I like to think of myself as a runner but if I’m really honest I’m more of a plodder.  Sprinting is not my forte. 

What I am good at is putting one foot in front of the other, stubbornly and determinedly. I will keep going. When it comes to my faith though, I’ve more frequently resembled an erratic sprinting enthusiast.

I don’t mean I’ve blown hot and cold; it’s more a matter of forgetting the nature of the race. You know, you get all fired up and eager to ‘change the world’ for Christ and then the next minute you’re feeling deflated and frustrated because you’re not making the waves you thought you would be. Did you get it wrong? Maybe if you’d studied Medicine at university rather than History you’d be more effective for God’s Kingdom?

Meeting individuals, through the Leadership Programme, who seem to be ‘making a difference’ in all kinds of corners of our culture was like a reality check and pep-talk rolled into one. I quickly realised that most of them have spent time wondering if they’re doing the right thing; have failed; have quietly grafted away when others have given up. Their lives haven’t been a triumphalist project of changing the world but more often a step of faith into the undefined, knowing simply that God has motioned them to follow.

Sure, they are people of vision. But they’re people who know that they’re in it for the long-haul; whose vision is so big that they might not see it accomplished in their own lifetime and yet are committed to pursuing it wholeheartedly. That takes stamina and perseverance. And humility. 

If you’ve got an inkling of a vision that seems outrageously bold; if you want to keep seeking inspiration; if you want to learn how to increase your stamina then the Leadership Programme will offer you the opportunity to learn from those who’ve gone before you.

 

Hi, I’m Katie McAvoy, the Associate Director of the Institute for Faith and Culture run by CARE. 

The Programme equips the rising generation of Christians (that’s you and me!) to be leaders in the world of public policy and wider culture.  If what I’ve been talking about excites you then you can find out more about the Programme by visitingwww.care.org.uk/leadershipprogramme.