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Follow Forward as Family on Mission

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Adapted from a conversation with Jonathan and Angela Burgess on the Follow Forward Podcast

The call of Jesus to follow him is all‑encompassing. He doesn’t invite us to invest part of our lives in followership. It is a call to be all‑in! Christianity and compartmentalisation are contradictions in terms.

Following Jesus is whole‑life, whole‑heart, whole‑household discipleship. I don’t buy into a family vs. ministry divide. And neither do Jonathan and Angela Burgess. Parents of five and founders of the creative ministry Transform EDM, they are intentional about living as a family on mission.

An Integrated Mission

Jonathan and Angela don’t seek to balance family and ministry as if they are competing interests. Instead, they pursue an integrated approach. Angela describes it this way:

“We decided, hey, we can actually do this music thing and we can go together. We can homeschool and we can do ministry as a team, as a family together. So we like to call it family on mission.”

Their conviction is that ministry should flow out of family life, not compete with it. They are seeking to follow Christ in every sphere of life. Their ministry doesn’t start on a stage; it flows out from the dinner table.

Family on Mission (and Family as Mission)

Raising five children while travelling, creating music, advocating for life, and building community isn’t tidy. The challenges are real. Yet Jonathan and Angela embrace these seasons as opportunities for formation, explaining:

“It’s family on mission—but it’s also family as mission.”

They are determined not to win the world and lose their family. Their children are not interruptions to the call; they are central to it. Ministry isn’t something the kids observe from the sidelines—it’s something they grow up participating in. They see the good, the bad, and the ugly, learning firsthand that Christ genuinely can redeem all things.

As Angela reflected:

“You give people an example—there’s no excuse. You can go do ministry wherever, and your kids can come along, and God can use your whole family together.”

Jesus, Life, and Worship

At the heart of Transform EDM is a deceptively simple framework: Jesus, Life, and Worship. This lens shapes every decision they make. Jonathan explained it this way:

“We decided we’re about three things: sharing the uncompromised gospel of Jesus, defending life—especially the unborn—and publicly loving Jesus through worship.”

Whether standing on a stage, creating music, waving a flag that simply reads Life, or having conversations after an event, their aim is consistency—to proclaim the gospel through everything they do.

Music is the vehicle. As Jonathan put it:

“At the end of the day, it’s just a tool. God could use anything. We don’t want to hold it too tightly.”

And yet, they pursue excellence in all things as an expression of worship. Faithful stewardship of their gifts remains paramount as they seek to follow God’s call with humility and obedience.

Follow Forward, Together

Jonathan and Angela’s story is a timely encouragement for those navigating the rigours of leadership while raising families and nurturing faith‑centred communities. Their example invites reflection:

Can I live this calling without fracturing my life?
Can my home become a place of mission rather than tension?
What practical steps can I take toward greater integration?

Following Jesus forward rarely looks impressive in the moment. More often, it is lived out in the ordinariness of daily intimacy with Christ, attentiveness at home, and the courage to resist fragmented lives. Jonathan and Angela’s story reminds us that discipleship is not something we fit around family, but something we practise together—holding our calling with open hands and trusting obedience to bear fruit in God’s time.

`To find out more about the Follow Forward Podcast, click here.
To listen to Jonathan and Angela’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

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Follow Forward in Disciple‑Making

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Adapted from a conversation with Esther Kabanda on the Follow Forward Podcast.*

I have been reflecting recently on this quote from Yaw Perbi and Sam Ngugi’s book Africa to the Rest:

“The eternal value and significance of our strategies, programmes, projects, activities, and methods is the extent to which they facilitate and result in the making of disciples who acknowledge, love, worship, obey and serve the Lord Jesus.”

If, like me, you are involved in ministry programmes, projects, and events, you may need to pause to catch your breath. We can become so caught up in delivering activities that we forget what really matters. Are we truly following Jesus’ instruction to make disciples?

In a recent conversation with Esther Kabanda, she graciously underlined how critical discipleship is. Esther’s conviction has been shaped by her upbringing and ministry experience in Uganda.

A Heritage Transformed by the Gospel

Esther’s parents encountered Christ in ways that have shaped her deeply. Her mother grew up in a polygamous family marked by fear, superstition, and witchcraft. But as a teenager, she met Jesus through a school mission — and everything changed. From that point on, she turned her back on witchcraft and fully surrendered her life to Christ.

Meanwhile, the evangelist who visited Esther’s father’s village may have left disappointed, seeing only a single raised hand. Yet that lone response sparked a journey of faith that eventually birthed a thriving church on the very ground once dominated by witchcraft.

These were the sovereign foundations into which Esther was born: a home shaped by courageous commitment to following Jesus.

Mission at the Family Table

The faith of Esther’s parents was not a private belief but a lived expression of love and service. Esther remembers her parents turning their home into a small discipleship hub for neighbourhood children. Her mother cooked katogo, her father opened Scripture, and they welcomed boys who had no fathers.

“I watched him walk a journey with them to their adulthood… That was the father figure they never had.”

This is where Esther first saw that discipleship is presence, not performance. And that conviction remains:

“It’s beyond the numbers — it’s about the people. Discipleship is life on life. You must be truly concerned for the people you are leading.”

Personally Encountering Christ

Even in a loving, faith-filled home, Esther experienced a deep inner loneliness as a child — a void she could not articulate. It was in that hidden place that Christ met her intimately, forming in her an unshakeable dependence on Him.

“I can lose everything, but don’t take Jesus from me… I have seen God in places where a man cannot reach.”

These formative years shaped Esther’s approach to disciple‑making. It is not merely theoretical or academic, but personal, experiential, and deeply rooted in God’s grace. Discipleship must flow out of one’s own encounter with the love of Christ.

Slowing Down the Pace of Ministry

Over the years, Esther served in a variety of church ministry activities. But as she grew in leadership, she noticed something troubling:

“We celebrated how many people showed up… but we never really minded about the person behind the number.”

The superficiality of this approach led her to choose a different path. As Team Leader of The Message Uganda, Esther is determined to model life‑on‑life discipleship.

“The better way is the Jesus way… not seeing people as assignments, as projects, as numbers, but image bearers.”

While still engaged in up‑front ministry and some large-scale outreaches, these are not seen as ends in themselves. Esther and her team are focused on creating space for small groups, one‑to‑ones, and ongoing relationships. This is where genuine scriptural transformation is seen.

The Power of One: Hiba’s Story

One of the clearest pictures of Esther’s disciple‑making is her relationship with Hiba — a student overwhelmed by rejection, financial pressures, and emotional turmoil.

When Hiba approached her in tears, Esther didn’t try to fix the situation. She didn’t rush the moment. She simply offered presence:

“I listened to her and held her as she cried… and then pointed her back to Scripture as the place we go when we need clarity.”

Through prayer and consistent relational investment, Hiba is now stronger in Christ — even serving as a Scripture Union leader.

This is what happens when discipleship slows down enough to see, listen, and walk with a single soul.

A Vision Measured in Years, Not Moments

Esther’s dream for Uganda isn’t built on quick events but on long, steady, faithful investment — discipleship journeys that last years, not weeks.

“We want to walk a journey with youth for [at least] three years… building them in character and in their stand in faith.”

Only then will these young people be equipped to disciple others. This is multiplication — the same generational pattern she witnessed in her parents and the same model Jesus embodied.

To “follow forward” in disciple‑making means choosing the path Esther embodies — the path she learned long before she held a title. Her example invites us to reflect:

Who is God asking you to see — truly see — and walk with at a deeper, more intentional pace?

What shifts might you need to make to embrace long‑term, relational, disciple‑making?

In a world captivated by instant results and fast‑paced living, choosing the slow and consistent pathway of disciple‑making is a radical act of obedience. We may be able to quote the Great Commission, but Esther demonstrates that this is not an optional extra — it is a biblical imperative if we are to follow forward in the way of Christ.

*To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, click here.
To listen to Esther’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

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Follow Forward in Freedom

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Adapted from a conversation with Sammy Jabangwe-Hanton on the Follow Forward Podcast.*

Charles Kingsley wrote:

“There are two freedoms – the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought” (quoted in Frank Viola, Insurgence).

Sammy Jabangwe-Hanton learned that the freedom to do what she wanted led to pain and despair. Whereas, the freedom to do what she ought, in following Jesus, has led to joy and fulfilment.

Freedom Challenged

Sammy moved from Zimbabwe to the UK while still a young girl. She had to navigate cultures, identities, expectations, and the tension between her family’s deep faith and the world around her. Like many young people, she longed for independence. She said:

“I wanted to live in what I thought was freedom… but all the stuff I thought was freeing became a lot more restrictive than I thought.”

That honesty captures the human struggle. We chase freedom, believing it will give us life, but often it simply exposes our need for something greater. Many times, the freedom we seek becomes the prison that enslaves.

Freedom Found in Grace

When Sammy hit her breaking point at 18, she expected judgment. Instead, she found grace.

“My mum, my pastors, my youth leaders—they met me with so much grace… they held me when I needed to be held.”

Freedom arrived, and it was packaged as love—God’s love expressed through people who refused to give up on her. That’s the heart of the gospel: freedom doesn’t begin with our effort. It begins with Christ’s invitation and a decision to follow in the freedom from sin that he offers. But, as we learn from Galatians 5:1, it is a freedom we need to stand firm in.

Freedom Shaped Through Formation

As she began to walk with Jesus, Sammy discovered a different kind of freedom, the freedom that grows through community and discipline. She was blessed to have mentors who invested in her. Through their example, she discovered the grounding that spiritual practices provide in a turbulent world:

“What steadies you between the highs and lows are your rhythms… your practices.”

This is freedom not as escape, but as formation. Christian freedom doesn’t remove responsibility. Rather, having become a new creation in Jesus, we learn to live in that new identity. It is freedom built on followership.

Freedom Expressed in Obedience

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Sammy’s story is God calling her back to Zimbabwe—back to the nation of her birth and into a mission she never imagined. What began as a whisper became a clear direction as she also discovers others who are heeding the same call:

“I cannot stop meeting African people who are being stirred to go back… to rebuild and restore.”

Together with her husband, she is now preparing to follow forward in total surrender to Jesus. This is where biblical freedom ultimately leads. It is a pathway of self-surrender. This is the pathway to joy.

Walk in the Freedom You Were Made For

Sammy’s journey reminds us that freedom isn’t the removal of boundaries—it’s the presence of Jesus. It’s not a license to live however we please, but an invitation to live as we were created. It’s not running away—but following forward.

Her example causes us to reflect:

Where might I be chasing a version of freedom that isn’t leading me into life with Christ?

What step of trust or obedience is Jesus inviting me to take so that I can follow forward in freedom?

This is now Sammy’s mission:

“I want to let young people know from all walks of life that you can live a life full of meaning and purpose—and this is only found in Jesus.”

*To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, click here.
To listen to Jabulani’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

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Follow Forward in Your Context

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Adapted from a conversation with South African singer/songwriter Luxolo Kentane on the Follow Forward Podcast.*

If leadership really begins with followership, then there is an important component of leadership development that we should not neglect: God forms us first in our everyday context — long before we ever step onto a platform or into a boardroom. Luxolo Kentane is a South African creative evangelist whose story powerfully illustrates what it means to follow Jesus faithfully in the middle of real culture, real questions, and real life.

An Eastern Cape Story — and a Private Awakening

Luxolo grew up in a ministry‑immersed home, moving between evangelistic crusades across the Eastern Cape. Yet, beneath the noise of revival culture, he carried deep questions about relevance and reality.

As he put it:

“I had this on‑and‑off relationship with Christ… it always felt like there was a disconnect. I’d seen faith in my parents, but it never felt like it made any sense or relevance to me.”

Church was loud and energetic, yet far from the questions his peers were actually asking. So he developed a dual life — a church persona on Sundays, and a curious, culturally engaged teenager the rest of the week.

His turning point was not dramatic. He didn’t surrender at an altar call, but through the quiet personal engagement of a friend.

“I don’t think he preached to me… he just spent time with me. Actually, seeing Christ in him compelled me to ask the relevant questions.”

One Thursday night, alone in his room, Luxolo prayed his first sincere prayer — a quiet surrender that reshaped his story.

A Gospel That Speaks the Language of Culture

As his faith deepened, Luxolo began to wrestle with the divide between what the Church celebrated and what young people were drawn to. Hip hop wasn’t welcomed in many ‘religious’ spaces, but it was the heartbeat of the streets.

So he made a decision:

“I’m going to tell the story of Jesus in a way this culture understands — even if the church doesn’t understand it.”

When church leaders pushed back, he didn’t try to force his view. Rather, he simply moved outside the church to reach those he could relate to.

Youth groups, taxi ranks, street corners, late-night conversations — anywhere young people gathered, Luxolo carried the story of Jesus in their own language. He didn’t dilute the message; he translated it.

Choosing Unity Over Cynicism

Given his early experiences of being misunderstood, it would have been easy to grow sceptical about the Church. But instead, Luxolo took the long road toward unity.

“My posture should always be that we are there to serve the church… because once we start working together, there’s so much more we can do.”

Today, serving with Alpha Southern Africa, he is more committed than ever to strengthening the Church’s ability to engage culture with clarity and compassion.

Leadership Requires Proximity, Not Popularity

In an age shaped by digital influencers and visible platforms, Luxolo sees a deeper longing in young people:

“People follow leadership they can actually feel — leaders they can walk with.”

Luxolo’s example underlines that true influence isn’t about being widely seen; it’s about being genuinely present. True leadership isn’t built on reach but on relationship – not popularity but proximity. Authentic influence isn’t, therefore, about being widely seen. It’s about stepping into the cultural moment and embodying the presence of Christ there.

Investing in the Next Generation

Throughout our conversation, one thread kept emerging: legacy. As Luxolo put it:

“We should always be focusing on the next generation… taking ourselves out of our jobs as quickly as we can and raising up leaders.”

Our theology remains unchanging, but our methods must evolve if we hope to reach the future Church. For Luxolo, this means investing resources — time, energy, money — into those coming behind us:

Leadership is not about holding on to titles or positions. It’s about lifting others up so that they can surpass us.

Advice for Emerging Leaders

When I asked him what he’d say to young Christians stepping into their calling, Lucolo offered some straightforward wisdom:

“Put yourself around people who share the same passions and values. Ask: How can I help you? How can I serve you?”

Availability, curiosity, and teachability shape a lifetime of purpose.

In your everyday environment of work, neighbourhood, and culture, where might God be inviting you to make the gospel understandable?

Which of your current methods, assumptions, or habits need to shift to serve your context more faithfully?

As we follow Jesus in our own context, may His presence become visible through our lives, one relationship at a time.

*To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, click here.
To listen to Jabulani’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

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Follow Forward in Vulnerability

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Adapted from a conversation with South African singer/songwriter Jabulani Majola on the Follow Forward Podcast.*

Vulnerability isn’t something most of us naturally run toward. It probably would not feature in your top five characteristics of great leaders. However, in my recent conversation with South African artist and storyteller Jabulani Majola (stage name – Jabulile Majola), it became clear that vulnerability has been one of the key tools God has used to shape his life and his music.

The music industry can be a particularly difficult place to express vulnerability. However, Jabulani is determined to stay true to his conviction that he is called to express himself through music honestly and transparently.

“My vulnerability… is honesty. Honesty will always make people respond,”

A Story Formed in Beauty and Struggle

Jabulani’s upbringing included both beauty and struggle. Adopted into a large family with parents committed to serving Jesus, he nonetheless wrestled with deep questions about belonging and identity.

“You start to have questions… about where you actually come from… It was very difficult to feel loved… even though I had people in my life that were affirming me.”

These early wounds became the soil God later used to shape his compassion—expressed through storytelling and his emerging voice as an artist.

Music as a Place of Healing

For Jabulani, music wasn’t an escape from pain—it was a way to process it with God. He described it as

“a soundtrack that helps you create that song of hope.”

What began as rap and spoken word slowly transformed into the Zulu folk sound he now carries. That shift, he explained, required faith and courage:

“Everything felt out of reach… but every step was a step of faith.”

Embracing his heritage, language, and identity unlocked a depth in his music that resonates even with those who don’t understand isiZulu.

Leading out of Vulnerability

Repeatedly, Jabulani connects vulnerability as the means to discovering purpose.

“The closer you get to God, the more He breaks you… and everything that you do is from that humble place.”

This is why his performances often feel like ministry moments. He doesn’t force anything. He simply lays his story before the room, trusting the Holy Spirit to use honesty as an invitation. His vulnerability becomes a doorway for creating an environment where the grace of Jesus becomes tangible. And, in this way, he leads people into God’s presence.

Consistency Beyond the Stage

What struck me most was how intentionally he seeks to align his off‑stage life with his on‑stage message. His integrity, more than his talent or rising platform, is what makes his life such a compelling witness.

In this, he is seeking to follow the example of Jesus, who expressed deep vulnerability in the Garden of Gethsemane before surrendering fully to the Father: “May your will be done.” (see Matthew 26:36-50)

Vulnerability may not be the first quality we look for in great leaders, but as Jabulani is discovering, it is a critical pathway to influence. So perhaps it’s important to pause and reflect:

Where might God be inviting you to practise greater vulnerability as a means of encountering more of His grace?

How could sharing part of your story create space for someone else to encounter Jesus?

Rather than striving to project extreme self‑confidence, we may discover that God has gentler, wiser ways to mould us into Christ‑centred servant leaders.

*To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, click here.
To listen to Jabulani’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

Enjoy Jabulile Majola music on: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hGWd…
Apple Music:   / jabulile-majola  
YouTube:    / @ujabulilemajola  

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Follow Forward in God’s Adventure

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Adapted from a conversation with Bec Scales, former director of Life Child, on the Follow Forward Podcast.*

I moved to South Africa in 1998, when I was 23. It was ostensibly going to be a two-year church placement before returning to the UK. Little did I know that it was a massive step in uncovering God’s African adventure for my life… one that is still being revealed almost 30 years later.

Bec Scales similarly made a move to South Africa, a step into the unknown borne out of obedience to God. There’s something remarkable about leaders who keep saying “yes” to God — not because the road is easy, but because they’ve learned to trust His voice more than their comfort.

Bec’s story is full of moments of faith, where she said yes to God despite not knowing the whole picture. Her story is an honest, faith-filled adventure. And it’s the kind of story emerging leaders need to hear right now.

A Heart Formed Early

Bec grew up in a Jesus-loving family in Australia. At just six years old, she remembers saying to her mum: “I want to know God like you do.”

That simple prayer set the trajectory of her life. But it wasn’t until she encountered God in unexpected places — like a Hong Kong church service at age 15 — that her heart for the nations was ignited.

“God opened my eyes and my heart to the world… that was a key turning point for the future in missions.”

The seeds of calling were planted long before she knew where they would lead. As a 15-year-old all she knew was that the next step of obedience was to be baptised as a public declaration that she fully trusted God.

Leadership Formed through Loss

And her faith in God was tested to the core when, as a young adult, her mum unexpectedly died.

After losing her mum, she faced the hardest theological question of all: Is God still good when He doesn’t do what we hoped?

Her youth pastor challenged her: “Surely your view of God doesn’t change based on whether He healed your mum or not?”

Bec responded with a lifelong commitment:

“I’m never going to shake my fist at God because I don’t understand.”

That conviction sustained her through years of ministry among children facing trauma, poverty, and heartbreak.

A Courageous Yes to Cape Town

Fast forward a few years. While backpacking through East Africa, Bec prayed a bold prayer:

“God, I’ll go anywhere in the world — as long as I know You’ve sent me and You’re going with me.”

That prayer led her to a providential meeting with Pastor Anthony Liebenberg, who invited her to Cape Town. She didn’t know the city, the church, or the people — but she recognised the voice of God and said “yes” to the next adventure.

And true to her word, she packed up her life in eight weeks and landed in Cape Town as Life Church’s new Youth Pastor — a job she didn’t apply for in a city she had never seen.

But obedience doesn’t bypass testing. Those early months were difficult as she adjusted to a different culture and navigated various challenges. Yet God kept whispering one phrase: “Stay at your post.”

Bec’s durability was forged in those first hard weeks.

Where Beauty and Brokenness Meet

I often say that I have a love-hate relationship. I love the beauty, diversity and uniqueness of this incredible city. And yet, I hate the contrast between rich and poor, which is sewn into the very fabric of this most unequal city.

As Cape Town became home to Bec, she experienced the same tension. Cape Town is breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. Serving in Sea Point exposed her to the complexities of urban youth ministry. But it was stepping into Life Child that deeply shaped her calling.

“Kids are kids no matter where they are… they still deserve love, security, protection.”

Through the work in the Cape Town townships of Samora Machel and Kosovo, she discovered both the depths of vulnerability and the incredible resilience of families living there.

“There were incredible people shining their lights… they just needed strengthening and equipping.”

Bec was becoming a Christ-centred advocate for the voiceless, a conviction that she carries deeply in her being.

A Life-Changing Yes: Becoming a Mum

One of the most beautiful parts of Bec’s story is her journey into motherhood. In 2011, God placed twin baby girls — Buhle and Okuhle — in her arms. Again, it started with a question from God: “Will you say yes?”

She said yes before she understood the cost, the complications, or the miracles that would be required.

“I’ll be their mum if You’ll be their Father. A Father protects and provides.”

And God did protect and provide, through years of paperwork, visa challenges, and faith-testing waiting. Her daughters are now 15 and thriving.

After 15 years in Cape Town, God began nudging Bec toward another unknown step: returning to Australia so her daughters could gain citizenship. It was a new season, but it required the same commitment to obedience.

“If God wants us to do this, He has to make it all happen. And He did — miracle after miracle after miracle.”

In January 2024, they moved to Brisbane to start a new chapter — still following forward.

Advice for Emerging Leaders

I asked Bec what she’d say to young leaders who sense God calling them into the unknown. She didn’t hesitate:

“Just do it. I’m not going to sugarcoat it…. First hear God. If you can say, ‘The Lord said to me,’ then you can step out in confidence.”

She went on to say,

“I’m so grateful I didn’t hold back out of fear… My life would have been so different if I hadn’t said yes to His open doors.”

Her story is a reminder that following Jesus isn’t safe — but it is beautiful. And the adventure only begins when we take the courageous step forward.

Where might God be inviting you to say a courageous “yes” — even if it leads into the unknown?

What step of obedience have you been delaying because of fear, and how might trusting God reshape your response?

So wherever God is nudging you — a city you’ve never seen, a ministry you didn’t plan, a responsibility you don’t feel ready for — may you have the courage to say “yes”. God’s adventure always begins with obedience.

To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, click here.
To listen to Bec’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

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Follow Forward Without Fear

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Adapted from a conversation with Daniel Eduardo, director of The Message Brazil, on the Follow Forward Podcast.*

Two Kinds of Fear

Sally McRae, in her autobiography Choose Strong, writes that there are two types of fear.
The first is the kind rooted in respect — the kind that keeps us cautious and attentive when navigating something dangerous. Think of teaching a child to cross the road or double-checking equipment before skydiving. This is the kind of fear the Bible refers to as being intertwined with wisdom (e.g., Proverbs 1:7 and many other verses).

But Sally describes a second kind of fear — a fear that paralyses, a fear that “keeps us from living in all the ways that make us unique.”

Daniel and Emily Eduardo had to face this type of fear, the kind that could have stopped them from stepping into God’s call. Instead, they discovered that God often meets us within our fear and leads us forward with surprising peace.

A Legacy of Courage — and the Reality of Fear

Daniel grew up hearing wild, faith-filled stories from his father — stories of persecution, answered prayer, and bold evangelism in Angola. “This is someone who has literally laid his life down,” Daniel recalled, describing how his father once shared the gospel even when threatened with a firing squad. That legacy shaped Daniel deeply:

“That passion for the gospel has been instilled in me since I was a little kid.”

But inheriting a legacy of courage doesn’t automatically eliminate fear. Daniel still had to choose faith repeatedly, especially when he sensed God calling him and his wife Emily to Brazil.

Into the Heart of a Favela

When Daniel first explored the possibility of moving to Brazil, it took him straight into the centre of a Rio favela. “You will see young people with AK-47s,” their host warned. “You might hear gunfire.” Daniel admitted,

“I was thinking, okay… this is very different from what I thought it would be.”

For Emily, who had suffered debilitating night terrors for 27 years, this environment could easily have triggered overwhelming fear. But instead, God moved in a way they never expected.

A Night of Peace That Changed Everything

On their first night in the favela, they heard gunshots and saw armed men exactly as they’d been warned. Yet Emily slept peacefully.

The next morning, Daniel asked how she had slept. Her response surprised him:

“I had the best night’s sleep of my life. I felt like I was sleeping in Jesus’ arms.”

From that night in August 2019, her decades-long night terrors stopped completely. “For us, that was a sign,” Daniel said. “Maybe God is calling us to Brazil.”

Delayed — but Directed by God

When COVID delayed their plans to move in 2020, doubt crept in. “Did I mishear Him?” Daniel wondered. But God used that season to anchor them in Proverbs 16:9:

“A man makes a plan in his heart, but the Lord directs the steps.”

That verse became their lifeline: “If it’s in five years, let it be. If it’s in ten years, let it be,” Daniel recalled. And when the time was right, God opened every door — unmistakably.

Provision Beyond Expectation

A chance conversation led to Emily being offered a teaching job in Rio with a full relocation package. Daniel laughed as he described it:

“It was as if we said to God, we’re willing to eat pot noodles for the rest of our lives. And just as we were about to take a bite, God pulled the curtain back and said, ‘I’ve prepared a whole banquet for you.’”

Today, Daniel leads Message Brazil with that same posture of dependence on God. Whether in schools, in favelas, or through creative mission, he and his team are raising “urban heroes,” young people discovering hope, purpose, and identity in Jesus.

“Just Give It a Go.”

For anyone feeling hesitant or fearful about following God’s call, Daniel offers simple encouragement:

“Just give it a go. If it points to Jesus and glorifies His name, go for it.”

For him, courage is obedience, not bravado, not perfection, but the willingness to follow Jesus into the unknown.

And that is the heartbeat of Follow Forward: We follow Christ and step into God’s purposes — without fear, because He is already there.

As you’ve read Daniel and Emily’s story, it may have caused you to reflect on the positive or paralysing fears you are facing.

Where is fear holding you back from saying “yes” to something God might be calling you toward? What would “giving it a go,” as Daniel says, look like this week?

How has God used delays, disappointments, or unexpected circumstances to redirect your steps — just as He did with Daniel and Emily?

    Daniel’s story reminds us that the safest place isn’t necessarily the most comfortable one. As Message Founder and Global CEO, Andy Hawthorne, says, faith can be spelt R-I-S-K. However, when the risks we take are centred on seeking to obey Christ, then this is actually the safest place to be.

    To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, click here.
    To listen to Daniel’s interview, choose your preferred platform: YouTube, Apple, or Spotify.

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    Follow Forward with Vision

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    Adapted from a conversation with Carolyne A. Opinde Dr.h.c., founder and CEO of The NGO Whisperer, on the Follow Forward podcast.*

    Vision is a critical part of leadership. However, I do not believe that vision is something we invent or manufacture. Rather, it is something God reveals progressively as we seek to follow him in faithful obedience.

    Carolyne Opinde’s life personifies this. If you meet her now, she is an astute and assured woman of vision. However, her story reveals that God disclosed his vision and purpose to her over time, and through varied circumstances and experiences.

    Carolyne’s life is shaped by a deep sense of being led by God, often in ways she did not expect.

    “Every one of my decisions has really been rooted in prayer,”

    From her early years in Kenya, where her parents modelled radical hospitality and generosity, to her international leadership journey, Carolyne has learned that vision begins with seeking God’s direction, and not necessarily with strategic planning. Or rather, that seeking God and discerning his will is foundational to effective strategic planning.

    Vision Begins in Prayer

    Growing up in a home overflowing with people in need, she absorbed a lived theology of compassion and service.

    “Our home was a home that hosted so many people… I saw family as people who live around you, people you care for,” she shared.

    Those early experiences shaped her understanding of community and leadership and planted seeds of the vision she carries today. But what marked her most was her father’s simple, consistent spiritual instruction.

    “My dad always wrote on everything: ‘Put Jesus first.’ And he would say: Pray, pray, pray.”

    That grounding became the foundation of her leadership calling.

    “Sometimes I would fast and say, ‘God, speak to me.’ And God would speak to me in dreams or ideas. That’s how God works.”

    This posture of listening has shaped every major transition in her life. This pursuit of God’s calling took her into multiple NGOs and led her to move from Nairobi to Cape Town. Through these varied experiences, God was germinating a vision that would soon materialise.

    Becoming the NGO Whisperer

    When she sensed God leading her into consulting so she could support smaller NGOs, she didn’t pursue it as an ambition. Instead, she followed the vision God had given her. Even the name of her organisation was a moment of revelation. In a coaching session, she unexpectedly found herself declaring through tears:

    “I am the NGO Whisperer. I help nonprofits raise funds so they can successfully impact people’s lives. [although] I couldn’t remember what I said — someone had to play it back to me.”

    For Carolyne, this is what visionary leadership looks like: staying close enough to God so that when He speaks, through the bible, a dream, an idea, or a person, then you are ready to respond. This reminds me of a recent post I wrote about Ananias, who God instructed to pray for the recently converted Saul (before he became Paul). You can read it here on the BiblicalLeadership.com website.

    Pursuing Excellence

    As an African leader now living and working in the UK, Carolyne has great insights for emerging leaders. In particular, she challenges emerging leaders to pursue excellence.

    “When you are excellent in your ways, opportunities open. People follow excellence.”

    But excellence alone isn’t enough. Leaders must also reflect Christ in the way they treat others. She spoke about creating “positive moments of truth,” those first encounters where people either see authenticity or disappointment.

    “The world is hungry for anything that is excellent and real,” she said. “If we want to change our communities, people must taste and see the love of Jesus through us.”

    Seek Him for Yourself

    Carolyne’s story captures the heart of what I mean by the phrase ‘Follow Forward‘:

    • We follow those who follow Christ.
    • We listen for God’s direction and his vision for us.
    • We walk into the future with courage and obedience.
    • We trust God to direct us as we pursue the vision.
    • And we steward the vision with excellence.

    In so doing, we are following the example of Carolyne, who has thoroughly tested God in this way.

    “God truly knows what’s in store for you. Seek Him for yourself.”

    When we follow forward with God-inspired vision, we step into a future far greater, wiser, and more fruitful than anything we could design ourselves.

    What vision do you sense God beginning to reveal to you in this season, and what step of obedience might He be inviting you to take next?

    Which practices (prayer, fasting, reflection, mentorship) do you need to prioritise to help you hear God’s voice and align your vision with His purposes?

    One of my favourite passages is Proverbs 4:20-27, which perfectly underlines all the lessons we’ve considered above:

    My son, pay attention to what I say;
        turn your ear to my words.
    Do not let them out of your sight,
        keep them within your heart;
    for they are life to those who find them
        and health to one’s whole body.
    Above all else, guard your heart,
        for everything you do flows from it.
    Keep your mouth free of perversity;
        keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
    Let your eyes look straight ahead;
        fix your gaze directly before you.
    Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet
        and be steadfast in all your ways.
    Do not turn to the right or the left;
        keep your foot from evil.

    *To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, please click here.

    To listen to Carolyne’s interview, click on your preferred podcast channel: YouTube, Apple, Spotify.

    relationship

    Follow Forward in Relationships

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    Adapted from a conversation with Ode Fulutudilu, former South African national team player, on the Follow Forward podcast.*

    Some lives are shaped not by a single opportunity, but by a series of relationships, often appearing at just the right moment.

    Ode Fulutudilu’s journey is one such story.** From early childhood instability across multiple countries, to becoming a professional footballer and a woman of deep faith, her life reveals a profound truth: relationships are often the bridge God uses to carry us from survival to purpose.

    When Stability Comes Through People

    Ode’s early years were marked by displacement, poverty, and trauma. Moving from Congo to Angola and then to South Africa, her childhood lacked the consistency most children take for granted. Education was disrupted. Home was uncertain. Safety was fragile.

    “I just remember being so confused,” Ode reflects, recalling being left behind by her stepmother as a child. “She was the only woman that I knew for most of my life up until that point.”

    That confusion could easily have hardened into bitterness. Instead, it became the soil in which faith and resilience quietly took root.

    A Relationship Answered in Prayer

    One of the most striking aspects of Ode’s story is how intentionally she prayed for meaningful relationships. Beyond material possessions and opportunities, she craved a connection to someone.

    “For a year, I would go on my knees every single day,” she shares. “I would ask God, ‘Lord, I pray that you send me someone, someone that I can go to.’”

    That prayer was answered through Joelle, a woman who didn’t just offer encouragement but opened her home, her network, and her life.

    “With Joelle,” Ode says, “God gave me so much more than what I was asking for… God is able to do immeasurably more than what we can ever ask or think.”

    This relationship became a turning point. Joelle didn’t simply believe in Ode’s potential; she advocated for it. She fought bureaucratic battles. She created pathways. She stood in the gap when Ode could not.

    Relationships Before Resources

    Ode’s story illustrates a vital leadership lesson which I have seen time and again. Many people believe that resources solve the challenges they face in life, be it poverty, trauma or any form of social disadvantage. However, I believe God works primarily through relationships. And it is through relationships that resources can flow and be utilised in empowering ways.

    This is what Ode experienced. Without citizenship, finances, or formal education, Ode’s future looked impossibly narrow. But through relationships, a world of opportunity opened up to her.

    “God showed me like, ‘Hey, I have so much more for you than what your little brain was thinking,’” Ode explains.

    Through trusted relationships, she discovered that education and sport could intersect. Dreams that once felt unreachable became imaginable, and then achievable.

    The Difference Maker

    Reflecting on her time in children’s homes, Ode makes a sobering observation:

    “Having looked back at the children’s home, a lot of the children that didn’t have anyone to work with them, to invest in them, literally… more than half of them ended up back on the streets.”

    The difference wasn’t talent or intelligence. It was relationships. Where no one walked alongside them, progress stalled. Where someone invested deeply, futures changed.

    Before Ode ever stepped onto a pitch as a professional footballer, relationships shaped who she was becoming. She learned to pause, pray, and seek God’s direction at every stage. Communion with God enabled her to decide which opportunities to pursue.

    “I always went back and asked God, ‘Is this what you want me to pursue?’ And when He said yes, then I moved forward.”

    Her career advanced, but her identity stayed rooted in her relationship with God and with people who have supported and loved her over many years.

    Giving Back

    Today, Ode continues this pattern in her own life. As a wife, mother, mentor, and leader, she invests relationally in others, particularly young African women navigating sport, faith, and identity.

    “I run a Bible study with some professional players that I’ve played with,” she shares.
    “My heart is for African female players to get into universities first… so they have a foundation.”

    The same relational bridge that carried her forward is now being extended to others. This is what it means to Follow Forward.

    The Invitation

    Ode’s life reminds us that following Christ often looks like walking intentionally with people, not rushing ahead alone. Relationships do not eliminate hardship. But they make perseverance possible. They turn prayers into pathways. They help people believe that their beginnings do not define their future.

    In considering Ode’s story, who has God used in your life to open up doors that otherwise seemed shut to you?

    Is there someone God is calling you to invest in, recognising that your time and availability may be the gift they need right now?

    Because sometimes, the most transformational thing you can offer someone is not a solution, but your presence.

    *To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, please click here.

    **Click here to find out about Ode’s autobiography.

    15 Jan Reel Cover

    Followership Before Leadership

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    There’s no shortage of leadership content available today. Podcasts. Books. Courses. Conferences. Seminars. You can study leadership at every level, even earn a PhD in it. And yet, a nagging question remains:

    If we know so much about leadership, why are there so few great leaders?

    The Problem with Our Leadership Obsession

    We live in a culture obsessed with leadership. We talk constantly about influence, platforms, vision, and impact. But perhaps the problem isn’t a lack of leadership knowledge. Maybe we’ve been focusing on the wrong thing.

    What if the issue isn’t that we need better leaders—but that we need better followers?

    That may sound counterintuitive in a world that prizes visibility and authority, but the bible consistently points us in that direction. Before anyone is worth following, they must first learn how to follow well.

    Follow my Example

    The apostle Paul—arguably one of the most influential leaders in Christian history—puts it like this:

    “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1).

    Paul didn’t ask people to follow him because he was impressive, gifted, or powerful. He invited people to follow him because his life was oriented around following Jesus. Leadership, at its best, is not about self‑promotion or control. It is the overflow of a life fixed on Christ. The effectiveness of our leadership is directly proportional to how closely we follow Him.

    Jesus Himself made this clear. In John 13, after washing His disciples’ feet, an act of self-sacrificial humility, He said:

    “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

    Jesus didn’t just teach leadership; He embodied it. He showed us how to serve, how to love, how to build relationships, how to live with integrity and compassion. To follow forward is to follow His example as we move through life and leadership.

    Follow Forward

    This is the name I’ve given to my recently launched podcast*. It’s highly intentional as I want to hold counter-cultural conversations about leadership.

    It’s not about following trends.
    It’s not about following personalities.
    It’s not about building a following.

    It’s about moving forward by fixing our eyes on Jesus—and bringing others with us.

    This podcast will tell stories of people who were transformed by Christ and went on to become transformational leaders. Not celebrities. Not superstars. Often, ordinary people who do extraordinary things because they choose to follow faithfully. Those who have been rescued by Jesus, and are now following Him in the task of rescuing others.

    Shifting the Spotlight: From Bad Leaders to Faithful Ones

    Bad leadership dominates the headlines. Whether focusing on Christian or secular leaders, failures, scandals, and abuse of power get the airtime. This constant focus on failure distorts our imagination.

    Across Africa, and around the world, I get to witness countless faithful leaders quietly serving, loving, building, and empowering others. These stories rarely make the news, but they deserve to be told. Follow Forward is about flipping the switch and changing the narrative.

    This podcast intentionally amplifies global voices—particularly African voices—that don’t always get the platform they deserve. There is deep wisdom, resilience, and Christ-centred leadership emerging from this continent, and the world needs to listen.

    Becoming Follower‑Focused

    Once we are focused on becoming great followers of Christ, we can then become follower‑focused. That doesn’t mean counting how many people follow us on our social media platforms or attend our events. It means investing in those who will one day surpass us. True leadership is not threatened by the success of others. In fact, it delights in it.

    One of the most powerful leadership images is that of a pace‑setter in a race. The pace‑setter isn’t there to win. They’re there to set the rhythm so others can reach their goal—sometimes even break records. That’s the kind of leadership Jesus modelled. That’s the kind of leadership we’re called to.

    The Follow Forward Challenge

    Through the podcast and associated media, I hope we can provoke you to think about the following:

    • Are you dedicated to following Jesus’ example? How is this shaping your life and leadership?
    • Who in your life has followed Christ in a way that shaped you?
    • And, just as importantly, who are you doing that for now?

    Because when we follow forward, fix our eyes on Jesus, and live for the good of those coming after us, we don’t just become better leaders. We become people worth following.

    *This article relates specifically to episode 1 of the Follow Forward podcast.

    The Follow Forward Podcast is a Christian leadership interview podcast capturing wisdom, faith, and lived experience from global Christian leaders who are shaping communities, ministries, and movements across Africa and beyond.

    To find out more about the Follow Forward podcast, please click here.

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