Posted on Saturday, January 6, 2018

Leading an Intern 101 (Part 1)

What I think I know...

by Andrew T Holm

Reading Time: 4 minutes

We welcome our first intern to our Church family in a few days. I’m nervous and excited at the same time! I can’t wait for the journey to begin, but I’m realizing he’s counting on me to teach him at least something along the way. Let’s face it, he’ll probably take more notes on what not to do, but at least he’s learning. To help us both grow along the way, I’ve decided to post about my personal journey through this mentorship.

This series will be less about my Intern and more about my growth and learning through the process. Don’t expect me to vent about a student — you’ll be disappointed. If anything, I’ll praise him up, because I know he’ll teach me a thing or two.

In this post, I’ll outline my thoughts heading into this journey. In part 2, I’ll check in half-way with an update. In part 3, I’ll finish off by writing about what I’ve learned and how the process has helped me grow.

If every moment isn’t about growing, then you’re not leading.

Before the internship begins, here are some of my thoughts as a supervisor/mentor:

Posted on Friday, July 28, 2017

Writing: Making Learning Stick

Continued Learning, Part 3

by Andrew T Holm

Reading Time: 4 minutes

In school, writing was necessary. After graduation, writing became an option. At least good writing did. Everyone takes notes from time to time, but do we allow writing to help us in our learning? It always amazes me how much I remember, after I actually write it down on paper. When we write, we make our learning stick.

This is a 3 part series about how we can continue to learn beyond the traditional classroom setting.

To make this a little easier to digest, especially for those who don’t like to write, I offer four things we can all work towards:

Posted on Friday, July 21, 2017

Listening: Finding Art within the Noise

Continued Learning, Part 2

by Andrew T Holm

Reading Time: 5 minutes

I’m a great listener! …just make sure no one lets my wife read this! All joking aside, I don’t think I’m alone in my inability to listen at times. Most of us want to share our thoughts and ideas. Why? Because we thought them, and they seem to make sense. What I’ve learned, however, is that my best thoughts are formed after I spend a lot of time listening.

This is a 3 part series about how we can continue to learn beyond the traditional classroom setting.

I’m offering four ways we can continue to learn by listening. Maybe we’ll be able to find some ‘art’ in all the noise.

Posted on Friday, July 14, 2017

Please Don’t Stop The Reading!

Continued Learning, Part 1

by Andrew T Holm

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Reading wasn’t always my favourite thing to do. In fact, throughout high-school, I believe I mastered the art of writing a paper without reading the book. I look back, however, and think of how better my papers would have been if I started reading sooner. Some of it had to do with the topics, and I certainly didn’t like fiction. But as I’ve entered into the workplace, future education, and now into ministry, I’ve realized reading keeps your mind sharp.

This is a 3 part series about how we can continue to learn beyond the traditional classroom setting.

In Newfoundland and Labrador (where I live), we have an increasing excuse to decrease our reading habits. Unfortunately, the province added a tax to books. But just because we’re the only province in Canada to tax books, doesn’t mean we have to be the only province who stops reading. I’d like to offer five cost-effective ways we can make this happen:

Posted on Friday, December 23, 2016

12 Lessons from My 20s

Learn from the past; focus on growth for the future.

by Andrew T Holm

Reading Time: 4 minutes

So I’ve turned 30. For some reason after you leave your 20s, you can no longer hide behind being “twenty-something.” People might take you more seriously, but they also expect more. As I reflect on what I’ve accomplished (or not), worked through and experienced over the past 10 years, I figured I’d let you in on a few lessons I’ve learned.

My prayer is that these lessons help inspire all of us to grow on the journey God is calling you to pursue. If you’re in your 20s, maybe the lessons are helpful. If you’re older and wiser, maybe it’ll help you reflect on your last 10 years as well.

God prepares, I’m along for the ride. I earned a Business degree from MUN (2008) before moving into theology. I thought I was running from God’s call to ministry, but it turns out God was preparing me. It was one of the best educational decisions I could have made.
Marriage is the best commitment I’ve ever made. July 11, 2009 will always be the beginning of my biggest and most exciting adventure!
Going to Bible College as a married couple took off all the pressure. While everyone was trying to find the love of their life, we were on the crazy journey of working, learning and exploring Toronto. I wouldn’t give up the experience for anything!
School is expensive and loans aren’t free. I’m still paying for every good and bad decision I made as a student. Have fun, but think twice before spending money.
Commuting is draining. After commuting in Toronto for over a year, I will avoid commuting in the future at all costs! Sometimes we convince ourselves that we have to make a certain amount of money, but the cost of distance is very draining on a marriage.
Don’t shy away from big opportunities. At 25 years old, I took on the role of Lead Pastor of a small church (Bethel Bay Roberts). I didn’t think I was ready, and I probably wasn’t. But God doesn’t always call the equipped, he can also equip those who are called (Hebrews 13:21).
Taking healthy risks is never a bad thing. Risk can sometimes lead to failure, but risks always lead to learning something new. One thing I can say for sure – innovative success always beginnings with a healthy risk.
You’re never ready for kids. I will never have enough energy, time or money. No matter what, we had to adjust what we had in order to “train up a child in the way they should go” (Proverbs 22:6).
Raising kids is exhausting, but extremely exciting. I wonder where my toddler’s energy comes from, because I don’t have it. We might celebrate an “early bedtime” kind of night, but waking up to a child who calls me “daddy” is the beginning of a good day.
My wife has to come before my kids. I love my kids and they are my pride and joy, but my wife and I are a life-long team. She’s my “partner in crime” and I can’t afford for my kids, or anything else, to derail that.
Dedication and commitment always pay off in the long term. I’ve blogged on and off for the past five years. Once I committed myself to posting at least one new post a week, engagement increased over 200 percent.
Every aspect of my life is connected. My health, work, and home life all affect each other. It’s all too common to focus on one thing as we try to improve. I’m not exactly great at keeping the balance, but I’m learning I can’t work on one and not the other.

#Learn from the past; focus on #growth for the future. #discipleship #tenyears Click To TweetAnd now it’s time for decade #3! Thanks for reading and make sure to reflect yourself! Learn from the past; focus on growth for the future.