Cover image of Friends In Action, Intl., September 2023 publication of

Mission: Vanuatu

Sep 7, 2023

Mission: Vanuatu

A MESSAGE FROM PAUL BROSEY, PROJECT & TEAM COORDINATOR

“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” – Isaiah 6:8 (KJV)

The concept of leaders developing leaders may seem as simple as coaching people who already know what they are doing, but for Friends in Action (FIA) the reality goes much deeper. The process starts with identifying those with the potential to lead teams— work teams and field teams, and the organization of teams traveling to remote locations around the world.

Leadership Calling

We start with a question that goes back to our Master teacher, Jesus. How did he know whom to call to be his disciples, the men he would eventually entrust with leading the Church he would build? While the process looked to be random, I believe he called men who would be willing to be taught and coached. While I cannot identify those willing to be trained and coached by FIA, the same Holy Spirit who was active in the first century Church calling out leaders is still actively calling out those who will heed the call to leadership.

Our approach is geared toward those with leadership characteristics and those who can give several weeks a year to lead a short-term trip, yet we recognize that the Holy Spirit may call some to commit more time or even a
total career to ministry through FIA. We trust that those men and women will be receptive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Providing Training & Identifying Gifts

As Christ-followers submit to this step of commitment, we need to be sensitive to this calling, providing those who respond with the training and experience to be effective leaders of others.

We seek to lead in response to God’s call and build upon experience as a foundation for effective leadership.

We are looking for the assurance that they are surrendering themselves to the desire of the Holy Spirit. We seek to lead in response to God’s call and build upon experience as a foundation for effective leadership.

We provide training for leaders in project management, intercultural understanding, and spiritual development. We do this personally and within the team context. Very few of us come fully equipped, ready to take charge.

We aim to identify each person’s skills and talents and then encourage personal growth and progress in each area. The truth is, we are all constantly learning. So, our goal is to coach leaders to recognize the growth process and learn how to lead. None of us have arrived; all of us are in the process.