Servant leadership, is a high value of House to House, and a value deeply ingrained in the teachings of Jesus. He emphasizes embodying a servant's role rather than seeking authority for a position of power. Servant leadership was modeled by Jesus himself through his acts of humility and selflessness towards others.

In the Bible, the act of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples is described in the Gospel of John 13:1-17. This moment is a powerful demonstration of humility and service, as Jesus, despite being their teacher and Lord, took on the role of a servant by washing the feet of his disciples.

“so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

— John 13:4-5

The disciples feet were not lightly dusty, no; they were quite filthy from walking in sandals through dirty and littered roads (my feet often get this way walking on dusty roads in Uganda in my flip flops). Jesus saw a need for clean feet to sit more comfortably at a meal, and rose to meet it with his disciples. Through serving his followers in this practical way, Jesus exemplifies a message of love, humility and serving one another with compassion.

3 Things Jesus did as a Servant Leader

1. Humility: Jesus exemplified humility by washing his disciples' feet, a task typically reserved for servants.

2. Compassion: He showed compassion towards the sick, the marginalized, and the needy, demonstrating empathy and care for others.

3. Sacrifice: Jesus willingly sacrificed his life for the salvation of all, embodying the ultimate act of selflessness and servant leadership.

As followers of Jesus we are urged to follow his example by prioritizing the needs of others over opportunities for power and recognition. We can try every day, in little ways and big, to embody the values of humility, compassion and sacrifice in our own life. Genuine leadership is bigger than titles and praise; it is grounded in the unwavering dedication to serve and elevate those around us. Let us mirror our leadership style after the ultimate servant leader, Jesus, who illustrated that true leadership is rooted in a heart of service.

The House to House team focused this past year on growing together as a team, praying for each other, as well as sharing ideas and resources. Our leadership gathered monthly to discuss the progress of our bible sharing networks and to encourage one another in leadership and direction. Out of these discussions our team has created a Healthy Groups Guidance Manual. This document outlines all of the characteristics of a healthy group, the structures needed to be in place and potential solutions to common issues in growing bible sharing groups. We are excited to see the benefits of having this Ugandan developed resource in place as our leadership is training and coaching new leadership for other generations of bible sharing groups.

You have God given Gifts. God made you unique for a reason! He has given you a mix of gifts that no one else in the world has. He is inviting you to share your gifts with other around you. So, what does it mean to share your gifts with others? How can you use the gifts and talents God has given you to create community. Here's the perspectives of some of our team on sharing their gifts with others.