Round Flat Tables

I'm sitting here at 05:30 waiting on my flight to Madrid for a meeting with our ReachGlobal European leadership team, and I'm thinking. One statement that I've made is that we in RG Europe want to help create 'round, flat tables' for partnership. Round tables so that everyone can see everyone else. Flat tables because we are all equals. No one is 'above' anyone else based on money, geographic birthplace, or power. This attitude is best described in Philippians 2:5-11 and it is supernatural. As North Americans, this is counter-cultural and we're generally not very good at having this attitude. We think we have what everyone else needs to hear or have. I'm hoping that we can make some good progress this week in helping to create these tables. -it's about the glory of God

Expectations

I've noticed that most of my discontent comes from my expectations. Now that I've written that, it only makes sense. I guess I was expecting that to be profound. Maybe next time. -it's about the glory of God

Location:Budapest ,Hungary

The Week in Review 2 Dec 2011

Wow, this was one of those weeks where you feel like you got stuff done, but you're still wondering if it was the right stuff.

This week I'm still facilitating the online course for EQUIP, 'Intentional Living.' This is a really good group of students, so it's not a lot of work to help them interact with the material. We're in the third week of the course, so we've tackled 'Guarding Your Heart,' 'Ministering from Your Strengths,' and this week is 'Figure out the Big Rocks.' Next week will be the final week where we 'Connect the Compass to the Clock' and develop a rhythm for living an intentional life. One reason I enjoy facilitating this class is that it is an opportunity for me to reassess how I'm doing in these areas.

There were a couple of coaching calls this week, one in person and one online. Those are exciting times where I get to hear what God is doing in lives and how He is building His Church. Aside from the call where I get trained, I met with my 'peer coach' to begin our next module on Life Coaching and I met with a church planter who said, 'You'll probably be frustrated with me, I have not been very coachable in the past.' I wonder if he knows that I'm challenge motivated.

I was able to help with the ICSB middle school boys basketball team this week. Bill Babione asked me to fill in for him while he was gone, so I helped Ellis Vaughan and his son Samuel ride herd on 18 young men. Two of them happened to be Nate & John, which was nice. Nate touched the rim for the first time yesterday, so he was hopping around the gym making sure all the rims were the same height or something. =) It sure is fun watching your kids grow up.

Next week is looking busy with lots of reading/prep, coaching calls and training, plus two meetings for the Danube International Church elders (I'm one of them) where we're going to work on vision and direction for the church. Please ask that I'd be a diligent worker in the Lord's Harvest through the coming week.

Angst, Humility and Trust

Support Team Building, Ministry Team Development, People Raising, Fund Raising--whatever you want to call it--has been the topic of a couple of conversations for me lately. I guess that’s part of being a missionary, you have conversations about stuff no one else really thinks about. But every year about this time I start getting stressed out. We're coming up on Christmas. I'm supposed to be jolly and focused on the 'reason for the season,' but all I feel is anxiety and a bit of awkwardness. We’re getting to the end of the budget year. I should do a ‘year-end ask’ to make sure there will be something in the account at the end of the year, but it’s a huge fight in my mind to make this happen. Can’t I just enjoy kids coming home for Christmas and revel in the season? So that’s the context for you...my annual angst.

This morning I was reading through Romans 3 where Paul was talking about how no one other than Jesus has or is able to do enough to satisfy the Law. That's when it hit me: that's what the effort of Support Team Building feels like to me. I can never do enough and I'm not good enough at it to satisfy whatever 'ideal' I've got in my mind. What if I just worked more hours? That doesn't get me anywhere because the hours I work and what I get paid aren't directly connected. Nope, I just have to grit my teeth and ask. It’s humbling. Is this any way to provide for a family? I could have done more during the year to communicate better, send more letters or something (phone calls?), so that I wouldn't be in this position. Am I learning anything here?

What about changing the game a bit? I do want to do a better job of joining the churches and people I know with what God is doing in Europe. I want to be more intentional about being a connection point for ministry between Europe and the rest of the world. But can I change things so that it costs less to do missions? What kind of ‘cost’ are we talking about here? Maybe it would be cool if it was free, but like David, I don’t want to give God something that costs me nothing (1Chron 21:24).  No, I think it should cost me something so I have to depend on God. He's worth it.

I think there are two things that God is gently driving (though it feels like a hammer-drill today) into my heart: humility and trust. God is teaching me that only He provides for me and my family. That's humbling, especially when I realize that working more hours or somehow trying harder are only thin veneer coverings for trying to do it myself. Sure, I've got to be responsible. That's why I'll include a link for online giving, send out emails, tweet and do what I can to help you see what God is doing in Europe and to understand the vision to which He has called our family. But there is a fine line between my personal responsibility and taking things into my own hands to bring about God’s promise of provision (check out Genesis 16 to see how Abram tried it). So I need to humbly ask, without biting my lip or making a face, and trust that He will be at work to provide for our needs. I ask Him first, and then I ask the local churches and people He has brought into our life, because I know that this is what He's asking me to do. He might give me another avenue in the future, but right now He’s teaching me to give up control of my life and trust Him as I ask others.

Trust is such a difficult word. It has to do with believing. Do I really believe that stuff in Luke 12:27 about how He cares for the lilies of the field? It's easy to say 'yes,' but it's a whole lot harder to live it. God, please help me.

The Week in Review 25 Nov 2011

Looking at my calendar, this has been an interesting week. But one that I like a lot. The previous weeks have been on the road, meeting new people, and having deep conversations over important issues. The role I find myself in is enjoyable to me and I think I'm well suited for it (by God's grace).

This week had many of the same elements as earlier weeks, but without the travel. Here's the report:

• Monday morning was a great conversation on anti-trafficking ministry, while that afternoon was a quick call on Roma ministry.
• Tuesday involved a call helping a young missionary sort through his calling/role.
• Wednesday was a call with a Lithuanian lady living in England working to develope a partnership between English and Polish churches to reach the Polish immigrants in England.
• Thursday was Thanksgiving (for which I'm thankful).
• Today was a call about developing a Christian community center in Kiev, Ukraine and helping an Albanian church planter think through how to refresh his relationship with God.
• Every day I'm facilitating an online course 'Intentional Living' through EQUIP, so I get to interact with new missionaries and pastors in the US on issues related to living with purpose

When I look at that list I'm excited that I get to be a small part of what God is doing in so many different locations, contexts, and lives. I'm thankful for the training I'm getting in coaching and how these people are being helped through that. I'm also thankful that I get to drive kids to practices and friend's houses and that I'm home each night.

Coaching

This has been a great week of training in coaching. Over the past few years I've found myself in situations where I was able to ask questions of pastors or missionaries that seemed to unlock ideas for them that neither of us had thought of previously. More than one person has said, 'Wow, you ask great questions." The problem was that I had no idea where they came from or why they were good questions. This week helped me to see how I can intentionally ask good questions and how those questions can lead to concrete change. I'm looking forward to how God is going to use that in the future in Europe.
Now I just need to get back there. =)


-it's about the glory of God

Location:Peña Blvd,Denver,United States

Nigeria for beginners

I'm sitting in my hotel in Abuja, getting ready for the MANI consultation (http://www.maniafrica.com/) where we're hoping to develop some partnerships with African mission movements coming to Europe. I'm here with 3 coworkers, James Lauderdale, Dale Phillips, and Kevin Mason. This is my first time in Africa and I'll have to say that I've had to be very conscious of my 'cross-cultural attitude.' That kind of surprised me, being a cross-cultural worker and all.
The first day was a little strange...
About 3:45 the taxi picked me up after a solid 4 hours of sleep. Packing took a bit longer than I anticipated. As we took off, the conversation kind of stopped as we all realized that the song on the radio was 'YMCA' in Hungarian. Surreal is the only way I can describe it.
Everything was pretty normal through the layover in Amsterdam until we got to the gate for the flight to Abuja. I have never seen so many kids on a flight. Little kids and babies. We're estimating 70-100 kids on this flight. And it felt like we were the only ones who noticed. If this had been US TSA agents we never would have left. Kids were running everywhere, sticking their hands in the baggage x-ray machine, playing, I think it was a kid who opened the emergency exit that brought airport security over to investigate. We didn't really go through in a line, but more of a cloud. It's not like this is the first time I've had to navigate other 'line cultures,' but this one was noticeably stressful for me. Then the guy came out to announce that there was a fuel leak, so we might be delayed. Apparently it didn't leak too much, because they fixed it quickly and no fuel trucks showed up to top off our tanks. After that it seemed like it went back to a normal flight. Then we landed.
Passport control, baggage claim, and customs were all using the cloud method, which was fine. It's a different place and I expect that. The ride into town was an hour or so because of the army check point set up for security. There is increased security at every public event. Today we saw them screening people going into a wedding. Granted, there were about 12 bride's maids, but it's still just a wedding. Let's get back to the drive in. Two lanes marked on the road. Three or four lanes in use the whole way in. I was wondering whether dying in a car wreck going to a conference counts as martyrdom.
All in all, it was an interesting day of travel for me. I'm glad I'm here and I'm looking forward to what God has for me to learn and what He's going to do in Africa and Europe as a result of this event.


-it's about the glory of God

Location:Idris Gidado St,Abuja,Nigeria