Justin Buhr - Leadership Award Winner

The start to the Kaléo program is just around the corner and I'm sure you probably have a mix of nervousness and excitement, I know I did when I was getting ready to fly from Manitoba to the coast. I'm Justin Buhr and I was recipient of the leadership award. My time in Kaléo developed and changed me tremendously.  
Although I have a natural leadership personality, it was hindered by a lot of issues, mainly pride. I sometimes see myself as introverted but often the real issue is that I'm afraid to risk failure in front of people. My pride prevented me from leading well because it crippled my ability to discern when to speak up and when to stay silent. I discovered that effective leadership involves much more than having more success than failure when you're in charge. 

Throughout the year there will be many leadership opportunities, I was excited for the because I wanted to develop myself as a leader. However, the leadership I wanted was one where I got to control everything and take the success for myself. Early on, I discovered that this wasn't going to happen: I learned that leadership was not what I thought it was. Here are a few things I learned about leadership through Kaléo. 

Leadership is humbling. Through the Kaléo program I learned that sometimes I had to swallow my pride and face failure. Leadership doesn't mean always succeeding, it means doing the best you can and owning up to it when you don't do your best. It means being the first to apologize when you mess up and the first one to try and fix the wrong. God will definitely work on you to break down the pride you have as he pushes you past your comfort zone and allows you to fail sometimes.

Leadership is supporting others. Leading isn't always being the one to make decisions. I learned to sometimes choose not to say something when someone made a decision that I thought I could've made better. Leadership is supporting and encouraging those above you. It's also giving advice and correction in the proper context. If a task takes a few minutes longer because someone chose to do a task differently it's not a huge issue. If their decisions are more of a concern, the best way to support them is to talk to them one on one. 
Leadership is addressing conflict. Ignoring conflict does not solve the issue. Being a leader means recognizing conflict and resolving it. Now I don't mean it's your job to fix everything wrong, but if there is an issue you need to encourage those involved to figure it out and not ignore it. It can be tough to have to face someone and show them an error they've made but we are called to do this. Encouragement is not just say nice things, it is instilling courage into a person. Giving them the courage to own up to their mistakes and face conflict rather than pushing it under the rug. As a leader you will be directly involved in conflict as well. In this you should strive to be a person that no one is afraid of confronting. Having a gentle and understand heart will equip you to confront others and also be confronted.  
Leadership is stepping into the unknown. Taking risks is a huge aspect of the Kaléo program, you will be stretched in many ways. Being a leader is being willing to take those risks, whether it's the first to speak up in class or the first to get demolished by a huge wave surfing. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; in Kaléo you will be stretched in both areas. Your role may look different in the classroom versus on an out trip, but you will at some point have the opportunity to step into the unknown. We aren't called to live a safe life, God desires us to step out and have to trust Him. In those moments where you are scared or nervous or want to turn back, lean on Christ, the one who will support you. 

Leadership is anchored in Christ, this is the most crucial aspect of leadership. There are many leaders around the world that we may look up to, but at some point they will all fail. We need to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith as a model for leadership. We all recognize our fallen world riddled with sin. We look back in the Old Testament and see many 'heroes' like Moses or Esther or David, these people still failed. The fact is Jesus is the true and perfect Moses: He came and lead the Jews out of the wilderness of their sin into the true promise land. Jesus is the true and perfect Esther: saving His people not from earthly torment and death but a spiritual torment and death. Jesus is the true and perfect David: standing up to satan and his armies and defeating them on the cross while we cowered like Saul's army. We are offered the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us. He is the one where true leadership comes from. When we are filled with Him we have the power the Jesus Christ Himself has. When we lead out of God's strength and power we recognize our weakness and rejoice in the fact that Christ can still use us. In the end, leadership is submitting to the supreme leader: Jesus Christ. 
I am so pumped for the adventure that God has for all of you Kaléo program students. It will be tough but also so rewarding, I will be praying for all of you, have an awesome year!

Tyler Knight - Valedictorian

Dear Future Qwanoes students, I hope that you know what kind of life changing adventure you are getting yourselves into! The most important adventure you will get to face during this up and coming year is seeing how God will reveal Himself to you and grow in your life! It is a year of amazing growth and community that makes me wish that I could have stayed and never left.

When I was in your position last year I remember the anxiety of all the preparations. I remember the fear for challenges I thought would come up in academics, faith, and community. However, all the fears that I had going in either turned out to be amazing moments I can cherish, seeing how God was at work in my life, or non-existent when the program started. This is true for the experiences I had throughout all aspects of the program. The aspects that are key for this program are: Community, Academics, Leadership, Ministry, and Adventure. They may seem simple but there are some key ideas to remember with each one.

To start, be ready to find a new family within the community that will be made this year. It is not always easy to be totally invested into the community all the time, but it plays a huge role in the year as a whole. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and step out of your comfort zone in order to get the most out of the community there. You will begin to see a family that you wont be able to let go of after this year is over. 
The next aspect that is crucial to work on is the academics. Though it seems like the least appealing aspect, due to its intensity, it is the one that you will profit from the most if you invest into it. There will be times of chaos and stress, but all this can be cut down extremely with time management and discipline. I advise to start working on projects, essays, and readings as soon as you can, so to avoid last minute crams. The academics will reveal so much of who God is and they can be completed through time management, prayer, and help from your peers. 
Another aspect that is a main push in this program is leadership. You will be stretched and put out of your comfort zone at points in order to teach you new lessons and stretch your abilities. Don’t be scared of new opportunities of leading discussions and activities around the camp and at the partnering churches. Embrace them and stay out of your comfort zone in order to see growth come from God enabling you to accomplish tasks set before you. 
Next is the ministry aspect of Kaléo. This is an amazing thing to be a part of throughout the year. You will experience the chance to lead in chapels, discussions, local youth groups and on your short term mission trip. Keep an open mind in order to learn from the leaders who are working with you in order to help you in the ministry for Christ this year and as you leave. 

Finally, the adventure aspect is another key component to this program. It may be the big draw for many of you, as it was for me, and they hold a mass amount of learning in them as well. You will be pushed more than you have before, so be ready to stick it out (you can make it through if I could). It is a joy to take time reveling in the Lord’s creation with your community as you accomplish a goal for the adventure, big or small. Don’t be afraid to seek out prayer and encouragement through these adventures as some of them can be a lot or work, but you can do it!
As you continue to get ready for this coming year I encourage you to remain excited for what God will do, and push aside fear and anxiety for God has an amazing plan for you this year which is something to be in hopeful anticipation for! Good luck to you all as you embark on this adventure together! May your focus be on the Lord throughout all the adventures you come to face this year and for years to come!

Welcome aboard!! Kaléo 2017

Welcome students to the official Kaléo 2017 blog (your graduating year). This site is a place to get updated on what's happening in the Kaléo program. We'll be posting periodically as we begin preparations for the year ahead.  Once the program begins we'll be posting updates weekly. If you're a student, I encourage you to share this as a link with friends, family, and church supporters so they can get a feel for the Kaléo program and some of the experiences God has in store for us.

This year God is going to do something great and inspiring ... like He does every year of course. However, this time, the context for God’s great and inspiring work will be a little different for you and me.  I’m really excited to experience the oikinomia (economy, stewardship) of God together in a slightly different setting, with perhaps a slightly more radical purpose.  It’s inevitable ... on many levels we are going deeper.  Are you excited?  I definitely am!!

You will be challenged academically, physically and spiritually.  Mind - Body - Soul. 

This is perfect because as humans, we were meant to be challenged, tested and experience growth in this way.  

Kaléo 2017 exists for a number reasons in your life: all of them are to prepare and equip you for every year that follows.  Expect God to challenge you, stretch you, and unite each of you together as you walk side by side into spiritual growth and leadership development.

Grace and peace,

Shane Pickel

Kaléo Program Leader

Over the next coming weeks check back here for new blog posts with letters to you from all the award winners of last years Kaléo Program class!