StudentLife believes that students can be positive influencers on their campuses. They can make a difference and impact others with the good news. What follows is some points related to the importance of student leaders for campus work and why students should consider becoming one.
First, a student leader gives hands and feet to the Great Commission.
You may have heard that Christians should go and make disciples of all nations, Matthew 28:16-20 comes to mind. A student leader can partly help students give hands and feet to this commission.
Christians sometimes know what they are supposed to do but don’t know exactly how to do it. Someone who came to StudentLife in Delft said exactly this, “I know I have to share the good news with others but I don’t know how to do this.”
Student leaders facilitate the moments to go and have conversations. They also arrange training on how to lead conversations and have follow-up meetings.
Second, a student leader learns about spiritual leadership hands-on.
There are different reasons why someone would not become a student leader: limited time, fear of the unknown (“what am I getting into now?”) failures, weaknesses, feelings of inadequacy (“I am not good enough, or not ready”) some doubts about faith, lack of courage, and the list can go on. What would you add to this list? Here some thoughts about the above reasons.
Time is always a challenge. But how much time does it take to be a student leader? In StudentLife not more than 2-3 hours per week! Yes, you have to learn about time management and also stick with these two hours. We always can do more. But we have to learn to set limits and boundaries in our lives.
It also has to do with priorities and values. What are the things that you are doing at the moment that you could either postpone or avoid doing for the next three months, or stop doing because they don’t help you become a better person?
Furthermore, we all can feel a sense of inadequacy: we’re not ready, we’re not good enough, or we’re not able enough. The apostle Paul felt like this many times, such as in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6. Read and reflect on these verses. And Paul was not the only one to feel like this! Jeremiah as a young man felt overwhelmed with the idea of becoming a prophet for God, read and reflect on Jeremiah 1:4-10. Write your thoughts down and pray about your feelings of inadequacy.
Third, you will learn what it means to depend on God and trust him to do his work.
God is asking us to share the good news. He also expects us to be good leaders in our lives and our service for Him. But He also gives us the strength, wisdom, love, mercy, and power to do it.
To join a StudentLife movement and go for conversations with the purpose to help others think about the big questions of life is pleasing to God. To go a step further and become a student leader and lead a movement in your campus is also pleasing to God, good for others, and good for you. You will learn what it means to press on and not give up easily because God will sustain you. He will teach you the value of prayer in your life. A student leader once said, “Going for conversations is a training school/ground to share the good news and make disciples.” A training ground! And you can facilitate, you can make it happen with God’s enablement.
Finally, some points about what a student leader does
– A student leader organizes once a week, or biweekly, to go out for conversations on the campus.
– Arranges some training for the students. StudentLife staff or student leaders are available to give the training.
– Gives the signal in the WhatsApp group when they go for conversations and leads the time they meet for this purpose.
– Always has StudentLife staff in reach to help out. You are never alone!
Would you prayerfully consider becoming a student leader? Feel free to contact Studentlife colleagues for more information.
