Community | Thoughts Along The Journey

Side Roads

Posted on February 29, 2012 by wtdavid

Taking the ‘autoroute’ (interstate motorways in France) is quite an expensive proposition given the tolls. So when we take a trip, we will often take non toll roads to get to our destination. This is always a fun way to explore the countryside. However, sometimes despite the best efforts of our trusty map or even a GPS, we find ourselves on a road that doesn’t appear anywhere on the map, or at least the road as it is marked. Eventually, we find ourselves back on the ‘right road’. The ‘side road’ or detour doesn’t frustrate us because we know the ultimate destination. The ‘side road’ can actually lead us to something we might otherwise not have seen.

Fluid planning works in a similar way. Plans are ‘maps’ showing us where we want to go. They are not concrete structures incapable of being changed. The Spirit may lead us to take a ‘side road’ and we need to have the wisdom and discernment to see what He might be showing us as we search to find our way back to the main road. Perhaps it is a new ministry opportunity we need to consider. Perhaps it is a divine appointment to bring the message of Christ to someone we might not have met otherwise. Perhaps it is a way of reconfirming our current focus and priority.

Knowing where we are going serves as ‘rails’ for our life and ministry, but that does not keep us from exploring ‘side roads’ by the Spirit’s direction. As my friend Chris put it: “A plan is a map for a journey into the future. It’s essential that I begin that journey knowing how to tell that I have arrived at the future I want. Sometimes I will arrive early, sometimes late. But, I can’t know if I’m there yet if I don’t know what “there” looks like.”

This is why the community is important as our brothers and sisters journey with us, and can help us as we together discern how God wants us to serve Him on the road that we are on.

Filed under: Community, Planning | 8 Comments »

When the gospel is central

Posted on January 13, 2012 by wtdavid

Thanks to many of you for the various comments and e-mails about recognizing that we are rescued people needing to learn to become dependent people. It’s a process, a journey that we are on with Jesus and each other.

That journey has its ups and downs as we struggle to learn how the gospel works itself out in our everyday lives and relationships. I experienced that that struggle just yesterday. Growth comes as we learn to live our lives “by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us.” (Galatians 2:20) This is our daily journey.

One writer put it this way: “Gospel power comes when the gospel is central.” In other words, the struggle comes when something else becomes central to our lives; when something else or someone else becomes our ‘savior’.

This is when we need each other. So often we can be blinded as to how we have strayed from Jesus; from trusting Him alone as our Savior. Well placed words by others of gospel reminder can shake the heart and mind from its stupor and set us back on the road to the cross, to forgiveness, to laying claim to His righteousness on our behalf.

Do you have people like that in your life, as part of your community?

Filed under: Community, Gospel | Leave a comment »

Ministry practice 5.0

Posted on November 3, 2011 by wtdavid

What is that we actually do as cross cultural workers? The CPM Roadmap (like the WT Continuum) makes an attempt at ‘painting a picture’ to describe the ministry in which we are engaged. It is a good model, a good framework from which to work.

As we continue to look at cross cultural ministry from another perspective, we said that the first step is to engage others in spiritual conversations. The second step is to encourage others to read God’s story contained in the Bible. The third step is to journey with people in their discovery of God. Another step then might be to invite people into community.

We work, most of the time, from the following model when we invite people ‘into’ community (described by Stuart Murray in his book, Church Planting: Laying Foundations):

Belief [which leads to] Behavior [which leads to] Belong

Right belief is seen as a prerequisite for participating in the community. That belief should then give way to right behavior which demonstrates the authenticity of one’s commitment to Christ. There is certainly much truth in that statement. As the Bible says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

However, what would happen to our thinking about community if we flipped this model/process in this way:

Belong [which leads to] Behavior [which leads to] Belief

What if we invited people, people on the journey to discovering God, to first experience the community of believers? Would they experience Christianity in a different way? Would Christianity become life rather than just adherence to certain propositional truths?

It’s an interesting discussion.

So what should we do? We pray boldly asking for God’s wisdom to know how to invite people into community, the community of God’s people. We depend on the Spirit to lead people in seeing real Christianity (right belief issuing in right behavior) as they journey towards Him. We trust God’s Spirit to lead many to come to a living and vibrant faith in Jesus.

Filed under: Church planting, Community, Mission, Sharing the Gospel story | 4 Comments »

Mission 11: Vision Forward – Africa Area [Day 2]

Posted on September 24, 2011 by wtdavid

Here are some thoughts from Lisa about the Mission11 Africa conference:

“Pictures. Today was a day of pictures. I’d like to share some of those pictures with you. Walking past the rooms, with participant pictures and names on their doors, we gathered in the hall for worship, devotions and prayer. A picture of a small, hopeful African child looked out at us from the banner on the wall.

From 1 John, we drew out principles, painting a picture of what Christian community should be like.

Next, we were asked to close our eyes and picture the time we were called into missions. What drew us into missions? What was distinctive about World Team that made us want to join up? Are those things still true? How have our ideas and ideals changed?

The next picture came in the form of a skit. Nine people on stage represented the various populations of the world: 3 representing the “Christian” (active and nominal) portion of the world, 3 representing NonChristians Within Reach of the Christians, and 3 representing the Unengaged, Unreached. Ten “missionaries” were selected from the audience to go to the 9 groups. What a sad discovery to find out that in current reality only 1 of 10 has gone to the Unengaged, Unreached group. Next, $1 in coins was distributed to the 9 populations according to current worldwide mission spending. The Unreached received only 1 penny while the other 99 cents went to the Christians and those Within Reach.

To bring this worldwide situation closer to home, we next looked at another picture. A map of Africa – our area! Red marked the countries where 50-100% of the population is unreached. Large dots showed major Unreached People Groups. Sadly, WT Africa is not yet working in any of the red countries, although we are working with some of the large dots. What a challenge! What’s our Mission Forward? How do we mobilize the Africans where we do work in order to reach out to the red countries?

More pictures. Did you know you can build community with pictures? During the women’s time, we cut out magazine pictures representing things in our lives and shared them. (I don’t know what the men did!) After lunch, we pasted pictures of our teams and ministries on posterboards and decorated the hall, hoping to learn about each
others’ lives and ministries.

The day is almost over, but I hear that we’ll be seeing a video from one of WT’s other Areas and praying for them, spending some time in worship and ending the day with fun and games.

I hope this has given you a small picture of our day. Keep us in your prayers!”

Filed under: Community, Mission11 | 2 Comments »

Mission11 Africa Update[2]

Posted on September 23, 2011 by wtdavid

Each Mission11 conference is unique. I am once again amazed by the people that God has brought into the WT community and their passion to “multiply disciples and communities of believers.” Gathered together in Cameroon for the next few days, here are some highlights from today:

Prayer and worship … prayer and worship … prayer and worship. Mission11 Africa has been full of times of praise to our missional God, and prayers for the spiritual needs of the unreached here as well as in other Areas. Tonight, WT workers here prayed for WT workers in the Americas.
“On community” is a three session workshop looking at what it means to live in community and to experience that kind of community in a small way here.
The WT Africa leadership team presented ideas about future project plans in light of our global vision and global currents.
Christoph shared from Exodus 17:8ff about how community was demonstrated when Aaron and Hur “held up his [Moses] hands, one on one side and the one on the other side,” as Joshua led the people of Israel into battle; when Moses held up his hand, the people prevailed, but whenever he lowered his hand, the Amalekites prevailed. Each member of the ‘community’ had their part to play, but together in the power of God they saw God work for His glory. He applied this truth to us today, by pointing us to Hebrews 12:1-2, and our need as a community to help one another as we face sin in our lives and seek to be transformed by His forgiveness and grace.

More to come ….

Filed under: Community, Mission11 | 2 Comments »

Mission11 Africa [1]

Posted on September 22, 2011 by wtdavid

The Mission11 Africa conference starts today. As we are gathered here with workers from around Africa, we ask for your prayers for this time together.