GOOD LEADERS FOR CAMPUS, CHURCH, AND SOCIETY

“Our world needs leaders shaped by God.”

It’s an assertion we all feel deeply today. We see the damaging effects of cruel dictators, greedy politicians, corrupt officials – and wayward pastors.

But it’s always been true. Proud Egypt needed a Joseph, faithless Israel needed a Deborah, and God-defying Babylon needed a Daniel. And God delivered. He shaped a household slave, a prophetess, and an international student into leaders of vision, compassion, justice, courage, and integrity.

Thankfully, God is still calling and shaping leaders today – and IFES is grateful to be part of that work. Through our national movements, regional programs, and global initiatives, students are being formed into leaders of influence. Our vision statement says:

“At the heart of everything we do is a desire to see students thriving together as communities of disciples, transformed by the gospel and impacting the university, the church and society for the glory of Christ.”

In this blog, we hear directly from a student in Asia, a pastor in Latin America, and a lawyer in Africa. They tell us how their involvement in IFES has shaped them as leaders – for the university, the church, and society.

LEADERS FOR UNIVERSITY: NAOMI

Naomi Chandrasekharan is a final year student in zoology at the Open University and a student leader in the IFES movement in Sri Lanka.

Back in 2020, when COVID kept us all restricted to Zoom calls, I joined FOCUS – the Fellowship of Christian University Students in Sri Lanka. After two years, I found myself being invited to join around 20 other students from across the island on the National Student Executive (NSE), our student leadership body.

Having grown up in a church focused on discipleship and reaching the unreached, my foundation in leadership was already laid. However, the student movement pushed me further, challenging me to study God’s Word more deeply – not just for personal growth, but for its impact on the world around me.

As leaders, we were encouraged to think critically about the issues we saw, both on campus and in wider society. And, most importantly, we explored how the gospel related to those issues. This required us to slow down, pause, and reflect – an increasingly rare habit in today’s fast-paced world. And one I struggled with as well!

Through these practices, I began to understand that leadership is not about what we do for God, but rather recognizing what he is already doing in the world and partnering with him in that mission.

In 2022, amid Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, a FOCUS initiative called “Word and the World” gave us the chance to visit poverty-stricken areas across the island, with teams spending several days in local communities. It was an eye-opening experience. It revealed the urgent needs within our own land, and it was a place where our education and the needs of the people met – a place where dreams were born and hearts were changed.

FOCUS fellowship groups on campus have also organized programs to address key student issues. University-wide discussions have been turned into action, and we’ve been given the opportunity to lead some of those sessions. As we served in predominantly unbelieving environments, we learned to respect all people as we created spaces where we could navigate difficult questions of life together.

Our student movement operates in three languages (Sinhala, Tamil, and English), which can make communication challenging – yet also enriching! This experience taught me patience, mindfulness, and the importance of listening attentively to those who might not share my language preference. That often meant I needed to talk less! Speaking in someone’s heart language was not just about what was being said but about affirming the person and identifying with them. As a team, we slowly realized that each of us had a vital role to play and that we needed each other as we united to work towards a common goal.

In 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in IFES World Assembly. I was deeply encouraged to hear people share their testimonies – it was amazing to see what God is doing across the world!

It was a learning experience as well as a powerful reminder that we are all a part of something bigger.

Members of the NSE met regularly for prayer, but it wasn’t until the end of our tenure that we realized those moments were some of the most significant. We saw how God answered those prayers, doing far more than we had asked, and it reminded us that God builds his kingdom and brings everything together in his time. We are simply called to be faithful to him, trusting him for the outcome, knowing that even the smallest act holds significance in his kingdom.

Watch Naomi’s reflections on Psalm 16 at IFES World Assembly 2023

LEADERS FOR THE CHURCH: RICARDO

Ricardo Borges served in IFES-related student ministry for 32 years, locally in his national movement, regionally, and globally. Today, he serves as a full-time pastor in a Brazilian Japanese church in São Paulo, Brazil.

Through my years of service in IFES, I’ve had the special privilege of learning aspects of ministry that I consider to be crucial for my church-based role today.

It begins with the centrality of the Word. It must be heard, read, and understood so that it feeds our devotion and love for God and shapes the way we live – both individually and communally.

The ways that I think, study, and expound the Word in church today are all deeply moulded by my years in IFES.

I also learned in IFES that it’s the Word that transforms – both by prophetic denunciation in the world and by impacting individuals and the structures around us. I seek to lead by proclaiming a holistic gospel of salvation. It needs to both touch the person and promote the welfare of the vulnerable and those on the margins in our cities and nations today. In a world of “building walls”, IFES has taught me to cross borders and confront barriers so that I can learn from my brothers and sisters in diverse cultures and contexts.

A global community like IFES, with its identity, values, and ethos of mission, taught me to be more humble – something that’s helped me work better with others in teams. In our church, we work with people of all ages from different cultures and social backgrounds with varied levels of education. My previous ministry experience has prepared me for this. I’m able to be a little more attentive to the contribution that each person in the body of Christ can bring. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed abundantly and generously to all!

I also believe that, by God’s grace, IFES has formed in me a pastoral heart. As a leader, I seek to listen to and welcome each person when they come to Christ.

I want to help them grow into all the potential they have as a disciple of Christ, in whatever place and sphere of society the Lord has placed them.

To this end, I preach, teach, pastor, visit, and disciple people in the local community today. By God’s grace, I pray that it will be a community that is faithful in the city, in the nation, and in the world. It’s a longing that echoes what IFES is striving for – communities of disciples growing in the gospel and bringing glory to Christ in the complex and challenging world in which we live today.

Listen to Ricardo on this Voices of IFES podcast:

🎙️ Is God’s Word Worth It?

Introducing IFES Scripture Engagement with Ricardo Borges

LEADERS FOR SOCIETY: MARGARET

Margaret Muga has worked for Simba & Simba Advocates (Nairobi County, Kenya) since 2022. She was recently appointed a Senior Associate of the firm.

I gave my life to Christ in my high school years. Although I went to church and fellowshipped with my family, I never really connected with my spirituality at a deeper level until 2015, when I joined the Christian Union (CU) at Moi University School of Law.

I found a welcoming community of believers comprised of fellow students who not only shared similar beliefs but also offered a place of belonging and unity in Christ. It gave me the opportunity to connect with my faith. I began to more deeply engage with Scripture and see its relevance to our daily lives. I served the student fraternity and community around campus.

It was during this period that I challenged myself to think critically about my faith and develop my own convictions.

I also discovered that the Fellowship of Christian Unions – FOCUS Kenya – was providing immense support to student-led CUs across Kenya.

FOCUS Kenya provided Bible study guides and supported our campus group with the help of a staff worker. For me, it was not just about studying the Word of God and fellowshipping on campus. We had the opportunity to put our faith into action.

We held door-to-door evangelism among campus students and in the surrounding community. We organized missions to various parts of Kenya. We took part in social advocacy campaigns, volunteered for activities, organized food drives for the needy every semester, and attended national conferences organized by FOCUS.

It was these leadership opportunities that were pivotal for my growth.

I began by leading small groups. Then, in 2018, I was privileged to lead our campus CU as the Chairperson and was subsequently asked to chair FOCUS Kenya’s National Student Executive Committee. A fond lesson and memory from these various leadership opportunities was listening – to the students, to fellow committee members, to campus management, to FOCUS Kenya, to mentors and mentees, and ultimately to God – and seeking to align all views to honour God’s will.

I even received the opportunity to serve students on a global scale when I was elected as Student Representative on the IFES Board for 2019-2023. At the same time, I was part of IFES English- and Portuguese-Speaking Africa Regional Support team. I joined at a time when COVID-19 had disrupted everything we knew as normal. I appreciated the diversity of IFES – with all the different backgrounds, cultures, professions, and ministry experiences feeding into our deliberations and decision-making.

I can therefore testify that my campus CU, FOCUS Kenya, and IFES not only helped nourish my spiritual walk with Christ but also formed me into an upright Christian, capable of representing Christ and witnessing to him in the marketplace.

Today, as a practising Advocate, my faith and affiliation to IFES is something I’m proud of sharing with others at work. I’m an active member of my church and I continue to participate in activities of FOCUS Kenya as an Associate (graduate supporter).

Local and global IFES ministry has shaped who I am as a person. It’s given me the courage to share my faith, the confidence to lead, and a heart to serve others for the glory of God.

I’m incredibly grateful for this and feel encouraged that the lives of students are continuing to be transformed.

THE FORM OF LEADERS SHAPED BY IFES

Naomi, Ricardo, and Margaret – on different continents, in varied contexts – have been shaped as leaders by local and global expressions of IFES. While each is unique, what emerges are six distinctive dimensions that are common to all:

Rooted in the Word. Deep, thoughtful exploration of Scripture in their student years enabled them to see themselves, their peers, and the world through God’s eyes.

Attentive to the world. But their Bible studies were not pietistic. All three speak of how they were encouraged to listen and engage with the needs of those around them – to see how the Word applied to the world.

Committed to action. And that engagement was not theoretical – whether through the compassion of “Word and the World” in Sri Lanka, the passion of countrywide missions in Kenya, or the courage of “prophetic denunciation” in Latin America, these three leaders have made a practical difference.

Engaged in church. It’s also striking that all mention their involvement in a local church. Their commitment to IFES leadership did not rob the church of students or young professionals. On the contrary, they now enrich it with their character, gifts, and skills.

Connected to the global church. Although they serve in local contexts, their perspective is now informed by their sense of “global community”, of being part of “something bigger”.

Trusted to lead. From the outset, they were entrusted with leadership roles – whether in a local campus group, a national student executive, or a regional body. They developed as leaders by being given the opportunity to lead.

God is still delivering leaders of vision, compassion, justice, courage, and integrity. The legacy of Joseph, Deborah, and Daniel lives on in Naomi, Ricardo, and Margaret – and countless others who God is shaping today as leaders for tomorrow.

That’s why this year’s IFES Global Giving Day is so vital.

On 2 April, we’re inviting support for leadership programs and mentoring networks across IFES.

Here are 4 ways you can get involved right now:

FOUR WAYS TO ENGAGE

1. JOIN THE LEADERSHIP DISCUSSION

Tell us what you’re looking for in a leader. Visit the webpage and share the three qualities you think are most essential – and see what others are saying.

2. PRAY FOR LEADERS SHAPED BY GOD

Use a prayer inspired by “The Work of His Hands” theme (Isaiah 64) on the Global Giving Day page. Read stories of students, staff, and graduates who have been moulded through IFES.

3. SUPPORT THE FORMATION OF LEADERS BY GIVING

You can already donate to Global Giving Day 2025. Thanks to a generous matching fund, every gift will be doubled until we reach our 110,000 USD target!

4. SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SHAPING LEADERS

Let others know how God is shaping leaders through IFES by sharing this blog. Get your student group, movement, church, or organization involved with resources from the Share Hub.

However you respond, you can be part of meeting the call for a world with leaders shaped by God.