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INTRODUCING THE SUNZ LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE
HILARY HAGUE | National Director, SUNZ
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Annie Marston was just a teenager when she proposed a new Bible reading method for the Children’s Special Service Mission (CSSM). She received harsh words in response: ‘If your scheme fails, it would have been better never to have tried it. If it succeeds, it would involve us in a great expense.’ Many people would have given up at this point but Annie persevered and, eventually, the men at CSSM agreed. And it was good that they did. A few years later, more than 13 million children’s leaflets in 50 languages had been distributed all around the world. This is one of Scripture Union’s founding stories and a wonderful reminder of the capacity for leadership amongst young people. Scripture Union NZ (SUNZ) is privileged to work alongside some amazing young people— modern-day versions of Annie Marston. They are a vital part of SUNZ and we could not do without them! They are also the people God will use to shape the church and Aotearoa New Zealand—maybe even the world—in the years ahead. There is a Māori proverb: ‘ma te huruhuru, ka rere te manu’ (adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly) that reminds us that we must be equipped appropriately to succeed and flourish. SUNZ is committed to helping equip our future leaders with the tools they need to fly. For many years, volunteering as a leader for SUNZ camps has been a practical opportunity for young people to develop leadership skills in a supportive environment. Last year SUNZ ran three leadership weekends and attached leadership training to all our camps to upskill more than 175 camp leaders. Now we are starting a Leadership Development Initiative to further develop young people who show potential—not only as camp leaders but also for wider church leadership and governance. Well-equipped and mature leaders will support the young leaders to: ¼ Deepen their faith.
¼ Increase their knowledge and awareness of the world.
¼ Learn the concepts and skills needed as leaders who influence and serve their world.
¼ Underlying the programme is a model of Christ-centred Christian leadership that includes character formation, biblical understanding and ministry development.
We are delighted to announce Paul Humphreys (our current SUNZ South Islands Camps Facilitator) will head up this programme. Paul has a number of exciting plans in the pipeline including a special Leadership Intensive retreat, a mentoring programme and a Board Governance Track. He will also continue to work within our existing leadership development programmes.
If you are interested in learning more, Paul would love to hear from you: paul.h@sunz.org.nz
