by Sim S – ALLC Elder and Co-Founder
To me, the expression ‘learning community‘ that the ALLC is using is an expression of our desire to generate intentionality to develop one’s leadership character, ministry skills and capacity, and connectedness among our leaders. We utilize both formal and informal approaches to learning.
The formal approaches include specific training times and events (such as what we are doing with the DNA Seminar, the annual Asia Leadership Summit, the leadership training schools/courses, and various leadership workshops) that the ALLC coordinates and/or promotes.
We also know that development is more than just training programs – that learning in leadership is more than just top down teaching. It’s also about applying what we learn, learning through doing, and learning from one another in every day life. Much learning comes through being with and watching our leaders – how they live and how they serve. This is informal learning. Most of us cannot live where our emerging leaders are living, and they cannot live where we are. We can however plan to visit them, and/or for them to spend a time with us in specific training. Here, the ‘teacher’ elders, and staff of the training would be able to spend deliberate times (hanging out) with ‘students.’ So the opportunities for them to watch us and be with us is present.
We hope that over time, through a myriad of training opportunities, and intimate times with other emerging leaders and elders together, that interpersonal friendships among our leaders (elders, current and emerging leaders) will grow, and communities of learning leaders will develop through Asia & the Pacific.
* For more information on how to be a learner, go to: http://allc.asia/skills/self-development-and-learning/