Training leaders to Eat- our new motto

Don is a pastor from Montreal who has recently decended on zambia and our college here in Kitwe to begin a practical leadership school in Zambia. Leadership, mentorship, management are things that we learn to get better at. No one is born a Winston Churchill, or an Abraham Lincoln, these men had years of training, years of hard knocks prior to the iconic nature we now immortalize them in.

Zambia is in the generation of hard knocks. They are growing up into leadership of churches, communities and countries having been stripped of role models because of years of colonialism, followed by the devastation of HIV where many parents simply disappeared leaving kids to grow on their own.

Todays leaders have never had mentors. Many of the countries early leaders had to learn on their own and don't have the skill to pass it on. Over a nice meal at the local lake and his wife's amazing....AMAZING lemon tarts made with fresh lemon zest, we talked about what he was thinking. Although his focus and invitation is to work with pastors he feels it isn't theological training they need, but mentorship and good management training. Pastors need to pass on their skills, share their resources. Having heard my interests in being in Zambia he says, 'Rob I think that you are here at a very good time to help us see TTC become a training centre for all of Zambia.' That made me feel good, but here is why. Don sees that a primary thrust has to be helping churches start businesses, build skills into their churches will transform communities the very thing we think needs to happen.

I'm bottom line excited because I see a whole bunch of things coming together. It is nice to know that we aren't the only one thinking that these things are important. And feeling in many ways we may be in the right place at the right time. In February we begin building a skill training centre where we will begin training pastors and community leaders in this area, giving them business skills. I am beginning a class called the 'biblical basics of business' to help get students started on their own income generating schemes.

Thinking about Barry Ilunga (see today's other post) and his 2000 hectares needing development. I am overwhelmed with the potential that is sitting out there to be pounced on. So here is a plug. If you have skills to offer and want to come. Trades (electrical, plumbing, concrete, wood work, masonary) and want to come to do some training we would pull people together here and let you loose on them. Or if you are interested in investing in our not yet created business development projects and want to start with some seed money. It would be a tremendous gift.

Lean into the things in front of you and there you will find God's Kingdom.


cheers