Inviting Students and Faculty into Leadership
Articulate Your Vision
“Great leaders must have two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate that vision clearly.” ~ Simon Sinek
Vision—not tasks—is what inspires people to lead. It is critical as you invite students and faculty into leadership that you have a vision for your campus, your grad or faculty fellowship, and for your leaders, and can articulate that vision concisely.
What is your vision for the grad or faculty fellowship you serve? Here are some questions to help guide you:
- What are the issues and concerns on campus? What do you long to see happen there?
- What are the needs and concerns of students and faculty?
- If you were involved in InterVarsity as a student, what led you to that? What compelled you to join staff?
- Why should students or faculty want to be involved in your fellowship?
Write out your vision and memorize it so that you can clearly communicate it to students and faculty.
An example:
I love that I get to work with students like you. It is so fun to see a community of graduate students supporting each other and pointing others toward Jesus. I know when I was a graduate student, I felt a little lost when it came to thinking about how my faith was relevant. Wouldn’t it be great if our community were a place where any graduate student could come to explore faith, grow in their faith, or ask spiritual questions? I want our group to be a place where students can learn to follow Jesus now and in their future careers. And I long to see students serving their peers, developing their gifts, and growing into leadership.
Affirm Students’ (or Faculty’s) Gifts and Hearts for God
We all want to be valued and to be seen. Sharing what you have observed will help them believe in themselves and begin to think of ways they are important to the ministry on campus. Here are some possible considerations:
- What gifts do you see in this person? How have you seen them in operation?
- What do you know about their heart for the Lord?
- How could you see their gifts used in service to the fellowship and the ministry on campus?
An example:
I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you really have an influence on people. I have noticed that people in our group enjoy being around you and follow your leadership. I’ve also appreciated hearing your heart for the lost during our Bible study discussions. It is so clear you want to share your faith and want others to know Jesus. You are such a gift to our community!
Invite Students (Faculty) Into Leadership
Ask students (or faculty) what drew them to involvement in the fellowship. Ask them to share what they see as important issues in the lives of their peers. What do they hope for their labs, departments, or the university? Invite students (or faculty) to take a more active role in the ministry on campus. Call them to be part of God’s Kingdom work. Talk about the leadership needs of the fellowship.
Make a clear ask. Speak about the importance of student or faculty leadership in Graduate and Faculty Ministry. Ask if they would consider and pray about serving.
- Share some details of what it means to be a leader in the fellowship.
- What do the leaders in the fellowship do?
- What is the time commitment?
- How this experience will deepen their spiritual formation and develop their leadership.
Reiterate why you would love to have him/her step into leadership. If there is a leadership application, have it ready to give them if you get a yes.
An example:
You have shared that being part of this community has been really important to your spiritual growth in graduate school. I would love to have you join our leadership team and help create this for new students in the fall. I think your gifts could really strengthen our leadership team. Students tell me that being a part of this team has helped them grow in their faith and in their leadership skills. Would you be interested in hearing more about what this entails?
We have a leadership team that meets twice a month. This team helps create the vision of what we are doing on campus and leads the fellowship in that direction. Everyone has different roles. Some coordinate events. Some oversee outreach and follow-up. Others lead prayer meetings or Bible studies. Some work with the University. Would you consider being on the team? What questions do you have?
