I would like to welcome you to the new year. I trust that this year will be a year when God will bless us with His peace. After years filled with unexpected events, such as the global pandemic and the war in Ukraine, to which we have had to respond as individuals and as a KAM, I pray that God will give each of us the opportunity to rest in His arms, regain strength, and stand again on the solid rock that is Jesus. Yes, there are many challenges ahead of us this year as well, but I would like us as a team and each individually to enter into these challenges with a posture of stability based on our identity as children of God.

Strategic Plan 2024-2026

This year we are entering a 3-year phase with a focus that will help us maintain the Strategic Plan 2024-2026. I would like us all to keep in mind 2 key overarching goals that each area of ministry and each Kamak should contribute to:

• Double the number of youth with a missionary culture,
  
• to double the number of young people with whom we have an active relationship that will enable us to support and develop them in this direction.
  

In collaboration with the leaders, we have prepared an action plan for 2024 concerning the Strategic Plan for each area, which should help understand how each ministry can specifically help to meet these strategic goals. Goals for specific Kamaks should be defined at the in-person assessment. I would encourage you to talk with your leaders about how your role helps fulfill the mission of KAM and that regardless of your position type and nationality (1st and 2nd culture), you all see yourselves as missionaries.

Changes in Relation to the Director's Transition

In connection with the transition of KAM leadership from Dusan to me, there are several changes, most of which will take place now starting in January 2024, some of which will take effect on April 5, 2024.

• Director of KAM: As of January 1st, I am leading the KAM team and ministry. Dusan will remain my uplink and Director/Statutor with legal responsibility until April 5th, 2024 when I will officially take over this role at the KAM Annual Conference. So from now on, please contact me directly with anything related to the KAM team and ministry. If anything needs a decision or signature from Dusan as the current director, I will submit it to him.

• Assistant to the Director: as of January 1st, 2024, Míša is still the secretary, and as part of this role, now also my executive assistant. This means that Míša is no longer the assistant to Dusan: questions and requests regarding Dusan should be addressed directly to him. Míša will have access to my mailbox and calendar, communicate on my behalf, etc. So please redirect all communications regarding KAM management to my mailbox. If you do not want Míša to read something, please put "Discreet" in the Subject line or contact me through another communication channel.

• Deputy Directors/Statutors:
  
  • Radka Šticová is, since January 1st, 2024, the deputy director and statutory officer responsible for finances.
  • As of April 5th, 2024, I plan to appoint Milan Szturc as Deputy Director and Statutory Officer responsible for outreach programs ( pending approval by the KAM Board of Trustees).
  • From April 5th, 2024, there will be 3 deputy directors: Kevin, Radka and Milan.

• Leadership Team: I am already inviting representatives from all areas of the KAM ministry to participate in the leadership meetings, which will make up the Leadership Team. This new lineup will officially replace the current ExTeam beginning on April 5th, 2024:
  
  • Kuba Vejmělka - Director / Czech National Leader
    
  • Kevin Dickson - Deputy Director: representative of JV NFP, US Partners
    
  • Radka Šticová - Deputy Director(from January 1st, 2024): Finances
    
  • Milan Szturc - Deputy Director (from April 5th, 2024): Programmes
    
  • Míša Toušková - Secretary
    
  • Michal Soukup - Regions
    
  • Pavlína Bujoková - Education
  • Kača Kabut - HR

This will be the director's internal advisory and executive body, and, as the name suggests, I would like to emphasize more pastoral leadership in it as opposed to management (although this is definitely needed as well).

• Organizational chart 2024/01: My intention is to flatten the organizational structure of KAM, i.e., to reduce the number of levels of the organizational structure so that between me as the director and the members of the individual departments, there is ideally only a leader for a given area who will be a direct member of the Leadership Team. I believe that this will then form a natural and fast communication channel between leadership and their teams (this was one of the reasons for setting up the Leadership Team in this form).

KAM Internal Events

I would like to remind you that On April 3rd-5th, 2024, we will have the KAM Spring Conference in Malenovice, which will be framed by the theme Culture, Values, and Strategy of KAM. It will also include the Annual Conference. If you are not already a KAM member, I would like to invite you to become a co-owner of the KAM vision by voting at the Conference. You can find it here: KAM Membership Application.

The Spring Conference will be preceded by our traditional KAM Feedback Questionnaire, in which we will ask for your feedback for the KAM Leadership. We are deliberately including it before the Spring Conference this time to provide an opportunity to discuss your suggestions and questions from the questionnaire in person. But I would also be happy to hear your comments and suggestions at any time during the year.

Let Us Pray

• For a good transfer of KAM leadership from Dusan to Kuba.
• For God's empowerment for equipping youth for a greater missional orientation.
• For protection and reinforcement for the KAM team in all that lies ahead of us in the coming year.