Developing Leaders for the Future of the Church

Developing Leaders for the Future of the Church

January 2020 Kairos Leadership Initiative Retreat

by Karin Goude

More and more churches are voicing the need for leaders in their congregations and workplaces. Now in its eighth program year, the Kairos Leadership Initiative (KLI) responds to this challenge by selecting a yearly cohort of exceptional young adults and inviting them to participate in a shared space of leadership development and vocational discernment. This year’s cohort met in mid-January at Sweet Briar College to kick off an exciting program year with group sessions and community building.

The arc of KLI begins with the foundational concept of understanding your unique identity. Through scripture and assessment tools, students begin to uncover the fascinating depth of their core being. As in years past, we continued to utilize the Enneagram assessment to enable students to better understand their inner motivations and tendencies. Jenny Hodge, Executive Director of Tidewater Youth Services Foundation, also joined us for a presentation on the Boden’s Family Systems Theory and the Genogram. These two tools brought rich conversation as participants explored new aspects of their family dynamics and personalities.

Jordann McMahan, a junior at Old Dominion University, shared how this combination influenced her weekend experience: “I learned so much about myself during discussions about the Enneagram. One of the things I am most thankful for was the opportunity to learn about genograms, as it was really interesting to see the ways my family relationships have influenced the person I am today. We also spent time in prayer and worship together on Sunday morning to end our time so beautifully. I can’t wait to see how God uses this group and time for amazing things!”

The unique design of the KLI program is to challenge highpotential young adults to discover their identity in Christ, claim their God-given gifts and talents, understand their surrounding contexts, and discern their unique call to a life of mission. Between three key retreats in January, May, and October, participants meet monthly with mentors and coaches to process and apply what they are learning. Additionally, a reading curriculum is assigned throughout the year to grow spiritually in their walk with the Lord and become more effective leaders in their communities.

During this year’s application and interview process, the importance of prayer regularly rose to the top of our conversations. The KLI Action Team, comprised of ministers serving across the state, felt a pull from the Holy Spirit to emphasize prayer throughout this program year. We assigned prayer partners within the cohort to encourage an attentive ear and expectant heart as a key component of the program.

“My prayer group and I (the guys in the group) created our own prayer/accountability messaging group so we can share what we’re going through and how we can best pray for each other. Since the retreat I’ve been focusing on becoming more diligent in my spiritual walk and how best I interact with those I work/live with.” - Samuel Finley, senior at Radford University and active member of the National Guard

These young adults are the future leaders of the Church. Their impact in local communities, college campuses, local churches, and global contexts will reach far beyond even our hopes for this program. The Kairos Initiative celebrates the opportunity to champion young adults and support them in becoming the leaders so many are hoping to find.

Pray for this cohort as they begin their journeys and join us as we work to make an impact on the lives of young adults across the world for the sake of the Gospel by moving missionally, developing leaders, and building community. Head to KairosInitiative.org to discover more about Kairos Initiative ministry opportunities.

Karin Goude is the Program and Network Associate of BGAV’s Kairos Initiative.