Yesterday, Wednesday July 1st, I lead worship with three other OMS interns at a prayer service. The service was live streamed which allowed OMS missionaries from all over the world join us digitally as we praised and prayed. Our set starts at 9:30 in the video.
It's amazing what we can do nowadays with our fancy technology.
Yesterday, Wednesday July 1st, I lead worship with three other OMS interns at a prayer service. The service was live streamed which allowed OMS missionaries from all over the world join us digitally as we praised and prayed. Our set starts at 9:30 in the video.
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“Oh, I don’t know if I could do that ... I’ll have to think about it,” I said to my youth pastor about a month ago. That was the last I’d spoken to him until yesterday afternoon about sharing a message with his youth students. Over the past year, I’ve been working with my church’s middle school youth group and have formed some meaningful, life-giving relationships. I remember making similar connections as a middle schooler with people who continually encouraged and helped me in ways I strive to do now for these students. To be able to talk to them about life and God would be a complete blessing. I truly do want to speak, but I was hesitant. My mind immediately flooded with lies: “You don’t speak well in front of people. You have nothing to offer them. Who are you to teach anyway?” As a naturally shy and submissive person, I’ve never thought of myself as a “leader,” which is why the question frightened me. However, I am beginning to rethink what leadership truly means. Last Monday, Angie Ward, a special assignment missionary with One Mission Society, led a training session titled “The Art of Leadership” at OMS’ Greenwood headquarters. Angie is a professor of leadership, education & discipleship at Capital Seminary and Graduate School, with a Ph.D. in leadership from Southern Seminary. During the hour-long session, she spoke about the qualities and responsibilities of effective, moral leaders. I was surprised by the simplicity of her eloquent, poignant message, as well as what it would come to mean to me. OMS Summer Interns 2015 photo courtesy of Susan Loobie https://onemissionsociety.org/blog/post/leadership-and-empowerment-through-christ
This summer I am interning with One Mission Society as a journalist in their communications department. The missionaries I work with at OMS headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana (only a half hour drive from Indy!) have all been so kind to me. One even bought my first batch of groceries. Everyone I have met has reached out to me and made me feel like a valued, necessary team member. Coming into this internship I knew basically nothing about what I would be doing. I had no idea that being a part of the comm department would mean learning from, and working with, experts in writing, editing, graphic design, audio engineering, videography, and photography. I did not know I would have the best office-intern-mate ever who would adventure to non-profit coffee shop for brainstorming sessions and sneak off with me during coffee break to play piano and sing. I didn't expect the huge desk and work space or the lovely little apartment I get to share with an even lovelier roommate. You can't imagine my surprise when our neighbor's door opened to reveal a fellow Houghton classmate that I have always desired to know and now had the opportunity to while getting lost driving all over Indianapolis without a GPS (those streets are so tricky!) I never could have anticipated any of the blessing that this week has unveiled. The work is challenging and satisfying. The people are kind and honest. The lifestyle is simple and focused. At night I am tired and in the morning I am excited. If I'd known how great this would be I would've done it years ago. |
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November 2015
AuthorLaura Johnson is a junior writing major at Houghton College. Laura writes for The Houghton Star, Mousailink, and One Mission Society. This virtual space is a journal of things that matter to her; tales, musings, wanderings. |