Gerhard doing training and development

Over the past year, I (Gerhard) have had such a hunger and desire in me to grow in my own personal development, knowledge, understanding and skill of being a better leader. I am constantly reading, listening, talking and studying about leadership and how to grow and develop healthy teams. Partly the reason for this is is that I have observed that as John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership” and the impact that both good and bad leaders make on society and people’s lives.

Along with this, I have observed the difference it makes when people work in an environment where there is a strong, healthy team environment and the benefits that go along with that. I feel very much called to teach, train and lead in these two areas.

Over the past few months, I have had the privilege to utilise some of my skills and knowledge in training and equipping teams and groups of people in these two areas. It has been such a joy! I really feel like I come alive when I can talk to a group of people and discuss with them what they can do to improve their own personal leadership and grow their team environment.

As a result, God has been opening doors for me to do training and development across different parts of Iris, such as with our leadership team, the next layer of leaders in our organisation, our school’s principal and teachers and our house parents. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Along with this, God has been organically opening some doors to do similar stuff in other organisations.

Above all else, I also know that even if you have the best strategies, and you don’t know Jesus and make Him number one priority, that there will always be an empty void. I am reminded of this and make it my aim to start the sessions with seeking God first and reminding people what type of an amazing God we serve. I am very grateful to the Lord for giving me these opportunities and have great intention to be faithful with it.

Sorry, not many photos :) I always seem to forget to take some!

Sleepover Fun

Once a month we have a sleepover at our house for mine or Gerhard's Small Group (discipleship group). It is a lot of fun and the kids love it! We really have a heart for these kids and love having them come to our house for Small Group time (weekly), sleepovers (monthly) and other fun trips and activities, like swimming, ice creams, horse riding etc. Our kids really relate to these kids and they are really looked after by our Small group kids.

During a sleepover, we make them dinner and desert and then we watch a movie together on the projector (in French with English subtitles, for us!) and then we make them beds on mattresses on the lounge floor. In the morning, we cook them breakfast and they get to play before heading back to their house. Its always a lot of noise, and activity, and last time the power went out for most of the night, so we lit the candles and finished watching the movie (Prince Caspian) by crowding around the laptop (good thing, the battery was charged!).

All our Iris kids (153 of them) are in a Small Group led by a missionary or leader, and it is in these small groups, that we get to get to know a smaller group of kids more personally as well as to disciple them and celebrate their birthdays.

Lately, I have been talking about hearing God's voice with my Small Group, and we have been practicing hearing God's voice. All my girls have been growing in hearing God's voice, and feeling His presence. Hallelujah!

Hearing the Voice of God

This morning in Iris Church I had the opportunity to talk on something that God has been talking to me about recently - Hearing God's Voice. Many people believe that God loves them, in the sense that God loves the world sense, but don't really know HOW much He loves them, until they hear Him talking to them. There is a war to keep us deaf, but the irony is that there is no such thing as spiritual deafness!

Every morning as part of our Family Bible Time, we spend 5-10 minutes where we all go off to different parts of the garden or house and ask God what He wants to say to us today. There is no such thing as a Junior Holy Spirit! Immanuel (4), Mary-Beth (6), Tabitha (8) all regularly hear God speaking to them and we have given them special books to record God's words to them.

My Iris Discipleship Group

For the last few months, I have been teaching my Iris Small Group (discipleship group) on hearing God's voice, and every week when we meet together we go and practice trying to hear God's voice. They have all been hearing God's voice. It is so encouraging for them and for me. There are only 2 truths. #1 God ALWAYS speaks! #2 Our ears work just fine!

If you would like to learn more about how to teach your children (or adults) how to hear God's voice, I would encourage you to buy Lisa Max's book "Conversations With Our Creator". It is simple, easy to read and easy to teach from. It is $5 US and downloadable in a digital format. http://classroom.letthechildrenfly.com/product/conversations-with-our-creator/