Partnership in Life

by Nathan Booth

One of the great joys of ministry on campus is working in partnership with student leaders to see more and more students brought in and built up into Jesus’ kingdom.

The partnership between students and staff, built on deep and mutual trust provides a great space to nurture Christian leaders with a deep love and knowledge of God that explodes in creativity and service.

Something that I’ve come to appreciate is that training doesn’t come primarily through conveying information, but rather through living, loving and serving alongside each other. The relational shape of the staff-student partnership at Sydney Uni means that as a staff member, I’m not there just to offer the occasional sprinkle of helpful information to independent student leaders, neither am I there to take charge and just tell them to adopt my plans. Rather together we hear from God’s word, talk, laugh and pray for the people God has entrusted to our care for this year.

In this dynamic relational context, I’m able to bring in some of my wisdom and experience to assist and encourage students to dream big with ambitious plans for mission and discipleship across our faculty.

An example of partnership in action has been that as I’ve encouraged the science faculty leaders about how the gospel re-configures how we see all of life, the student leaders were able to draw upon their own cultural insights to identify a need for the current generation of science students. Particularly for a clearer understanding how what Jesus says redefines our view of success and what that means for submitting their studies and time on campus to the lordship of Jesus. As the leaders get excited and struggle with the task of helping our faculty grow in letting Jesus be lord over everything, I get the opportunity not just to give advice but importantly to model service and leadership that is people-focussed and prayer-driven.

As someone who still has lots of growing to do in ministry, working in partnership with students has been a helpful encouragement for me to grow in my own walk with Jesus to be someone more deeply thankful, humble, servant-hearted, restful and content.

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