• 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!

Just the start

Posted on February 25, 2019 by wtdavid

Earlier this week, each of us as members of the World Team Global community received a copy of our global outcomes.  Global outcomes are those faith-stretching desires we as teams long to see God bring about through us.

There are three facts we should keep in mind about these global outcomes.

First, global outcomes are not just about numbers.  They are about people, relationships, heart desires, and the call God has placed upon us as a community to see a multiplying movement of disciples and communities.  Numbers push us to think beyond ourselves, and they are a way to cause us to recognize that to accomplish this God given vision will require God’s work in us and through us. 

Second, global outcomes implicate all of us.  Global outcomes are the fruit of discussions we have had with one another.  These are not just objectives for one part of our community.  They are outcomes that call for each of us to get involved in some way in seeing them become a reality. 

Finally, global outcomes are not something we are going to ‘put in a drawer and forget about’.  This effort is not a ‘one off’, but a long term team effort we trust will lead us to see God do even more among us and through us.  One member of the World Team Global Alliance (WTGA), when he first heard about the global outcomes, commented (with much passion) as to “how these outcomes would unite all of the World Team community (WT workers, staff, boards, and partners)!“

However, we are just at the start.  Working our global outcomes means that we need to start now to more intentionally engage others with the Gospel.  It means that we need to begin now to prayer about and research those seven (7) new UPGs among whom we believe God desires us to work in 2021.  It means praying for one another now as new church starts begin each year (2019, 2020 & 2021); that these church starts would become viable communities of believers, capable of multiplying themselves.

Let us run the race together, keeping our eyes fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith!

Filed under: Assessment, Global outcomes, Vision, Working together | Leave a comment »

Had any good conversations today?

Posted on February 23, 2017 by wtdavid

A large portion of our work as cross cultural workers aconversationnd leaders consists in engaging people in conversation.  As I thought through my day today, I easily had over five significant conversations.

The question I am asking myself in light of all those conversations is: did I have any good conversations today?

When I say ‘good’, I’m asking myself if any of those ‘significant’ conversations built up another, brought hope back to someone, caused us as a ‘conversation’ group to move a project further along, allowed another ‘into’ my life  to hear my heart, or influenced a young believer in their walk with Christ.  That’s what I, we, should aspire to when ‘talking’ or conversing with others.

If we were honest, a number of our conversations are not ‘good’; not ‘good’ in the sense that there is no purpose or fruit from the time spent talking together. Sure, there are  times when our conversations are moments of jovial fun and laughter.  However, if the majority of our conversations consist of nothing more than lighthearted humor, we should probably ask more regularly: did I have any good conversations today?

Here are a few ideas to assess ourselves when we have a conversation in the next few days. Perhaps these might help us better see the import, the ‘good’ of our conversations:

  • If you were to summarize the conversation you just had in one sentence, what would you say?
  • How many questions did you ask, and how many questions did you answer?
  • If you were the other person in the conversation, how would you have felt when the conversation was over?

“… but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” 

Filed under: Assessment, Communication, Development | Leave a comment »

What are we expecting?

Posted on January 2, 2017 by wtdavid

For the first time in a number of years, our local French church held a New YComposite image of hands showing expectationsear’s Eve service.  One of our elders shared a brief meditation on the text: Haggai 2:6-9.  Not
exactly the text that many of us would have chosen for such an occasion.  However, his main point struck home and came in the form of a question: what are we expecting of the Lord in 2017?

In my mind, I came up with a number of ‘expectations’ for this coming year: more disciples, more workers, more communities of believers and the simple joy of seeing a number of French people confess Christ and be baptized.  All good expectations, but the point of our elder’s meditation was that our expectations should centre around God’s glory; on God receiving the glory, the credit.

“And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.”  (Haggai 2:7)

If all my expectations centre on me and what I can accomplish, I am actually more dependent on myself than God.  This runs counter to our very ‘raison d’être’ which is: to glorify God by working together to establish reproducing churches.

By asking the question: what are we expecting of the Lord in 2017? I (and we) can assess the true motivation of my heart in 2017.  Yes, I want to see more disciples, more workers, more communities and many French people coming to Christ.  However, I want that to happen in the context of an ever deepening reliance on God.

That is my prayer; that the Holy Spirit would search my heart (Psalm 139), put His light of truth on those places where my motivations are not pure, and drive me back to the Cross to experience anew His forgiveness and to receive the honour of being one of His children so that I might bring glory to Him first and foremost.

Filed under: Assessment, Expectations, Hope | 7 Comments »

Is it worth the investment?

Posted on February 9, 2016 by wtdavid

investCross cultural ministry can call the best out of us. It can push us beyond our perceived capacities and abilities as we learn to rely ever more on a faithful and powerful God.  Yet, when ‘results’ are few, or when ‘fruit’ seems limited, or when the outcome of our efforts is not what we wanted or desired, we naturally ask ourselves: is it worth the investment?

That question is actually an assessment question. We are considering the impact or influence of our activity.  We are evaluating whether we should or should not continue to give our energies to a particular person, work or activity.

Here’s where our struggle and difficulty comes in.

We could respond to that assessment question by evaluating what is happening only from our personal perspective. By doing do, we can be lulled into thinking that nothing is happening, when a great deal of work is happening.  Or we can think lots is happening, when really it’s just a lot of activity with no sustainable fruit in the long term. We can get ourselves easily discouraged by our own assessment.  Or we can convince ourselves to stay engaged in a work that will not move us towards multiplying disciples and communities of believers.

The struggle and difficulty that may plague us should be addressed by asking that assessment question in a larger community than just ourselves.  Maybe this is simply a practical example of another application of the biblical truth that in the multitude of counselors there is wisdom (Proverbs 11:14).  Others provide that much needed perspective that we lack.  Others help us see more clearly the impact and influence of our investment.

Is it worth the investment? It’s a great question to ask ‘your community’.  You may not like all the answers, but if you ‘mine’ those responses for the truth that is there, it will refresh your heart to ‘excel still more’ in the work God has given each of us to do; in the work that God has given us as a community to do.

Filed under: Assessment, Community | 4 Comments »

A ‘gospel assessment’ grid to consider

Posted on September 24, 2015 by wtdavid

assess yourselfEver thought about how well our words are communicating the Gospel? The quote below might help us better assess whether the focus is more on us or more on Christ:

“The gospel is not ultimately about us and what we can and can’t do or what we will or won’t do. It is all about Christ and what he has done to rescue lost sinners and make them fellow heirs of eternal life. May God give us hearts that join [John] Newton increasingly in celebrating the extravagant and incomparable love of God to us in Christ!

O the comfort! We are not under law but under grace. The gospel is a dispensation for sinners, and we have an Advocate with the Father. There is the unshaken ground of hope. A reconciled Father, a prevailing Advocate, a powerful Shepherd, a compassionate Friend, a Savior who is able and willing to save to the uttermost. He knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust; and has opened for us a new and blood-besprinkled way of access to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need.”

Filed under: Assessment, Communication, Gospel | Leave a comment »

Merci encore

Posted on February 17, 2015 by wtdavid

Those were the words that opened the email I received today from a young man who had led worship in our local French church on Sunday.  He “thanked me again” for taking the time to send him a brief evaluation or assessment of his leadership on Sunday, and for the encouragement that it contained.Stift Konzept - Merci!

Reading that note, I recognized again how vitally important is our stance, our approach to assessment.

First of all, I needed to have a developmental approach towards this young man.  In other words, I had to see him as God saw him, with all the potential that He had placed in him.  I needed to find ways to spur him on in further growth in his gifting.

Next, this young man needed to view assessment not as a criticism of who is and what he does, but as an opportunity to receive feedback that he could use to grow in his capacity and fruitfulness.  Sifting through the assessment given, he could then establish growth steps to help him in further development.

The Gospel helps us overcome our default approach to seeing assessment as judgment and criticism by reminding us again and again that our value is not found in what others think about us, but in what He has already done for us!  This frees us to accept assessment and evaluation as a means of ongoing growth in our journey with Him, strengthening us to give Him greater glory.

Filed under: Assessment, Encouragement, Gospel | 5 Comments »

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