Thoughts Along The Journey

Ten reasons why World Team will change

Posted on July 30, 2013 by wtdavid

Reason number 1: As the Gospel becomes more and more central to all our affections, it will work itself out in fresh ways in our ministries.

Reason number 2: Workers are rediscovering ‘the rush’ of walking with Jesus.

The other night I was talking with some colleagues and the comment was made: “Remember when we first went out into cross cultural ministry? We threw everything into what we were doing. We gave everything to Jesus.” Behind that statement lies the feeling and the on the ground experience of ‘the rush’ of walking with Jesus. Again and again He proved Himself faithful to what He said in His Word, and above all that He would never abandon or forsake us.

As the weeks, the months and the years go by, we become more risk averse. We become more self sufficient as opposed to God needy. Somehow we drift towards a more calculated than adventuresome lifestyle.

Yet God, in His grace, at different moments, comes to remind us again of what it is like to put all of our trust in Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). When you feel that gust of the Spirit’s movement in your heart, the desire is rekindled to launch out again with Him.

I’m starting to hear that heart movement from a number of us. And because of that rediscovery, World Team will change because we will once again become more adventuresome, more innovative, more pioneering.

Filed under: Change & transition | 4 Comments »

Ten reasons why World Team will change

Posted on July 29, 2013 by wtdavid

The context in which we live and work is rapidly changing. Sometimes the speed of that change appears to increase almost exponentially. We as a WT community are not immune to change, but we navigate this change and transition thanks to the grace of an unchangeable God.

I want to do a number of posts to walk us through ten reasons or essentials for why World Team will change in the coming months and year.

Reason number 1: As the Gospel becomes more and more central to all our affections, it will work itself out in fresh ways in our ministries.

The Gospel has a ripple effect not only in our lives, but also in our ministries. The more our love for Christ is kindled because of a deepening grasp of His work on our behalf, the more the Gospel drives to the centre of who we are as a child of God, the more the Gospel transforms who we are and what we do. That work of the Gospel overflows into the way we minister to others. As we lay hold again of the fact that “as we abide with Christ, we are loved by God the Father as much as He loves Jesus,” sharing that good news becomes a natural outgrowth of our walk with Him; serving others becomes an expression of our thanks to Jesus.

If our first love is Jesus, if we go deep in the Gospel and the Gospel goes deep into our hearts, then the WT community will change. As many hearts of WT community members are transformed by His Gospel, we “are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”

Filed under: Change & transition | Leave a comment »

One of those days

Posted on July 26, 2013 by wtdavid

I’m sure you have had a day like the one I’ve had today.

You don’t feel any strength or desire to engage in ministry. You feel weak rather than strong, and you struggle to pick up the Word or call out to God. All the effort (we might say, the self effort) up to this point has worn you out.

Something is missing. That something, we know, is the Gospel. Yet, how do I, how do we get our hands and heads again around Jesus’ message of total forgiveness and righteousness? J. D. Greear, in his book: Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary, writes:

“The gospel is not just the ABCs of Christianity, it is the A-Z; it is not the first step in a stairway of truths it is more like the hub of God’s wheel of truth. All other Christian virtues flow out of it. That’s why growth in Christ is never going beyond the gospel, but going deeper into the gospel. The purest waters from the spring of life are found by digging deeper, not wider, into the gospel well.”

Going deeper is not something that we can teach one another. It is something we can pray for one another in community.

Let’s go deeper!

Filed under: Community, Gospel | 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-up

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.

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

Who am I?

Posted on July 19, 2013 by wtdavid

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?

Filed under: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »

Raising and releasing for me

Posted on July 17, 2013 by wtdavid

Recently, I asked a number of WT workers if they could share in less than three minutes how our core values are being worked out in their personal, team and ministry lives. Last time you heard from Dan about Interdependence.

This week, Bryan, one of our workers in Asia, shares how he sees the core value of raising and releasing leaders worked out in his context.