Vision Enhanced: So that Leaders...

...so that leaders are 

shaped,

sent,

supported

and

sustained

I want to deal with the question of purpose.  When I wrote this vision statement, I wanted to be very clear that I'm not just connecting people for fun.  It's not about the connection in itself.  The things that I am doing are meant for the holistic development of leaders.  Not just launching them.  Not just taking care of them when they're in the field.  The whole trajectory of leadership must be affected by reconciled relationships.

Leaders are shaped when they are taught by a variety of voices.  When I spoke to a group of high school interns a couple of weeks ago, I believed that my perspective was valuable to them.  I come with experiences downtown and in other parts of San Diego and the world.  I come with friendships that include the interns' staff team, their pastors, and some of the people who will be their classmates if they attend the local community college.  It's not just young people who need shaping, though.  Leaders are shaped throughout their lives-- particularly by relationships, and perhaps most of all by unique perspectives.

Sometimes, it's obvious that you need a bridge to send a person somewhere.  He or she may be marooned in a closed-loop of possibilities, whether by choice or circumstance.  Jesus calls his followers "sent ones" (apostles), but hometown/ home church/ home couch inertia can be strong.  Not enough people are being sent.  I'm not just talking about overseas missionaries.  Even more than that, I see a shortage of women and men being sent across an aisle or across the street.  We encourage more attending than sending, and leadership atrophies as a result.

Support and sustain are not synonyms in this context.  Strong relationships of love and trust are needed for both, but they refer to distinct outcomes.  It is my desire to support leaders in the thick of God's mission.  Moments of crisis, frustration, and uncertainty call for support, encouragement and renewed vision.  Even at a young age, I've seen enough tired leadership to quickly pick up on their pain, which often stems from isolation.  Sustaining a leader has in mind the long haul.  Friendship, counsel, and gentle reinforcement-- bring in the things that keep them going.

I should note that in fact, "Jesus" is the answer to all of these parts of a leader's holistic development.  Jesus is the first answer.  I hope that I point leaders to Jesus throughout their lives.  And I pray that Jesus remains the motivation and the model for shaping, sending, supporting and sustaining those leaders.  May my life, connections and friendships be at God's disposal for the building of his Kingdom.

Guest Post: Christian on Discipleship

Now that I am officially a support staff member for Laura, I thought it might be fitting to give her a break from writing one of these and offer my perspective as to what God is teaching not just me, but both of us.  

Laura and I recently were able to go to our bi-yearly staff conference for CRM in Estes Park, CO.  Here we were able to not only connect with awesome staff members and their spouses, but we also were able to deepen our faith, relax in Papa’s beautiful outdoors, and be challenged and encouraged in our ministries.  The topic of the conference was discipleship.  This word has been thrown around a lot because discipleship has become the “in" thing to do, a new fad throughout the Church realm.  While some of the talking points and sessions were not to my taste, there were significant results from the conference because it got both Laura and I thinking about what discipleship truly is, what God thinks of it, and how can we incorporate it into our ministry-- not just because it’s the cool thing to do, but because we truly desire to see others come to know and understand the Almighty God we know and love.  

So what does it really mean to be a disciple myself?  I mean, how can I expect to disciple someone if I’m not being a good disciple myself?  As I was mulling over this question, one of my favorite powerhouse Christian heroes explained it well.  Oswald Chambers in his book, My Utmost for His Highest, states that to be a disciple, one’s “motives must be so pure that God Almighty can see nothing to rebuke. Who can stand in the eternal light of God and have nothing for Him to rebuke? Only the Son of God, and Jesus Christ claims that through His redemption He can place within anyone His own nature and make that person as pure and as simple as a child.”  Oh, okay… that’s all.  No problem.  I got that down...  Not really.  Not even close.  How often I fail to come close to this!  Daily I make my faith, my beliefs, my trust in God so complicated, and yet all He asks of us is to believe as a little child does.  All this isn’t supposed to be complicated.  It’s simple; at least it’s supposed to be.  Oswald goes on to say, “The purity that God demands is impossible unless I can be remade within.”  

Discipleship starts with me-- my inside.  Until I have experienced the mighty, wonderful, redemptive work and enlightenment of God’s love I cannot begin to disciple others.  God’s love is what changes people.  The fact that I have a great five step program to make someone holy is nothing compared to what the realization and understanding of God’s love can do in, through, and to someone.  We should be so moved by God’s love and compassion that we can’t help but want to disciple others and bring them to know the awesomeness of God and His love.  If we are motivated by anything else, our efforts miss the reason for the gospel… We miss the point.  If we miss the point then we are no better than the Pharisees and the scribes.  

In all things, be moved by the compassion that comes from God’s own heart.  Be moved to act not because of selfish reasons or guilt, but because your heart breaks or is fired up to see others impacted by the wonderfulness of our God.  That should be our driving force.  Nothing else.  

Till next time,

Christian

Back from Staff Conference

ChurchNEXT staff gathered in Estes Park, Colorado

Last week kept me busy (and away from the blog) as I joined nearly 100 other CRM staff members in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.  With teams scattered around the world, our organization makes it a priority to get us in the same place every two years-- we have a worldwide conference for everyone in 4-year intervals, and in between, we meet in our respective collectives.  (Some of you remember that 2 years ago, I attended the worldwide conference in Malaysia, and I'm very much looking forward to the next one -2014- being in the Yucatan Peninsula!)

ChurchNext is the particular division where I have hung my hat with our Urban Mosaic team.  There aren't many young people in our tribe, and until last month, I was the only female team leader.  People often ask if I wouldn't fit better in one of the other areas-- perhaps with InnerChange's work among the poor, or Ethne's cross-cultural focus.  However, I believe I'm in exactly the right place.  My ChurchNext-mates are some of the most skilled, driven, excellent practitioners in the field of ministry among church leaders.  In all the imperfection of the Church, we have chosen to love and nurture and seek God's will alongside her.  I like the way our CRM president, Sam Metcalf, put it in his words to us at the conference: "We can't ignore what is for the sake of what needs to be."  While few of us would deny that the Church must face significant change in the coming years, we also have a commitment to walking through it with her.

Please join me in hoping and praying for the fresh wind of the Spirit in God's Church.  We spent our time together in Colorado remembering that the "normal" life Jesus called us into is a disciple-making life.  I'll plan to pen some reflective thoughts on that theme in the week to come!