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SACLA Youth Day 3 – The leader you must become –

Friday 9 July 2004

After another session of excellent worship, Friday morning at the SACLA Youth Leadership Assembly began with a plenary session by Mosa Sono, senior pastor of the Grace Bible Church in Soweto, on “The leader you must become”. (See associated article).

The four tracks then split into their respective groups in order to listen to speakers and do work more focussed on their ministry interests and specialties.

The track groups continued after lunch until 4pm when it was free time until dinner at 6pm. Free time was taken up largely by playing or watching various sporting games in the warm winter afternoon sun. DJ’s entertained the crowd with some great music as most tried to catch a quick break from the mountains of information they had heard during the morning.

The track sessions have been a great success so far with even veteran youth leaders learning new things. All have been impressed by the quality of the speakers, and also the quality of the feedback during question time and small group discussions.

The evening began with a ministry expo, which gave the leaders a chance to network more formally after browsing through a selection of exhibits and the bags full of free brochures that go with this. The African Enterprise Foxfire ministry team added a bit of movement and spice to the expo with some exciting and energetic dances.

The formal part of the evening ended when the young people met in their regional groups to vision and plan the follow-up action in their regions. Many plans were mooted and decided on, with leaders and committees elected to drive the work.

As always the day ended with the relaxed and coffee shop where the young leaders could unwind to good music and candlelight. The live music evolved into a spontaneous hip-hop/rap session with the kitchen being converted into an instant concert hall! The kitchen choir, as they quickly called themselves, soon decided to lead a song in worship on Saturday morning, adding to the already extensive repertoire of Vision X the worship band for the week.

After another session of excellent worship, Friday morning at the SACLA Youth Leadership Assembly began with a plenary session by Mosa Sono, senior pastor of the Grace Bible Church in Soweto, on “The leader you must become”.

Despite being severely limited by time and not managing to complete his full message, Sono still managed to impart an inspirational and information filled message to the over 500 young leaders present.

Sono began by saying that the youth leaders present were not only the church of tomorrow but the church of today. He reminded us that as Christians we are purpose driven in that God had prepared us beforehand for good works.

However in order to achieve this as leaders it is important that we need to be continually growing leaders. Growth, according to Sono, happens on purpose and not by accident and so we need to make a decision to grow so that we can maximise our potential and allow our organisations to grow with us.

But leaders don’t grow in a day, they grow daily, and so Sono warned of the temptation to create Microwave leaders, rather allowing young leader’s character to be moulded.by God in the same way that the potter moulds the clay as written in Jeremiah 18.

In order to grow leaders need to concentrate on their spiritual health, their relational success, their academic life and their character.

Sono stressed to the young leaders present not to be discouraged should it seem that God has forgotten them or if people tell them that they aren’t leadership material. God uses tough times, like in the life of Joseph, to build character, and doesn’t choose by outside appearances.

Sono added that if the tasks before you appear too hard to do then you’re probably in the right place! As with Moses and other Biblical leaders God saw them and their abilities in a different light to how they saw themselves and Sono reminded us that as with Peter and Paul, God doesn’t use us in areas that we can master because then we don’t rely on him.

However if you don’t grow in Godly character and manage to attain a high leadership position then, like Sampson, when you make bad moral choices it eventually leads to your downfall and can take many others with you.

Somo ended with a list of questions that he wanted all of the young leaders to ask themselves about their leadership.