Emerging Leaders Initiative 5 Application
The ACSI Emerging Leaders Initiative is aimed at raising up and investing in the current and future generation of school leaders. We aim to facilitate leadership learning and development to support, strengthen and encourage our new and emerging leaders in the ACSI family of schools.
Investing in the next generation of leaders is a principle we see frequently throughout the pages of scripture. Leaders spent time raising up the next generation of younger leaders to build and advance God’s Kingdom. This took time and effort as they were deliberately and intentionally nurtured and developed to prepare them to serve. There are many examples of leaders investing into the lives of their successors through time spent teaching and coaching, doing life together, praying, discipling, imparting faith, encouraging and delegating of responsibility. Moses invested in Joshua, Samuel in David, Elijah in Elisha, Jesus in His disciples, Paul and Timothy… the list is comprehensive. We have little doubt in the value of leadership development, especially in the context of Christian Education.
Registration: Please register online and complete the application form via the button above. Registration should be completed, together with payment to ACSI (please use reference ELI 4-Name) as soon as possible. Participants will be accepted on a first-come, first serve basis. Further administrative details will completed after registration.
Cost: The cost of R5 100 per person includes:
- All course facilitation and material
- The prescribed book
- Accommodation and meals for the 2-day in-person “graduation” (Travel costs to the Gauteng area are excluded).
Payment must take place prior to the start of the course on Friday 7th February 2025. Schools/participants may choose to pay for the course in three instalments. (November, December 2024, January 2025)




Investing in the next generation of leaders is a principle we see frequently throughout the pages of scripture. Leaders spent time raising up the next generation of younger leaders to build and advance God’s Kingdom. This took time and effort as they were deliberately and intentionally nurtured and developed to prepare them to serve. There are many examples of leaders investing into the lives of their successors through time spent teaching and coaching, doing life together, praying, discipling, imparting faith, encouraging and delegating of responsibility. Moses invested in Joshua, Samuel in David, Elijah in Elisha, Jesus in His disciples, Paul and Timothy… the list is comprehensive. We have little doubt in the value of leadership development, especially in the context of Christian Education.
Action Required:
- Current, inexperienced principals are urged to take this opportunity to grow and develop. Leadership development is an ongoing journey – we never stop learning.
- ACSI school principals are also challenged to identify and invest in potential leaders within your school.
This initiative is aimed at two groups of leaders in our schools:


Current, inexperienced school principals.
Many new leaders have been appointed into the position of principal over the past few years without sufficient training or adequate time in a leadership “incubator” to develop their leadership skills. They are forced to learn as they go, sometimes under significant pressure because they lack exposure/experience in the challenges they face. ACSI has a large group of inexperienced principals who are very eager and have great hearts to serve their schools but are simply overwhelmed by the task at hand.
Emerging leaders.
As some current principals get closer to retirement, or as school leaders resign and move, there is seldom sufficient succession planning in place within the school that deliberately focuses on grooming and training the next potential principal. Christian schools need to be intentional in growing our future Christian school leaders by investing in those younger men and women with the potential to lead and carry the vision.
Course Schedule: Times & Dates for ELI 4
Course Structure
We plan to address various topics relevant to Christian school leaders (see breakdown below) over a period of 18 months. There will be 11 x 3 hour on-line sessions, scheduled to take place on a Friday afternoon, once a month, over Zoom. The training will culminate with a 2-day in-person gathering in Johannesburg in June or August 2026 (tbc), during which the final workshop will be held. Experienced school leaders and professionals will present each of the 12 sessions – see below for details of who will present each session.
In addition to the 12 sessions, participants will be tasked to work through John Maxwell’s book ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’. Every effort will be made to make the content practical and relevant to both personal development and School Leadership.
The course will be submitted to SACE for accreditation so that CPTD points can be allocated.