A communal need can be identified when people come together. This means that when the community gathers, it is easier to observe and prioritize their needs. For example, “When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread for these people toeat?’” (John 6:5). Jesus identified and prioritized the needs of the crowd, since they were following him, to be fed then learn from him. Hence, Christ tested Philip to see if he had the same consciousness about the crowd.
Philip represents leaders in communities and shows that failing to have the right priorities for the people can lead to failure in achieving community goals. This is a lesson to every community leader to know their people’s needs at heart. As John Maxwell says, “help people meet their needs and in return they will help you achieve your goals.”
CALISCO aims to provide leadership in communities that value the prioritization of common needs. This cannot be achieved without having the right leadership in families. Today, CALISCO invites and challenges us to assess our consciousness of the needs of family members. Until we know what our children need, we cannot have priorities right. Imagine if we thought that children need education more than a healthy family and peer relationships, what would be the consequences? If we nurture our children well, they will grow and develop their capacity as communal leaders who prioritize common needs.