About the Agents of Transformation Series
This post is part of our Agents of Transformation blog series—a collection of stories and reflections exploring what it means for Canopy Life students to become Godly, Innovative, Emotionally Healthy, and Relationally Rooted leaders who can transform their communities.Want to explore more stories like this one? [Click here to read the full series.]
To learn more about what it means for our students to become Agents of Transformation in Kenya—[Click here to view our online magazine.]
Characteristics of Agents of Transformation
At Canopy Life, we believe that true transformation begins from the inside out. Our vision is to raise up godly, innovative leaders who will one day transform their communities and lead their nation forward. We call these students Agents of Transformation—young people equipped to shape Kenya’s future through character, creativity, and faith.
These Agents of Transformation are defined as leaders who have a healthy relationship with God, themselves, others, and the world. More specifically, Canopy Life defines this through four characteristics:
- Godly: A healthy relationship with God, strong character, and a personal, practical faith
- Emotionally Healthy: A healthy relationship with self, self-esteem, and emotional regulation
- Relationally Rooted: A healthy relationship with others, contributing to community and a sense of belonging
- Innovative: A healthy relationship with the world, demonstrated through creative problem-solving and critical thinking
Our efforts guide students to this end by:
- Defining and teaching quality content on the character and skills of an agent of transformation
- Modeling these characteristics and skills
- Creating conducive environments for learning
- Providing experiences that help students practice a transformational lifestyle
Agents of Transformation Are Rooted in Christ
Being an Agent of Transformation starts with being rooted in Christ. These students know who they are, and whose they are. They’re growing in wisdom and faith, building their identity on God’s truth, and learning to live with integrity and compassion. This spiritual foundation equips students not only to persevere through adversity, but to model transformational leadership as they guide others through it.
Their growth may look different from the outside—some may start businesses, others may lead worship, mentor younger students, or develop new innovations—but at the core, every Agent of Transformation is grounded in a relationship with Christ.
Mark, the father of Canopy Life’s founder and executive director Christi Gordy, shares this beautifully in his guest reflection below. Mark has visited Canopy Life in Kenya! Before retiring, he served as the outside sales manager of Georgia Spa Company. In his words, we’re reminded that Agents of Transformation are around us every day. We all have people in our lives who sharpen us, encourage us, and lead us closer to God by the way they live. His story of Scott, a faithful friend and humble leader, reminds us of the kind of impact our students can one day have.
A Reflection by Mark
God has blessed my 68-year earth journey by placing in my path multiple men and women who, by the excellent Canopy Life definition, are Agents of Transformation. Stated another way, they “move the needle” of the organizations, teams, or churches of which they are a part. They “change the temperature” of the lives they touch. They are those of whom Solomon writes, “As iron sharpens iron so a man sharpens the countenance of his friends.” These are powerful words—“needle,” “temperature,” “sharpen”—and they describe the thought processes, belief systems, and personal impact which make them radically transformative.
How One Faithful Friend Changed My Life
I would like to share the impact of one life who has been to me a powerful Agent of Transformation.
His name is Scott. I have known him for 23 years. He is a Christian by faith. He is a sales trainer by occupation. He is humble to a fault. His words are inevitably wise and sensitive. I have never seen him go into a room and not change it—not move the needle—ever. And I have been in many rooms with him. His heart is a well of wisdom and compassion. With impeccable discernment, he makes a connection with every person as though they are the only one he is talking to, the single member of his audience. We have prayed together and we have wept together, revealing to me a strong man who pours out his heart before God word by word and tear by tear.
As the years have passed, he faced personal challenges and family issues from which none of us is immune. In appropriate measures, he has been transparent and willing to share his personal struggles in order to effectively lift up mine. Yet he resists, from a pure heart, turning any spotlight on himself. Which brings me to what I believe is why he is so effective with LIFE.
A Living Example of an Agent of Transformation
Everything I have mentioned above passes through the filter of eternity. He lives and loves to lift others up. His focus is on that which lasts forever. Yes, we sell hot tubs. Yes, we attempt to bring relaxation to our clients every day. Yes, we focus on the wellness from water therapy that is healthy. And while Scott helps us all do this incredibly effectively, he has a secret sauce which he learned from the greatest Teacher of all, Jesus Christ.
And for 23 years, he has attempted to teach it to me in all the ways I have mentioned above. For out of His inmost being there flows an inexhaustible supply of water. And if we would only drink that from Him, we would never be thirsty for the things of this world that just make us earthly and ordinary. So that’s Scott. To me, he has been the Lord’s faithful servant, my faithful friend, and an Agent of Transformation to me.
Encouragement for you
There are others who are just as meaningful gifts to me, as I am sure there are to you. I encourage you to enjoy a time of reflection and give thanks to the Agents of Transformation God has blessed you with, highlighting those characteristics and imitating them as they do the Lord. Perhaps take the time to drop a note of encouragement (Scott was so good with this! And it so often came at my lowest time). A phone call of gratitude. The recognition of a life well lived. And God bless you as He uses you as an Agent—even in your ignorance of how you are being used—as we move together from glory to Glory where Jesus transforms us completely forever. Thanks, Scott, for being a running brook to drink from instead of a stagnant pool!
Do you know someone who’s been an Agent of Transformation in your life? Take a moment today to thank them, honor them, or simply reflect on how their example has shaped you. And keep praying for the young leaders at Canopy Life who are becoming that same kind of influence in Kenya.
About the Author
Mark Baker is the proud father of Christi Gordy, Canopy Life’s founder and executive director. Before retiring, he served as the outside sales manager of Georgia Spa Company and has visited Canopy Life in Kenya, where he witnessed firsthand the impact of raising up godly, innovative leaders. Mark is passionate about encouraging others and reflecting Christ through everyday relationships.
