Everyone has something they fear.
Spiders.
Darkness.
Heights.
Death.
And most commonly, public speaking. Getting up on the stage and talking to a group of people. It's a perfectly reasonable fear. And it's one we need to overcome. There are organizations and classes all over the country, all over the world, to train students in public speaking.
Today, I want to talk about one specific organization that has been training me since I was about twelve. Several years ago, my mom signed a few of my siblings and me up for a conference hosted by the Institute for Cultural Communicators, and our family was hooked. We joined the Institute in the fall and became members of a local group, or "chapter," and we've been learning and growing with it ever since.
So, just what is the Institute for Cultural Communicators/ICC?
The official definition is "a global community empowering next generation Christians to influence today's culture." It's an organization dedicated to training young communicators for Christ. It gives students the tools to speak onstage with confidence. It provides opportunities for students to work on teams, hold leadership positions, and teach and mentor other students, all within a safe and friendly environment. You can check out a bit more on the About page of its website.
It has been a huge part of my life.
Last week, I attended and was on the staff for a conference run by the Institute for Cultural Communicators. It was a Communicators For Christ conference, a kind of conference that the institute has been holding for many years now. I want to talk a bit about what I learned and did at this conference, and why I love the Institute for Cultural Communicators so much.
One of the biggest things about these conferences is that the programs are run by teenagers. A group of five older teens (who were technically adults if you go by their age) put together the programs for the different age groups and coordinated them. They arranged for all the material that was covered during the event. This group is called the Ambassadors, and they're basically ICC interns who travel around the country to put on the conferences. They were helped by another team of older teens who assisted in the different groups and taught lessons. This group is the Student Instructors. Both teams were assisted by another team who basically helped out in any other positions needed, and this last team is the Apprentices. I served as an Apprentice this past conference -- but I'll get to that in a minute. Don't get me wrong, though; parents play a large role in these conferences, too. They coordinate the facility and the meals and many of the practical details.
Anyway, it's just so cool that the students get to do the leading. I had so much fun working as an Apprentice. I was on a team of around 20-25 Apprentices, and together we learned and grew as a team. We met each other, talked with each other, laughed with each other, worked through team-building and goal-setting labs, and essentially became a real team.
At the conference, I got to work with students ages 6-10. I got to help lead an activity and grow as a leader while explaining how it worked. I met so many people and renewed relationships with people I hadn't seen for a while, connecting over meals, through conversations (some very short, others long, all of them amazing).
The theme of this conference was "Ready for Influence." The conference leaders shared inspiring stories of influence; influence they'd received, influence they'd given, influence they'd observed. My takeaway from this conference was their message that anyone can influence. Everyone has influence. Because I have siblings, I have influence, whether I choose to use it or neglect to use it. As a student leader in my local chapter of the Institute for Cultural Communicators, I have influence, however I choose to use it or neglect to use it. We can all impact people, and we do.
As the Ambassador team quoted, "We can't all do great things, but we can all do small things with great love."
I didn't have a major role at the conference. I didn't stun the conference attendees with an inspiring personal story. I didn't lead and train groups of students. In fact, my role was more behind the scenes as an Apprentice. Serving and cleaning up after dinner. Collecting name-tags. Cheering the younger students on as they gave a presentation.
But one of the most important things you can learn as an Apprentice is how to lead when you're not in charge. It comes back to influence. In my smaller leadership role, it was important for me, and the other Apprentices, to be a good example for the students around us. We didn't have to be the ones giving the presentations. We needed to be a good influence.
This is my fourth year with ICC, and I'm enjoying my time with it so much. Through this organization, people can and have conquered their fears of public speaking. It trains so much more than that, though; it provides training in mentoring, leadership, collaboration, thinking on your feet, peacemaking, media/technology development... Honestly, I could go on and on.
1 Corinthians 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." We're ambassadors for Christ. We need to be able to communicate His message.
And thanks to the Institute for Cultural Communicators, I believe I've been equipped to speak the gospel. Sure, I still do get nervous before I get up to speak. I'm in no way a perfect speaker. I have a lot of room to grow. And I have a safe and dependable place to keep learning.
Everyone has fears.
Spiders.
Darkness.
Death.
But public speaking doesn't have to be on that list. It's a fear that can be conquered, and there are many people out there willing to help with the conquest.
The Institute for Cultural Communicators is providing me with valuable training, and I'm ready for influence -- ready to be influenced and ready to influence.
