- Participants will recognise that the qualities of a godly leader and a godly worker are the same, as seen in the life of Jesus.
- Participants will practise collaborating within their teams to prepare them for leadership.
Lesson Preparation
We are all called to collaborate. By humbly accepting the roles that have been assigned to us and respecting each other's unique skill sets and perspectives, we can create solutions that go beyond anything we could attempt on our own. Learning the qualities that make a leader worth following empowers us to become both effective leaders and team members ourselves.
Romans 12:4-5; Philippians 2:3
- Collaborate: to offer open-handed ideas and perspectives in an effort to find the most optimal solution possible
- Role: the function one takes responsibility for in a system
- Team: a group of people working together to achieve a common goal
- Workbook
- Pen/Pencil
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- Lesson Summary: The summary provides an overview of what will be covered in the lesson. It includes the Scripture or biblical truths and how the biblical principles apply to the lives of the participants.
- Lesson Objectives: These goals guide instruction and support the main idea of the lesson. They state what participants should know and be able to do once they have completed the lesson.
- Scripture References: These are passages of Scripture used in each lesson. Plan to read these passages prior to teaching the lesson
- Vocabulary: These are the key words discussed in each lesson that should be taught in context.
- Materials: This is a list of supplies needed to teach the lesson and/or to do the activities.
- Welcome and Review: Begin each class by welcoming the participants and reviewing the material from the previous lesson.
- Icebreaker: In Lesson 1, there is an icebreaker activity to start the lesson. This is a great way to get participants talking and comfortable with one another.
- Scripture Study: Includes different parts. The leader shares the Bible story interactively, asking questions and guiding discussion to engage participants in the Scripture.
- Workbook Activity: During each lesson, students will complete a workbook exercise that will help reinforce learning through hands-on engagement. The workbook activities provide structure for applying the lesson content to the project. Completed examples are provided in this leader's guide and at the back of the participant's workbook.
- Facilitation Tips: These support the leader with strategies for guiding the group projects. These reminders help facilitators adapt to challenges and adjust for learners with different abilities and styles.
- Project Milestone: This statement is designed to help define the progress goal for the group project. It outlines the key steps that the leader and student should aim to accomplish by the end of the lesson.
Pray: Participants will reflect on the lesson, and the facilitator will end the lesson with a prayer.
Welcome and Review
Greet participants and review the previous lesson.
Say:
Today, we are going to start the lesson with an exercise in collaboration.
Instruct the students to line up silently in order of their birthday month, shoe size, or height.
Emphasise how they must use creative, nonverbal communication to succeed.
Once the activity is complete, congratulate the students and instruct them to return to their seats.
Say:
When our activity started, this place was full of chaos and competing ideas. But as the challenge went on, each of you began to realise your need to pay attention to one another, to accept alternative ideas, and to rely on teamwork. No one could do it alone. That is exactly what collaboration is all about.
Ask:
How many of you have either played on a football team or watched a football game before?
Allow responses.
What would you say is the most critical component of a football team's success?
Allow responses.
Say:
Just like in football, where the coach, players and even the kit man must each own their roles and work together, collaboration is key. No single person can win the game alone. It takes shared effort, strategy, and trust. That is exactly what we saw in our opening challenge. The only way to succeed was through paying attention to one another and respecting each other's ideas. If anyone tried to figure it out by themselves, the team would have fallen short.
In life and in our calling, we will quickly hit personal limits if we try to walk alone. We have to collaborate: to offer open-handed ideas and perspectives in an effort to find the most optimal solution possible.
Say:
God calls his people to reflect Christ by serving with humility, leadership, and teamwork. When we value each other's unique gifts, we accomplish more together than we ever could on our own.
Invite students to open to page 15 in their workbook and follow along as you read the Scripture selections.
Romans 12:4-5:
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Pause and invite students to respond to questions 1 and 2 in the workbook.
Question 1:
According to this verse, why is it important that each member of the body of Christ brings their unique function to the whole?
Question 2:
As we prepare to create our project pitch, how can we make sure everyone's voice, gift, and perspective is part of the collaboration?
Say:
Just like the human body is made up of many different parts, each with its own function, so the body of Christ is made up of many unique members who belong to one another. No single part of the body can operate in isolation. Every part, no matter how small, is essential to the greater whole.
In the same way, collaboration is not optional—it is essential. God designed us with different strengths, perspectives and gifts so that we work together to achieve a common goal.
As we prepare for our project pitch, this truth comes alive. Each person here has something valuable to contribute: an idea, a skill, an insight, or even just a question that pushes the group forward. Collaboration means creating space for every voice, actively listening and aligning our efforts toward one shared goal. It requires us to follow the example of Jesus, serving with a posture of humility and selflessness.
Say:
Invite students to continue following along in their workbook.
Philippians 2:3
Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
Pause and invite students to respond to questions 3 and 4 in the workbook.
Question 3:
Why do you think selfish ambition and pride can weaken collaboration?
Question 4:
What does it look like in practice to "value others above yourself" when working on a team or project?
Say:
This verse calls us to examine our motives whenever we work with others. Collaboration easily breaks down when pride, competition, or self-interest take the lead. Paul reminds us that the way of Christ is different. We are called to value the contributions, perspectives, and needs of others as highly as our own. Humility does not devalue our own gifts. Instead, it makes room for everyone else's gifts to shine too. Philippians 2:3 challenges us to shift from "me-first" thinking to "we-first" living.
When we choose collaboration over competition, we create an atmosphere where trust grows, creativity flourishes, and stronger solutions emerge.
Say:
During the past few sessions, you figured out what it would take to bring your project to life. Today, you will focus on sharing your idea through a Project Pitch. This is your team's chance to clearly communicate your plan and get others excited about it. Make sure everyone participates during the pitch in some way. If possible, include a simple visual aid (PowerPoint, chart or poster) to help tell your story. You will present your pitch to your leader next session, so spend this time planning and preparing.
Invite students to turn to page 16 in their workbook. Give them some time to complete the project activity. Then, invite students to share their thoughts aloud with the group.
Sample Completed Activity
Assuming the project is tutoring academically challenged kids.
Use the outline below to prepare a 1- to 2-minute project pitch that you will present to the group.
- Every person must participate in the presentation in some way.
- If possible, include a simple visual aid (like a PowerPoint, chart or poster) to support your pitch.
- Be prepared to present your project idea to your leader in the next session.
Pitch Outline
| Why? |
Why does this problem matter? Why should people care? How do you know there is a real need? Many children in Makerere struggle in school because they lack extra help. This project will give them the support they need to succeed. |
|---|---|
| Where? |
Where will you carry out your solution? What community, setting, or space will be impacted? We will run the project in the Makerere community, using a local school classroom as a safe space for the sessions. |
| When? |
When will this project happen? Outline your timeline from start to finish. Will it take just one day or require multiple days? We will run the project over four weeks, holding two tutoring sessions each week. Week 1: Prepare—recruit students, set up space, and gather materials. Weeks 2-4: Hold tutoring sessions with volunteers. |
| How? |
How do you plan to solve this problem? Be specific about the resources you will need—people, materials, time, or money. Resources needed include volunteers, books, pens, textbooks, and flashcards. The project will use a community hall and run for two weeks, with two sessions each week. |
| Support Needed? |
What kind of support or guidance will you need from your leader/teacher to make this project possible? We need our leader's support in: Helping to connect with community leaders, secure a safe space and to provide feedback to make the project sustainable and impactful. |
Project
Milestone:
Milestone:
Pitch preparation.
By the end of the lesson, students will have worked within their groups to outline their pitch presentation that they will present during the next lesson.
Define extra work.By the end of the lesson, students will have worked within their groups to define any work associated with their project pitch that will need to be completed before the next lesson.
If you sense your students need additional support, consider these teaching strategies.
-
Model an example
Show students what a successful pitch looks like by presenting a short one in front of the class.
-
Watch for vague ideas
Students may be tempted to share concepts that lack specific details. Encourage them to be as specific as possible.
-
Check logistics
Ask clarifying questions to ensure the project is realistic and that you, as the leader, have the capacity to support it.
Say:
We are called to collaborate because every person brings unique gifts and perspectives that, when combined, create stronger solutions and greater impact. By practising humility, valuing others and working together, we thrive as one body and accomplish more than we ever could alone.
Pray:
Allow time for participants to repeat each section after you.
Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching us the power of collaboration and the value of every member in your body.
Help us to work with humility, listen to one another and honour each person's gifts and ideas.
Guide us to combine our strengths and efforts in unity, so that together we can achieve more than we could alone.
Amen.
Lessons 1-12
- Lesson 1 Being Who I Am Called To Be
- Lesson 2 Called To a Kingdom
- Lesson 3 Called To Image
- Lesson 4 Called To Serve
- Lesson 5 Called To Responsibility
- Lesson 6 Called To Overcome
- Lesson 7 Called To Collaborate
- Lesson 8 Called To Confidence
- Lesson 9 Called To Refine
- Lesson 10 Called To Implement
- Lesson 11 Called To Evaluate
- Lesson 12 Called To Continue