• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Why challenges don’t always work

Posted on January 25, 2021 by wtdavid

Giving oneself (or a group) a challenge can be exciting.  The idea of ‘rising above’ one’s (or a team’s) current capacity creates a certain thirst or motivation to take on the challenge.  Cycling 150 kilometers for a humanitarian aid project, or learning a new language in order to communicate the Gospel with a neighbor or colleague from another culture, or praying for a daily or weekly spiritual conversation would all qualify as possible ways to push ourselves to ‘exercise’ and work beyond where we currently find ourselves.  

However, any challenge can quickly lose steam and interest as other important priorities (or simply daily life concerns) come along to sap the effort needed to daily take on a given challenge.

You may remember that two years ago, we launched the 1+1 Challenge.  It was an encouragement for each of us to pray towards leading one person into a relationship with Jesus, and journey with one person towards cross cultural missions.  If you were like me, you started well, but the motivation slowly dissipated as time went by and other things got in the way.

Now there is nothing wrong with the many other objectives of our lives and ministries taking priority over current challenges. What intrigues me though is why I (and perhaps you) can be quick to accept a challenge, launch out, but then slowly lose the motivation to continue.

There it is.  It’s ultimately a question of ‘motivation’.  In other words, is this challenge something God is calling me and us to participate in?  And if so, where am I (we) going to find the drive to pursue any given challenge?   

For us, this is where grace and the Gospel comes in.  Chalmers called it: ‘the expulsive power of a new affection’.  Only when we are deeply aware, overwhelmed you might say, by the deep, constant, and eternal love of God for each one of us could we find the intrinsic motivation needed to pursue His challenges for us. Only when His compassion and mercy demonstrated to us is able to displace what currently holds sway in our hearts, can we find the strength and courage to do what He calls us, what He challenges us to do.

Probably the greatest being that in whatever do, we do all to the glory of God.

Filed under: 1plus1, Challenge, Gospel, Grace | 2 Comments »

It’s starting to happen

Posted on July 25, 2013 by wtdavid

In an earlier post this month, I asked: how has God been at work to answer our prayer for this 1+1 challenge?

That each worker in the World Team community would intentionally

disciple one person into a relationship with Christ and that each worker

would intentionally disciple one person into cross cultural ministry

This is a note I received this morning: “Kudos to Bryan (WT Philippines) for recruiting one (a couple) to World Team!  Daniel and Janice are here at the US Assessment Centre (RACE) right now because Bryan, while on home assignment, encouraged them to pursue full-time missionary service.  They felt honored that a respected missionary from their home church would think that they could accomplish such a task, and they took the necessary steps to move forward. Obviously God had been working on their hearts for years.  Kudos to Bryan for issuing a challenge to them!”

I was also told today that of the current participants at the US Assessment Centre, three previously served as WT interns and one currently works with us. Another comes from a church that supports two WT families. At least one is a Finisher’s contact who chose WT over other agencies because of the quality follow-uptraction

It’s starting to happen.  The challenge is gaining some traction. God is bringing fruit to the efforts of many.  I’m praying the challenge will gain more traction in the days and months ahead.

 

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Filed under: 1plus1, Challenge, Mobilization | Leave a comment »

Coming back around with God’s response

Posted on July 12, 2013 by wtdavid

Blog-ChallengeThe 1+1 challenge has generated a lot of buzz around the WT community. I have been encouraged by the comments posted to yesterday’s post. I think you would be encouraged as well, so please take the time to read those comments and add yours as well!

The 1+1 challenge is one piece in the larger global mobilization project that we have launched. More importantly, the 1+1 challenge is another way for us to fulfill our purpose of glorifying God through establishing communities of believers that multiply themselves exponentially.

God is at work in allowing us, with godly courage, to reach out to others around us. May we hear more stories about how God is moving us towards seeing this challenge fulfilled:

That each worker in the World Team community would intentionally
disciple one person into a relationship with Christ and that each worker
would intentionally disciple one person into cross cultural ministry.

Filed under: 1plus1 | Leave a comment »

Coming back around

Posted on July 11, 2013 by wtdavid

Back in January of this year, I wrote the following:

“In light of God’s intentionality towards us, in light of His desire that we be intentional in our life, development and ministry, and in light of these facts which tug at our hearts, here’s my challenge to each of us as we begin this year of 2013:

That each worker in the World Team community would intentionally
disciple one person into a relationship with Christ and that each worker
would intentionally disciple one person into cross cultural ministry.

If only a tenth of our workers met this challenge, we would welcome over thirty five new brothers and sisters into the community of believers. If only a tenth of our workers met this challenge, we would have more than thirty five new workers ready to be mobilized to new ministries and people groups. However, I want to trust God for much more than that!”

It’s time to come back around and ask the question: how has God been at work to answer our prayer for this 1+1 challenge?

I would love to hear what He has been up to in your life and ministry.

challenge

Filed under: 1plus1 | 2 Comments »

How are we doing?

Posted on April 22, 2013 by wtdavid

Awhile back, I launched this challenge to the World Team community:

That each worker in the World Team community would intentionally
disciple one person into a relationship with Christ and that each worker
would intentionally disciple one person into cross cultural ministry.

So, how are we doing?8842419_3104d8e9ae

Now I’m not asking for numbers or metrics in response to this question. Bringing others into a personal relationship with Christ or moving others towards a desire to serve in cross cultural ministry is a process. There are incremental steps or ‘spiritual thresholds’ as one person described it recently. There is work that we can do and there is work that only God can and that we need to be lifting up before Him.

So, maybe a better way to put it would be: where are you in that journey? What are you doing to help others get to that next step in the journey? What are you praying for that only God can do in another’s life as you encourage them to consider Christ or challenge them to move towards cross cultural ministry?

This past Sunday, I was sitting across the table from G. I have spent some time with G over the past few months. He and I actually are part of the same French association. The conversation got started by my friend Chris who asked G where he was in his spiritual journey. G says he believes in God, but he is not ready to become ‘evangelical’. Obviously, there is a fair amount of misunderstanding in his heart and mind. Chris and I encouraged him to consider the fact that faith without real practice or life change happening puts the reality of that faith in question. Chris simply challenged him as a fellow business owner to follow through fully with a decision to believe in Christ as he would in fulfilling any contract he had signed.

We can’t pull G across the threshold. We need people to pray for G that he would recognize his ‘half hearted’ commitment; that he is in many ways keeping God as one of many different masters in his life.

I loved Chris’ illustration in challenging G, but it is ultimately God who must open his heart. That’s where we are, that’s where I am.

Filed under: 1plus1, Sharing the Gospel story | 4 Comments »

Were You Moved? A Follow Up

Posted on February 14, 2013 by wtdavid

follow up bisThere have been a lot of great comments shared about the post: “Were You Moved?”, but I just had to share this one because it shows the impact that can come from an individual and a team responding to the needs of workers wanting to enter into ministry. It’s also an example of how the 1+1 challenge is being met.

This is from one of the newest WT Spain members:

“Hi Spain Team! I wanted to send some encouragement along to you as a representative of the mobilization team.

I just met up with a college age girl from my church. She has been passionate for missions in Japan for as long as I can remember. But currently, she is at a point where she just doesn’t know what to do next. She is in contact with missionaries in Japan but does not hear back from them much. I know she can (and will) do amazing things for God’s glory, but right now she doesn’t know where to start!

It made me think of how I was in a very similar spot a few years back until I got in contact with the Spain Team. From then on, I always had someone to contact and someone with whom I could discuss my next steps. It is great and SO IMPORTANT!

So, first of all, thanks to you all who were/are a part of this continuing journey, and second, be encouraged to reach out to someone you know who may be questioning their next steps. They could very potentially become our newest member of World Team Spain!”

Following up can mean engaging in others’ lives by contacting them, answering their questions or just praying for them.

Filed under: 1plus1, Mobilization, Prayer | Leave a comment »

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