In the quiet coastal town of Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Rev. Dave Horne leads a church with the vision to reach a community of 8,000 people with the hope of Jesus. But like many leaders in ministry, the weight of responsibility and constant busyness left him feeling stretched thin.
Dave first heard about Arrow through Bishop Richard Condie, who nominated him for Arrow. Richard had seen the impact Arrow had on leaders across Australia, including himself, and believed it would be a valuable opportunity for Dave’s growth and ministry in Tasmania.
Encouraged by that invitation, Dave took the step to apply. He had an experience that would slow him down, rediscover his rhythm with God, and learn that wise, resilient, and Kingdom-hearted leadership begins with anchoring your time and energy in Christ.
Reshaping Priorities
Prior to doing Arrow, Dave describes himself as a fast-paced, on-the-go leader. Dave was heavily goal-oriented and constantly looking to the next project. It was once he started Arrow that his idea of what a godly leader looked like began to shift.
“I’ve so often prized efficiency and output. And I think Arrow challenged me to prioritise input more than output,” he explains.
A core tenet of the Arrow program is to help leaders shift from striving to abiding, a challenge that deeply reshaped Dave’s understanding of leadership.
As he explains, “It challenged my theology around leadership because when you’re forced to slow down and to incorporate daily prayer, solitude and Bible reading… I realised I feel better when I’m doing it this way. I feel like I’m better set up in my relationship with God.”
Trusting God with the Results
Leading the only church in Dodges Ferry adds an extra feeling of responsibility and weight on Dave’s shoulders to make the church accessible and equipped to reach everyone. Arrow taught him to hand that responsibility back to God.
He shares, “the fruit that you’re trying to produce through effort and work, you can hand that over to God and trust him and allow him to be involved in that way.”
By handing this responsibility to God, Dave is better positioned to invest in his spiritual growth and those around him. Now Dave is more comfortable setting healthy boundaries around his working schedule and trusting God with the outcome.
The Value of Arrow
When asked what the church in Australia will need from its leaders in the next ten years, Dave reflected on the growing loneliness epidemic in the digital age and the importance of Christian leaders learning to navigate this space wisely.
Dave emphasised the need for leaders, “to be discerning, but also prepared to turn up the volume on their relational ministries.” From his own experience in Arrow, he has seen the benefits in strengthening relational ministries, encouraging face-to-face interactions, vulnerability, and slowing things down to foster community.
That same emphasis on relationships was reflected in the Arrow program. Dave highlighted the immense value of Arrow, especially in forming peer relationships among ministers who often lack close friends in their towns to share struggles and successes. For Dave, having these peer relationships allows him to better serve God in his ministry and community.
Dave passionately shares that, “the Arrow program invests in and forms leaders in a way that conferences and books won’t.” He attributes Arrow’s success to “ its format, the length of it, and the variety of speakers.”
Following his completion of Arrow, Dave confidently believes that:
“Arrow is probably one of the only programs that is really drawing leaders both back to God’s word and what God’s vision for the church and for leadership is and preparing and shaping them for the future of leadership.”
He urges other leaders to “get good at saying no to other things so you can say yes to Arrow.”
Encouragement for Supporters
Supporting Arrow means investing in leaders who are led more by Jesus, lead more like Jesus and lead more to Jesus. It’s these leaders who, in turn, strengthen the Church across Australia.
If you would like to give a gift this Christmas that will help shape the next generation of Christian leaders, visit our website and invest in Christian leadership.
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