"I’m good at managing smart, bright people," my friend said, and we laughed at the audacity of the statement. Yet, there was truth in it—leadership isn’t about control but about creating the right conditions for others to grow and thrive.
You may be familiar with the arch of trees just beyond the altar at the front of the Green Cathedral. Over the years, this arch has shifted and reshaped itself—where one tree has fallen, new ones have taken root, almost miraculously growing in its place.
The other day, I took a moment to lie on the soft sand by the water’s edge, gazing up at the arching branches above. My eyes followed the trunks upward to the intricate maze of intertwining branches. I noticed how one tree cradled and held up the branch of another, allowing it to stretch further over the water than it could on its own.
As I reflected, I thought about the week we had spent together in staff meetings in the new Tiona Chapel —how our support for one another allows us to reach beyond what we could achieve on our own. I considered the enthusiasm and steadfast faith of Annie Falcke our new interim Mission President, our vision as Mission Centre staff to stand together by the water’s edge, and the promise of new growth.
This reminded me of a song my sister and I used to sing when our little ones were brought to be blessed at church: Welcome to the Family. The words still echo: May we always be to you what God would have us be, a family always there, to be strong and to lean on.
Jeremiah 17:7–8 speaks of a sacred truth that allows us to flourish, even in times of drought:
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.
Like those trees, may we stand firm and draw from God’s love. May we extend our branches in steadfast support of one another and create the right conditions for others, perhaps those we don’t even know yet, to grow and thrive.
As you look up may you ask yourself the questions, ‘How have I been supported by others in my life?’ and ‘How am I a support for others?’
Anne Bonnefin
Communication Co Ordinator
Australia Mission Centre