AMY: A Servant-Leader by Judy Wiedenkeller Servant leadership shows people that you really do care for them and are willing right beside them. Amy Bernhardt is a young woman with the heart of a servant-leader. "Servant leadership," as Amy defines it, "is what Jesus portrays in the Gospels. To be an effective leader, one must be able to encourage others. This is done by setting an example. I would not want to ask anyone to do something that I am not willing to do myself. Servant leadership shows people that you really do care for them and are willing to work right beside them. This also gives them support as they realize they don't have to do it alone. It is also a reminder that Christ has promised never to leave us alone and always to be there for us." This servant attitude is a natural outflow of Amy's Christian heritage. Her family played a major role in her development and provided a strong foundation for her values and attitudes. The example of leadership and genuine care to others shown by her mother provided a model for Amy. Her grandfather is a retired pastor who served at Trinity Lutheran Church, Friestadt, Wisconsin. Sharing and reaching out to others is simply an extension of her childhood experiences and observations. Amy finds deep satisfaction and joy in service to others. "It is very easy to do something for yourself, but when you do something for somebody else and expect nothing in return, it is a wonderful feeling. Many times you find that you were blessed even more!" Learning and interacting with others is not a new thing for her. She graduated in the top 10 percent of her high school class and pursued activities in sports, music and forensics. Her involvement in a competition called Destination ImagiNation played a major role in helping her solve problems and stretch her thinking process. In her senior year of high school, her team was involved in world competition. While attending Concordia University Wisconsin, Amy was the 2004 recipient of the Donna J. Streufert Women's Leadership Award. During her campus experience, Amy spent many hours volunteering in the community through the Student Thank You Program. She served with Youth Ministry, helping area churches conduct youth lock-ins. During the spring break, she participated in a college sponsored mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. She also continued her interest in sports, playing basketball and softball. Amy graduated from Concordia with a Lay Ministry and Theology major, specializing in parish teaching and evangelism with a minor in philosophy. She particularly chose this mix so that she would be adaptable to a variety of needs in her future role as church leader. Her desire is to use her gifts and training in service to God's people, encouraging them to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ, giving them the tools to share their faith with others and encouraging them to apply faith to daily living. Amy was married this summer to Chuck Nelson. She is the part-time youth director at St. Mark, Janesville, Wisconsin.