Leaders engage their communities

Leaders embody their vision – they don’t only steer a project or manage a group.  Leaders lead their cause wherever they are, in every community they engage.

In this short video clip Werner Joubert shares on engaging your community and growing in awareness of the values and culture of the communities you find yourself in.

Scripture

Colossians 1:9-12

⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Observations and Reflection Questions

Context: Paul tells the church in Colossi what he prays for them.  The Colossi church lived in an extremely immoral city known for its perversion, debauchery and public indecency – mostly associated with the pagan worship in the city.

1. In your own words list the things Paul prays for the church in Colossi.
2. Can you see a logical progression in his prayer? Write down what you see.
3. Looking at his prayer, why does Paul pray for “knowledge of his will… spiritual wisdom and understanding…”? [hint: verse 10]
4. Let’s consider the context of this congregation. Why would Paul pray this specific prayer for this congregation?

Personal reflection

Let’s do a visual reflective exercise to help growing in awareness of the community around you:

1. In the middle of a page write down your name.
2. Around it start drawing consecutive circles representing the communities whom you engage with regularly (i.e. family, work, your kid’s school, church, hobbies…)
3. In each circle write down a few names of people you most frequently engage in that specific community.
4. For each circle write down the core cultural characteristics for that community (ie. What does that community value, promote; is it uplifting? What is its morality and ethics? Who would you become is you were to become like that community?)
5. As you engage each of these communities this week, consider how you are perceived and what your reputation in each of these groups.

Prayer

Personalize Colossians 1:9-12 and pray it for yourself today, considering the communities you engage as a representative of Christ.