Click to hide HTML preview
Change Process Case Studies
Scott Hall
Innovation at CSLB?
The Cal State Long Beach group had struggled for several years with only a
handful of leaders, very little outreach, and few committed students. But
for the last couple of years, excellent new student outreach has happened,
the staff and a few student leaders have been leading small group inductive
Bible studies, and for two years straight, the group has drawn in and
retained a class of 30 new freshmen. Nearly every one of these frosh and
sophs joined the group through involvement in one of the small groups. For
the first time in years, the CSULB fellowship ended last spring with 10
students who were each ready to commit to taking the new risk of leading
their own small group the upcoming year, all of whom had been in one of
these small groups. These ten spent the spring semester being trained in
leading inductive Bible studies.
Simultaneously, over those past two years, the CSULB team leader, John, and
the two other staff had been growing increasingly convicted of the need to
reach Black and Latino students. The group has been ½ Asian and ½ White
for several years, though the school has a good amount of Black and Latino
students, and is in an urban, Black and Latino neighborhood.
At the fall exec retreat, one week before move-in day, John is delighted
when the exec team has an exciting experience of conviction about reaching
un-reached Black and Latino students on campus. This may be the
breakthrough the staff had been waiting for, and the exec feel ready to do
whatever it takes to reach these students. The exec want to totally
reshape the small group structure, and utilize their team of 10 committed
leaders to better reach these students in new, creative ways. They know
it’s risky, but they have a strong sense of conviction about how there’s
always seems to be a reason to “wait” when it comes to addressing issues of
injustice.
Put yourself in John’s shoes: How do you lead this exec team? What do you
do with their ideas? How do you interact with the other staff over this?
Student Initiative at SMC
For at least 10 years, the Santa Monica College chapter has been led almost
exclusively by staff. Some have suggested that students there just aren’t
leaders. But you feel something in your bones every time you hear that,
because you really believe in your students and their potential. Your new
staff team has felt convicted to defy the odds, and seek God to raise up
strong student leaders, and empower student initiative. You’ve been
investing in several strong potential leaders since they were freshmen and
sophomores. Now, as juniors, these students are leading Bible studies, and
are beginning to lead others into outreach.it’s an exciting time.
But they ARE a cast of characters. Jason is a white guy, and is the most
socially gifted, but has been battling pornography struggles for the past
year with only moderate success. Jerry is the strongest Asian leader in
the fellowship, and has tons of influence with cool Asian guys, though his
grades have been spotty, with a few D’s and F’s. Jessica is White, and is
the most solid and mature, but has also had a few moments of feeling
bullied by the staff, and has had a hard time knowing what to do with that.
Teresa and Zoe are Latina and White, and are both social and eager, though
they have the least ministry experience.
You know that you want to create a culture of student initiative, and that
forming an exec team is a big part of that.there hasn’t been one for over
10 years. As you look at the two classes under them, it feels like these
students might be your best chance for a long time to form your first exec
team . but you’re not sure.
What would you do? How would you make that decision?
Click to see HTML preview
