• 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!

Global QuickVIEW once again

Posted on July 25, 2012 by wtdavid

I was reading again in Globalizing Theology: Belief and practice in an era of World Christianity and I recognized a number of insights which confirmed much of what the WT working group on global trends had discovered.

One of the chapters in this book cites three areas where globalization will continue to have an impact and the opportunities and challenges these present to the church:

  • “Because of globalization there is a reason for Christian mission to focus more on promoting holistic transformation.  Local theologizing must address issues of physical poverty along with spiritual poverty.”
  • “As urbanization and globalization come together in the megacities of the world, they present incredible opportunities but also tough challenges for the church.”
  • “In a globalizing world, we must chart a course through postmodernism with epistemological humility and confidence in the gospel, recognizing the social construction of our own worldviews in a world filled with enormous diversity.”

Granted that third impact is a “mouth full”, but the author seems to be stressing the necessity of having a holistic approach to mission, open eyes to the opportunities and challenges of urban migration, and a firm hold on the truth of Gospel all the while recognizing how our own cultural worldview influences how we ‘work out’ our Christian life.

There are no easy solutions or approaches to the cultural and global shifts occurring around us, but we must prayerfully continue to seek to discern how we will change and respond.  The Global QuickVIEW and Solution Snapshots documents serve as our first stepping stone towards such a change in our approach and work.

Filed under: Global realities, Humility, Planning | Leave a comment »

Telling Stories

Posted on July 20, 2012 by wtdavid

Joi wrote in response to my last post: “It seems that these principles enforce a certain ethos.  They describe a unique environment.  Could we find some stories that illustrate this?”  This is an excellent question.  Let me try to give an example or two, and hopefully this will encourage others to share.

Our first principle is to over communicate widely.  In launching the global mobilization project several years ago, we framed the plan from a ‘global’ perspective, thinking that all the resources could come from ‘global.’  What we quickly realized was that each ‘epicenter of mission’ needed to own the growing need for more workers and create the best processes for identifying, assessing, training and sending those workers to WT Global.  It was going to look different in each place, but each process could ultimately benefit everyone else and influence their process.  The breakthrough came when we launched the project through a month long prayer initiative with weekly biblical meditations written by workers from all over our WT community.

Our second principle is to have an open learning stance.  It may seem like an overly simplistic example, but we have for years talked about “strategic & tactical plans”, and then added in the idea of “project plans”.  These are terms that come from a US based approach to planning and there is nothing wrong with that.  When a worker joined my team from another cultural context, he found the terms confusing as they meant something completely different in his context.  He suggested that we start talking about three year plans (formerly ‘project plans’) and one year plans (formerly ‘strategic and tactical plans’).  It has been hard to change the vocabulary, but his suggestion has proved to be extremely helpful in approaching the planning process.

Our final principle is to seek to demonstrate humility.  It is always difficult to give an example of humility because the moment you do, it no longer is an example because you have now spotlighted the ‘humble’ person.  You know the person that comes to mind when you hear this principle.  Our desire is not to exalt this person, but to grasp anew how the Lord has worked out humility in their lives, and for us to then ask for the grace to live such a humble life.

 

Maybe you have some examples to share?  This would help all of us in this journey.

Filed under: Collaboration, Global realities, Reflection | 1 Comment »

Central Office Calling (II)

Posted on July 18, 2012 by wtdavid

Howard Brant writes: “God alone knows the exact numbers of workers coming out of the new initiatives.  What we can identify, however, is the epicenters of the largest movements.”  He then goes on to talk about Korea, China, Nigeria and other non Western countries that are sending out significant numbers of new workers to “participate in the Mission of God.”

One of the questions we raised in a previous post is how would new workers from such non Western countries join with the existing missions force?  What would common training look like across this multicultural work force?

A couple of principles come quickly to mind that should direct us in our mobilization and training.  A first principle would be to over communicate widely.  In the process of over communicating widely, we make people from many ‘epicenters of mission’ [other Support Centers, partners, other mission sending initiatives] aware of our own cultural expectations and assumptions as well as allow opportunity for these people to help us better frame our efforts in a more global manner.  A second principle would be to have an open learning stance.  An open learning stance means you see benefit in ideas and experiences shared from a variety of perspectives, different from your own, and that these ideas and experiences actually influence your own plans and strategies.  A final principle would be to seek to demonstrate humility.  The shift of the base of world Christianity to the southern hemisphere places many of us in a decreasing ‘power’ position.  We can no longer act as if we are the center, as if we are the ‘central office’ alone.  The Gospel drives us towards humility by the simple understanding of grace.  It should drive us to humility in  our relationships with this ever growing multicultural work force as we become one of many workers sent out into ‘the Mission of God’.

Navigating this shift can seem daunting. However, it is also thrilling to be part of God’s larger mission not only to gather people from all tribes, tongues and nations to His worshipping community , but also to send people from all tribes, tongues and nations out to reach others and invite them into His  worshipping community.

 

Filed under: Collaboration, Global realities, Partnership | 2 Comments »

the Trap

Posted on July 16, 2012 by wtdavid

Today’s post comes from Chris in France.

This chapter speaks to my own story.  I’m older than most of you and I spent a long time climbing the greasy pole towards career success.  I had some temporary wins but eventually someone added extra grease to the pole and I was out.  The euphemism is Voluntary Early Retirement, but I was no volunteer.  Despite my best efforts, or because of them, I was a failure.  Painful as all this was at the time, it has led to great blessing for me.  You see, I wasn’t very useful to God while I was busy succeeding.  While Keller focuses on money, I found success to be the greater trap.

It’s interesting that Jesus didn’t seem to have a problem with worldly success.  When Jesus met the rich young ruler, he didn’t say that he was a bad person because he was rich and powerful.  Jesus didn’t condemn the virtuous accumulation of wealth or power or influence.  When Jesus met the guy, he loved him – because he understood the terrible trap this young man had fallen into.  The young man wanted to be good and was having some success in this quest, but sensed in himself that he was missing something critical.  Jesus, in his tough love, immediately makes a terrible offer to the young man that goes to the heart of his problem.  Could he put aside success and his potential for much more of it, and trust his life to Jesus instead of to himself?  Jesus was asking for trust not just in the life to come, but in this life – right now.

It’s incredibly hard on self to lose in the struggle for worldly success.  I found my own fall desperately difficult.  I saw myself (for an agonising moment or century) as the rest of my world must have seen me – a middle aged loser.  How much harder it would be for a young man, with so much ahead of him, to choose such a fate voluntarily.  What would everyone think of him?  What would he think of himself for giving away so much?  And so, he went away sad, rich and powerful but still trapped.

Many of us also live our lives inside the success trap.  We live as if we and not God were the source of our jobs, talents, opportunities and eventual success.  So we find it hard to imagine that all we have earned – social position, educational qualifications, possessions, work achievements – are not only temporary but possibly undeserved gifts.  We are beggars spiritually who must ask for help to be saved.  But our self-respect has trouble handling beggar status when it comes to our worldly successes.  We find it hard to rely on the One who has already given us everything.

Tough times seem be coming again in Europe and North America (and perhaps even in Australia).  The jobs, investments, property and arrangements many of us trust for security might be threatened – even lost.  Suddenly, we might not be successful.  It will be humiliating but it could also be ultimately liberating.

My question; How would you cope if you lost all the success you’d worked for?  What would reliance upon Christ look like at that moment?

 

Next instalment of the King’s Cross blog post will be August 27th, looking at Ch 12 “the Ransom”

Filed under: King's Cross, Reflection, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Central Office Calling

Posted on July 11, 2012 by wtdavid

“Yet arguably of greater significance, though certainly less widely acknowledged, is the enormous change in the demographics of Christianity worldwide.  Whereas in 1900 the majority of Christians were in Europe and North America, and Christianity was identified as a Western religion, today most Christians reside in the non-Western world, and Christianity is in decline in much of Europe.”  These are the opening lines from the collection of essays on belief and practice in an era of world Christianity entitled: Globalizing Theology. 

There is much that we could “mine” from these few lines, but one thought comes immediately to mind in light of the global shift we are experiencing.   The center from which our ministry emanates is changing.

When we look for resources [workers, funds, prayer, talents and other], where do we often turn?  We go to our ‘central’ or ‘home’ office.  What we learn from the global shift we are experiencing is that our ‘central’ office is no longer one specific Support Center.

Calling our ‘central office’ will mean connecting with Australia, Canada, US, European & Latin American partners and others who will join the larger World Team Global Alliance network.  Resources will be flowing from everywhere to everywhere.

Obviously, this shift raises lots of questions.  For example, what would be our common training across our community?  What would the support of workers from various locations look like and how would those funds be moved towards their support?   Navigating this shift, however, begins with a change in our own heart attitude as to how we see and approach the tremendous growth of the Church in the majority world.

Filed under: Collaboration, Partnership | 2 Comments »

the Mountain

Posted on July 9, 2012 by wtdavid

Today’s post comes from Kevin in the US.

The mountain—the transfiguration—provided an opportunity for true worship.  A sick (and dying) daughter provided an opportunity for true worship.  Both of these situations are written about in Mark 9.  In an exercise of pure focus on the only person worth complete attention and adoration, a person can seek to ascribe to God the worth that only He is due. 

But there’s more, according to Keller.  I was fascinated by Keller’s term ”repentant helplessness” as necessary in true worship.  I’m not fascinated in a “what-a-cool-phrase” kind of appreciation, but a gut-wrenching, face-slapping, wake-up call that helped me to see worship in yet another helpful light.

Repentant helplessness.  Yes, in my efforts to ascribe worth to our Savior, there is often a lot of me involved.  My comfort, my setting, my surroundings, my mood, and many other factors often play a role in my worship.  The type of music, the style of dress, the “spiritual temperature” of those around me often affect my focus—and appreciation—of Him.  But how selfish is that?

If my focus is on Him, and if (as I believe) “the things on Earth will grow strangely dim” in light of Who He is, I need to repent of my demand for proper circumstances to influence my worship.  I need to acknowledge my utter helplessness in absolutely everything—even in the fact that I can approach the God of all creation!—in order to really and truly worship.

We are already accepted by Him, but not because of anything we did—or do.  It’s what He has done in light of our selfish ways.  Pursuing Him also empowers us to live for Him in this broken and hurting world.  Like Peter, James, and John on the mountain, we can experience this.

Is there “repentant helplessness” in your worship?  What does that look like?

 

Next week: chapter 11 – “the Trap”

Filed under: King's Cross, Reflection | 2 Comments »

« Previous Page — Next Page »

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 205 other subscribers

  • Categories

  • Recent Comments

  • Archives

  • Goodreads