Jon reflected some on the importance of student leadership experiences, like Emerge:
“I was given this quote by friend recently that I really like- ‘Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice.’ Max Dupree
“How I see this relating to Emerge is that this quote, I believe captures the formational side of leadership development well. Robert Clinton, professor of leadership at Fuller Seminary puts it this way- ‘Leadership flows out of being.’ So leadership emerges from the core of who we are and who we are becoming. So anytime we can create a safe space/place where student leaders can be affirmed for their leadership gifts and their individual uniqueness, are challenged to go deeper in their understanding of the dynamics, scope and functions of leadership, and are given opportunities to practice leadership with their peers we are fostering a positive culture for leadership development in the church. And my sense is that the current generation of students and young adults have had less opportunities for this type of discovery and development, especially within a Christian framework.”
What do you think?
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Written by Aune Carlson
