One of the biggest joys this year was seeing new leaders step into responsibility. We were encouraged to see them being bold and wise, doing things in their own style, bringing new practices, and helping the ministry grow.
For me personally, it was very special to watch Irina (pictured on the left) take on the conference program — a role that had been my responsibility for several years in a row. I had the privilege of helping her launch the team through a workshop on healthy team culture, based on Patrick Lencioni’s concepts and the results of their 16personalities tests, and through a practical exercise where each team member wrote a short “operating instruction” on themselves an on how they contribute to the team, what helps them serve well, and what makes serving harder.
It was a valuable time both for learning and for strengthening the team. We also held several workshops for different conference departments, and it was especially meaningful to equip them with tools they could use during the conference — and later bring back to their own teams and apply in their ministry. In fact, I already heard that one team used these materials for a seminar at their church today, and it went very well.
