New Exec Leaders Training Weekend #1
And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. Exodus 36:3-7, NIV
On June 25-27, I had the pleasure of joining the new student executive leaders of the Ryerson IV community on their first training weekend. The weekend was co-planned by myself and the outgoing co-presidents of the fellowship; Reuben and Ainsley; and took place at Reuben’s family farm.
The weekend was packed as we spent time getting to know each other, debriefing last year and visioning for the upcoming school year.
Each year I say this, yet each year I am amazed at how quickly it happens; this team of leaders began to bond! As a result of the minor earthquake that occurred (centralized in Ottawa), there were some delays in Vanessa’s arrival to Reuben’s house. I was surprised and touched as all the students chose to wait up until 1 am and pile into a van to go collect Vanessa from the train station. It was an unexpected team building activity!
The next morning after breakfast, we studied Exodus 35, the building of the Tabernacle, which I had just studied at a staff conference a few weeks prior. The students really delved into the text and made insightful discoveries. I left them with application questions of what are the skills and talents that you are freely offering to God this year; and how can we invite other to freely offer their skills and talents in the community?
In the afternoon we spent some time debriefing the past year, and then spent some time enjoying Reuben’s farm.
After dinner, we watched the movie, Ocean’s Eleven and spent some time in discussion afterward. Coming out of the movie was the big idea of striving toward a seemingly impossible goal and what were the costs and benefits associated. It was at this point that I led the students in an exercise where they dreamed of seemingly impossible ideas for what ministry could look like in the coming year. Some of their ideas were entirely possible if they approached it with willing hearts and a bit of training. Some of their ideas about sharing the gospel with their friends and striving towards a multi-ethnic community warmed my heart and made me excited to see what they would do in the coming year! After this discussion, I cast the vision I had received for campus ministry.
The initial response to the vision was a lot of questions and a bit of hostility. The students were not sure about some of the big changes carrying out this vision would entail. We ended the evening with a decision to “sleep on it” and return to discuss the next day.
The following morning we all attended Reuben’s church. I always love attending the churches my students either regularly attend or attended, as I enjoy being in places of their spiritual history. Following the service, we went back to Reuben’s place and had lunch and resumed discussion about the vision for the upcoming year. The students had a few more questions, but overall felt like they wanted to move forward and see how we could begin implementation of the vision. We ended the weekend together by praying for each other as we returned to our busy summer schedules.
Afterward, everyone was heading back to Toronto, and I invited them to help me paint my new room. I expected only a few to say yes, and was surprised when everyone agreed! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening painting the walls of my room and eating pizza! It was an unexpected and fun way to end the weekend, and whenever I look at my walls I think of the great day we had painting!
The Arch 