Thoughts Along The Journey

Vision. Each one of us could come up with a different way to express what vision means to us. For the sake of our conversation, let’s agree that it is about gazing across the horizon of time and believing that greater things lie ahead. Let’s agree that it is an “ideal and unique image of the future,” that is, a declaration of what we pray will be when the future becomes reality. We as the World Team community need to answer the question for ourselves in these days: “Where are we going in the future?” “What is our renewed vision?”

This past September 2008, I brought together a group of people from across our WT community to prayerfully consider what fresh direction God might have for WT. We heard from several historical as well as strategic thinkers both inside and outside the WT community. We immersed ourselves in prayer, talked through our history, our people resources, and discussed ideas shared by many of you. The outcome of this time was a newly crafted expression of the hope-filled future that we believe God envisions for WT. It is what we long to see become our experience several years down the road by His gracious activity in our midst.

Now I know that when many hear this emphasis on change in our vision, they might be skeptical. “We’re regularly changing our vision, but it doesn’t really make any difference,” is how some might state it. But would our vision change the way we do things if we used it as a GPS rather than as a slogan or plaque we put on a wall? What about if our vision, the “destination” to which God is leading us, served to guide, direct, reorient and correct our ministry activities within the WT community? What if we allowed the vision (and those engaging that vision) to regularly assess whether we are still heading towards the destination God has laid on our hearts? This is how I want us as a community to see and engage our new vision.

Over the past few months, I have shared some of the key concepts of this vision statement with many of you in the World Team community. Now I want to call you to journey with me and your leaders towards where I believe God is leading us in the coming years.

We envision…

“Innovative teams multiplying disciples & communities of believers, bringing the Gospel within reach of lost people everywhere we go.”

“Innovative teams …”
Change is constant and exponential. We must not allow ourselves to “micro sleep”, that is, overlooking the dramatic changes around us, assuming we can continue thinking and doing ministry the way we always have. Was this thought not behind the admonition of Jesus to His disciples in John 4: “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest”? We must begin to pursue innovation in tangible ways, to ‘lift up our eyes and look’. Innovation is not just creativity, but the “bringing of [those] ideas to life”. The question we must ask ourselves in community is: What aspects of how we do mission most need a stimulus of innovation?

We envision:
“Innovative teams …”

“Multiplying disciples and communities of believers …”
The reason that we exist is to see lost people come to Jesus Christ and participate in communities of believers. Our mandate is ‘make disciples of all nations’ and to ‘disciple’ those believers to be fully devoted followers serving in a community with an outward focus to establish other communities of believers. Discipleship is our calling, but with a clear focus: that those disciples will make disciples who will multiply themselves (2 Timothy 2:2); and that, in turn, these disciples will establish multiplying communities of believers (Acts 11). How does our current experience relate to our mandate and calling?

We envision:
“Innovative teams multiplying disciples and communities of believers …”

“Bringing the Gospel within reach of lost people everywhere we go.”
It’s about expansion. The Gospel, by its very nature thrusts us out. It moves our hearts to reach out to others over and over again right where we currently minister, overflowing to places beyond us. We need to ‘lift up our eyes and look’ and recognize the promptings of God’s Spirit leading us to open up new works, in new cities, among lost people.

Our calling is to serve as apostolic workers who are “catalytic, temporary and always ready to move on.” (Scottish church historian Andrew Walls) We need to graciously challenge one another to new endeavors, to new opportunities.

We envision:

“Innovative teams multiplying disciples and communities of believers, bringing the Gospel within reach of lost people everywhere we go.”

So, what am I asking you to do? First and foremost, pray. Pray that God would confirm this vision in your heart, in our collective hearts as a community, so that we would become passionate about what He longs for in us. Pray that He would show us how this vision would be expressed in love where we presently serve and everywhere we go. Then, share your willingness to join in this journey by using the comment feature on this blog.

Over the next few months, Rebecca and I will be traveling to various regions and sharing in more detail this expression of our WT hope-filled future. We look forward to meeting with many of you, listening to your journeys and grace-fully calling you to envision, Innovative teams multiplying disciples and communities of believers, bringing the Gospel within reach of lost people everywhere we go.

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“Which comes first?  BEing or DOing?”

Our need for community is one of the essential elements we share on our journey together.  Biblical community, by its very nature, gives rise to witness.  The fruit of such witness is the establishment of visible, local communities of believers (“churches”). It is fascinating to watch how Luke describes this process in the book of Acts:

• “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (6:7)
• “But the word of God increased and multiplied.” (12:24)
• “So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.” (19.20)

Pause for a minute and reflect on how these narratives impact our journey together.  First, we must constantly remind ourselves that the growth and multiplication of the church is primarily a work of God through His Word.  Our efforts to creatively strategize are certainly important, but calling upon God and sharing about His work in our lives with others become the priority.1 Second, we must ‘speak the Word.’  Time and again, it is the “word of God” that increases.  In other words, when the word of God is boldly spoken, heard and lived out, the result is multiplication.  Third, the “mission” of God goes way beyond our own individual agendas.  It is a “corporate” or community affair.  We cannot hope to fully participate in what God is doing in the world unless we join with other believers.  Finally, God’s desire is not just to save lost people, but to create a people for Himself: to establish the Church. Our work is fulfilled and accomplished when churches, visible and local communities of believers are birthed and established.2

If we think about it, there is a natural link between each one of these elements: community, witness, the Church.  In the past, we have sometimes argued as to the priority of one element over another.  Is it “BEing” before “DOing”?  Or is “doing” more important than issues of the heart?  Are we an organization that puts too much emphasis on “doing”, overly concerned with numbers rather than people’s hearts?   Or are we an organization that spends so much time and energy in “being” that the work is not accomplished?   The dichotomy is one that we unfortunately have created ourselves.  Perhaps we maintain this dichotomy so that we can keep away from that which feels uncomfortable to us – whether it is doing or being.

Real transformation, however, occurs when all three elements are “moving” in our lives.  What if we looked at these elements as a set of interlocking gears?  As one gear “turns”, it inevitably affects and moves the others.  So no matter where we begin (“being” or “doing”), the impact will be felt in the other areas.

As we reflect on the state of our heart, the community comes alongside to remind us of the love of God displayed in spite of our sins.  That freedom gives rise to a desire to witness, to share our journey with others.  As we share our story, we quickly come to realize our constant need for Jesus. So we go back to the community to be reminded again and again of the gospel and to be sent out again to “speak the Word” to others.

Let me share a short example.  Part of the training that our Europe team gives each year to our summer interns is a rehearsal of the gospel and its implications for our lives.  I do not think the interns realize that we do this as much for ourselves as we do for them.  Since May, as I heard different members of the France team share about an aspect of the gospel, my heart has been convicted and inspired.  Convicted as I realize how deep sin runs in my life.  Inspired as a desire welled up within my heart to share this good news with others, realizing again that all my sins are forgiven and I stand before God as one of His children.  After each talk, I felt “thrust out” to share my journey with others.  Not all my efforts bear fruit and I must come back again to community to be reminded of the central motivation for my witness.

These two powerful dynamics (community & witness) are used by God to create a people for Himself: local, visible communities of believers who begin to “move” in the same way.  Is it “being” or “doing”?  It’s both because God’s long-term “mission” is a Church that radiates His love in and through our lives!

In September, I hope to explore together with you some of the heart transformations & ministry changes that God may use to cause ‘movement’ in our worlds.

1 See John Wilson’s July, 2008, Link article for further thoughts on this idea.
2 I am indebted to Alain Nisus and his message: “Croissance par la parole” (given at Eglise de Cergy St Christophe, 06.15.2008) for these thoughts.  The message is available on the WT intranet for those interested: https://wtglobal.net:18104/InternationalDirector/TATJ/Attachments/

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“To journey together” implies the participation of at least three people: God, you, and me.  Our first calling is to turn to Him and ask for His wisdom, His grace and the courage to step out into this hopeful future that He, our King, has designed for us.  I believe that our next calling is to turn towards one another and explore collectively what some of those ‘next steps’ might be as we “journey together.”  When we make this turn towards one another, we discover one of the first elements on our journey together: our need for community.

Community is one way to describe “koinonia” which is frequently found in the Scriptures.  At its heart, koinonia is the joint participation or fellowship that we share with another: “in the life of God in Christ, and … in the whole sweep of his redemptive mission.”1 The value we attribute to community indicates the depth and ongoing growth of our own relationship with Jesus Christ.2 In one of the most striking prayers of the New Testament, the church planter Paul calls out to the Father on behalf of fellow believers that [they], being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that [they] may be filled with all the fullness of God.3 This prayer expresses the fact that without others, without shared participation, we cannot wholly understand and experience the love of Christ.

So, how do we find our way along the journey? Take a moment to observe some of the markers on this significant path to community. One marker is our acknowledgement of need. We need community to Another marker is that of self surrender.  C.S. Lewis put it well: “From the highest to the lowest, self exists to be abdicated and, by that abdication, becomes more truly self, to be thereupon yet the more abdicated, and so forever.” Self surrender prioritizes giving and receiving; that we share what we have with others as well as joyfully receiving what others have to share with us.  It means being “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger”, and I believe we should add, “quick to forgive.”  A third marker is Trinitarian modeling.  The original “community of oneness” serves as a clear pattern for the relationships we share in community with one another.4 Was this not the significance of Christ’s prayer in John 17 that His disciples would reflect the unity and the community that exists between the Father and the Son?

In the past, we have talked a lot about “teams”: working as a team, working on a team and discovering your team.  And rightly so, but perhaps we should also talk more about “community”.  What community are you a part of?  How is your community helping you to grow deeper in your life in God and discover your part in His larger redemptive mission?  Becky and I have been part of some strong communities during the past number of years. As we move into new responsibilities, we are looking to discover new communities where we can minister and be ministered to.  We would covet your prayers for this search and will pray that each of you will find the experience of community that God has for you at this time.

Some might be tempted to make community the “end all” of what we do, but gospel community must give rise to ministry. We will explore more of this and ‘next steps’ in another edition of “Thoughts along the journey.”

1 Milne, Bruce, We Belong Together, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1978, p. 30

2 “The quality of Christians’ relationship with fellow believers, particularly in the local church, is therefore one of the primary indicators of the quality of their relationship to the Lord.” Milne, Bruce, We Belong Together, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1978, p. 7

3 Ephesians 3:17-18 (ESV)

4 An excellent treatise on this idea is found in the book, Ministry in the Image of God, by Stephen Seamands, Downers Grove IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.

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Becky & I are sincerely humbled and honored by the new responsibilities that you have entrusted to us. We are grateful for the outpouring of appreciation, encouragement and prayers that have come from many of you. We value the privilege of representing and leading a community with such a wealth of wisdom and resources. And we pray that God would be pleased to use World Team as an extended community of believers to bear fruit for His glory.

As we begin our journey together, we are aware that there are important issues we must address as we envision a hope-filled outlook for World Team. But, we are also aware that the responses are found in something other than just well-laid project plans.

World Team is a community rich in missionary history (cf.: Drumbeats That Changed the World, by Joseph Conley, William Carey Library, 2000). Many developments merit celebration as new churches have been established among the unreached on a number of our fields. Recent statistics indicate that 1900 churches have been established through the God-inspired efforts of WT members or partners. We should rightly give thanks to God for how He has used our community to further His mission in the world. Will you take 2-3 minutes the next time you pray with your spouse, colleague, team or small group to praise God for what He has done through WT?

As we move into this time of transition in leadership and the understandable uncertainty that results, one question is on the lips of many: “Where are we going in the future?” Some of us would want to respond by crafting a vision statement that expresses our hopes. Others of us might emphasize the organic nature of our work and call us to wait more upon the Lord for His leading. Both responses have great merit and desire to look beyond human resources. Our hope-filled future is found in the promise[s] God has made to us.1
One expression of this promise is given to us in Isaiah 40, a familiar passage to all of us. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” The call to ‘prepare the way’ was made when a king or royal dignitary was en route to one’s region. Roads were often full of holes and other obstacles which made travel difficult. The local residents were called upon to ‘prepare the way’ by fixing the holes, moving the obstacles, and smoothing out the road. When John the Baptist (John 3) applies this text to Jesus Christ, he means to encourage us to ‘prepare the way’ for our King by dealing with those issues in our hearts that create obstacles to His rule. This promise was fulfilled initially through the coming of our King, Jesus Christ. But, Isaiah in telescopic fashion looked even farther into history when our King would come a second time.

It is upon this promise that our mission, life, work & ministry is built: “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord God comes with might.” Our biblical calling, based on this promise, is to share with others from all nations the ‘good news’, the tidings that our God has come and is coming again. Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing this story, in discipling others, in gathering those disciples into communities of believers, and in developing & releasing those believers to reproduce other communities … till Jesus the King comes again!

Only God knows the ultimate outworking of His plans for us. But, because our hope and dependence are in Him, our first calling is to turn to Him and ask for His wisdom, His grace and the courage to step boldly by faith into this hopeful future that He, our King, has designed for us.

We will continue to explore some of these ‘next steps’ in the March edition of “Thoughts Along the Journey.”

1 “The promise is not an incidental theme that appears from time to time in the Bible when the writers wished to use an interesting illustration from history. Its theological implications reach far into the future. The promise touches lives today and provides the foundations of redemption for all who by faith are the descendants of Abraham.” McComiskey, Thomas, The Covenants of Promise, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1985, p. 15.

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