Thoughts Along The Journey

Imagine that you were starting once again in a new area among a new people group to ‘multiply disciples and communities of believers.’ What would you and your team want to see after three years of ministry together?

One scenario might be (and one that I often hear) what we would call: the start up. In many of our minds, not much really happens in those initial years. It’s a building process. “Besides,” we say, “church plants take a long time to get off the ground.” True enough. However, might we be underestimating what God desires to do among this people group?

A second scenario might be what we would call: the leader dilemma. People are coming to Christ and disciples are being raised up. However, there is an apparent lack of leaders; an absence of people that we could call on to take the work further. Once again, this is often the case. However, might we be preventing local leaders from standing up to serve by our very presence and example? Perhaps they feel the task is too far above them as they watch us and don’t see the empowerment for the task coming from Christ alone?

A third scenario might be what we would call: empowerment. After three years, we as a team would be moving into the background; taking a more facilitative stance so as to allow the local believers to grow the community of believers further. This scenario is more difficult as it calls for much humility and the willingness to turn over ministry to others and ‘platform’ them into that work.

Three years is a very short time. However, our stance from the outset, the scenario we envision obviously will influence how we carry out that ministry. If one of our guiding principles is facilitation and empowering others, then we need to set our efforts toward that end. Not an easy task, but it’s another reason why we need a team alongside of us. So that we can keep that focus on moving others into ministry.

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Tomorrow, I’ll be speaking to the participants at the US Assessment Centre.  It is an opportunity to once again rehearse our identity (who we are) and our vision (what we do) with those expressing an interest in working with World Team.

Our identity is summed up in this statement: We exist to glorify God by working together to establish reproducing churches focusing on the unreached peoples of the world.

Our vision is summed up in this statement: Innovative teams multiplying disciples and communities of believers, bringing the Gospel within reach of lost people everywhere we go.

At the end of my presentation, I usually come back to highlight both our identity and our vision.  This time though, I have decided to add another piece.  In part, it stems from our recent discussions of core values.  I’m going to underscore that both our identity and vision flow out of one source, that is, the Gospel.

Who we are and what we do is first and foremost a result of what God in Jesus Christ has done for us.  Even more than that, our work can only be carried out effectively, or fruitfully, as we serve Him out of a heart of Gospel humility.

That insight hit hard as I realized that my contribution or my participation in God’s mission is often characterized more by self centred pride than by Gospel humility.  Part of community is learning how to yield to others and being made aware of just how little I am other centred.

I am praying for more workers.  I am praying for more workers who resonate with our vision.  I am praying for more workers who have hearts mastered by Jesus and characterized by a Gospel humility.

Maybe I should have titled this post: Who are we?

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Normally, you hear a bell ding over your head and right away the steward or stewardess comes on to tell you that you are entering a turbulence area and you need to return to your seat and buckle your seat belt.  It’s a great image to help us understand what I’m calling: “transition turbulence”.

The past few posts, we have been talking about the number of appointees who are waiting to enter into ministry.  In this post, I’d like to focus on another part of the spectrum: our current workers.

Several years ago, a survey of all of our workers found that the average age of a WT worker was fifty (50), but with eighteen (18) years of experience.  Our current group of workers may be getting older, but there is a wealth of experience that needs to be tapped for the future.  However, a number of our workers are reaching a stage in ministry where they feel or recognize the need to transition to another ministry.  However, they don’t know what that new ministry might or should look like.  This is where “transition turbulence” sets in.  Not knowing what to do, the worker floats, unsure of what his/her next step might be.

This is where we need to ‘return to our seats’ or go back to the larger community and ask how we might be used. I always get annoyed at people who pay no attention to the ‘fasten seat belt’ or the announcement to return to one’s seat.  They try to ‘go it on their own’ and one air bump later they fall into someone’s lap.  If we go back to our community, it will serve as a safe and sure base from which to venture out again into something new.

That something new, in light of all the appointees we have, might be to mentor new workers into ministry.  Mentoring isn’t something we do by osmosis. We may need some skill training to work at this level, but if our community encourages us in this direction, we will experience less and less turbulence on the journey.

More about mentoring in another post.

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The 1plus1 challenge has been getting a fair amount of “air time” the last few days.  I would encourage you to read the comment section from the past two posts where you will find some good discussion, sharing and interaction.

The 1plus1 challenge is a call to intentionally disciple one person into a relationship with Christ and to intentionally disciple one person into cross cultural ministry.  What am I going to do to meet this challenge is one question that comes to mind.  Another question we need to ask ourselves is: what is it going to mean?

We all struggle with having limited time, an unending list of tasks we need to accomplish.  The issue is one of priorities.  Saying ‘no’ to one thing in order to say ‘yes’ to another is not an easy skill for many of us.  We want to do both, but the reality is that we can only do one of the two tasks.

What the 1plus1 challenge is going to mean is at least two things. 

First, it will mean taking some of our time from another good activity and use that time towards sharing the gospel story and mobilizing new workers.   Something will have to give in order for us to reach the challenge.

Second, our very structure, that is, the way we like to see things done, will need to flex in order to allow workers to prioritize some time both towards sharing Jesus, and mobilizing people.  The report needed today, can be sent tomorrow because I’m giving time to talking to a friend about spiritual things.  A particular e-mail may need to go unanswered one more day as a worker needs to respond to an interested potential new worker.

Prioritizing doesn’t mean we give up what we are doing or we don’t provide others with the answers or resources that others may be waiting for.  It means that we re-structure our day in such a way as to intentionally set aside time to share Jesus and mobilize workers.

Prioritizing is not an easy skill to practice. It’s why we need God and others.

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Today’s post comes from Sharon in Chile about chapter 17: The End

Have you ever been enveloped by darkness, total darkness? I have and it will be an experience I will never forget.  My brother Andrew and I once shut ourselves in a very small cupboard in a trailer.  We wanted to see if we could both fit and how long we could stay without passing out. Crazy right? Someone was driving the trailer so nobody knew what was going on and nobody could help us.  Apart from feeling claustrophobic I will never forget at how dark it was in there.  I could not see in front of me, I could not see my brother (although I could feel him) , I could not see the door…and as time went on our oxygen was running out…it was absolutely awful. I wanted to get out “now” but no, my brother wanted to see how long we could last…he wanted to break a record. After an eternity, (so it seemed), we pushed the door open and yes, we were free at last, free to move, free to breath, but most of all, free to see.

Keller writes about darkness, the darkness around Jesus’ death.  “All the critical events of Jesus’ death happened in the dark.”  As Jesus was dying from noon until 3:00pm there was absolute darkness. He explains that darkness in the Bible is a sign of “God’s displeasure and judgment.” Because of God’s amazing love for us, Jesus was forsaken by God.  Jesus was being judged for our sins. God turned His back on Him; the dance of the Trinity came to a halt, all because of us.

Experiencing physical darkness is terrifying, but we can also face spiritual darkness.  Keller talks about becoming disoriented.  If we turn away from God, the source of our light, and allow our lives to orbit around other things, people, or our job we are walking in the dark. We are walking away from truth and spiritual life. When we do these things we become disoriented. Keller says that, ‘If anything but God is more important to you, you have a problem with direction.’  You will lose perspective and will eventually isolate yourself from God and other people. As Keller puts it, ‘we are all on a trajectory toward a life of disintegration.’ Praise God we don’t have to walk in darkness, God broke that barrier; the curtain in the temple was broken for good.  The cross proves that He loves us and that He will never forsake us. Jesus suffered in our place; He was forsaken in our place. There is hope!!

Do you find yourself in a dark place right now, have you lost perspective, do you feel disoriented, is it so dark that you can’t even see a speck of light? Jesus definitely knows what you are going through.  You are not alone, you will never be abandoned, because Jesus already suffered that for you…don’t cloak yourself in ‘dark’ unbelief, let the  ‘Light ’of His Presence envelop you. There is hope!!

“…..because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”  I John 1.8b

What does it mean for usthat at the cross ‘the dance of the Trinity came to a halt, all because of us?  How can we allow the Gospel to go deep into our hearts so that it will change how we see ourselves?

Final installment of the King’s Cross blog post will be October 8th, looking at Ch 18 “the Beginning”

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