1321) The summer of 1981 was an important time for me. I went with 30 other teens and six leaders on a mission trip focused mostly on Gibraltar. That summer, we did puppet shows, singing, evangelism and more. From time to time, I’ll think about that summer and there is always a smile on my face and warmth within my belly.

As an adult, I look back on those months and think, How in the world did our leaders do it so successfully? There was so much that could go wrong, and sometimes did. There was dealing with the difficulties teens have. There was overseeing and protecting kids in foreign countries and, a few times, this protection involved protecting us from ourselves.

Paul tells us in Titus 1:5-9 that leaders, specifically those in the church, are to be held to a higher standard. He says they are to be blameless, not overbearing, quick-tempered, drunk, violent, and thieves. Yes, I know, it seems logical that these things should always be evident within leaders but, these days, it’s not always a given.

Why is it important what leaders do, even outside the bounds of their responsibilities? Because their job is to guide, protect, unravel difficulties that arise and more. If their lives are always on the verge of imploding, they cannot be free to lead others.

We leaders are given a special and important job. We need to make sure we are equipped and stay equipped to do these important responsibilities.

This is full of thanks for you: Twila, Larry, Linda, Lynn, Richard and Rex.