Over the past few weeks, we have shared a few articles about the future of Kairos. It has been fun to see what God is doing in and through this fresh expression of collaboration and partnership! The next two weeks will include an article about some new resources that are available for mentors followed by a report on how we are stewarding the resources and opportunities God has entrusted to us.
Today, however, we are going to take a look at one more exciting aspect of the unique union of schools we announced a few weeks ago.
On Friday and Saturday of this week, we will host a board meeting that will be the first to include members from across the various partners that comprise Kairos. It is exciting because of the opportunity it creates to think differently about what it means to “govern” an institution. In many ways, this group is supporting a movement, not governing a school. That reality requires a new approach to governance.
It invites us to think of governance not as something we divide across the various aspects of the institution (what most people call shared governance), but rather something that we steward collaboratively. As a community of Christ-followers who have been entrusted with a mission and resources, we should engage in a trust-based collaborative approach to governance. In this approach, power and prestige must be released by every person and group within an institution in order to welcome everyone to the table. Systems and structures need to be as flat as possible, allowing all voices to speak with power into the work of the institution. That is what fuels a movement.
In doing so, we will not only give away internal power but also welcome the church as our primary collaborator. When we begin to trust each other and see governance as a collaborative process, we are more able to let go not only of individual power but also institutional power. This release of power opens doors to conversations that are currently closed and empowers the church to be fully invested in the development of disciples.
I am excited about this stage in the development of Kairos because I expect the Spirit to open our eyes to new possibilities.
This post originally appeared on the Kairos University blog.
