Diocese. I felt God reminding me: “Not in your strength, but in mine. I’ve given you a race to run, don’t stop now. You’re not doing this on your own. Trust in me and I will guide you. Be prepared to step out into the deep.”
I need to constantly remind myself of God’s call, His will not mine. It is only in God’s strength I can do this job. So, I need to discipline myself in spending time with God, not just ‘on the road prayers as I drive’. I frequently fail at that especially when things get far too busy, I tend to rush into the job before taking time to ‘Be still and know that He is God’.
What was my Mission and Purpose?
My Mission: For young people to know God and find purpose in life; For young people to be loved and welcomed into the family of Christ; For the Anglican Church to be committed to young people and giving them a voice to be heard and a church to which they can belong and grow as young leaders.
The Youth Covenant from General Synod in 2004 has played a large part in helping me to form ‘Mission and Purpose’ in this leadership role. It reads as follows:
The Youth Covenant:
That we, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, NZ and Polynesia, and its young people, commit to a covenant of transformation under which we will:
• Recognize the struggle and potential of youth
• Respect the nature of the Anglican journey across our three Tikanga
• Enable the voices of youth to be heard
• Seriously consider the resourcing needs of youth ministry and mission
So that together we can more effectively pursue our mission and continue this Journey which Christ calls us to.
So, my first job was to create a Diocesan Strategy for Youth Ministry. Of the forty parishes, only a handful had some form of youth ministry running. The cry of most churches was that ‘we have no youth’ and we have ‘no youth leaders’. For others it was that they had a few youth but they were losing interest. A round trip of the Diocese is well over 1000 kms; So how does one person cover such an area? My conclusion was we needed a good strategy, a vision.
My experience from being involved in a Parish in the Bay of Plenty, and working with a Regional Youth Oversight group, had taught me to think regionally. Getting our small handful of young people in Whakatane involved with young people from the wider region enabled them to have a sense of belonging to something bigger, a sense of excitement about making new friends and an opportunity to grow in faith with other Christian young people.
A key word in the Youth Covenant is ‘together’. So that together we can more effectively pursue our mission and continue this Journey which Christ calls us to. I wasn’t in this job alone. But my job was to help others catch the vision of ‘together we can…”.
Share the Vision
It has been vital to share the ‘vision’. Networking, and making use of every opportunity to do this is important. Working closely with Bishop John has enabled me to be in key places at key times to share the vision: Regional Conferences, Diocesan Synod, Parish visits writing for the Waipahu News etc.
Gather
So strategy one was to ‘gather’ people from far and wide. This included Youth leaders, Young people and those interested in Youth Ministry.
Implementing the Strategy
Youth Oversight Groups
Forming Youth Oversight groups in each region was an important part of the strategy. Fortunately this was already happening in 2 of the regions and the third is now underway. Youth Oversight Groups are as their name suggests, groups of people in the regions interested in developing youth ministry and having oversight of what happens, e.g. employment of a youth worker, visions, planning for the region.
Youth Leaders Groups
Youth leaders groups and meetings have been established in each of the regions. The goal being to get youth leaders together on a regular basis for mutual support, networking etc
Youth Councils
These have been formed in each region. The goal is to gather youth from as many parishes as possible to form a “youth council’. A group where the young people in the regions can have’ a voice’. The discuss issues, plan and prepare regional youth events or services, get to know others from the region and form vital networks and a sense of belonging and ‘having a place’ in the church.
Youth Synod
Youth Synod is an opportunity to gather representatives from all of the Youth Councils and give them an opportunity to put motions to Diocesan Synod. They discuss relevant issues and are now a recognized and important part of the Synod life.
Three Tikanga Events
Leadership in the Tikanga Pakeha Anglican Church in Aotearoa could never be complete without developing and growing our relationship with Tikanga Maori and Tikanga Pacifica. Encouraging others both in youth leadership and young people and our Parish congregations to grow these relationships is vital.
National Tikanga Pakeha Anglican Events
Youth Forum in particular is an important ‘gatherer’ of young people and encourages our young people in leadership formation.
Leadership is about encouraging others
I believe good leadership is about encouraging others in leadership too. It’s about building teams. It’s about being the ‘Body of Christ’ working together.
We all have different gifts and abilities. If we all use them effectively we will grow as the Body of Christ.
A good leader will work to create new leadership
How often do we see a church or a youth ministry fall apart because the ‘leader’ has left. Life is about moving on. Changes happen. People come and go. Leadership should be about preparing for what is ahead. What will happen when you move on or worse – drop dead? Our leadership should be like that of Jesus. Jesus gathered disciples around him, he trained them, he showed them the ways, He encouraged them. He sent them out to spread the good news.
Leadership is not about us and what a great job we do. It’s about the mission God has called us to do and encouraging others to step out in faith as leaders too. Perhaps the real strengths of a leader will be seen 10 years after they have moved on and the flow on effects of new leadership are still flourishing.
Leadership is about running the “Good Race”
Philippians 3:12 says “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
So what is my Ministry?
My ministry is: A Passion for seeing young people grow in faith and discover a personal relationship in God which will guide, equip them and lead them through life.
By nature I am someone who nurtures and cares for people. As a wife, a mother, a nurse and a gardener I have spent a lot of time nurturing and caring for people. But does this make a good leader? Not necessarily, but God constantly reminds me to step out in faith and trust in him.
As someone who ‘nurtures’, I need to be nurtured too. Having a supportive husband, a good working relationship with Bishop John Bluck and my oversight group and taking time out for supervision are all vitally important. Professional development and meeting regularly with colleagues in all Three Tikanga are hugely beneficial. Taking time to care for myself as a leader is also vital, and something I need to structure in to my life in a more intentional way.
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