Summer School: Using your summer to learn from leaders

Leaders are Learners. 

So whenever you have access to great Leaders, take advantage of it by grabbing time with them and taking copious notes.

Cru staff: this summer you will be surrounded by staff who are experts on reaching athletes, Hispanic students, International students, Greeks, Faculty, and Asian students. You will be around professionals who specialize in launching new campuses, reaching cities, multiplying discipleship, support raising, using social media for ministry, and building huge movements of college students.

The only question is: will you take advantage of this incredible access to some of the world’s best thinkers and practitioners of College Ministry?

Where will these “world’s best” be? On your summer project, in your IBS class, and certainly at the national Cru Staff Conference in Ft Collins.

Last summer I was on Summer Project in San Diego. On our team we had staff who launched (and maintain) Cru movements on over 30 campuses across the state of Nebraska. We had men who had considerable experience in helping guys deal with pornography and homosexuality. There were staff who excelled in discipleship and developing life-changing small group content. I was exposed to a whole new way of doing college ministry and rapid multiplication. The only limit on my learning was my initiation to ask questions and be a learner.

And your ability to grow this summer is not limited by geographic proximity.

Figure out what you want to grow in and start asking around to see who excels in that area. In the summer of 2011 I called the directors of the  8 Largest Cru movements in the nation. Those conversations dramatically accelerated our ministry on campus. AND It started relationships with guys whom I continue to go back to and ask questions (via email/phone).

Earlier this month I got a Facebook message from a Canadian staff with Cru:

I love my job and I am passionate about evangelism. I would love to take advantage of this summer to pursue further development in evangelism.

I have a lot of training and experience thanks to Power to Change, but I definitely believe in being a life-long learner. I’m looking for something that would inspire new ideas and resource me. People in business are always taking other courses to update their skills and so I thought, why not me too.

What organizations or leaders would you recommend I talk to in order grow in the area of evangelism?

I recognize that growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum and I’m not vain enough to think I can come up with new ideas all by myself.

That’s leadership. Taking the initiative. Asking around to find who’s doing it best.

So how are you going to use your summer to learn and grow in a new area?

Ask questions. Be intentional to set up appointments. Take copious notes.

And as you learn, be sure to share the wealth:

- Start a blog (or contact me – you can post your learnings on my blog !)

- Share what you are learning on Twitter

I'd love to hear from you: In the comments, share what areas you hope to grow in this summer.

photo courtesy of dcJohn