Lessons Learned in Leadership
High School KAYAMM is about leadership, and that's exactly what I learned. Being pretty young, I had never really had any experience being a leader, especially a spiritual leader. I didn't know a thing about leading out a family group discussion, how to plan a VBS, or much less be a VBS leader, but I was able to accomplish all that within one week.
During the first two days, we split up into groups and began planning out lessons and activities for the rest of the week. While planning, I had so many doubts. I was afraid that things wouldn't work out the way we planned, or that the kids wouldn't listen to anyone. I didn't even believe that I was capable of being a role model for these kids. What had I ever done to deserve such an opportunity to show God's love? As more doubts came to my head, I prayed even more to God asking for strength and faith. One of our leaders told me that God qualifies those He calls, and that's exactly what it says in Romans 8:30: "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Pastor Jason Kim said that it was never about us, but it's about what God can do through us. And I never really understood those words until I came upon Romans 8:30. I realized that even if I don't think I'm good enough, God does; otherwise, He would not have blessed me with this experience.
I was so tired during the next four days, but I kept persevering because I knew that God had great plans in store for the week. I met the sweetest and wildest kids that drove me absolutely crazy but whom I somehow grew to love. A leader said that we would learn more from the kids than what we would be able to teach them, and he was right. Those wild children showed me how to love unconditionally, to forgive and forget, and to have faith. I truly learned what it meant to be a leader that week.
Aside from leadership, I also learned about having a closer relationship with God. No matter how tired I was, by the grace of God, I was able to wake up very early and devote lots of time to God. Those early mornings were the moments I saw God for the first time in my life. I felt His presence beside me as I prayed to Him, and I was able to see Him in everything that I did throughout the rest of the week. I've had devotions every morning since High School KAYAMM, and it has been the biggest blessing in my life.
KAYAMM brought many new people into my life, as well as many that I met a long time ago at Jr. KAYAMM. We were able to open up to each other and share our burdens, especially in our family groups. Our own leaders and pastors taught us so much, and we would not have been able to accomplish anything without their guidance. They gave many workshops and sermons to prepare us to be proper leaders not just for that week, but also for when we go back to our own churches, where we can make the biggest difference. Many memories were made that week, as well as many answered prayers, and I thank God every morning that I was able to have this experience.
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Grace is a High School sophomore at Nashville Church.