Sustaining Missional Living

This week I'm in Holland at a Learning Community with Paul Maconochie and Rich Robinson. The teaching and input which they give is excellent but sometimes it's difficult to engage with as I've heard it so many times before! However, I do find that God often highlights one little aspect of something I've heard again and again to pinpoint an area of my life where he wants to bring revelation and change. This week it was the teaching on the semi-circle and having a rhythm of abiding-fruitfulness, rest-work, Covenant-Kingdom. (You can find more on this in the various 3dm books, as well as in other posts on this blog.) The semi-circle is an important part of sustaining missional living.

The past term has been crazy and exciting and very busy for all of us in the team. For me, many things have felt overwhelming, stressful, and pressured. I've felt like I'm going to drown, have thought there's no way I'll make it through and have definitely questioned whether I was doing the right thing!*

In the middle of the storm, it's easy to forget who God is and what he says about me. I forget he's in the boat. I forget the vision he's given me. I forget that he has called me for such a time as this. I forget that his promises are to never leave me or forsake me. I forget that it's in his strength that I can do all things. I forget that his grace is sufficient for me. I forget so many things when I'm feeling buffetted by the wind and the waves.

The trouble has been that I've been trying to write these things on my heart in the middle of the storm. What I've realised is that by then it's too late!

I need to take the time to abide, to remain in him, to listen to God's voice and allow him to transform my mind BEFORE the storm comes. When there are less busy times I need to make time and allow God to change the way I think so that my behaviour is different when it's time to act. I need to talk with those around me about the prize that Jesus is setting before me so that they can remind me of it when I'm running just to keep up. And even in the midst of the busyness, before I head out into the fray I need to make time to connect with God so that I can be reminded of who he is, what he's done, who he says I am and what he's calling me to do.

I obviously still need to learn how to do this and I want to take the time over the quiet weeks coming up to rest and abide in Covenant with him so that I'm better prepared for the storms ahead.

Have you learned to do this? What has or hasn't worked for you?

*It hasn't all been bad! There have also been lots of times of joy and excitement and encouragement.

Training and Supporting Missional Leaders

So here we are again at the start of a new month and another new topic: Training and Supporting Missional Leaders. Once you've got a missional culture established and released some leaders into going for their missional vision you'll need to think about how to offer ongoing appropriate support and development for your leaders. It is crucial that leaders, who will effectively be leading small churches in their spare time, have enough support, training and encouragement to continue on with their vision and to see it bear much fruit. Without enough support there is a chance that they may find themselves over-burdened and under-equipped which could lead to burnout and failure of that community.

So what might be the key things to bear in mind as you think about supporting and developing your missional leaders?

1. Do it!

People will see what you value most by where you spend the majority of your time. If you really value growing a missional movement and supporting your leaders then I would suggest that they (and the rest of the church) need to see that worked out practically, as well as in just what you say. Look at your diary. Are MC leaders prioritised? If not, why not? Do they feel valued by how much of your time is spent on them and in visiting their communities, or do they see you focusing most of your time on central resources/events etc? Change your diary if necessary and put other people in place to do things you've been doing, or find someone whose job it is to take responsibility for coaching and supporting your MC Leaders. I know this is not always an easy one to change but I think it's vital for the growth and success of MCs in a church!

2. Apprenticeship

As much as possible take time to apprentice or coach your leaders in missional leadership. There are many ways to do this, not all of them requiring lots of time from you or them.

One of the best ways for a leader to be apprenticed is by them being raised up through a community by another leader using the Lifeshapes Leadership Square (going through a process of I do - you watch, I do - you help, You do - I help, You do - I watch.) Obviously when you are just starting MCs in your church this isn't possible, so then make sure that you spend time sharing stories of success and failure, your wisdom and your experiences of how you've led people before. Always give them the challenge to try and work things out for themselves with their team and the Holy Spirit - don't be tempted to 'rescue' them every time they have a problem or to tell them what to do. Keep them accountable for their decisions and actions (remember low-control, high accountability).

3. Training

Operate under the principle of 'just enough information, just in time.' In other words, don't 'front-load' your leaders with lots of information or training in areas they haven't yet experienced. The likelihood is they won't remember much of it. Give them the specific training they need as and when their experience demands it. Do balance this however with regular general leadership training/development input so that your leaders feel they are being invested into as they lead.

4. Value a range of leadership types

Don't assume that everyone ought to lead like you! Remember each leader is different, has different skills, gifts and passions and should be released to lead in their own identity rather than feeling they need to be like someone they're not. This might mean you need to help them discover some of what this is.

5. The most important thing is not the community they lead

Don't let your desire to grow healthy and fruitful communities within your church get in the way of growing healthy and fruitful disciples in your church. The most important things your leaders should invest in is their relationships with the Lord and with their family. Make sure they are putting regular time in their diary to spend in rest and re-creation. This might mean they can't get to everything you ask them to come to.....this is ok!!! You're much more likely to get healthy communities and people willing to step up to leadership if they see leaders who have healthy relationships and a healthy rhythm to their life.

6. Encouragement is vital

Nobody can get too much encouragement in their leadership. It usually comes rarely from the people we lead so make sure you give them as much as you can! Without it it's easy for a leader to become discouraged and disillusioned, especially when times are hard, so make sure you give them praise for specific things you've seen in them, and cheer them on when things get tricky.

I hope these few thoughts help you Church Leaders as you work out how best to train and support your Missional Leaders!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Be Thou My Vision

We live within a Christian culture where vision is very important. For passionate followers of Jesus having vision has become paramount to life. I encounter so many people who are frustrated and disillusioned with life because they’re lacking this thing called ‘vision’. And I’ve been there myself, wishing that God would show me something, anything (!) to give me purpose and security for what my life is about.

But how often does this notion of ‘vision’ become debilitating rather than defining? Do we allow vision, or lack of it, to dictate whether we have purpose, meaning, validation? What is our frustration and what is the fear that instigates this desperation for the big V-word?

In the Bible the word ‘vision’ is used to describe ‘visions’ that come to people through dreams, what we might call a vivid experience or prophetic image. These visions were clear messages from God – He spoke His direct word to unveil His love for nations, direction and discipline, prophecies for the future. And all these things are available to us today, as we have access to the covenant relationship, which includes hearing His voice. Yet the idea of ‘vision’ in the context of knowing our calling is not so clear. The visions experienced by some of the Old Testament characters and Prophets, as well as Paul in the New Testament, enabled them to confidently pursue what God had put before them. But Jesus never once mentions the word vision in the Gospels. Could it be that the man with the greatest calling the world has ever known didn’t seem to have ‘vision’ so high up on his agenda?

We are called and we are given vision, just not always in the way that we expect it. The Great Commission so clearly set out the notion that we are called to something which gives us a goal, a purpose, an earth-effected eternal destiny. So how do we define what our big V is all about?

Whilst Jesus doesn’t talk about vision or calling in the way we do, He does offer an invitation, by literally ‘calling’ the disciples to Him. The call on their lives is to come and be discipled by Him, to journey with Him, learn from Him, be friends with Him. And He offers us a vision: the vision of Himself and the vision of His future glory. It’s a life-giving vision in that, as we look on Him, we ourselves are transformed into His likeness. The things He has created and embedded within us, become fully alive in His Kingdom.

It’s easy to feel like somehow ‘Jesus’ is just not enough. We want to know what our personal calling is, our purpose, how we are going to change the world. But how often is the need for vision about our security in what we’re doing and our fear of sharing our true dreams with those around us?

Relationship with Jesus is the most exciting calling that’s ever been offered to the world. Living out our calling is about responding to His call, to relationship with Him. The vision is having a vision of Him and through that knowing Him and ourselves more. One of the verses I’ve been meditating on recently is from Psalm 37: ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.’ We must first delight in Him, have a vision of Him and know Him more intimately and He will then show us our true desires that He has placed within us and that He partners with us in bringing about.

So when we question whether we’ve got vision, our starting place is looking at Him. Do I have a clear vision of Jesus; do I pursue the call to having greater relationship with Him; is His purpose the call I am truly pursuing?

As Paul put so well to the Ephesians:

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…” (Ephesians 1 NIV)

Working abundantly

Last week at a team planning day we spent the first part of the morning reflecting on Psalm 23 together. We were asked to pick out a phrase from the Psalm that stood out to us, and as it was read I was drawn to a short phrase from verse 5, "...my cup overflows", and God began to speak to me.

Recently I've been getting frustrated by the amount of time I have to do everything I want to in. I'm a mum mostly at home with the kids all week but I also work 1 day a week (plus extra volunteer time) for the church. I love the work I do and there are many exciting things I could get involved with and would dearly love to make happen but I feel like my constant limitation is TIME (sound familiar?) I get frustrated that I can't put more time into the work I do with young adults and missional communities. I'm a pioneer and can see possibilities and potential laid out in front of me which I get excited about, then find I just can't commit to being part of making them come into being because I don't have the time! And at home too, I'm always imagining what I could enjoy doing with more time - I would bake more, sew more, clean more(!), play the piano more. So it goes on.

Now I don't think I'm just being hard on myself, or feel inadequate compared to those around me - I know I work hard and that I'm not superwoman! I just see the amount I am able to do in these different spheres as less than I would like to be able to do. I would love to have the capacity to mentor more people, to see community leaders more often, to have more time thinking, reading and praying - to be able to 'achieve' more in any given week. I feel like I make very slow progress sometimes!

When I was reflecting on this phrase from Psalm 23 God started to change my perspective. He says "my cup overflows". This also reminded me of 2 Corinthians 9:8 which says "God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." I will abound in every good work.

He doesn't see what I do the way I see it! He doesn't feel frustrated and wish I would achieve more. He says I abound in every good work. Which means that whilst I look at what I do and see the lack, he looks at me and sees the abundance. Where I see frustration and limits, He sees an overflowing cup. That is an altogether different perspective!

So I am going to try and think differently about the things I put my hands to in the time I have to do them. God sees what I do and sees an abundance and I need to learn to be more content with achieving what I do instead of wishing I could get involved more, do more, see more, get more done.

What about you? Do you feel frustrated, or guilty, or pressured by self or others to achieve more? Do you feel inadequate? Maybe it's time to stop being hard on yourself and get God's perspective on the things you do - He sees what you do, He is well pleased and His word is that He makes you abound in every good work.

Give me strength!

As a church we’ve recently been looking at the issue of identity. Our identity in our relationship with Jesus, in the way we relate to each other as the church and in the way we live life with the people we meet in everyday contexts.

Two themes that I’ve been considering in relation to identity have been the characteristics of strength and weakness. As Christians the attributes of strength and weakness play a big part in our thinking, language and culture. We talk about being ‘spiritual warriors’, with the ‘armour of God’, being ‘over-comers’ and persevering as we ‘run’ towards the prize before us. In contrast, weakness is a hugely negative attribute. It evokes notions of insecurity, failure and sin. Our response to weakness, in both ourselves and others, is often disdain, pity and judgement. We don’t like it, we don’t want it and we particularly don’t want any one else to notice it!

These opposing concepts of strength and weakness are similarly obvious in Western culture. You only have to look at product marketing to see the overt message that ‘strength is good’ and ‘weakness is bad’. For instance, take a look at male toiletry adverts. According to them, using products like face cream after you shave makes you athletic, muscular and means sharing your over-sized bathroom with an attractive woman. Men’s advertising often tells us that success in life is predominantly about being physically strong whilst successful women should be able to handle a career, run the perfect family and ultimately manage life without their male counter-parts.

It’s easy for us to perceive some of these world views as extreme and ineffective. However, as Christians a lot of the subliminal messages about strength and weakness impact us in the way we view our own identity. We also have a church culture that at times has a topsy-turvy view on the two issues…

We desire to grow in our relationship with God, yet this easily slips into judging our worth by it. We seek to develop our gifts, serve the church and follow our calling, but when what we ‘do’ is stripped away, we feel lost, despondent and insignificant. When our inability is exposed, we would prefer to cover it up, blame someone else or over-sell our strengths to those around us. When we really get down to it, we’d love nothing more than to be the pin-up of Christian strength, with our weaknesses only giving us a ‘humble’ edge.

As I’ve read 2 Corinthians 12 I’ve felt really challenged about my desire to be strong and my disdain for weakness. In The Message version, Eugene Peterson has used words like ‘humiliations’, ‘looking ridiculous’ and ‘fool’. These aren’t things I’d be excited about seeing in my life! Paul goes on in the passage to talk about the ‘thorn in his flesh’ which eventually brings him to his knees in weakness. Despite inconclusive theological debate on what Paul’s ‘thorn’ might be, it’s interesting that, whatever it was, Paul is brought to a place of utter humility. He finally begs God to remove the thorn he is suffering with. How many times do we respond to our failures, inability, utter brokenness with a prayer for God to take it away? It seems, in its simplest form, we are asking God to return us to a position of strength. Yet, if weakness was good enough for Paul, then surely we’re missing something?

God’s response is not always to fix things in the way we might want Him to. He doesn’t show Paul how to get better and, with a lot of hard work, get himself out of his pain. Instead, He simply reminds Paul of His grace:
“My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”

There is this amazing transaction as we are made weak before God. We come to Him with all of our wanting and a realisation that we are incapable of doing anything about it. In return, God’s grace is the gift that’s on offer. If I’m honest, it is the times when I have felt at my weakest that I have understood God’s grace the most. In times of failure, loneliness, vulnerability, it’s hit home again just how much Jesus loves me, even when I am so unlovely. When captivated again by God’s grace, I’m surprised that we don’t all get a bit more excited at the prospect of laying our weaknesses bare before God!

The reality is weakness doesn’t somehow feel nicer just because it’s an opportunity to grow closer to God. It’s still painful, exposing and frustrating. But if His strength comes into its own through us, then it seems like something worth going through. We only have to look at Jesus’ physical weakness, as he submitted to the cross, to see how God’s amazing power can work through weaknesses.

So during this Advent time, as we contemplate Jesus coming in the world as a weak and vulnerable child, perhaps have a think about your own response to the weakness in your life. How can we allow God’s grace to impact us in the face of our failings? When do we need to submit to Him in our weakness, rather than trying to fix it ourselves? Where can we encounter Him and be empowered by Him knowing that, despite our unloveliness, we are truly loved by The King?

The Ordinary Adventure

The Christian life is not supposed to be dull, it is supposed to be an adventure.

Every now and again I see,  hear or read something that reminds me of this truth and that calls out the courageous adventurer within me.  One such time was when I first saw this video.  I love music videos,  this one was one of my favourites from the last few years.  It's by a band called Unkle for their track,  Heaven.

Every time I watch this the Holy Spirit gets me.  It stirs me to live more courageously,  to follow God whole-heartedly and to take big risks for him.  I love that feeling and I think its something God wants me to experience.  Perhaps that's the experience the first disciples felt when Jesus said to them "come, follow me".

But life is no music video.  When I fall, the bumps are very real and hurt; sometimes I struggle to get back up.  Then when I'm done with my next bit of adventure and risk there's still the washing up to come back too,  or the kids to put to bed,  or the difficult colleague to get on with.  Often it seems my adventures of faith collide with far more mundane or even difficult realities.

As I've thought about this I've begun to wonder if this was also the experience for the first disciples.  When Andrew, Simon, James and John encountered Jesus and heard his call the they left their nets and followed him.  The left what they were doing and began a new adventure.  A journey that would take courage and risk as they learnt how to be like him.

But they didn't leave their nets for ever, and Jesus didn't take them away from the everyday realities of life.  They went to weddings,  they paid taxes,  they argued and bickered with each other and Jesus used each of these events to change them,  to show them something new.  The adventure he took his disciples on was firmly in the real world,  and the day to day struggles they faced were the very place where they got to see God's power at work.

I wonder if this is God's intention for all who would want to follow him.  He calls us all to be disciples here on earth.  He asks us to engage with the struggles and apparent mundaneness of everyday life and to allow him to make it different,  better,  new.

I believe God is looking for everyday adventurers.  People who will be obedient to him in every little detail of their life and so will more fully experience him changing our world for the better.

Are you eager to part of this great adventure?  Why not talk to God about it now?  Write down a list of the situations you face today;  the jobs you have to do,  the people you will see.  Ask God to meet you in each of those places, let him know you're open for him to do something new.  Then get on with living as his adventurous disciple.