MODULE 2 LEADERSHIP LEADER AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I AM SENDING YOU AMBASSADORS fostering a new generation of spiritual leaders MODULE 2 LEADERSHIP LEADER AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I AM SENDING YOU AMBASSADORS fostering a new generation of spiritual leaders All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Other versions used are: NLT— Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. ESV- Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Primary Contributor: Troy Fitzgerald Layout and design by Jonatan Tejel Editorial work by Erica Jones AMBASSADORS Copyright © 2013 by the Youth Ministries Department of the Seventh-day Adventist® Church www.gcyouthministries.org. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means— electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America Rights for publishing this book outside the U.S.A. or in non-English languages are administered by the Youth Ministries Department of the Sev- enth- day Adventist® Church. For additional information, please visit our website, www.gcyouthministries.org, email [email protected]. org, or write to Youth Ministries Department, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists® Church, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904, U.S.A. contents table of Welcome 9 Session Template 12 Session 1 - leading is seeing 13 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 15 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 16 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 19 Session 2 - leading is being 27 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 29 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 30 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 33 Session 3 - spiritual gifts I—we have it all 39 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 41 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 42 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 45 Session 4 - spiritual gifts II—every member 51 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 53 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 54 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 57 Session 5 - spiritual gifts III—every member 63 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 65 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 66 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 69 Session 6 - servant leadership I 75 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 77 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 78 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 81 Session 7 - servant leadership II 87 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 89 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 90 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 93 Session 8 - leadership development—set an example by your speech 101 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 103 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 104 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 107 Session 9 - leadership development—set an example by your life 113 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 115 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 116 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 119 Session 10 - leadership development—set an example by your love 125 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 127 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 128 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 131 Session 11 - leadership development—set an example by your faith 139 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 141 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 142 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 145 Session 12 - leadership development—set an example by your purity 151 Overview ______________________________________________________________________ 153 Teaching Plan ______________________________________________________________________ 154 Participant Guide ______________________________________________________________________ 157 Acknowledgements The Ambassador Curriculum owes much to the extraordinary contribution and collaboration of many people, without whom its completion would have been almost impossible. We wish to thank: The writers: Gavin Anthony, Tim Lale, and Troy Fitzgerald. Gilbert Cangy, whose guidance, leadership and support brought this book through the long process from birth to realization. Special thanks for reading the first draft and providing keen insight and practical guidance that made this resource an inestimably better one than it otherwise would have been. Kathy Beagles, for overseeing the development of the project. Charity Garcia, our official Hub, for the extraordinary work she did in developing the curriculum and identifying/collaborating with the writers for all seven modules, and without whom the completion of this project would have been impossible. Silvia Sicalo, our savvy administrative assistant, who kept the emails going and made sure that deadlines were met. Erica Jones, for her copyediting expertise and attention to detail that prevented many early mistakes and helped create a wise and functional model. Jonatan Tejel, for his technical expertise and selfless willingness to help, and to Rodrigo Araya, whose technical help enriched the outcome. Maria Dunchie, for her creative contribution in design and support in other practical ways. Hiskia Missah, for his encouragement throughout this process. Task Force A special thanks to the team of Division Youth Directors who, under the chairmanship of Gilbert Cangy, served as task force to periodically review and provide constructive counsel through the process: Benjamin Carballo (Inter America), Busi Khumalo (Southern Africa Indian Ocean), James Black (North America), Jobbie Yabut (Southern Asia Pacific), Paul Tompkins (Trans European), and Ravindra Shankar (Southern Asia). AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I AM SENDING YOU AMBASSADORS Welcome to Ambassadors. Ambassadors is a new level of youth ministry designed to equip leaders with resources to train a new generation of youths to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus in their local churches and communities. An ambassador generally represents a country or a cause. A Christian ambassador is a representative of another kind; they represent the values, principles, culture, and laws of the kingdom of God. They stand for the character and purpose of the King of this kingdom— Jesus Christ, Himself. This Youth Department resource is based on seven foundations that are considered as essential to meet the developmental needs of our young people between the ages of 16-21. They include: 1. A Christ-centered discipleship plan 2. Leadership development 3. A personal, public, and small group based mission lifestyle 4. Character and personality development, including outdoor, high adventure programming 5. Lifestyle and vocational training 6. Nurturing godly relationships 7. Community outreach development through service projects and emergency preparedness training Each of these seven foundations will be presented in modules, with participants gaining certification for each module completed. While each module has a specific focus, there are FOUR elements that will be common throughout the curriculum. Leaders MUST ensure that all these elements are embraced to make the experience meaningful, attractive, and challenging. • First, the concept of a spiritual companion. At the beginning of each module, each participant will choose a friend who will be their companion for the duration of the module. They will meet during each session to encourage and support each other in their role and growth as an Ambassador. Groups of spiritual companions will also come together for specific activities. This builds the concept of interdependence and accountability into the Ambassador experience. • Second, an Individual Discipleship Plan (IDP). At the beginning of every module, each participant will make a simple plan of how they would like to grow spiritually and acquire practical competency in the area of the upcoming module. Their spiritual companion will be there throughout the module to help and encourage them to accomplish their plan. The IDP helps to emphasize the continuing nature of discipleship and that learning is a continual part of life. By linking spiritual companions together for this work, it stresses the need for interdependence on each other as we learn, grow, and work for God. (See guidelines for creating the IDP on page 11. Participants have their IDP pages in their Guidebook.) • Third, projects. Each module will have a project that will integrate the core concepts from the module into a service learning activity focused on helping others. This will be an opportunity for the Ambassador class to work together as a whole. You will find INSTRUCTIONS for setting up your project in the back pages of this Leader’s Guide. You might have to plan for multiple projects, depending on the size of your group. • The main objective is to incorporate service as a way of life, rather than an occasional activity. • Aim for projects that would call for regular involvement over a period of time. • Make contact with your Volunteer Service organizations, the local Council, and other entities that could assist you. • If your group settles on a particular medium/long term project, there is no need to change the project when the time comes to engage with a new module. Use your discretion. • Fourth, social activities. Ensure that you plan for a social activity at least once a month. Make sure that you always provide opportunities for good and wholesome fun for that age group. • You do not have to conduct all your sessions in a building. As appropriate, conduct some in nature, in the context of a camp, in someone’s home, etc. • In the back pages of your Leader’s Guide you will find a list of websites where you can access ‘Ice Breakers’ or brief fun activities that you can inject into all your sessions. Of course, CONDUCT ALL YOUR ACTIVITIES PRAYERFULLY. RECOMMENDATION It is highly recommended that you set aside your first meeting as a fun ORIENTATION to share the Ambassadors concept, share the Participant’s Guides, give an overview of the first module, discuss the FOUR elements and their implementation, discuss the frequency of meetings, organize calendars, etc. Participant’s Guide A participant’s guide for each module has been prepared for each participant. • The Participant’s Guide is essentially the workbook containing all the sessions of each module that the participant will engage with. • In the back pages of each module there is a page for creating the IDP. There is also a list of the sessions for that module that the leader will date and sign upon the participant’s completion. • Each participant will be required to complete 75 percent attendance and participation to receive the certification or award at the end of each module. Participants can make-up for missed lessons to achieve the required 75 percent at the discretion of their leader. Fostering togetherness is at the heart of a model for discipleship, which the General Conference is focusing on; it is known as “Together Growing Fruitful Disciples.” This model emphasizes understanding, connecting, equipping, and ministering—but doing all of this “together.” For God did not design us to grow or minister alone, but in community. Paul writes that growing in Christ is achieved as everyone uses the gifts God has given to them, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Thank you for helping to educate our young people to become Ambassadors of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. General Conference Youth Ministries Department Gilbert Cangy Hiskia Missah Jonatan Tejel Subirada GC Youth Director Associate GC Youth Director Associate GC Youth Director