Servant Leadership

Episode 162 - Dr. Rev Bella Brown - Leaders On Leadership


Effective leadership isn't just about taking charge. At its most profound level, it is all about transforming yourself into a Christ-filled leader to inspire and empower others to reach their full potential. In this episode, Dr. Tracey Jones chats with Dr. Reverend Bella Brown, the Pastor at St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Hamstead, Maryland. Dr. Brown explains how her faith shaped her leadership, touching other people’s lives in the most meaningful ways. She shares her testimony of how God bestows His peace in times of trouble, highlighting the significance of leaders in fulfilling His vision. Dr. Brown also talks about her experiences learning from two great leaders of faith, "Mom Glow" and "Charlie Tremendous," shaping her into a better person and an effective leader.

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Dr. Rev Bella Brown - Leaders On Leadership

In this episode, I am so excited to introduce to you my dear sister, friend, cohort, and colleague, the Rev. Dr. Bella Brown. I want to tell you a little bit about Bella and where we connected. Dr. Reverend Bella Brown is the pastor at St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Hamstead, Maryland. She's also the Vice President and the Board of Directors of Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi, and the Member of the Board of Directors for Emmaus Homes in St. Charles, Missouri. Bella, welcome.

Thank you. I’m glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

You're welcome. Bella and I just reconnected after many years. We've been casually connected, but we go way back to the '90s. Some of you may not have been born, but back in St. Charles with the 131st Fighter Wing, the Air National Guard back there, and then also, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West in downtown St. Louis. We also worked together there.

I was with my dear sister and we were neighbors in Benton Park. I lived on Lemp Avenue and she lived one over. We have connected throughout our lives at many different times. She reached out to me to update us on a friend because I was going out to St. Louis and she informed me. Now, she's in Maryland, close to me in Pennsylvania. I look forward to being closer to my sister during this next season of life. Bella, thank you so much for being a guest on our show.

Thank you.

Let's get started. You knew Charlie “Tremendous.” You got to spend some of the last times on his earth with him. He passed in 2008, so we got to spend Thanksgiving the year prior to that. Tell us a little bit about your interaction with Mom Glow, as you called her, and Charlie “Tremendous.”

First of all, Tracy, thank you for having me but I think that you and your siblings are some of the most blessed people there are to have such parents as Charlie and Mom Glow. I call him Pop Charlie because he was that personable. I remember the first time that I met him how he makes you feel like he's known you all your life and he has such a great impact, especially where leadership was concerned for me.

He told me to never stop learning. I have one of these bracelets that reminds me of some of the things that he talked about. I remember he said that five years from now, you will be the same person except for the people you meet and the books you read. I remember just spending that quality time with him. Most of all, he and Mom Glow were people of faith. That was another layer of the endearment that both of them mean to me, especially Pop Charlie because he was such a great leader. He knew how to engage people in a way that made them feel very special all the time. He was very special.

I know they loved you and as I said, in that season where things were winding down, where they were immigrating to heaven, I'm so blessed that you were there and we got to share that time together. With that being said, one of the speeches that Pop “Tremendous” did was called The Price of Leadership. He did it decades ago and it's still one of our most popular speeches.

In it, he talked about the price of leadership and the things you're going to have to do to be a leader and not just a leader in name only. The first one is loneliness. We've all heard, “It’s lonely at the top.” Can you unpack what loneliness means for you as a leader? Maybe a season you went through and some words of wisdom and encouragement for our audience out there if they are in that season.

Leadership is a very rewarding position and I truly believe that God gives us certain gifts and talents. Not everyone could be a leader. They can hold leadership positions, but the character of a leader would entail such things as loneliness and building confidence in the decisions that you make for those that are around you. In one of the positions I have right now with everything that's going on within the nation and everything, I have to stay very prayerful.

Christ-Filled Leader: Not everyone could be a leader. A person can hold leadership positions, but that would entail loneliness and building confidence in making decisions for other people.

I'm very fortunate to be a woman of color in what we would call a predominantly Caucasian White church. I went in with the expectation that I was going to have to build up so much fortitude to know that I may have to sit and be lonely in a sense of not having people participate and be very forthcoming and very accepting of me. It was totally different. What I went in expecting to be a lonely situation for me ended up being such a very endearing situation.

As a leader, you have to prepare for those moments and realize that you have to have that God-given confidence. I call it Christ esteem versus self-esteem. That God-given confidence to know that you're there to love, care, develop, and help those that are around you. Loneliness is a very critical time that a leader has to prepare themselves for.

It reminds me of Charles' statement, “Expect the worst, but hope for the best.” It sounds like you're very pragmatic about going in that. I love that Christ esteem and I love it as a leader. You're a seasoned leader. You made this move to this position not that long ago and thank you for your transparency that even we, as seasoned Christ-filled leaders, every now and then, we get that assume the worst. What a blessing that you shared with us that loneliness is parred for the course. I'm so thankful that you shared that. The next aspect is weariness. We're filled with the spirit, but we're still flesh and blood in this plane of existence. Can you share with us how you combat weariness?

One of the things I look at in the ministry of Jesus Christ, I look to those times when he went off to himself. The disciples many times could not even find him. Leaders have to carve in that time. You know when you're being effective and you know when you're not being effective. In those stages, you know that it's time for you to go off to yourself, whether it's prayer or meditation. Take a couple of days off and do those fun things that you enjoy doing because it's very important that you carve out that time so that you can get revived and rejuvenated in your spirit as well as your body.

We are flesh and blood and we get wary on this journey. If you don't take care of yourself spiritually, physically, and mentally, you are not going to be an effective leader nor will you be as influential in helping others around you. That's one of the key traits that a leader has to do. Make sure that they are always developing, nurturing, and encouraging those that are around them.

How do you do that? I love you talking about carving out time and that you know when you're starting to slip or things are starting to drop, and even no amount of work. For somebody like you, that's in ministry, you probably are on call with people. You got Wednesday night services and definitely Sunday services and who knows what else. When do you place your time, typically for a lot of us, it's Sundays. Sundays are Sabbath days. When do you carve out time for yourself, Bella?

I was very fortunate in the sense to where I usually take my Sabbath on Fridays so therefore I take that day. That's my day to do something fun. Being able to reconnect with you now is inspirational and very encouraging to me. It gives me energy. I know that to feel the love and the support that you have given me during the years. I look forward to drawing from that love and that friendship.

One of the things I also do is when I'm traveling for board meetings, whether it's going down to New Orleans or Mississippi, I usually take maybe a day before and a day after to do something fun. I don't air it back. I try to make it like a mini-vacation. In the first week of May, I'm headed for New Orleans. Our board meeting is in Biloxi, Mississippi but I'll fly into New Orleans.

We’ll spend the day there, my husband and I, Rev. Rodney Winters. We'll have a fun day in New Orleans. We'll drive to Biloxi, which is about an hour and a half and we'll sit probably along the beach. Now, they have a big shrimp boil celebration that we're going to have. I'm looking forward to the fun things. Fortunately, we'll be there with the UCC CEO and President Rev. John Dorhauer. It gives me the time to draw from even his experience in leadership, which would help encourage my leadership as well.

Charles would always say you blend the work and the fun together. You said Sabbath is replenishment and I love that. For our audience out there, Sabbath doesn't mean you shut off and sit there and go monk, although if that's what you need to replenish you, but whatever feeds your soul because leaders pour out all the time. We must allow at least one day to be poured into whether that's here. This isn't work. This is a homecoming for us. It's whatever it is. Be it getting to a meeting early. I like that you said that. Allow space to replenish. Bring your spouse.

Loneliness, weariness, and abandonment. For those of us that love animals, we think about abandoning an animal or fear of abandonment. Charles would always say that he does more in a day to contribute to his failure than his success. Abandonment in the “Tremendous” world was abandoning what you like and want to think about in favor of what you ought and need to think about. It's this hyper-focus. Bella, you're on board. You're making transitions. You probably have a lot of people look at you and say, “I need your resources or your advocacy for this.” How do you stay tightly focused on your highest and best use of time?

One of the things, and being a woman of faith, I do pray. I like Charles' definition of abandonment because there are sacrifices that we do as a result of this. However, I believe just like he was, he was connected to a higher power. He was connected to his God and that was the source of power. I'm sure if he was here now, he'll tell you that he knows that he’d be there with him himself. That does help me. My faith is the foundation of everything that I do.

I know there are going to be sacrifices, but on the other end, I look around and I see the blessings that God has given me as a result of being in a position of leadership, and as a result of being able to influence people. I don't take that lightly. I consider it an honor and a privilege because I realize that not everybody gets a chance to be in positions where they can influence others and try to help and encourage them. I know that it's my job and at the same time, to be able to use constructive criticism that would help others.

Not everybody gets a chance to be in a position where they can influence others and try to help or encourage them.

 It's not always a bed of roses. I tell people when I preach a sermon, “God never promised us a rose garden.” I used Tammy Wynette’s, “I beg your pardon. God never really promised us a rose garden.” There are going to be highs, lows, ins and outs. In the midst of it all, having that faith gives you that love, peace, and joy that comes from only your connection with God. It is such a joy to be able to connect with others and with others in that same realm of love, peace, and joy, and to know and respect all those that God had created. That has given you an opportunity to influence.

I love that you talked about abandonment and that God gives us our direction. If we're not supposed to spend time with this or give a word to somebody about this, rather than sit there and go, "I can't do all things for all people," you hit the nail on the head. God gives us peace. He'll take care of that. He knows everything so he already knows who's coming into that person's life in his providential timing and not our timing.

There are things we're abandoning and people say, “Shouldn't we be doing this or don't you feel like doing this or somebody's doing this? I don't even see that because God gives us that peace when you take the march and orders for him. It’s because he has already seen this to the end and knows your highest and best purpose. I love that you hit on that for leaders. Even though we're not getting everything that maybe the world thinks we should do, that doesn't even factor into the equation.

The last thing Charles talked about is loneliness, weariness, abandonment, and vision. His definition of vision was seeing what needs to be done, but also doing it. There was this very practical, pragmatic, action-oriented step to it. Can you define what vision looks like for you and how you cast it? How do you look out to the future, and how do you lay out your next goals and steps?

This one is pretty much easier for me because being a pastor, God has already given a vision for the church and whatever I can do to build up love, spirit, and peace, and to direct individuals to Jesus Christ. I am walking in the vision which God has for his church. One of my profound prayers is for God to tear down the walls and the visions that separate your children so that we may come together in love. It’s because the scripture says, “By this, all people should know that we're his disciples by the love we have one for another.”

I always ask God to allow the church as a whole, not only St. Mark’s United Church of Christ but as a whole, the universal church to grow numerically and spiritually because that was one of the commandments. The last commandment that Jesus gave to the disciple was to go into all the worlds and make them disciples. Therefore, that vision is always ongoing.

When you talk about the details of the vision itself, that's where much of prayer is. That's where you ask God to encamp people around you that will confirm that vision for you. I don't do leadership decisions in a vacuum, but I look towards the people that God has gifted to be around me to help, support and be able to walk in that vision, staying focused on what God has called us to do. That's to make disciples and do whatever is necessary to make sure that we stay focused on that vision.

Never do leadership decisions in a vacuum. Look towards the people that God has gifted to be around you to help so. This way, you can support them in the way you are called to do.

I love that you tied vision to the organizational mission because a lot of times it's like, “What do I want to do?” It's like, “If you're already in an entity, there should be a value congruence.” I hope you didn't say yes to this job if you're not all in. I love that you talked about what our ultimate one is. The greatest commandment in the world is to love one another. I love that you talked about going back to that and also, that you will surround yourself with vision.

Leadership is a shared enterprise, and decision-making is not to be done in a vacuum. Even if you get the call, you share it with those closest, your inner circle, your Peter, James, and John for confirmation prayer because none of us are meant to do this alone, especially vision. If you're the only one hearing the calling, you might want to let that sit for a while and get some wise counsel.

I remember I was at an installation and they talked about how Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands when the children of Israel were in battle. You need those Aarons and Hurs to support you as you focus on what God has called you to do. Even in sometimes getting tired, God will send you those people to help uplift your hands and keep that support that you need to make sure that the things of God and the battles go well.

Bella, thank you for unpacking these four topics with us and we've covered quite a few things. I know our audience got a lot out of it. I know I did too. Is there anything else as far as all things leadership that you would like to share with our audience?

Yes, and I go back to what Pop Charlie told me, “Tremendous” Jones. He said to never stop learning. I have this bracelet that says, “Never stop learning.” I think as leaders, we cannot ever stop learning. Look around and see the gifts that God has put in the people that surround you, and ask God for the wisdom to not only learn from them but hopefully, that whatever gifts God has given you, you were enhancing and inspiring them more to seek purpose in leadership.

One of the things I truly believe is that leadership is shown through example, not only what Jesus did, but what Pop Charlie did. He didn't just talk the talk, but he walk the walk. We have to be genuine and we have to be sincere in this position of leadership because it is a position that influences and can change people's lives by the way that we treat them and the way that they feel that we care about them. Therefore, it's definitely not to be taken lightly.

Christ-Filled Leader: Leaders have to be genuine and sincere. They are influencing and changing people's lives. Therefore, it's definitely not to be taken lightly.

Thank you so much. Bella, you talked about the church, St. Mark’s United Church of Christ. What's the best way for people to connect with you?

They can connect with me. I have an email. It’s Bella9253@gmail.com. I would love to entertain any questions or comments that anyone may have. Also for prayer, I'll even pray for you.

God bless you, sister. I can't wait. You have a big event coming up in April, correct?

On April 23rd, I will be installed as a settled pastor for St. Mark's United Church of Christ on 1616 Cape Horn Road in Hampstead, Maryland. That ZIP is 21074. It's going to be going on April 23rd. I'm looking forward to that.

I can't wait to see you in person and give you a big hug and be there on this life milestone. Bella, thank you again for this. To our audience out there, if you liked what you learned, please reach out to Bella. Please hit the like button. Hit the subscribe button, and if you do us the honor of reviewing, we would be so thankful. Please share this with the other leaders out there that are paying the price of leadership. I know you are, and I am so thankful for you and for being a part of our Tremendous tribe. Thank you, Bella. I love you.

Thank you. God bless you.

 

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About Dr. Rev Bella Brown

Dr. Rev Bella Brown is the Pastor at St. Mark’s United Church of Christ in Hampstead, Maryland. She also serves as the Vice President Board of Directors of Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi, and as a member of the Board of Directors for Emmaus House in St. Charles, Missouri.

Episode 155 - Sylvia K. Kalyebara - Leaders Of Leadership

TLP 155 | Disability Ministry

Even as we’re progressing as a society, there are still societal stigmas that need to be broken. Our guest in this episode took leadership in fighting the stigma attached to people with disability. Sylvia K. Kalyebara is the founder of Stars Ministries Uganda, where she serves alongside families taking care of people with disabilities, especially children. Here, she sits down with Dr. Tracey Jones to share how she found her mission and started her ministry and how she continues to share the word of God to help show love and encouragement. Join Sylvia as she tells us the challenges she faced as a leader and how she deals with them and continues to inspire.

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Sylvia K. Kalyebara - Leaders Of Leadership

I cannot be more excited because my guest is very special. This is her first-ever show. She's coming directly from you all the way from Uganda. She’s a beautiful sister in Christ that I met a few years ago because I was a cohort with her husband, Nicholas Kalyebara, at Lancaster Bible College in our doctoral program. They were out for where he got to walk the stage and a few years ago, I got to meet Nicholas's fabulous wife, Sylvia. Sylvia, welcome.

Thank you, Tracey.

Sylvia is a wife, a mother of three, and an unbelievable leader. She's also going to share with you about her Stars Ministry in Uganda, where she takes in and cares for disabled children. You're going to be so blessed by hearing what she has seen in her heart and is doing for that. Sylvia, it's great to see you again.

Thank you, Tracey. It's good to see you too.

Thank you, sister. Let's get right into it. The folks are anxious to learn about your perspective on leadership. My father gave a speech many decades ago called The Price of Leadership. We have it in a little booklet form if you want to check it out on our website, Tremendous Leadership. He said, "If you're going to be a leader, you're going to have to pay a price like anything in life."

The first price he said that you're going to have to encounter and pay as a leader is loneliness. We've all heard that it's lonely at the top. As with all leaders, even Jesus, the ultimate leader, encountered a season of loneliness. Can you unpack for us what loneliness looks like for you as a leader and maybe a time in your life where you encountered it and maybe some words of advisement for our leaders that are reading?

Thank you, Tracey. Loneliness in leadership. I have been serving the Stars for years now. It's a unique ministry. In our Ugandan context, there are no ministries that are for children who have disabilities, especially in the church. That in itself is so lonely because I don't have people that I would share the challenges with that I am finding in the community.

The people that I learned from are from the ministry in America. It's in a different context. The context here has its own challenges. We deal with things like stigma for children or even just the families that have people with disabilities, which causes loneliness. When you need to talk to someone, need to be encouraged, and let out what you are feeling in your heart at that moment, there is no one you can talk to. You feel no one is going to understand what you are going through. That's one of the moments of loneliness I go through as I lead a ministry for children with disabilities.

I love that you brought that up because, for the readers in countries where there are assets and resources, either through the government, church, or nonprofits, to help this, you truly encounter loneliness that is different. Sometimes we feel lonely because we're the only ones with this idea, but you are lonely in carrying out the work God has laid on your heart. I know you come to the states and gather support, but how else do you get through that time of loneliness?

In dealing with loneliness, use opportunities to talk to anyone that comes in contact with you.

I get through that time of loneliness through prayer and talking to my husband. I do talk to my husband quite a lot. I also use opportunities to talk to anyone that comes in contact with me. My staff will tell you that I talk about what I do quite often. My husband, at one time, mentioned, "Sometimes I also have things I need to tell you. You keep telling me about Stars Ministry all the time. I also need to be listened to because I am lonely. I need to hear what other people have to say. I need to hear their advice.” It just comes out. I keep talking about it to get out of it.

I love that you're saying that because for the other readers out there that may be in resource constraints area, this is not a dig or anything, but in Uganda, what it is with what you're doing and how you're the first at this? We think about children with disabilities and that's such a rich area in the United States where there are so many telethons, drives, ministries, and stuff like that. There is so much support. Can you set the context? You've told me about it and even I was like, "I did not realize that you were so alone in that thing for now." Everybody starts out alone, but you are a cutting edge and how you approach the whole care and ministry to disabled children.

I'm going to tell a story of how this ministry journey started. In 2008, I got an opportunity to be with my husband in the States while he was doing school. He was doing his Master's. He got his Billy Graham Scholarship in Wheaton, Illinois. While he was doing his Master’s, I joined a church, the Wheaton College Church. It had a ministry and the ministry is still there. They have a ministry for people with disabilities and that touched my heart.

I saw how we saved them, how we visited their homes, and how we sang and taught them the word of God. That didn’t leave me and it led me to think, “What is the church doing in Uganda? I have never seen children or even people being ministered to in such a way. Does that mean we don’t have people that have disabilities?”

When we came back to Uganda, that was one thing that was on my heart to do, to look out for them. When the time was right, I talked to my pastor. At first, there were some challenges of, “No, we can’t do this. This is very expensive,” but then God moved us to another community where the pastor of the church that we went to allowed me to start a ministry for people with disabilities.

How I started out is shade in the church congregation. In the congregation, we found that two people had children that had disabilities. Due to this stigma and the shame that is attached to having someone with a disability, people don't easily come out to say, "I have a child that needs special care." In our community, it's looked at as you are cursed or someone has bewitched you, or you are a wronged person. That's why you have such a child.

The families carry the shame of having a child with a disability. My goal was to reach out to these families and teach them the word of God. Show love, show encouragement, and get encouragement through the word of God because when I was in Wheaton, as we served the special needs children there, I got to know that having a disability is not a free ticket to heaven. We don't pity them or keep them away but bring them out. Share the word of God with them, and encourage them because the soul in them is there. It doesn't matter whether someone can't talk back to you. Inside of them is a soul that can be nurtured to grow, love God, and accept him.

TLP 155 | Disability Ministry

Disability Ministry: Having a disability is not a free ticket to heaven. Don't pity them nor keep them away. But instead, bring them out and share the word of God with them.

When I came back, that was my desire. That's what I wanted to do. When I started to do it, I realized that the need was bigger than I thought because there are no places and schools that accept them. Most homes have no cars, so accessibility is very hard, especially for the parents that live in the slum areas. They have no access.

You can imagine a child that has cerebral palsy. They can't move, but they are alive. They are human beings. They need to live a life, but because of the need in the community and the shame around having a disabled child, they tend to hide out the children. They lock them in the house or tie them on a chair as other siblings go to school and the parents go to work until the family returns in the evening. That's when the child will have a meal and get cleaned up because they need to ease themselves as they sit there.

All that is the burden God put on my heart as I reached out to share the gospel, but I realized that the need was bigger. I ended up going into physiotherapy and speech therapy and having a place where we can meet and get all the needs met. The challenge is big here in Uganda. At the center where we are at, because we now have a center, we started out with two, but now we have 48 children that we serve, they are flourishing. They are enjoying themselves. Some are learning. Those who can are being taught how to walk. Those who need to learn self-care are being taught self-care. It's been a journey.

You went to the kids that were alone and ministered to their loneliness because they were the outcast. As you said, we're not talking anybody down. You do what you can do with the resources that you have. You saw that they were alone and then you came in. I love the loneliness aspect but the weariness. Here you are on the cutting edge. You're growing. You went from 2 to 48 and went to all these other schools. How do you deal with weariness? How do you stay at your top physical form? You want to help everybody, but we're physical beings.

For weariness, I get a day off. I now have a team of sixteen staff. Those ones help because we have divided the work and given people different assignments. I have an administrative assistant. That helps me to take a break and have time to reflect, pray, think and to rejuvenate. That gives me a time of rest. I also get out of weariness through prayer because sometimes it's overwhelming to see all these needs.

I get to a time of God of, "Why did you choose me to do this?" The need is big. I see the need and there are no resources enough to meet the need and it gets overwhelming. As you said, I get weary. Sometimes I talk to people, but sometimes it becomes a heavy burden on my hands. Still, I take it back to God in prayer and that's where I find refreshment.

I love that you have a Sabbath and a team there to serve you because we can't do it on our own. The next thing my dad talked about was abandonment. That is staying focused. I know when you talked to me, when you started this ministry, all these people started coming to you saying, "Can you do this and that?" How do you stay hyperfocused, Sylvia?

I have gone through moments where people come to me and they're like, "Can you turn this into where you take children and never get to go back to their homes, keep them here, and have a boarding section for the children?" That's not what God has placed on my heart to do. I tell them because we have that as our strategy that children will be taken care of during the day and taken back home in the evenings. We are not wavering from that. Sometimes when I think of ideas from what our vision is, that's when I share them with the board. We have a board and it keeps me in check.

Because of the stigma attached to people with disability, they are afraid to come out.

That's what the board is supposed to do.

The temptation sometimes goes, "So and so has a very good idea. Can we do this so that we meet this need?" They are like, "No, stay focused. This is what we set out to do." The board helps me stay in check.

You've got abandonment. For leaders, people always come when you start being successful. Other people are going to say, "Can you do this and that?" I love it that you said, "We got to stay focused on what God has placed on our heart." Otherwise, good is the enemy of great and the devil loves to see a distracted because then you come off.

The last point my father talked about was vision. My dad came from some difficult situations, but he said, “Vision is seeing what needs to be done and then doing it.” You epitomize that. You saw the need and then you're doing it. You have your board and your wonderful staff. You have people. God is blessing you, but how do you craft your vision for what's next for Stars?

Still through prayer. I pray. I believe that Stars Ministry is not about me as Sylvia. It's God’s. He is using me as a vessel. When I was starting out, God spoke to me. I was at my kitchen sink washing dishes and I had these thoughts of, "Start Stars Ministry for children with disabilities." All of a sudden, I started weeping and God was putting it on my heart. "You are a vessel." I knew that it was related to serving the Stars.

Over the years, I can testify that I am a vessel that God is using to reach all the children that we are reaching. I always take it back to him because there are times when I have desires. For example, now I would love us to have a place for the Stars of our own. That's the vision that I have that we can have a place that will model children that have disabilities in a community. I don't have the resources, but the Bible tells us he owns the cattle and 1,000 hills. He has the gold and silver that we need. He's the anchor. He is where I run to. I have seen God work.

I love that you tied the vision to being a vessel. That's that servant heart and that servant leadership. If we could do it on our own, then what do we need God for? What a blessing. Tell me a little bit about your vision for where you would like the school to be. Tell the readers what you shared with us, where you are right now, and what your hope, Lord willing, and as he provides, what your vision is for the footprint of the ministry going forward.

We are in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, in a suburb called Luzira. We are renting premises that can take care of about 50 children. That's where we are at right now. We are renting, but my desire is that we would have a property where we will put structures that will solve the needs, a place where the children are accepted, loved, cared for, and valued so that the community will see these too are people.

TLP 155 | Disability Ministry

Disability Ministry: We have to stay focused on what God has placed in our hearts.

Over the years, I have seen some change and acceptance. As we go on, many are getting to trust the ministry with their children, but also the community looks and says, "That's the place where they accept children that have special needs." My desire is that we would get a place where we will not be kicked out.

That's the thing about owning your space. We deal with that too in the states when you're a renter. I have links to Sylvia's Ministry for the readers, so you can see the beautiful pictures of what she's doing there and how you can be a part of her vision going forward. Sylvia, we covered the loneliness, the weariness, the abandonment, and the vision. You certainly have an incredible perspective on that with your Stars Ministry in Uganda and how the Lord is taking you through this. Anything else for our readers regarding leadership that you would like to share with them?

I would like to encourage the readers to join hands with us to see the work of God move, to serve the Stars with us, and to show the love of Christ to these children. We serve children with disabilities and I can't do it alone, but together we can do this. We can show Christ's love to the community. Maybe we can even multiply to enlarge and meet other needs in other communities. I would like to encourage the people that follow this show to join in. They can encourage us. They can support us financially. We are registered as a C3 nonprofit with Faith and Learning International.

I can attest that your donations go through this, just as it would in the States and you can get all the documentation for that. Sylvia, I so appreciate your perspective on leadership. I appreciate you with the bold ass because that's what we tell leaders. You are out there. You're here with other people, the people that you meet, the books that you read, and that's what you're here.

Thank you for letting people know how they can partner with you as part of this. I'm tremendously excited. I knew Nicholas and what you were doing, but until you came and spent time in my home, I had no idea the difference you were making and how big the challenge was. I look at your website in those pictures and it makes my heart sing. I thank you so much. Don't listen to what's going on in the world. Remember, unbelievable leaders like Sylvia are out there making a difference, looking for other leaders like you to partner with. Sylvia, thank you again for sharing this.

Thank you, Tracey, for the opportunity and the love.

We'll see you soon or you get back over here. Hopefully, we'll be getting back over there. We saw you, but what a blessing. To our readers out there, we want to thank you so much for your support of the show. If you liked what you read, please be sure and hit the subscribe button and share it with somebody else who could read some wonderful, uplifting leadership on what it takes to pay the price of leadership. We're all in this together and we're here to support one another.

Also, if you do us the honor of a five-star rating, we’d appreciate that. Come on over to Tremendous Leadership and sign up for two free weeks of eBooks and get some unbelievable reading material for you to listen to and get connected with Sylvia too, so you can stay informed on her ministry and what's going on. To our Tremendous Leadership tribe out there, we couldn't do it without you. Have a tremendous rest of the day.

 Important Links

About Sylvia K. Kalyebara

TLP 155 | Disability Ministry

Sylvia K. Kalyebara is a wife and mother of three children. She is also the founder of Stars Ministries in Uganda where she serves alongside families taking care of people with disabilities, especially children. She has seen her work blossom from taking care of 2 children to 48 and currently has a staff of 16. She formed this ministry after witnessing the work of Christian men and women at Wheaton College, where her husband was a student. Sylvia is called to help others see how God loves them.