Dear Colleagues,

Most of us will have heard at some time or other something like this: “He gets so stressed out-it must be because he is a perfectionist.” People who speak like this give us a glimpse as to what their worldview is. This quest for perfection is a fool’s errand. The writer of Psalm 119 knew this full well. He says in verse 96 “To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless.” He states in this psalm that there is a limit to all perfection. Nothing on earth is without limit or boundary. The boundaries of geography contain the rivers, lakes and oceans of the world. The boundaries of time restrict what we can accomplish in a given day. The limitations of our physical bodies determine what we are capable of doing without assistance from others or some form of technology. Every created thing will decay and wear out-eventually.

Even your cell phone which gave you so much joy when you first acquired it two years ago no longer gives you the sense of status and prestige that it once did. Now it is scratched, the memory is too small and horror of horrors you have to delete some of your photographs in order to continue downloading applications! If only you had the next version then life would be good again! So you think!

There is, however, no limit to God’s perfection. As Creator He is the standard for perfection. We see this in Isaiah 40:13-14: “Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows Him his counsel? Whom did He consult and who made Him understand? Who taught Him knowledge, and showed Him the way of understanding?”

As Christian teachers we need to be aware of our tendencies to demand perfection rather than excellence. One is do-able,the other is not. It is only as the Psalmist ponders His statutes that he sees the limitations of a fractured world of which we are part. This will make us more empathetic in our teaching as our pupils discover for themselves their own limitations and learn to accept themselves and God’s estimation of them: “All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” (Song of Songs 4:7)

K.M. Ricquebourg

ACSI ZIMBABWE NATIONAL COORDINATOR

(Kevin Ricquebourg)

IN THIS ISSUE

Christian Education Snippets
From the Chair……
Kidzcan
School Members
Upcoming Training
Events
Conference Update
Teacher Testimony
Prayer Pointers
info@acsi.co.zw
+263 786 031 794
https://acsi.co.zw

Dear Colleagues,
Declared by some “the best survival book in a decade” 438 Days is the true story of a man who survived fourteen months in a small boat drifting seven thousand miles across the Pacific Ocean.

On November 17, 2012, two men, Alvarenga and his friend Ezequiel Cordoba left the coast of Mexico for a weekend fishing trip in the open Pacific. That night, a violent storm ambushed them as they were fishing eighty miles offshore. As gale force winds and ten-foot waves pummelled their small, open boat from all sides and nearly capsized them, captain Salvador Alvarenga and his crewmate cut away a two-mile-long fishing line and began a desperate dash through crashing waves as they sought the safety of port.

They managed to get to within 20 miles of their desired haven when their outboard motor packed up. Now at the mercy of all the currents they were blown far out to sea. At the end of three months of living by their wits they had both lost weight and were battling to ensure that their water supply carried sufficient to keep them alive. The men had very different characters. Cordoba was given to bouts of depression and he came to believe that he would die shortly. Alvarenga on the other hand had a deeply held conviction that they would both survive the ordeal and live to tell others about it. Cordoba got thinner and thinner and began to entertain thoughts of suicide. Alvarenga did everything in his power to keep his friend alive. He gave him a generous share of the water which they gathered each day and prepared his food like a
cordon bleu. Notwithstanding these efforts Cordoba eventually died hopeless and despairing.

Victor Frankl , well-known neurologist and pioneer of logotherapy, who was an inmate of at least three prisoners of war camps came to believe that only those who had hope in a better future would form the majority of those who would survive the ordeal of being a prisoner of war. He cites the example of two men whom he knew. One man believed that he would survive to see his wife again while the other felt doomed to die in the concentration camp. Within a month the second man was dead.

For the Christian the best always lies ahead! We live in tough times, in a country on the brink of economic disaster, in a world on the cusp of a third world war. It is easy to look at our circumstances and to give up, to despair and to lose hope. At moments like this we must turn to God’s Word and read what God promises to His children. Look what Paul prays for the recipients of his letter to the Romans:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow
with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The above is our theme-verse for the Christian Educators’ Conference later on this year. Look at all the positive words and phrases:

God of hope; joy; peace; overflow with hope by the power of the holy spirit.

Is this your experience now? If you’re honest you are probably like me and many others. We glimpse the truth, we have moments of joy. Let’s ask God’s Spirit to give us overflowing hope, peace and joy as a steady experience of His love for us!

Kevin Ricquebourg
ACSI (ZIMBABWE) Coordinator

ACSI ZIMBABWE ADVISORY BOARD 2022

Back Row (Left to Right) : Eric Zinyengere, Kevin Ricquebourg, Lenard Mudiwa, Gus Hulley, Unity Sakhe
Front Row (Left to Right) : Sarah Cross (Chair), George Faneti, Tunga Mashungu, Tavonga Goto, Melanie Martin, Caroline Chirume, Temba Mkhosana, Charmian Deysel

From the Chair…………..

“Shalom” – Peace – was the recent theme for the ACSI Global day of prayer. It is more than a Hebrew greeting.It is more than just well-being. It is an understanding that we have a part to play in God’s larger story. Before time began, God planned for you and your school to make a difference in your community, right where you are, for such a time as this. It is contentment found in Jesus no matter the cultural tides encircling us. As the global team said, “When the Shalom of the Lord is present there is flourishing”, in other words, there is growth and beautiful, extensive, vibrant growth.

As we begin to look ahead at 2022, we are excited at the new opportunities and praying for God’s favour and growth in our membership and areas of influence. We long to be more accessible to anyone interested across Zimbabwe whether in government or private education. We are also looking at how to be a clearer voice in education, declaring God’s standards from a Biblical worldview. We believe this to be key to true holistic education and transformational for our country. In line with ACSI Global, we will be focusing on the 3 pillars of advancement, access, and advocacy. A key part of our advancement is that we long to strengthen partnerships with churches and other interested Christian organisations or individuals. We are also looking at new trainings and continuing to promote PSI, the Paths to School Improvement programme. For access, we continue to work on our data base, strengthen our social media platforms and presence, and also seek ways to subsidise membership fees for struggling schools. Our role in advocacy for now is building relationships and seeking to be a voice for integrating a Biblical worldview in education both to encourage individual teachers as well as institutions.

Please take time to look at our calendar and support any trainings or events as appropriate. Please also give us feedback on events or needs that you have and would like us to include in our partnership with you or your school or church.
In the month of February, many schools and churches and our communities celebrated.

supporting the cause of childhood cancer. Did you know that the founder, Mrs Andrea Whatman, is a member of one of our Associate members, Northside Community Church, and her heart is that Christ stays at the centre of Kidzcan, that each child and family know and hear about Jesus and His love and grace in their lives. We have included a bit of history on Kidzcan so that you can continue to pray and partner and see Gods blessings through being obedient to God’s call, one step at a time.

You will see on the calendar that we are excited to be having a visit by Sean Moore, the Director of ACSI Southern Africa, in early March, and he will be running various workshops, and visits to member schools. One of our partners, KURARAMA TRUST will be running a workshop on 12th March (entitled “The Mess and the Value in It”) to equip teachers – looking at mental health and substance abuse support and understanding. In April we will re-commence PSI trainings and there are still vacancies for new schools to join this two-year training programme to improve their schools. Please contact our office if you are interested.

To go hand in hand with the Peace of God, Shalom, our educators’ conference theme for August is HOPE. Jesus Christ is our HOPE. We have a great line up of speakers excited to support and encourage us.

So as we step into 2022, may the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and PEACE (Shalom) as you trust Him.

Sarah Cross
(Chair)

As I think about KidzCan my mind is drawn to the story of the Little Engine that Could. A large freight train rolled into the station filled with toys for children on the other side of a large mountain. Its locomotive broke down and so the train started asking all the other locomotives, starting with the largest. They all looked at the large freight train and the large mountain and declined. Finally, the freight train asked the smallest (and cutest) locomotive – who said he would try. As the little engine pulled the large freight train over the large mountain you could hear it puffing, “I think I can, I think I can”. At times the mountain was steep, and the puffing was slow, “I… think… I can…!” But finally, the train got to the top of the hill and as it picked up speed, you could hear the engine puff, “I knew I could, I knew I could”. The train arrived at the station and the toys were distributed to the children.

26 years ago, Andrea Whatman came to see me at Northside Community Church. I was the pastor, and she was a member. She said that she felt God wanted her to do something to help children who were sick in hospital. Andrea was a patient in what is now Parirenyatwa Hospital with leukaemia as a child, until she was wonderfully and miraculously healed by God. She knew what it was like to be sick and in hospital. So, we started a ministry called Pari Volunteers. I asked Andrea what this would entail, and she said she had no idea! We learned as we went along, saying, “we think we can, we think we can”. There were times when the journey and the learning curve was steep.

One day Andrea discovered that the Oncology Ward (the ward Andrea was in as a child), only had Paracetamol. The children were weeping and crying out in pain. She burst into my office declaring, “I will not go back unless we do something to fix this!” So, I asked, how do we fix this? To which Andrea replied (again), “I have no idea, but I think we can!” We thought the journey and learning curve up till then was steep. Boy, were we wrong! Andrea pulled a small team together and we started assisting the doctors and hospital source drugs and whatever else they needed. We called on fellow churches and Christians around the world to help us pay for what was needed. We always had just enough! This part of Pari Volunteers grew until it was too big and so, KidzCan was created and registered as a PVO.

Northside continues to support all 4 children’s wards through Pari Volunteers, supplying things KidzCan cannot. KidzCan can only support children with cancer. If a child without cancer needs something, Northside tries to step in.

Kidzcan’s Vision is “A compassionate world where children with cancer are given the chance to lead healthy and fulfilling lives”. And its Mission is “Kidzcan is dedicated to increasing the survival rate of children with cancer in a loving and caring environment”.

We thank God for Andrea (the little, cute engine that could) and we thank God for loving sick Zimbabwean children. KidzCan continues to grow, but that is another story for another time…

Pastor Gary Cross ( Senior Pastor)

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBER SCHOOL

PITTER PATTER PRESCHOOL – WESTQUE ACADEMY

We are a Christian School in the heart of Avonlea< Harare. We have been operating since 2012. Our Preschool is called Pitter Patter and the Primary is called Westque Academy. We start taking children from 1½ years to 12 years of age. We have qualified, experienced and God fearing staff and pleasant school grounds for our children to enjoy. Our motto, is “Quest Ad Excellentem Illius” which in English means, Quest for Excellence – Achieving excellence in everything that we do. Our Vision is to be an outstanding Christian School in the community, achieving excellence in everything we do and ensuring every child achieves their full potential.

CURRENT MEMBER SCHOOLS
Celebration International School
Destiny Primary School
Eaglesvale Junior School
Eaglesvale Senior School
Gateway High School
Gateway Primary School
Karanda Mission Primary School
Lendy Park School
Midlands Christian School
Midlands Christian College
Millennial Academy
Mutarazi Junior School
Pitter Patter / Westque
Academy
Rainbow Pre-School
Southern Lights Trust
Success Tutorial College

Upcoming Training Events

The ACSI Paths to School Improvement (PSI) is a strategy to accomplish resourcing as many schools as possible through a school improvement process.
For more information: email info@acsi.co.zw or
Tel: +263 786 031 794

• Involves a two-year commitment to training, undertaken during school holidays by Heads, and then actioned throughout the term. There is a cost involved. The process of improvement continues as a lifelong commitment by the school.
• The advantage of this programme is that you walk the continual process in partnership/relationship with other schools, building a community committed to improving Christian Education through Zimbabwe and Africa.

If your school would like more details on the PSI Programme or to join Cohort 3 for training in April 2022 please do contact us at the above email or whatsapp number.

Teacher Testimony

Havinei Chigodora

I am so thankful to the ACSI team for equipping me as a Christian educator with the Biblical knowledge that l need to be able to fulfill the values and mission of Gateway Primary School. As we all know that the school environment has a great impact on how a child develops, Gateway’s Christian Education system has made a huge difference in my life and my children’s ever since we joined the community. My children and l have developed a deep relationship with God and I feel blessed to see that now they understand that God does not only exist on Sundays when they go to church or at home when we pray as a family but that He is constantly at work every single day.

Allow me to commend all the staff members for the shepherding and discipleship work that they’re doing to transform young lives. Speaking from a parent’s perspective and teacher’s perspective it should be said that it only takes witnessing transformation in children that are coming from outside for one to fully acknowledge the positive impact Christian education is making in the school in terms of spiritual growth and personal development. I have witnessed my children’s lives being transformed ever since they joined the system as they have been encouraged to enrich their knowledge of God’s Word through devotions and Biblical integration done during lessons. Now my children are well equipped with both hard skills and soft skills that they need to transform their world and make good choices in everything they do.

Keep doing the brilliant work you are doing ACSI, you have no idea how it is positively impacting the learners lives.

Membership Details

If you would like to enquire about membership of ACSI Zimbabwe please contact the office for details : info@acsi.co.zw or
acsizimbabwe@gmail.com or call +263 786 031 794 https://acsi.co.zw

Membership Categories are as follows:
1) INDIVIDUAL: ($10 per term)
2) SCHOOL: (0.50c per pupil per term)
3) ASSOCIATE: $50 per term (for churches / business organisations)

Prayer Pointers

• For growth and support to more schools across Zimbabwe through increased membership.
• For growth in being a voice for all schools working with ministry of education to support holistic education.
• ACSI Zimbabwe Advisory Board as they strategise for growth in 2022 – 23;
• Sean Moore as Director of ACSI Southern Africa and his leadership and mentoring role of schools in SA during these challenging times;
• ACSI Zimbabwe Members Schools: – those who are facing financial and other challenges;
• Re-commencement of PSI (Paths to School Improvement) training in April 2022;
• Schools who are currently part of PSI as they implement what they are learning;
• State schooling system;
• Protection for our communities, schools and families from Covid 19

If you have something to share, specific prayer requests or response to any article, please contact us : info@acsi.co.zw
acsizimbabwe@gmail.com
If you would like to receive latest news from ACSI Southern Africa please notify by email to info@acsi.co.zw /acsizimbabwe@gmail.com
https://acsi.com

Dr. Scott Rodin | April 26, 2022

Our schools need resources to flourish. You may add, they need resources to survive. Whether finances, facilities, personnel, volunteers, or students, the drive to secure these resources can become an all-consuming part of a school leader’s work. And no matter how hard we work at it, we can tend to live under the relentless realization that we don’t have enough. Think of your last board meeting, leadership team meeting, faculty meeting or finance meeting. Was the talk of abundance or was it dominated by anxiety over what you lack to be the school you want to be?

As followers of Jesus, this should cause a check in our spirit because while we struggle with this relentless sense of scarcity on one hand, we also believe that God is our provider, and He is faithful. If this is true (and it is!) then how can a faithful God consistently provide us with less than what we need?

I believe this paradox speaks to the heart of the reason we don’t have enough resources in our schools. This tension requires us to conclude one of two things; either 1) God is not willing to provide our needs, or 2) He has.

More Resources

Wait, what? Yes, that’s right, if God is our provider and He is faithful, then can we conclude anything other than the fact that what God has provided us is enough? Our reaction to this possibility is often fueled by the ‘realities’ in our world such as the red numbers on our budget or the cry from overworked teachers who are asked to teach too many students in their classrooms for too little pay. These are real problems that would seemingly disappear if we just had more resources.

Or would they? Is our shortage of resources caused by a stingy God, or could it be caused, at least in part, from our inability to name what is ‘enough’? Consider this statement: “If you are not content where you are today as a school, no amount of resources will ever get you there – it’s the great lie of the enemy!”

Could it be that God continually supplies all our needs, only to have us shrug them off in pursuit of more, bigger, newer, etc.? Contentment gets a bad rap in many Christian circles, yet Paul reminded the wealthy of his day that, “godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6). I would propose we could paraphrase this to say that ‘school leadership with contentment brings great peace.’ We could term this ‘holy contentment.’

Holy Contentment

I believe our schools today need leaders who live and lead with holy contentment. Holy contentment works in three beneficial ways. First, it focuses us on gratefulness for what God has provided rather than anxiety over what we think we still lack. Which sounds more like a characteristic of a follower of Jesus?

Second, it causes us to redouble our efforts to be wise stewards of what we have. If what God has provided you and your school today is enough, how should you be stewarding those resources for His glory? God, keep us from being poor stewards of what you have so graciously provided while at the same time crying out in our discontent for more.

Finally, holy contentment is the position from which God will reveal His vision for the future of your school. Being content in Christ does not negate a desire to grow, it is actually the fertile ground from which that growth flourishes in a way that honors the Sower. Let me illustrate.

Two school leaders announce plans to grow their school 20% over the coming year. Externally, these may look like the same decision. But, consider that inwardly, one leader has chosen this goal out of a deep dissatisfaction of the state of his school and a gnawing discontent that focuses on all that they don’t have (and other schools do). With anxiety and fear, he pushes the school ahead toward the goal.

The other leader lives and leads with a thankful and content spirit. In that contentment, she senses God is leading her to step out in faith and trust Him to grow the school. She leads her team with confidence, quietness of spirit and joy toward the same 20% goal, believing that the same God that provided all her school needed to this point will be faithful to resource this new vision. Two leaders, two identical goals, but two very different perspectives.

We Have Everything We Need

This leads me to suggest that one reason our schools may not have enough resources is that we have defined our ‘enough’ as ‘more than what we have’. What would it look like as a school leader to create a culture that takes seriously David’s confident affirmation, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need?” What might God do for our school if we continually thank Him for all that He has already done and acknowledge what He has provided is enough?

I pray that God might grant us a heart of gratitude for all He has abundantly provided our schools, the wisdom to steward every resource wisely for His glory, and a spirit that is ready to step out in faith when He calls us to an even greater work from our position of holy contentment.

Editor’s Note: Join Dr. Scott Rodin at ACSI’s Flourishing Schools Institute (FSi), where he will be speaking on the topics of sustainability and resource constraints. The next FSi will be in Oak Brook, Illinois (west of Chicago) on June 21-23, 2022. Register your team today!

About the Author

Dr. Scott Rodin has a passion for helping Christian ministry leaders take a biblical approach to leadership development, strategic planning, board development and raising kingdom resources. Over the past thirty years, he has worked with hundreds of organizations in the U.S, Canada, Middle East, Great Britain, China, India, the Philippines, and Australia.

Dr. Rodin is president of The Steward’s Journey and Kingdom Life Publishing. He also runs Rodin Consulting, Inc. He is a Senior Fellow of the Association of Biblical Higher Education, Partner for the Alliance for Board Effectiveness, and is past board chair of China Source and the Evangelical Environmental Network. Dr. Rodin holds Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Systemic Theology from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Brendan Corr 

There is nothing like a good crisis to throw the spotlight on leadership. The feeds of my digital subscriptions have all included a number of articles on “leading in challenging times” or variations on the theme. It is so often in times of pressure and uncertainty when people are most looking for leadership to provide a sense of security as much as sensible strategy—to help them feel safe as much as understand the plan.

As the leader of a relatively small (720 students, on-campus and online) but growing Christian school on the fringe of Sydney’s metro area that has grown during COVID-19, I thought it timely to share a few of my current reflections around leadership. Leadership guru John Maxwell defines leadership as influence—nothing more; nothing less. I understand his point. Anytime someone is contributing to a group or a team so that they are affecting the outcome or the process or the relationships of the team they are bearing influence and are, in that specific instance, leading. Putting it another way, if you are not affecting some change in the environment around you, you cannot be said to be “leading” in any meaningful sense of the term.

This also allows for the reality of someone “leading negatively.” This is not the same as leading poorly. Leading poorly might involve ineffective leadership—the inferior development or exhibition of the skills and capacities required to lead, resulting in having little influence. Rather, leading negatively allows for well-developed leadership skills and capacities being applied to bear great influence, but in a direction or to produce a result that is contrary to that which is desired. I would not be surprised if all of us at some time in our lives, in some context have been eyewitness and had first-hand experience of both.

Recently I heard another definition of leadership that has stayed with me, because it carries more of a perspective of good leadership. This presenter defined leadership as assuming responsibility for making sure the right things get done consistently. I like this definition. In referring to the “right things” it assumes a leader knowing deeply and discerningly the value system that can prioritize what needs to be done at any point in a group’s collective unfolding story, and can let go those things that aren’t right for that community or in that context. It’s not just about efficiency—getting the agreed-to things done (the things on the checklist)—it’s about discerning what is the thing that is most needful and getting that done. In noting that leadership assumes the responsibility for ensuring that those things get done consistently, it also implies more than just having a vision—it speaks to having a system of accountability that follows through and follows up.

As I have taken the forced opportunity presented by the current pandemic situation to consider my own leadership—my responses to the pressure, to the anxiety of others, to the pragmatic demands of managing resources and schedules—I have found myself reflecting on the leadership I am providing for my team and for my community. Are my colleagues and I focusing on completing the right tasks? Am I following through and following up in a way that honors both individual people and the shared purpose of our community?

Amidst these reflections I have found stimuli from a number of sources that are weaving together to help me better understand what I believe my leadership should look like, and what good leadership (hopefully my leadership!) might feel like for those being led. Among the things that have helped me reflect on my leadership has been a sermon by Tim Keller that a dear friend shared with me. Tim Keller was not specifically addressing leadership in his sermon—it was part of a series of studies he was giving to his congregation—but as happens when unpacking the Word of God, I could not help but apply the truths of his message to my own situation and my recent reflections on leadership. The essence of the sermon was on the grace of kindness. It made think, and rethink, what might “kind” leadership look like.

Giving of “You”

The first challenge Keller’s sermon on kindness provoked for me was regarding how personal it was. Rightly there is a great deal of leadership advice, written and spoken, that is focused around the essential need in leadership for authenticity and integrity; specifically about a leader’s true character and genuineness being prerequisite for effective influence and for growing people, relationships, and community.

In the book Leadership and Self Deception, the Arbinger Institute explains that people have an inbuilt capacity to discern the authenticity of others in a relationship. They note that no relationship is defined only by the behaviours of the parties involved but is also, in fact is primarily, defined by the “way of being” that each party exhibits in the exchange. The essence of the person—their attitude, their mindset, their heart—is the most determining factor in making the relationship either mutually effective and productive or otherwise. In Daring to Lead, Brené Brown talks about leading “without armour,” meaning leading with openness and genuineness from your inner life.

In his sermon about being kind, Keller notes that kindness requires you to show up “as you,” fully and completely. Kindness, says Keller, is not the same as generosity or even charity. It is not about giving “stuff” like money, gifts, or objects. I know that as a leader I can also be tempted to give “stuff” to my team—time, attention, advice, strategy, a comprehensive handbook that maps the protocols of our group, a clear infographic that captures the new vision or direction. Stuff. Not that there is anything wrong with any of that. It’s just that none of it is enough. If my leadership is to be genuinely filled with the grace of kindness it will be “me” that I give. My leadership won’t be in the things that I do for my team or my community, it will be how I am with them, how I share myself with them. In John 15:15 Jesus tells the disciples that He does not consider them servants but friends, because everything that He learned from the Father, He told them.

Just a few verses prior Jesus makes another bold claim about friendship: greater love has no man than he lay down his life for a friend. Here then is the kindness of friendship—unconditional commitment and absolute transparency. Leadership that is kind will be personal. Underneath all that is done, it will exhibit both the qualities of unconditional commitment and absolute transparency in the way the leader is present with their team.

Being Practical

Keller also notes that the grace of kindness is entirely practical. Drawing from the principle of being kind to one another as explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, he notes that the apostle urges believers not to let any “corrupt” or unwholesome communication pass between them—only that which is helpful for building others up according to their needs. The grace of kindness must be helpful. It isn’t trivial or worthless or pointless. It isn’t just self-expression by the one who gives it, or the natural expression of their kind-heartedness. It must be helpful to others, and helpful in a way that “builds them up.”

Kindness is not about only being positive or only doing what pleases people or saying what they want to hear. Kindness is about helping others grow, even if that means a hard conversation. It is kinder to have that tough talk and help your team members grow in their understanding and capacity than to keep comfortably quiet and they retain whatever quality or habit is limiting their life or their contribution.

This is not to say that kind-hearted leaders can’t spontaneously arrange for something nice for members of their team. That is often a wonderful thing to do. Have the spontaneous celebration, make a habit of community “shout-outs” for good work, give the unexpected extra preparation time. But again, these are not enough. It is more about noticing what people need to grow and meeting that need so they can grow. And knowing their real needs—the things that will really allow them to grow or that are really getting in the way—will require that you really know them as they are. This is a measure of how personal you have been in your leadership. Leadership filled with the grace of kindness will be intent on making a practical difference for the people around them—providing what things are needed and removing what things are obstacles for the personal growth of your team.

Growing Christlikeness

Finally, leadership with the grace of kindness will have prophetic awareness and intent. The passage in Ephesians 4 suggests that kind behavior anticipates the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit until the “day of redemption.” This is the vision that will occupy leadership that is truly kind: looking for the growing in grace and in gifting of the people you are called to be with—more than growing their capacity to contribute to the team; more than growing their skillset or competence or professional practice; more than empowering them to help achieve the community vision or mission. It involves an awareness of them growing more and more into the likeness of Christ and of maturing their faith.

I was taught by a very wise and godly leader who influenced my own life and leadership early on that to lead a growing Christian school I would need to help grow Christian teachers, and that to help grow Christian teachers I would need to grow them as Christians as well as teachers. Leadership that manifests the grace of kindness will hold a clear vision of the spiritual end point for all the members of the community, and will hold that as the measure of what is the right thing that needs to be done at any given moment.

Leading for Today

During these days of constant change thrust upon us by COVID-19, it is also important to lead oneself with kindness. I am not talking here about the secular notion of “self-care” but rather acknowledging that you are unable to disciple and help others unless you yourself are in a healthy state of mind. You can’t pull someone else out of a hole if you’re also in the hole. Take care to keep in step with the Spirit by maintaining the spiritual disciplines of reading God’s Word and prayer. These disciplines are particularly important given that physical gatherings, and the fellowship that goes with them, are extremely limited during the pandemic.

By relying on the Holy Spirit to lead me well, I can fulfill my desire to lead with the grace of kindness. I want to lead “kindly”: to lead with my authentic personhood being present in radical transparency and unconditional consistency; to lead by providing practical help to the specific needs of the people I walk with; and to lead with a prophetic vision for who they are becoming and what our local part of the Body of Christ is called to be.

About the Author

Brendan Corr is the principal of Australian Christian College – Marsden Park in Sydney, Australia. Originally a secondary science teacher, Brendan is a graduate of University Technology Sydney, Deakin and Regent College, Canada. While deputy principal at Pacific Hills Christian College for 12 years, Brendan also led the New South Wales Christian Schools Australia registration system. Brendan’s faith is grounded in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and a deep knowledge of God’s Word. Married for over 30 years, Brendan and Kim have four adult children. On the weekends, Brendan enjoys cycling (but he enjoys coffee with his mates afterward slightly more). He can be reached via email at brendancorr@acc.edu.au.