Student Leadership 12 | Leadership needs to know the Big Story
I was privileged to attend the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town back in 2010. There were many highlights. I still remember Os Guinness’ simple definition of a Christian world and life view:
“God wants us to see the world the way He’s told us it is.”
That’s what we want our students to know, understand and believe. This truth is what we desire them to be led by, and thus to inform the way they might lead.
When it comes to Leadership, we are not suggesting that we identify all the Bible passages that might guide us to be better leaders. We want our young people to know the whole Bible and thus have a basis for all thinking, feeling and action – which will include Leadership. The Bible is our primary source that shows us who God is and consequently who we are and how we should live.
Our Biblical Studies programs; our strong Biblical Christian world and life view should be intentional and permeative. It should inform every thought, word and action. Our Leadership development must not be divorced from our understanding of the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
Research has shown that across Christian schools, teaching the Bible is generally not done well in our schools – we tend to deal with selected passages only and sometimes fail to use the variety of pedagogical approaches that we would use in other areas of study.[1]
Our strong desire and hope would be that our student leaders would operate from a clear Biblical Christian world and life view. Therefore, every year level must have an engaging Biblical Studies program, opportunities to reflect upon the Scriptures and interpret the world and live as warmly relational and redemptive disciples of Christ.
Much more can be said about the way that Biblical Studies needs to be addressed. But that’s another series!
Just one more thought. Does this mean we should only develop leadership in those students who have been gripped by the truth of the Scriptures? Certainly not.
Firstly, God is not restricted to believers to achieve his purposes.
Secondly, we simply do not know when our students’ eyes will be opened to the truth of the Gospel. We can expect all students to have knowledge of the truth; it is God’s prerogative as to when they will be brought to commitment to that truth.
Blessings
Brian
[1] Beyond proof texts, principles and perspectives: the struggle to practice Bible-based
Education Rod Thompson PhD thesis 2003