1. Expand my Kingdom perspective. Recently my small slice of the global Body of Christ has been convicted of our inward focus. I am not referring to our ministry focus, as that is heavily focused on boldly proclaiming Jesus Christ to the people's of the world. "Inward" refers, here, more in the sense of resource sustainability. It often came out like this, "we're heading somewhere, why don't you come join us." Now, we didn't mean it that way, but it sure sounded that way. Instead, in Cape Town I want to revel in the breadth and depth of the global Body of Christ and ask these two questions:
- God, what can I learn about you through the ways that you are working around the world?
- God, where are you not known, and what can your church do together to get the gospel there?
- God, lead me to people who have been hurt by us so that I can - face-to-face - confess, ask forgiveness, and experience reconciliation.
3. Seek out servant-oriented partnerships. Through prayer and repentance, we have been reminded that we cannot do it alone nor should we even try. Different churches and organizations have their unique gifts and audiences they minister to, but when mission and values are aligned...why not do it together?
- God, what do we have which we can give away that could bless others?
4. Whole Church = every disciple mobilized. Recently, my family and I have been traveling around the places where we grew up. As we have reconnected with family, friends, and churches they have received us as heroes. Great for the ego; horrible for the soul.
Reflecting on the last ten years of service in a cross-cultural setting I can call up numerous examples where the "professional" minister as been the biggest stumbling block to raising up and sending out disciples. The ministry becomes about the professional rather than the disciple. The professional has to be the keeper of knowledge and final authority of most decisions as it feels good to be important and needed. We don't have to look too far in the Bible to find those types, and they were not welcoming of the God-man Jesus Christ who came as a servant.
That is why I am really excited about some of the plenary sessions forecasted in Tim Keller and Willy Kotiuga's plenary session papers. If the gospel will saturate urban and rural spaces, it must get out of the hands of the full-time professional...but can we set aside our egos and need for significance to give away all that we have to the disciples that we shepherd?
- God, ordain appointments with disciples in all domains of society so that I may better learn how to equip every disciple as a Christ-centered lifetime laborer in the harvest for your glory.
100W
