A give and take experience

This summer our Discern summer staff are writing our blog entries. Our summer staff come and live in Atlanta for the summer and learn about urban ministry and Christian leadership by helping our mission trip participants serve, pray and learn. This week's reflection is from Liz and she is reflecting on what she has learned about leadership so far this summer.

~Jannan Thomas, DOOR Atlanta City Director


“ Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it”. –Dwight Eisenhower. This summer’s theme is centered around leadership and President Eisenhower’s words of wisdom shed light on a very important point about leadership. A leader needs to have the power to not only lead people in a certain direction but to help them to want to go in that direction. The point of a mission trip and part of DOOR’s philosophy is that mission is a give and take experience. I learned that being a good leader was not to make the kids do the work but help them to realize why they were doing the work so they could want to do it. The kids could give their service but also take back a better knowledge of what it means to help others. Being a leader is not manipulation, but guidance and patience. If you want to know how to guide and be a good leader you just have to look to our trusty friend Jesus, he seems to have all the answers and a very large number of followers. If you lead with love and understanding you can influence the lives of many.


~Liz Evans, Summer staff