hand them the knife

by Paige Peltier, Director of Candidate Relations

One watermelon at a time.

The other day, I sliced into our first watermelon of the season. I have come to love the rhythm of chopping, snacking while I go. It feels like a symbol of the season, a rite of passage. Summer has arrived.

As I stood there, juice on the cutting board, it made me think that for many years, my first watermelon of the season was shared on a retreat with a dozen summer interns. Before they jumped into their ministry placements, we would carve out a few days to get away, bond as a group, and listen to God. I would assign interns to help prep each meal we’d share 

during our time together. These moments weren’t the deep life stories shared around the firepit, or the uncontrollable laughter of someone learning pickleball– but they became incredibly valuable to me. 

I would gather my kitchen helpers for that dinner to start assigning tasks and ask, “has anyone cut a watermelon before?” and every year, there would be an intern who said no. I would hand over the knife to that intern. I would help them find a cutting board at the Airbnb and give them a pep talk. I’d show them how to steady it, how to make that first cut so the melon sits flat. I’d talk them through the steps and remind them to keep their fingers out of the way. 

I loved that summer ritual of guiding an intern to learn such practical skills. Was I embarrassed that I hired someone who had never cut a watermelon? No way! Why would they? Their mom probably did, and in college, it was served to them. Would it have been faster for me to cut the watermelon? Oh, for sure. Will it get messy? You better believe it. But easy, fast, and mess-free is not what developing leaders is about. 

We have to recognize and celebrate the things they don't know and the things they have yet to learn. We hand over the knife—whatever that “knife” is—and we stay close. We coach. We cheer. We embrace the mess. Because growing leaders isn’t about speed or perfection. It’s about giving them space to try. When we are developing leaders, it may be easier to think about the “big” things we want them to learn, like how to preach a sermon or how to recruit a team. But don't miss the chance to guide them in learning the small things too. So yes, teach them to preach and build teams. But also—hand them the knife. Let them learn to lead, one watermelon at a time.

Because one day, they’ll hand the knife to someone else. And they’ll remember the first time someone handed it to them.

Want to hear more about Paige’s experience of helping young leaders move forward? Find time with her HERE