SERVANT LEADERSHIP
“The student models servant leadership and equips others in a God-given direction through Christ-like character, leadership capability, and love.”
GOALS
- Offer Team Leaders development opportunities which provide a variety of pertinent leadership topics from a variety of leaders.
- Serve by using my leadership platform for forming a sense of “we” or “cohesion” among our Team Leaders and Cru cohort during this difficult season.
- Give attention to women in leadership and emerging leaders.
- Look to the future and plan new ways to connect and to provide leadership development.
STRATEGIES
- I will plan a series of Team Leader Zoom calls that make time for them to hear from Cru leaders on relevant topics, ask questions and interact.
- I will have a monthly call for Team Leaders together.
- I will work to have two all-cohort calls (Texas and Louisiana teams) and two all-cohort prayer calls this year.
- I will work on creating a more “formal” overlap with teams.
- I will call women Team Leaders twice a month.
- I will schedule a Zoom call with emerging women leaders.
MEASURES
- By the end of the year I will have had four Cru leaders attend the monthly Team Leader calls.
- At the end of the year I will have a track record of consistently meeting with the Team Leaders.
- Each semester we will have had 2 all-cohort welcome calls and 2 prayer calls.
- By the end of the year I will have had a cycle of feedback with the Team Leaders.
- Two teams will have tried a trial run of meeting and doing ministry together each week throughout the school year.
RESOURCES
- Monthly Team Leader Call
- Zoom Platform
- Leaders within Cru
- Worldwide Day of Prayer
- Cru Teams throughout Texas and Louisiana
ARTIFACTS
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Emily Assibu serves as the National Social Media Coach for Cru. She works with campuses across the country to create social media strategies and provide digital templates so staff can spend their valuable time developing relationships with students online and in person.
Ken Cochrum serves as Cru’s Vice President of Global Digital Strategies. He shared with our leaders from an article he wrote entitled, “Feeling Stuck? Practice These Things.” He addressed our leaders on the strange season of campus ministry with minimal face-to-face interactions due to the pandemic.
Tim Norman serves as a Director for Cru’s Campus Missions, providing leadership to ministry teams across Texas and the surrounding area. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Bristol in theology and religion. His dissertation focuses on forgiveness of sins in Luke’s Gospel. He spoke with our leaders on aspects of Gen Z and extending the gospel to them.
Shana Powell serves as an Executive Director of US Missions. She loves to see people find their place in the larger story of God and learn to make disciples. Shana is currently working on her DMin in Theology and Ministry through Western Seminary. She helped our leaders to set goals in their cycle of development.
Connection and Cohesion
Worldwide Day of Prayer: Praying Together over Zoom
Learning to connect over Zoom was the challenge for the year. We needed to learn to pave new pathways for connecting and to become online hosts and facilitators for meetings and gatherings. These are a few ways that were created to connect leaders and staff in a time when many felt disconnected.
Team Leader Monthly Call: An Opportunity for Cultivating Camaraderie and Growth, Together as Leaders
“The Team Leader Zoom calls have been crucial during this pandemic. Everything feels different and challenging-like you are rowing upstream in a storm, but have never picked up an oar or navigated a boat before! Consistently meeting with leaders (via zoom) who are in the same role has given me the opportunity to look to the left and right and see a community rowing in the same boat; the same direction. None of us are alone in the boat. As Team Leaders, we are given a space to navigate the challenging waters together, and it has removed so much fear of the unknown.” Sarah Ward, Team Leader, San Antonio Team
Staff Team Connections from Across Texas and Louisiana: Zoom, the New Gathering Place
“Gathering over zoom as a cohort during the pandemic has been a blessing to me. Seeing the faces of other staff, praying together, learning names via zoom has helped me be more connected and remember I’m not alone. Of course we all want to be face to face physically but when that’s unwise, I’m thankful Erin persevered to provide what connection and fellowship we could have together.” – Ali Wilson, Senior Staff Texas A&M University
Team and Movement “Overlap”
Weekly Connection of Two Teams: Providing Encouragement and Equipping
One of our hopes as a cohort is to create more “physical” ongoing overlap between teams (a team traveling to be with another team) as things open up. We hope it will cultivate camaraderie, and be beneficial for both teams. We foresee this connection being purposefully used for:
- Camaraderie
- Development/training
- Prayer
- Giving attention to reaching scope or to a priority on a strategic plan
Team “Overlap” Document:
“Connecting with the UL- Lafayette team has been a breath of fresh air. Their faith, willingness to try new things, and mutual encouragement has brought life to a challenging year of ministry. I’m really glad we were encouraged to do something like this and look forward to more fruit coming from these significant relationships.” – Brett Marcos, Team Leader Louisiana State University
REFLECTIONS
OVERALL REFLECTION STATEMENT
For my servant leadership goal, I am first submitting the bio’s of leaders I asked to present to my Team Leaders on a monthly Zoom call. Each shared on a topic from an area of expertise and of relevance for the leaders. I desire to develop the Team Leaders and give them resources to grow their leadership capacity. From this I learned of the importance of the Team Leaders hearing from others beside myself and my co-leader. And Zoom is a great platform to do this. Because of the pandemic, I am learning to think differently about how to equip and develop my leaders.
The second group of artifacts I am submitting are Zoom meetings held for Team Leaders and their teams as well. With the high need for connection during the pandemic, I needed to think outside of the box and create opportunities to build community and camaraderie. One thing I found is that I have the ability to shape the culture of those I lead. I also have the opportunity to include others in that — whether that be asking them to share “God at Work Stories” or to help in planning the Zoom meeting.
The last artifact I am submitting is something I tried in order to bring more connection between two teams. The pandemic hit, therefore most teams were not able to participate in this regular “overlap.” Two teams though did participate and created a weekly connection point, traveling to one another’s campus for connection, ministry and training. I learned through this that when resources (people) are limited, we need to think differently. This may mean creating resources by connecting others and allowing them to fill in some of the gaps for training and coaching.
LEARNING REFLECTION
As I gave attention to servant leadership, I learned the importance of stewarding the role that God has given me. I have an opportunity to serve and platform others. During the pandemic there has been a high need for staff to feel connected, developed and encouraged. Because of the nature of the times, I chose to focus on these type of things. This time affirmed my need to be flexible, to trust the Lord, and to try new things. I saw how I could use my role as an opportunity to meet the felt needs of the staff in my cohort.
LIFELONG DEVELOPMENT STATEMENT
As a result of the experiences documented by these artifacts, I hope to continue to use my role to serve others. I desire to platform others so they also have an opportunity to use their gifting. I see the need to continue to try new things and include others who may not have a voice or may get overlooked. I see my role as an opportunity to expand the leadership of others.
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