In a few days we will be half-way
through the summer season at Nathanael. Our noncoms are not just holding up,
they’re getting better. They get better because they gain experience. They get
better because they learn to trust the Lord for wisdom and strength. They get
better because they are surrounded by great role models. They get better
because they’re spending time in God’s Word. They get better because they are
stretched and challenged. They get better because they’re meeting weekly with a
staff mentor who is checking in, encouraging, providing accountability and
praying with them. And they get better because of evaluations.
Every week each noncom receives an honest,
straightforward evaluation from his supervisor for that week. These days, the
forms are printed on goldenrod-colored paper. The forms cover seventeen items
ranging from Affect on Morale to Punctuality to Physical Stamina. But the best
part isn’t the form; it’s the conversation that takes place between the noncom
and his evaluator. The goal is to make him better – a better leader, a better
servant, a better disciple.
Digging through some old files here
at camp we found some of my old noncom evaluation forms. They don’t reveal
anything terribly profound, but they are significant to me because they
represent what took place in my life here at Nathanael many years ago. My life
as a Christian and as a leader was shaped and formed here by some godly men who
invested themselves in me. The mission hasn’t changed. There are 24 noncoms on
the team this year. Some of them, I pray all of them, are going to take what
happens to them here and make a significant impact on Christ’s kingdom. I can
hardly wait to watch it happen.
