the sisterhood

i have much to learn about leadership - it's probably fair to say we all do. but you know what encourages and blesses my heart? when students teach me what it means to lead.

in our student ministry here at grace church we have a few students who really get leadership and flesh it out. let me share about one such student.

this summer there was a new freshman class moving into the sr. high ministry. if you have ever been an eighth-grader, you understand the trauma associated with moving into high school. it can shake your life up. our freshman class was no exception.

there was a group of 3 soon-to-be freshman girls that were inseperable and dreading the switch to sr. high. these are 3 girls that are full of energy. not the kind of energy that keeps you going during the day, but the kind of energy that causes you to laugh frequently, talk a lot and squeal often. they have the kind of energy that most sr. highers, even the sophmores, have already become too cool for. however, there was one junior - whose height makes her look a bit like a jr. higher - who decided to flesh out her leadership by welcoming these girls to high school.

some of you may know - most of you guys will not - that there is a book series called The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Let me sum up all 4 books for you in a nutshell: there are 4 best friends, inseperable since birth. however, once in high school their paths take them different directions for the summers. one day, before they are seperated for the first time, they go shopping. at a thrift store they find a pair of jeans that fit all 4 girls perfectly. now mind you, all 4 girls are very different shapes. so, obviously, they decide the pants are magic and for the next 4 summers the pants travel between them wherever they are. all you guys reading this are now suddenly realizing why you have never hear of these books.

so what does the sisterhood of the traveling pants have to do with 3 energetic, inseperable freshman girls and 1 sr. higher? well, it just so happens that a second sisterhood movie came out this summer. our sr. higher - let's call her jessica - found out that these 3 girls had been to see the movie. that was her in. she then took them shopping and the 4 of them bought a pair of travleing pants.

6 months later, the pants are still travleing, the girls are still full of energy, the friendships built are strong and through an example of leadership those 3 girls are now up and coming leaders in the sr. high.

one thing i do know about leadership is that it isn't about being up front speaking. it isn't about programs and big events.

leadership takes place when no one is watching.

leadership is servanthood.

do you have a story about a student who is actively leading? please share. we'd love to be encouraged