So now that I have said yes what does this mean?
Here is the big question… What is a Squad leader?
From the bottom up, this is how it works (at least my best attempt):
- My squad consists of around 60 individuals
- Those 60 are divided into eight teams of 5-7 individuals
- One individual on each team is called up to be the team leader (8 TLs total)
- And then there are three Squad Leaders over the teams that mainly pour into the team leaders and then the rest trickles down to the rest of the Squad.
*The way The World Race does it is there are initially 2-3 alumni squad leaders (that have already completed a year on the Race) that travel with the squad as the SLs, and then at the end of the third month, after much prayer and consideration, they choose 2-3 new Squad Leaders to raise up for the future from within the squad. Then month four they train these new individuals and by the beginning of month five, they peace out and leave them and the Squad in the Lord’s capable hands.
It is a crazy way to do things that goes against so much of how the world operates. But they pair up with the Kingdom in that they are always looking for new leaders to call up and call identity out of. It is so beautiful.
- There is also our amazing Squad Coordinator, Hannah Olsen, who covers about a million things for us state-side while also praying her heart out over us and the squad and is in constant communication between us and the rest of the AIM/WR Staff.
- And then we also have our Coaches/Mentors, Jay and Denise Heesch who are pastors of a church in the States and are an amazing force of love, power and encouragement that continually pour out on us. They visit us overseas about every other month for our debriefs.
How will my Race look now that I am a Squad Leader?
Whoa, that is a big one.
Firstly, I have a new team, my squad leading team consisting of Clair and Robert (and this month Chelsea and Erin too! Thank you Jesus)
Instead of being stationary with my team, my job now is to travel from team to team across whatever country we may be in that month. We encourage, bring life, serve and seek the Lord for what He wants to say to each team and each individual. We are a support system for the Team Leaders, checking in weekly and walking beside them to support in any way we can.
I really love how my Alum Squad Leader, Chelsea Angel, summed up the heart of squad leading with Erin and Phillip in one of her recent blogs, Thumbs Up For God:
“God has asked us to step out in a lot of crazy ways these past 3 months, all for the sake of love. He has asked Erin, Phillip and I to pour His heart into 60 people, no holding back, no matter the cost. We have watched people come from no sense of identity to becoming who they truly are in Christ. We have seen people drop a life time of baggage and be set free in the name of Jesus. We have spoken light and life into the dark places of people's souls and seen people literally glow with the glory of the Lord. We have been honored again and again to be able to see His name be glorified and his heart become real to people, even when they thought they were alone. We have been able to see so many J-Squaders realize they are loved and adored and have heard story after story of them bringing that love to the nations.”
I have big shoes to fill. We all do. Jesus was an ordinary man that left a footprint so big, while still being man sized, that it marked the earth forall eternity. And then you know what He did? He took off His shoes and left them here, for you and for me. So that we could stomp around too and stir up Kingdom dust and carry people over rough terrain and right back to the Father's feet. And when Jesus puts His shoes on us we are each like Cinderelly (Yes, even the manlest of men). We are stunning, Beloved, chosen and they are always a perfect fit.
When I was initially asked by AIM to be a Team Leader they told us the story of Hannah and her son Samuel from 1 Samuel. Every year when Samuel would start school his mother would make him a new coat. They talked about the importance of her making the coat a little bit too big in the beginning so that he could grow into it throughout the year. And by the time the year was over it was snug and time to get a new one.
This was our picture of team leading. The coat needs to be a bit too big so that we could grow into it. And let me tell you, I really did grow into mine. And just when I thought I was fitting in it the most comfortably, snug and warm, God started to tell me to unbutton it and take it off.
Now, I have a new coat, a squad leading coat. And sometimes I get freaked out because it looks so big. But then I get excited because God made me this coat, He made it to be a perfect fir for who He created me to be and in some supernatural way He is going to change me so that I fit nicely inside. I can’t make the coat fit; only He can do that. He did it once and I have faith that He can do it again.
