What is Student Leadership Care?
SLC (Student Leadership Care) is a committee within KCM that exists to provide regular emotional, relational, and spiritual care to the core student leaders of our 8 different campuses.
College students in KCM are in a unique season in their lives where they are learning to balance the stresses of school, work, church, internships, and their volunteer roles as core leaders for KCM. Thus, we wanted to provide an extra layer of care and support to go alongside the primary and vital community support that comes from the local church.
To clarify, SLC is not a mentorship or discipleship program, but rather serves as a system of care (similar to an “older brother” or “older sister” figure). This means that SLC does not offer bible studies, bible teaching, or discipleship material, but exists exclusively for the sake of care.
Although KCM is not responsible for providing mentors and disciplers, the hope is that SLC will provide a temporary buffer of care until the student leader receives long-term mentorship/discipleship from their local church.
How does SLC provide care?
Core leaders are matched with “Caregivers”, who are past KCM alumni of the same gender. They are required to meet at least once a month, typically casually over coffee or a meal to share life. The Caregiver provides care by listening, asking questions, giving advice when asked, and praying for the core leader. We emphasize that Caregivers must play more of the listening role than an exhorting role.
Listening is an effective way where believers can care for others by helping bear their burdens (Gal. 6:2). The picture of “bearing one another’s burdens” means coming together to carry an oppressive load or weight, rather than leaving the burden solely to an individual by him or herself.
As we listen to the struggles of others, we are actively stepping into their burdens and saying, “Your struggles are now my struggles”. Notice that in the passage that Paul doesn’t say that our job is to remove the burden or provide a quick solution, but that believers should carry the load together. Often, that looks like listening, empathizing, or even sitting together in the midst of the struggle.
Please keep SLC in prayer!
We are hoping that SLC can help build a culture of care in KCM, which will have ripple effects to aid the church in disciple-making. We sincerely hope that through this ministry, all Caregivers and Receivers will be relieved, encouraged, and continually uplifting one another in their Christian walks.
Special shout out to the Caregivers who volunteered to provide care to our student leaders! You’re the real MVP!
Please contact Andrew Kim (Director of SLC) if you have any questions regarding SLC!
Here are some highlights from our SLC from last year!
Randy serves on Steering Core and created Student Leadership Care last year.
