• 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!

Who Am I And How Are Others Receiving Me?

Posted on August 19, 2010 by wtdavid

In response to my most recent post (“A Developmental Mindset”), Noah made the following observation: It is our privilege in mobilization to foster a person’s awareness of their giftedness, in full recognition of their Creator and Redeemer’s authorship in their story. It is our privilege to point them to their Creator’s redeeming process in their lives.  That got me thinking.  We have been emphasizing the importance of other-centered development in several posts, but we should not neglect our own personal development as well.

One of the core elements for training in the Gospel Leader Profile is self-awareness, and one of the ways to describe it is as follows:

Self-awareness of one’s own need for the Gospel and personal development in relation to God, self and other team members.  A leader reflects a proper estimate of their own strengths and weakness and also seeks insights from others around them.  They keep a close check on their physical and emotional health in the varying seasons of life.  They seek to maintain healthy boundaries in relationships and on the use of their time.

Once again, if we ‘re-wrote’ this statement for all cross-cultural workers, we might come up with something like: “Self-awareness of one’s own need for the Gospel and personal development in relation to God, self and other team members.  A worker with a cross cultural heart reflects a proper estimate of their own strengths and weaknesses and also seeks insights from others around them.”  As soon as I put the statement that way, I realized that “insights from others” could come from a variety of sources, including short and mid-term workers whom I might be developing.

Then I began to wonder about my level (our level) of openness to receive such insights from others; to potentially be developed by others whom we are developing.  My own pride and self righteousness can stand in the way of that approach.  I realized I had missed a key phrase in what Noah had written: “It is our privilege to point them to their Creator’s redeeming process in their lives.”  And I would add, it’s our privilege to be pointed back to our Creator’s redeeming process in our lives. 

Self-awareness is that ongoing process where God shows us again and again our need to “first look upon His face, and then turn from contemplating Him to scrutinize ourselves.”  It’s Gospel self-awareness that we are ultimately after.

Filed under: Humility, Mentoring, Mobilization | 2 Comments »

A Developmental Mindset

Posted on August 17, 2010 by wtdavid

I’ve been trying to get back into a regular running routine; that’s my best exercise. Normally, I’m out three times a week with each run involving a different program (long distance, speed work, etc).  However, travel and most recently a bad case of shingles have set me back a bit in that routine.  As I was thinking about starting up again the last week of August, I found myself just beginning from where I left off.  In fact, I was even considering of adding some biking or swimming on the off days.  Obviously, you recognize as I did, somewhat more slowly, that the notion of “development” was missing.  There was no thought of how to slowly move up again towards the training level I was hoping to reach.  I simply wanted to get going now and not have to go through the different stages again to reach that consistent level of training.

Maybe that is why the development of others (see recent posts on short and mid-term workers) is complex and often wearisome because it involves walking with someone through the “stages” of development. 

Dr. Bobby Clinton wrote in his book, The Making of a Leader: “God develops a leader over a lifetime.  That development is a function of the use of events and people to impress leadership lessons upon a leader (processing), time, and leader response.  Processing is central to the theory.  All leaders can point to critical incidents in their lives where God taught them something important.”  Would the same hold true if we replaced the notion of leader with “cross cultural worker”? 

The statement might then read: “God develops a worker with a cross cultural heart over a lifetime.  That development is the function of the use of events and people to impress cross cultural lessons upon a cross cultural worker (processing), time, and cross cultural worker response.  Processing is central to the theory.  All workers with a cross cultural heart can point to critical incidents in their lives where God taught them something important.”

If that statement is in any way true, it should impact how I view the first day, week, month and year with a new worker.  And it should impact how I relate and “develop” that person.

Filed under: Mentoring, Mobilization | 2 Comments »

Out of Context Thinking About Interns & Short-Term Teams

Posted on August 12, 2010 by wtdavid

Some of you were probably wondering after reading my post from the other day (08.09.2010): “What was that innovative idea about using interns that David had come up with while on that trail in southeastern France?”  The idea was not what was most important. It was the principle(s) which caused me to look at a project from a different perspective, an “out of context” perspective, and which gave rise to innovative ways of approaching a project, namely working with interns. 

Priscilla Stothers, in her article in the most recent eLink (July/August edition): Why Bother With Short-Termers?  A World Teamer’s Perspective, does an excellent job of rehearsing this very thought, that it is a principled approach that can give rise to innovative ideas.  She writes: “The missionary can play a key role, serving as a bridge between two worlds, preparing both the team and nationals for the enriching experience that will bless all involved. If a short-term team humbly offers their talents and resources to the church / community and invite missionary and national leaders to be involved in deciding how best to use their gift for the sake of the Kingdom, good things can happen. When both the team and the nationals work alongside one another in a mutual effort the team is challenged to listen to the “heart” of the host and to deepen their grasp of what God is doing here.”

Rather than seeing interns and short-term teams as an intrusion or a bother, Priscilla pushes us to consider how they can actually grow in spiritual character formation as well as help us (long term workers and national churches) complete needed ministry tasks while serving alongside of us.  The ultimate goal is not to give people a good experience, but to help them, and us, “deepen their grasp of what God is doing here.”  Now that would certainly change the way we approach workers and teams coming out on a shorter term basis.

So, what do you think?  Part of the Global Mobilization Project Plan approved by the WT International board in May 2010 is to increase the number of opportunities and avenues for people to experience and engage in cross-cultural ministry (short and mid-term workers).  What “out of context” approaches should we be considering or avoiding?

Filed under: Innovation, Mobilization | 3 Comments »

Out of office and out of context

Posted on August 9, 2010 by wtdavid

I was on a hiking trail with my wife in southeastern France when it hit me.  It was an idea, an innovative idea let’s say, for how we could structure a training time with a group of summer interns.  Of course, I was “out of the office” on vacation and was supposedly not to be thinking about work related matters, but the idea just seemed to come together at the moment. 

I’m sure that being on a “pilgrimage” trail to the chapel of St Pancras helped in this process.  You may remember that St Pancras was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity and was martyred for his faith at the age of 14 (304 AD).  I’m sure that the book I had read during the week had provided some necessary input.  Maybe you, like me, use vacations to read more widely and broadly since the time is there.  And I’m sure that the idea would be worthy of a discussion because innovative ideas and processes are refined and improved in community.  However, in thinking back over the whole process that led me to this idea, I realized it was more than just the location, the resources or the innovative plan.  I was “out of context”.

What I mean by that is getting out of my usual life and ministry “context” allowed me to look at an idea, plan or ministry project from a different perspective.  Often I (we) have a tendency to tread the same water in discussions about new ideas.  Within our given “context”, we may not perceive unique avenues to pursue in discussion.  We may find ourselves immediately turning to certain reasons why an idea, event or plan will not work.  We might hear ourselves say, for example, “It’s not the right time of year,” or “We don’t have the resources,” or “I just don’t have the time to give to that.”

Granted that these may be true at certain times, but stepping “out of context” from time to time would free us to consider other ways to address ministry needs and concerns.  You don’t have to physically step “out of context” as I did while on vacation to hold this kind of discussion, but I would challenge your team or your field to look back over any recent idea or project that was set aside, and ask the question as to whether your discussion was limited to just “in context” thinking.

Filed under: Innovation | Leave a comment »

Prayer Walking: prayer on the move or efficacious prayer?

Posted on July 23, 2010 by wtdavid

(John Wilson is the guest blogger presenting practical questions for his, and our, ministry applications.   What are your convictions?  What has been your experience?)

I am looking for insight and theological opinion about Prayer Walking.  I know this has been practiced in a number of WT ministry areas, but I am not aware of any discussion of the theological merits or otherwise of prayer walking. Most people seem to do it without questioning.

Looking at what has been written and said about Prayer Walking indicates there is quite a wide spectrum of thought.

At one end, is the idea that this is simply a form or posture of prayer—kinetic rather than stationary or immobile—no different than the prayerful attitude of Brother Lawrence (The Practice of the Presence of God) doing his chores in the Carmelite monastery.

At the other end—apparently going back to Graham Kendrick and Steve Hawthorne in their book Prayer Walking (1993)—there is the view that this activity is an efficacious act contingent upon corporate participation in a specific location.

Of course, there is another range of opinions which goes from an uncritical view that simply sees it as a way to engage people in committed prayer for a neighborhood or city, to outright condemnation on all sorts of grounds: theological (it is unbiblical); missiological (it is animistic); or fanatical (it doesn’t fit with our fundamental position).

In some ways, I have considered this practice innocuous; however, because it has come up as a possibility in our local community of churches, where Gloria and I live, I have begun to think about it more critically.

Help me with your experience and thoughts:

  • Why do prayer walking?
  • What ideas or presuppositions lie behind it?
  • What benefits are there to prayer walking compared to just praying at home or in a prayer meeting?

John Wilson

Filed under: Mission, Tool Box | 5 Comments »

How Missionaries Lost Their Chariots of Fire

Posted on July 20, 2010 by wtdavid

Jay Weaver here.    During David & Rebecca’s well-earned vacation, he has asked Chuck Sutton and I to foster some interchange here at our blog site.   Thanks for YOUR part!   Have you read the Wall Street Journal article, “How Missionaries Lost Their Chariots of Fire”?    We’re grateful for Dave Dougherty pointing it out.  Click on the link to read it now.  It’s a bit amazing to find this candor and insight into evangelical causes in a world-class business paper.   We invite you to reflect and comment on what we learn and how we minister in light of this article.  Some starter questions:

  • In what constructive ways can we wield influence as missionaries in the churches who send us out (or among whom we serve)?
  • How do the cited trends compare to what you are seeing in the churches where you live and serve (if available)?
  • Is this just a USA phenomenon?  To what extent to these trends differ in churches from Canada, Australia, Europe or other sending countries? 

Filed under: Mission | 4 Comments »

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