CRM Empowering Leaders

Ninjas in the Dormitory

Almost a year ago, I met William Taute. He was sharing his heart in at our church about the ongoing racial tensions in his residence hall. His heart was bleeding out on the table as he described the situation. It moved me deep in my bones, so I asked him to have coffee with me that week.

What transpired was a regular set of meetings where we walked together towards a solution. William found eleven other leaders in the hall and we began forming a leadership community. That community of leaders was tasked with one objective : stop the racial tensions in the residence hall by spreading love.

Every week, we look to the scripture to guide our journey as a community of leaders. What has transpired in a very short time has been unthinkable.

• The house parent (Residence Hall Director) has told the group how much of a difference he has seen because of the group. Conflict in general, and more specifically, racial conflict, have dropped more dramatically in the last six months than ever before in his entire tenure at the University.
• The leadership community has grown to 16 students and is considering increasing their core objectives for next year to include a massive discipleship movement. Each “ninja” being tasked to disciple a minimum of 3 other students in the residence.
• In the last month alone, three students have begun following Jesus. One of those just recently was baptized.
• Leadership is shifting from William to two others as William graduates and takes the DNA of the Ninjas to his next location.

Think about this in the long term. Every year, Ninjas will graduate and take this experience of the gospel all over the world. As they move on, they are being replaced with a fresh group of inspired leaders for South Africa’s future. This movement is much broader than one small residence hall in the corner of Pretoria University!!!