Shaping our leaders of the future
The Australia Territory’s Movement Renewal is a learning journey that brings together officers, employees, lay leaders, and emerging pioneers to explore and deepen their understanding of living out God’s mission in communities. It has a significant impact on shaping leaders, churches, and mission across the Territory. The recent Movement Renewal Conference at North Brisbane Corps highlighted these themes and invited people to join the 2027 Cohort to continue this mission-focused journey.
Captain Aaron Reid (Corps Officer/Church Leader at Toowoomba, Qld), shares his reflections on the impact of being involved in Movement Renewal.
BY AARON REID
I have been on the Movement Renewal journey for the past 18 months and, looking back, I can see the profound impact it has had on my thinking, my leadership and the way I approach mission.
One of the biggest things I have learned is that renewal does not have to be complicated. In the past, I often found myself overthinking how to engage my local community or looking for complex solutions. I could easily move towards thinking about what program we needed to run, what activity we could organise or what we could do differently. Through this journey, I have had to unlearn some of that thinking and relearn what it means to simply be faithful to what God has already called me to do.
For me, that has meant listening well, building genuine relationships, making disciples and being obedient to God’s leading. There has been something incredibly freeing about recognising that I don’t always need to have the answer or create something new. Sometimes, I simply need to pay attention to what God is already doing and be willing to join Him in it.
Another significant learning for me has been the importance of stepping outside my comfort zone and engaging with my community through missional incarnational impulse. I have come to understand this as living out the Gospel through proximity, presence and sacrificial love. It has challenged me to think differently about where ministry happens. Rather than expecting people to come to us, I have become more intentional about going into the places where people are already living, working and connecting.
This has also changed the mindset I take with me when I enter those spaces. I am learning to approach people with more of Jesus and less of me. Instead of asking what I can achieve, I am learning to listen, notice and remain open to what the Holy Spirit may be doing. Some of the most amazing and God-glorifying moments I have experienced have come from simply being present, building relationships and following those promptings.
I have moved from seeing ministry primarily through the lens of programs, activities and what we can accomplish, to seeing it more intentionally as making disciples who make disciples.
READ MORE: Finding a way in the fiery chaos
That shift has changed how I think about leadership and Kingdom success. It has encouraged me to focus less on doing more, and instead, invest deeply in people. I have become more aware of the importance of simple, reproducible practices that others can embrace, live out and pass on. If something depends entirely on me, it is difficult to multiply. But when we invest in people and equip them to invest in others, we begin to see discipleship become part of the culture.
I have become more convinced that Movement Renewal offers a clear, intentional and Spirit-led way of helping us engage our local communities and build flourishing faith communities.
Ultimately, my greatest learning has been that lasting Kingdom impact does not necessarily come from doing more. It comes from faithfully following God’s leading, investing in people, making disciples and trusting Him with the growth.
After 18 months, I am still learning, but I am learning to keep it simple, stay faithful, listen well and trust God with what comes next.
Are you interested, or do you know someone who might be interested in joining the 2027 Cohort? Share this video of the 2026 Movement Renewal Conference with them and help them start dreaming about what could be next! Or email movementrenewal@salvationarmy.org.au
