“Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” -John F. Kennedy
The art of learning to dance between reflections on past, present, and future is mastered when practiced in the presence of community, and this year’s Leadership Fellows Retreat was a practice session of that exact art. While the Leadership Fellows Retreat had originally been scheduled to take place in Indianapolis, the COVID pandemic required the retreat to be experienced virtually this year. During the 2020 virtual retreat, the 34 Fellows of this year’s cohort shared their talents, dreams, struggles, and hopes for the future.
Sarah Wilson, a first-year Leadership Fellow, shared the following about the impact of this year’s retreat:
“As a new member of the HELM Leadership Fellows Program, I was excited to experience the retreat for the first time. Even though the retreat could not be done in person this year, it was a very meaningful weekend that went beyond my expectations. HELM was able to create a space for all of the members to feel connected and open to each other. I was able to meet all of the members virtually and it felt as if I had known them my whole life. Throughout the retreat weekend, we were privileged to hear from Rev. Terri Hord Owens, Rev. Lee Hull Moses, Rev. Darnell Fennell, and Rev. Chris Dorsey. It was wonderful to hear from these four speakers and I learned so much about Disciples history, the current state of the Disciples church, different outreach opportunities through the National Benevolent Association NBA, and about the importance of generosity.”
In addition, Wilson noted that another meaningful part of the retreat involved meetings with Fellows who are part of the same year in the program. During those times, “We shared in many thoughtful and significant conversations and were able to create such a purposeful space for everyone. Each person in the Leadership Fellows Program was able to create a space of welcoming and love for each other. I am so honored to be a part of this program and look forward to spending the next four years as part of it!”
While we look forward with hope to a time when we can again meet together in person, we give thanks for the ability to connect virtually and for the amazing young people who are part of the Leadership Fellows Program.
