Making an Impact

Young people have so many influences in their lives they often fail to realize the influence that they can be in the world around them, beginning with the choices they make.

On February 23rd, more than 400 youth and educators poured in for our first IMPACT youth conference of the year. The theme of “Arise and Shine” perfectly captures what the Lord expects from each of us. To shine His light in our schools, churches, and communities. To be godly influences. To make godly choices.

Each youth leadership conference will address a significant issue raised by our teachers and principals. This time the “hot topic” was about Sex and Choices. That sure got the kids attention!

The information was great, but it was the real life testimonies that cut straight to their hearts. Coach Thapelo shared about choosing sex before marriage, the consequences of his poor choices, and how Christ transformed his life. Coach Constance spoke about saving sex for marriage, withstanding peer pressure, and relying on God to stay pure.

But what about when kids have their choice stolen from them, such as through rape? June addressed this painful situation including how Christ can replace shame, anger and guilt with forgiveness, love and trust. We all have choices to make in every situation.

The youth were then given the choice to make a covenant with God to save themselves for marriage regardless of what may have happened in the past. Hundreds of youth responded.

What an amazing IMPACT!

Rebuilding the Walls

Nehemiah 2-3 begins the fascinating story of how Nehemiah rises to his next challenge as a leader – rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

How well did his role as cupbearer to the king prepare him for this next task? A number of his competencies and leadership skills transferred quite nicely, and then he was challenged with even greater responsibilities. A better predictor of success, however, was his underlying character. Nehemiah was a man of integrity, authenticity, compassion, consistency, and dependability. These are traits that transfer with leadership into any situation.

So I ask myself, how have my previous experiences prepared me for my current role with Ignite South Africa, and as we face the challenges of rebuilding? How does God want to use my competencies and character traits in the part I’m called to play? And where do I need to grow as a leader?

Nehemiah begins by mustering up the courage and humility needed to ask for help from the king. That was a big deal. He needed resources, authority, and time off to go to Jerusalem and lead the work.

I know I have a hard time asking for help. As a leader, I’ve been conditioned to value independence, dependability, control, and self-motivation; sometimes at the expense of teamwork, interdependence, and mutual trust. Now as a missionary so far from home, depending on others is more critical than ever. And God has been so faithful in providing help through individual and ministry partners. He’s also been showing me what a blessing it is, and how these partnerships are part of His divine plan to carry out His work in South Africa. I guess that’s one of the reasons for sharing my thoughts as I reflect through Nehemiah - I depend on the prayers and support of those partnering with me on this journey.

Next Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem and puts his analytical skills to work surveying the scene and preparing a plan. He knows they’ll have to work fast because of the threat of attacks. He divides the project into manageable tasks with measurable outcomes, and then communicates his plan to the people.

Even with authority, resources and a rock-solid plan, Nehemiah will not succeed without full commitment from the people. So he appeals to their hearts, motives and needs. He gets the right people on board and the wrong people off. Then he gets the right people doing the right thing.

As a ministry we have a lot of work to do to carry out God’s vision for what he’s entrusted to us – to maintain, rebuild, and grow, igniting eternal impact in South Africa. I’m excited and hopeful about the future. And like Nehemiah, I’m looking forward to nothin’ but smooth sailing ahead. Right?

Wrong. Rough waters are surely ahead.

Lessons in Leading

On the 9th of February 113 Pastors and church leaders joined us for our first Enrich leadership conference of 2011.

Our theme this year is Kingdom Leading – leading according to God’s principles.

Pastor Abram Moloi, Enrich Director, began by teaching how to develop a culture of honor within our teams and congregations. June Blanshan, Executive Director, shared from Ephesians 4:11-12 how Jesus set various offices within the church, and each is purposed and anointed by God. Next, I followed with 5 keys to successful team work: building trust, handling conflict in a godly manner, achieving commitment and accountability, and focusing on results.

We asked our leaders what they learned and how they will apply it in their lives.
Listen to what some had to say:

“This seminar helped me to know my calling, and realize that I have to be equipped in the Word in order to recognize it in other people.” Josephine Katali

“I have learned that God has a purpose for each and every one of us. Each one has much to do with what God has anointed. We should trust one another, help one another and be committed to participating in the church.” Maseabata Emerly Mohloaj

“God spoke to me about team-building – how to build trust and commitment, and about being accountable in God’s work.” a local church leader

“I learned how God leads us to work in many ways, and how God loves us as a church and as prophets, pastors, evangelists and servants of God.” Mamoruti Makhoba

“The Lord touched my heart and helped me understand His purpose and how he chooses people to be leaders. I learned that respect amongst people is important, as well as trust amongst team members.” Dr. Mzolo

What incredible testimonies showing that God is at work in mighty ways here in South Africa!

(I based my teaching on "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni which I highly recommend. It's written as a story with further explanation at the end so it's a quick, relative, interesting and informative read.)

FlashPoint Kicks Off

On Wednesday, FlashPoint kicked off the 2011 school year with a luncheon for our Principals and Teachers. It was such a blessing for us to honor, serve, and thank those who give so much to teach the youth of Qwa Qwa. It was also an opportunity to share our vision, mission and goals for the FlashPoint program, to review the curriculum and answer questions. Our guests were encouraged and excited about the work being done in their schools.

We could not reach the more than 4000 youth without the support of the Department of Education, its Principals and Teachers. Nor could we without the leadership of our amazing coach team. So what a blessing it was for them to build relationships and share a meal together.

Speaking of goals, here are some for 2011:

- To teach over 4,200 students in 13 schools during our bi-weekly classes
- To conduct quarterly Impact leadership conferences for more than 420 students from 21 schools
- To conduct 13 assembly programs reaching thousands more youth with Christ’s hope, purpose and truth.

It definitely takes a team to achieve these goals, and I thank God for the people He has brought together to do so - those who labor here, and those who support from all over the world.

I Was Cupbearer to the King

This final verse of Nehemiah 1 is a simple statement, but it also tells us a lot about Nehemiah as a leader.

It gives us the context of his leadership – serving the king while the Jews were returning to their land after 125 years in exile. The Jews were a despised remnant, living among ruins, fearing for their safety, and perhaps even envious of those who stayed in exile in other countries. This was a tough context for Nehemiah to lead in.

I see some parallels between his context and ours. Like Nehemiah, we’re faced with ruins all around us. Physical ruins created as we quickly moved off base to a new home and office. Emotional ruins created as we shared news with partners. Ministry ruins as our 13 year track record was reset to 0 in some people’s minds. And even the ruins in our own hearts. This is the context I feel like we’re in. Like Israel, we have a lot of restoring, rebuilding, and healing to do. And like Nehemiah, we must lead those who are counting on us, those the Lord has called us to serve.

Nehemiah’s role as cupbearer also gives us insight into his leadership qualities and competencies. I’m not going to cover them all, but I was fascinated by what I learned reading “Becoming Nehemiah – Leading with Significance” by David L. McKenna. Nehemiah began with menial tasks and worked his way up in responsibility and trust. He learned to serve under authority which is critical before a leader can effectively lead with authority. He learned to analyze situations, plan, and activate people to get the work done. He learned attention to detail, how to anticipate conspiracy or other problems, and how to adapt to crisis. And with the king’s life on the line as well as his own, Nehemiah also learned to account for his results. Wow! All that as cupbearer to the king.

Despite all the challenges and worldly temptations, Nehemiah did not compromise his faith, forget his roots, or abandon his lifestyle of worship and prayer. We learn this about him as early as chapter 1.

Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. As I reflected on his simple yet powerful statement, I asked myself the following questions.

How well am I serving in the menial tasks I have right now? How well can I be trusted by those above and below me in position? And through both personal challenges and those that weigh on my mind for this ministry, have I abandoned my faith? Have I backslid at all in my devotion?

What can I learn from Nehemiah for my own role as cupbearer to the King? (capital K)

FlashPoint

For the youth in South Africa, the odds seem against them.

•1 in 4 people have HIV/AIDS
•1 in 3 youth have lost a parent, and 1 in 5 have lost both
•1 in 5 youth have been raped or molested
•1 in 4 homes don’t have enough to eat, and 2 in 5 have no one employed
•2 in 3 youth don’t think they are smart enough to achieve their dreams
•1 in 10 don’t believe they will ever have a job

While the statistics are overwhelming, God’s potential and purpose for our youth is greater. That’s where FlashPoint comes in…

FlashPoint’s mission is to model, equip, and multiply godly leaders among our youth empowering them to lead with positive impact.

In partnership with South Africa’s Department of Education, FlashPoint mentors at-risk youth through leadership training, HIV/AIDS prevention, and life skills development which is accomplished through godly national men and women we call “coaches”.

Mr. Mokuena, Acting Director, TMed stated, ”Noting the influence that the programme has brought to our learners in the schools they have worked with…the District continues to allow [Ignite South Africa] a grace to work with the number of the schools that the institution can handle.” So once again we are blessed with district-wide approval to teach in the public schools in 2011 and beyond.

We are thrilled with this open door, and the confidence the school district has invested in our team. This year we will be teaching in 12 schools, reaching over 3500 learners in our biweekly classes. Additionally, we will hold quarterly youth leadership conferences and impact 13 additional schools through our Living on Purpose and Get Real Assemblies.

Our prayer is that each of our learners will experience the love of God and truth He has for their individual circumstances, and they will learn to trust Him to meet all of their needs.

Nehemiah Prayed

After Nehemiah heard the heart-breaking news about Jerusalem, he mourned, fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven. As I read this, I think about the countless hours I’ve spent in prayer – for Thrive Africa, for Ignite South Africa, for the precious people that God wants to reach with His love. I know that the Lord hears my prayers and that He’s in control of all things. I just need to keep my faith that things will work out according to his perfect plan and timing.

Nehemiah’s prayer began with worship of our great and awesome God. We use the words “great” and “awesome” so much that I think we’ve lost sense of what they really mean. Think about them. And think about how “great” and “awesome” God really is. Wow! Nehemiah expresses thanks for the covenant of love that God has with His people – a covenant that the Lord continues to uphold even as we fall short so often. And as Nehemiah prays, he’s confident that the Lord is present and listening attentively. Wow again! Our great and awesome God hears our prayers. Pretty humbling if you really think about it!

Nehemiah’s prayer continued with confession. Not only did he confess the corporate sins of Israel, but he included himself in it. It’s important for us to recognize the power that both individual and corporate sin can have over us. We all fall short of the glory of God, so as godly leaders we need to lead people in confession, repentance, and forgiveness.

Nehemiah also prayed for himself as a leader. He knew he needed the Lord’s guidance, wisdom, and favor as he went to King Artaxerxes for help. As Believers, I think we all know the importance of prayer as a spiritual discipline. It’s how we talk to and hear from God. It’s critical to maintaining a close relationship with him. But as godly leaders, it’s also one of the most powerful tools in our toolkit. And it’s one we should use first rather than last when making a critical decision or taking a decisive action. I must confess, often times I pray as a last resort, after everything I’ve tried to do on my own has failed. Not only does Nehemiah give us a model for prayer, but he also models godly leadership.

Please pray for us. Please pray for me. Please pray for yourself as a godly leader.