Catechesis Personal Statement

From a personal perspective, leadership from a Christian worldview is about transforming your skills, abilities, and knowledge of the vision of life, beliefs, values, and principles. Due to the differing worldviews as a leader from a secular or biblical perspective, the ways of life as a leader divert the values that guide us, beliefs that direct us, and principles that motivate us to act or behave a certain way. Jesus lives in disciples, and we should all be living as his light and world. In Paul’s plea he stated, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, New International Version). Not everyone is in the public eye, but everyone is in the eye of someone, and there he or she is a leader. I will discuss my growth and development into the leader from a Christian worldview and from course material as support.

At the end of the day being a great spiritual leader encompasses many aspects of a person as a leader an in order to become a great leader and accomplish the “Great Commission” we must continue to develop ourselves as leaders in order to become the leader God intended us to be. McNeal states “greatness is earned. It is not a gift; it is a reward. It is not accidental; it is cultivated.”

Author Tara Isabella Burton writer of “Why Are American Colleges Obsessed With 'Leadership'” challenging the assumption that universities should seek out leadership qualities in students. “The implicit message behind the rhetoric of the leadership is that learning for learning’s sake is not enough” she says. Than questions the readers: “What’s the wrong with being a follower? Or a lone wolf?”

Acting as a leader in an international organization called Cru is a human service activity I participate in while I am an undergraduate student. I am a professing Christian. Cru's mission is for everyone on Grand Valley State University's (GVSU) campus to know someone who is faithfully following Jesus. The movement has a deep commitment to learning about God and caring for people; I align with these core biblical truths. As stated, I am a student-leader in the movement at GVSU. My role to is lead a freshman community group, disciple (spiritually mentor) faithful students in the movement and give some talks. God has used Cru to aid in discovering who I am and why I was created. Entering freshman year, I was lost and didn't know who I was. All throughout high school, I was an athlete. I began searching and thinking critically about what I believe and who I wanted to become. I was attracted to Cru because they promote critical thinking, analyzing context and discovery. Additionally, Cru tackles hard life questions which leaves me desiring to continue learning.

Aubrey Malphurs takes the definition of leadership and turns it up another notch. Leaders just don’t have influence over the people they lead. They use their influence “to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction”.[1] In other words, it is the church leadership’s job to help the people they lead to see God and His work in their lives, to understand their purpose,

Throughout my life, God has been working in my life to prepare me for a life of godly leadership. He started off giving me small responsibilities which quickly grew to be leadership opportunities. I believe that everything I do ought to be my best for God. As a Christian, I have strived to work harder in school and in ministry than my peers so that God would be glorified through my work. As a high school student, I was blessed with the opportunity to lead two robotics teams into competition on the college level. He has given opportunities to lead on the mission field and in the states. Since the Time of my salvation, God has been preparing me as a leader through my ministry experiences and academic pursuits.

My EdD 801 course taught several aspects of leadership including a working definition of leadership in education, Grogan (2013), asserts that leaders are supposed to possess a clear personal vision. A sense of purpose is central to success, and center stage leaders

In the excerpt titled “Christian Leadership in a Pluralistic World”, Richard Mau discusses the idea of teaching as a form of leadership. Mau says, “leading and educating… go hand in hand” (p.128-129). I plan on becoming a teacher, and am studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. As I spend my time at Westmont College developing the skills necessary to be a teacher, I seek not only to use what I learn in the classroom, but also the experiences I have in my time outside of class as lessons that I can apply to my teaching career. Throughout my college experience I strive to meet objectives that help me develop intellectually, spiritually and socially in the hopes that they will help me to become a teacher and leader.

Leadership is about striking balance on things that matter. This is done by allocating time and resources equitably or as needed. My background as an entrepreneur and philanthropist has been of huge advantage, since it places me in a better position to advice individuals that aspire to attain same goals as mine. I always encourage my cohorts to adhere to socially conscious principles and stay on the path that target to benefit large portions of the

Merriam Webster defines leading as, "the initiative in an action; an example for others to follow." Becoming a leader is not difficult, but becoming a good leader is a fantastic feat. In Gary Vaynerchuk's TED Talk, [INSERT TITLE HERE], and the book [INSERT HERE], they analyze how leaders advance their brand, the importance of service in a leadership role, and the effects of practicing helpful business methods.

There are several characteristics that a leader or a potential leader should carry which include: confidence, responsibility, Integrity, etc... As a child of God I work on exemplifying those traits, for example I try to use my experience and knowledge to guide some of the freshmen males at my high school so that they do not make any mistakes that can haunt them later on such as low grades and bad studying habits. I am also a Student mentor in the club the distinguished gentlemen I help guide the younger students in what they should and shouldn't do. As a Co-captain of the track and field team I push my teammates to work hard and push themselves to greater heights even when they feel it’s pointless. I am building qualities and habits of leadership for the future in my adulthood where true leadership is valued. This is why I want to be a naval officer, to help me mature as a person and a

Leadership is an important quality that students should try to pursue. A leader, by definition, is a person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country. This generation is the future of the world. Characteristics of future leaders should be able to think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully. St. Thomas is motivated to help educate students that I believe are much like myself. I reckon I have exhibited these traits through my education, working, and social life.

In order to be effective, leaders must listen, communicate, act with openness and integrity, and collaborate. To be an effective Catholic leader, they still must do these things, but they must also have an explicit mission as a Catholic and see themselves as God sees them. Leaders have goals that must be accomplished. Catholic leaders have goals that are shaped and formed by how they live their faith. Being a leader does not simply mean telling people what to do, but guiding them, helping them to grow as people, and helping them to develop their God-given gifts. As a leader, the main focus should be upon the people that you are leading and not yourself. This takes practice and patience; trial and error. But helping others to grow allows a person to grow as well. Leadership should be the means to put out an impact throughout the world so that the love of God can descend upon the world and change it.

The authors try to define who is a leader. They say “Leadership is a process of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behaviour, or development of people in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a leader.” (pg. 5) You might be a parent, a teacher, a nurse, a pastor, a coach, or an adult child helping her aging parents. There are differences between being a “life leader” (such as a parent) and an “organizational leader” (a manager in a company).

Effective leadership approaches from a biblical perspective consist of God’s nature in his manifested character. Christian leaders are willing to pay the price to lead in Christ’s affliction. Paul said there is a price to pay in order to lead and Jesus reminded us, “Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master. ' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also” (John 15:20, New International Version). Christian leaders need core attributes of God’s styles and approaches, support and linkage from scriptures, and knowledge of his leadership models of truth for effective leadership. However, these perspectives will gave me a better appreciation and insight of who God is and who I can be with his guidance.