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Thursday 19 December 2013

Learning to preach

I was just reviewing my notes from slingshot which is a short leadership training course held by Youth with a Mission (YWAM). These notes are a bit scattered and following the trail of someone's thoughts but i found it an incredible help when thinking about sharing my faith especially as I often find it difficult talking about jesus to non believers who might well want to have their own living relationship with the Lord.
Please let me know your thoughts to add love to get some advice on this . Thank you.
What would you imagine, what comes to mind, if I were to tell you that I spent today preaching?
These passages look similar but are different. Mark 16:15 says preach. Preach means communicate. Make it understandable, make it clear. Ask questions. Get clarification. Build bridges in your communication...seek out culturally sensitive ways to enter into conversation and bring the gospel. There’s no virtue in being ‘right’ and alienating people from the Kingdom of God. Seek to have integrity with your communication (don’t lie or trick), but seek God’s wisdom in the way you communicate. Rarely do you win people into the Kingdom through theological arguments. Know your audience. This relates to the apostolic calling in missions.
Keys to reaching the lost/preaching the gospel:
Listen to God
Ask questions and listen to the person you’re speaking to.
Be sensitive, allow the spirit to move and speak into the situation.
For example: When people say they don’t believe in God, ask them to describe the god they don’t believe in.
Go is a command. It is outward focused.
Ref. Celtic church in Ireland. Small buildings just used for storage of precious documents. The congregation and the pulpit and alter were outside.
The church is the only institution that is created to serve non-members.
We have a commission to communicate the message of the gospel to every person. This is do-able in every generation. We have failed to fulfil his calling.
→ Reaching the masses. A message for everyone. Monogenerational (has to happen in one generation (those alive at this time)). Has to be done with great urgency.
Matthew 28:18-20
Matthew 28:18-20 says disciple, not preach. Disciple is a verb in this context. “To shape, form, change, mould, transform.” Imagine a blacksmith moulding metal under great heat.
Much longer process than preaching. Takes a lifetime to be effective.
→ The command is to disciple every nation. Corporate. Going deep. Multigenerational (takes place over several generations, as a nation spans more than one generation). It’s strategic.
Day 3
Leadership. Leaders should be “blameless” - Titus 1 explains how.
God says ‘no’ and he says ‘yes’. Allow him to do both and trust him. Believe in his character and nature when the ‘no’ doesn’t make sense. The first thing that God highlights yes is to hospitality.
Hospitality = welcome/love the stranger in your midst. This applies especially to those who are different to you.
We need to work in our different giftings. When we ‘flow’ in our giftings, we won’t necessarily appreciate it, because it is so natural for us to do.
God has multi-generational purposes. Most organisations don’t survive beyond the third generation because of the disobedience of the second generation. There is a mandate on the second generation to be sacrificial (not being ‘known’ or famous). Being obedient to investing the clear values and foundations as laid out by the first generation and passing it on faithfully to the third generation, teaching them the things of the foundation.
Loren & Darlene – ‘Abraham/first Generation’
David Hamilton et al – ‘Isaac/second Generation’
Slingshot – ‘Jacob/third generation’
There are lots of apostles around but they haven’t built anything. It’s the building of the team and ministry that gives something its apostolic calling, where the apostle passes his calling/giftings on to the corporate.
“We have not achieved the great commission because we haven’t aimed high enough. I would suggest we set a 6 year goal → aim to reach the entire world. Repeat the next 6 years. Repeat the next 6 years.”
Reasons:
3 x 6 = 18, therefore we can reach a generation over 18 years
It takes average of three times of presenting the gospel for someone to respond.
To make this happen, we need to be more purposeful, bolder, more intentional. It is do-able.
376 non believers, for every Christian on earth in John’s time
Now: 5 non believers, for every Christian on earth.
It is a great time to be positioned to bring the gospel to this generation. That is why God is raising up a Jacob generation.
Christian Magna Carta. Important to know and learn. Know that it came with God and Loren in partnership. Intentionally not included finances – money is just a tool, it doesn’t bring fulfilment in and of itself.
). These notes are a bit scattered and following the trail of someone's thoughts but i found it an incredible help when thinking about sharing my faith especially as I often find it difficult talking about jesus to non believers who might well want to have their own living relationship with the Lord.
Please let me know your thoughts to add love to get some advice on this . Thank you.
What would you imagine, what comes to mind, if I were to tell you that I spent today preaching?
These passages look similar but are different. Mark 16:15 says preach. Preach means communicate. Make it understandable, make it clear. Ask questions. Get clarification. Build bridges in your communication...seek out culturally sensitive ways to enter into conversation and bring the gospel. There’s no virtue in being ‘right’ and alienating people from the Kingdom of God. Seek to have integrity with your communication (don’t lie or trick), but seek God’s wisdom in the way you communicate. Rarely do you win people into the Kingdom through theological arguments. Know your audience. This relates to the apostolic calling in missions.
Keys to reaching the lost/preaching the gospel:
Listen to God
Ask questions and listen to the person you’re speaking to.
Be sensitive, allow the spirit to move and speak into the situation.
For example: When people say they don’t believe in God, ask them to describe the god they don’t believe in.
Go is a command. It is outward focused.
Ref. Celtic church in Ireland. Small buildings just used for storage of precious documents. The congregation and the pulpit and alter were outside.
The church is the only institution that is created to serve non-members.
We have a commission to communicate the message of the gospel to every person. This is do-able in every generation. We have failed to fulfil his calling.
→ Reaching the masses. A message for everyone. Monogenerational (has to happen in one generation (those alive at this time)). Has to be done with great urgency.
Matthew 28:18-20
Matthew 28:18-20 says disciple, not preach. Disciple is a verb in this context. “To shape, form, change, mould, transform.” Imagine a blacksmith moulding metal under great heat.
Much longer process than preaching. Takes a lifetime to be effective.
→ The command is to disciple every nation. Corporate. Going deep. Multigenerational (takes place over several generations, as a nation spans more than one generation). It’s strategic.
Day 3
Leadership. Leaders should be “blameless” - Titus 1 explains how.
God says ‘no’ and he says ‘yes’. Allow him to do both and trust him. Believe in his character and nature when the ‘no’ doesn’t make sense. The first thing that God highlights yes is to hospitality.
Hospitality = welcome/love the stranger in your midst. This applies especially to those who are different to you.
We need to work in our different giftings. When we ‘flow’ in our giftings, we won’t necessarily appreciate it, because it is so natural for us to do.
God has multi-generational purposes. Most organisations don’t survive beyond the third generation because of the disobedience of the second generation. There is a mandate on the second generation to be sacrificial (not being ‘known’ or famous). Being obedient to investing the clear values and foundations as laid out by the first generation and passing it on faithfully to the third generation, teaching them the things of the foundation.
Loren & Darlene – ‘Abraham/first Generation’
David Hamilton et al – ‘Isaac/second Generation’
Slingshot – ‘Jacob/third generation’
There are lots of apostles around but they haven’t built anything. It’s the building of the team and ministry that gives something its apostolic calling, where the apostle passes his calling/giftings on to the corporate.
“We have not achieved the great commission because we haven’t aimed high enough. I would suggest we set a 6 year goal → aim to reach the entire world. Repeat the next 6 years. Repeat the next 6 years.”
Reasons:
3 x 6 = 18, therefore we can reach a generation over 18 years
It takes average of three times of presenting the gospel for someone to respond.
To make this happen, we need to be more purposeful, bolder, more intentional. It is do-able.
376 non believers, for every Christian on earth in John’s time
Now: 5 non believers, for every Christian on earth.
It is a great time to be positioned to bring the gospel to this generation. That is why God is raising up a Jacob generation.
Christian Magna Carta. Important to know and learn. Know that it came with God and Loren in partnership. Intentionally not included finances – money is just a tool, it doesn’t bring fulfilment in and of itself.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Waiting on the Lord

God has given me immense guidance this year. Much of it has been a sense of peace, assurance and hope, as I wait on him.

As we come to the end of 2013, it's great to reflect on what God has been doing among us and how things have developed this year. Though it's been a busy year, much of it has been spent on my knees, before God, asking him what next. He's been pretty quiet on what I need to do to take steps forward in the ministry. However, the big words he has said to me are: "Trust me, wait on me...". In the time when my team has been decimated due to finances and other logistical problems, much of my time is spent alone, just seeking God and doing small steps towards the things he guides me to do. I know that there is a massive undertaking to be done on this continent if I am to complete the task I believe he has given me to do. However, I'm assured by Him that rushing ahead without first seeking Him and waiting on Him would be fruitless!

So it's a time to carry on with the everyday: paying the bills, taking small steps forward and daily bowing my knees before Him in adoration, thanks and praise; pleas for guidance and putting everything that I am doing today in His hands.

Thank you Lord for a blessed 2013. May You guide me into 2014.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Saying Goodbye to Madiba


It's strange being in a country when you're the foreigner at the best of times. But it's especially strange when the country, as a whole, is going through something very significant.

We arrived from a three month trip to the UK and within a week, Nelson Mandela had died. Though it was long anticipated, the nation went into a measured state of shock as they came to terms with the passing of such an influential and loved figure of this nation. Madiba, as he's affectionately known, is widely loved and, many say, is the reason that peace remained with no uprising or bloodshed following the fall of Apartheid nearly 20 years ago.

At YWAM, our leader has encouraged us - whatever country we come from - to be in touch with the state of the nation and be respectful of those around us who are mourning at this time. We, as a family, have chosen during the commemorative activities to hold back from parties or celebrations, to show respect to those around us. We have also spent time reading the local newspapers and watching the events on TV so that we can 'tune in' to what is being said about this great father-figure, so loved by the South African people.

We went down to the V&A Waterfront last week to pay respects at one of the many posts available to do so. There were many queueing to sign the book of remembrance and laying flowers at his statue which stands next to other Nobel Peace prize winners, Albert Luthuli, former president of the African National Congress, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the last president of the old South Africa FW de Klerk. It was a sober occasion with many just taking a moment of quiet by his statue to respectfully say good-bye to Tata Madiba.

It is in this light that we have chosen not to enter into discussions on the web and elsewhere about Madiba's salvation, or political activities or anything controversial. Rather, being sensitive to the state of this sometimes fragile nation, pay our own respects to Nelson Mandela. He was, in so many ways, a great man. And though I won't attempt to analyse his own personal faith, I will say one thing: the fruit of what he has achieved, though diligence, discipline, a good work ethic, a listening hear, humility and forgiveness is something that should be greatly admired, and sought after. We have a lot to thank God for, that this man has achieved and we mourn his loss with the beautiful nation of South Africa.

Thursday 12 December 2013

Jesus take the wheel

We were discussing this morning in the office about what it means to fully submit to Jesus. We were observing how, in many cases, we have seen people fully embrace the Christian life and become famous as they go Holy Spirit 'crazy', but quickly stumble in their personal life through affairs, embezzling funds and other sinful activities in secret.

Giving up your will for his is not about willfully losing control or letting God do everything for us. It's just a simple re-allignment in our mental process to say: I am no longer submitting to my own authority, but to his. I must still walk on this earth and engage with the world as I see it, but I no longer allow it, or my own will, to determine what I do and how I do it.

The great piece of advise someone once gave to me when I am tempted by sinful thoughts, is to say: "I have permisson from my father not to do this act." Suddenly the thoughts and feeling dim down and I am able to think clearly again. That is willful submission to the authority that is my Father in Heaven.

In Carrie Underwood's song, Jesus Take The Wheel, she shows a wonderful abandonment to Jesus at the moment when it's vital to do it. She recognises that, a submission to God means that once she had hit back ice and the car was spinning out of control, and she needed a supernatural intervention, she knew that He was there to step in. There are times when we desperately need the Holy Spirit to act on our behalf, other times we just choose to submit to His wisdom and then act on that, submitting our minds, hearts and thoughts and will to His.

We still need to drive the car, though!

Tuesday 10 December 2013

Daring to dream big

Dreaming big. What is that?
Noah trusted God

In our humdrum everyday lives (yes, even us in so-called 'missions' have those too), it's very easy to get caught in the mundane and lose track of what we are called to.

Today, in the staff meeting, the leader, Hans, encouraged us to remember (and ask God to help us remember) the great things that we should be thankful for this year. This was hard for many, who felt the negatives of the year so easily come to mind!

Yet, remembering is an important part of the Christian walk. God answers prayers daily, but we forget and still hold onto areas where we feel that He has been absent. Remembering the good things God has done for us helps us to have perspective on the present and have hope for the future.

There is a certain higher calling that we have when we know Jesus. It's not to (in our own strength) bring him into our workplaces, home lives, schools and social activities. He's not an 'add-on' or an extra app that we simply download daily and live towards. No, it's a radical calling to give up everything to follow him. It's turning our world upside down and saying, I am no longer my own, but His. This is a radical transforming of our very being from living for ourselves, to living for Christ. If we recognise this Sonship and the authority that it carries, then we will soon recognise the need to lay ourselves down, yes, even our own hopes and dreams, and drop everything to follow him, just as He did for us through the cross.

This, as we saw from the encounters with the first disciples, is a process. A process that we must be willing to go through, if we are to see communities around us transformed by His love; if we are to experience and know the inheritance for which He promises us.

God is calling me to dream big right now. To allow Him to speak into my life in a whole new way. The reality of what I see around me, does not match what He has promised. My job seems impossible - to connect missionaries across the continent to fulfil their calling. I'm not African, I cannot speak any African languages. There are many many other factors which I could list which say: I am not qualified or able to complete this job. However, I am willing to dream big and trust the His goodness, mercy and will are good and I can trust Him. I'm learning how to lay everything down for the sake of following him. But it starts by trusting the one who asks me to lay everything down: Jesus.

Do you trust Him enough to do this? I, myself, am a work in progress! It's a brave new world!

Monday 9 December 2013

Back in Muizenberg

We've just returned from a trip to Europe (UK, Germany and Holland) to see supporters, friends and family. It was a busy trip which, any missionary will know, was far from a 'holiday'. It doesn't stop people from asking when (albeit exhausted) you return to the place of ministry (for us, South Africa) and people ask "Did you have a nice holiday?".

Nonetheless, we're back and ready to get going. I return to an office where the internet has dropped down to a crawl, the telephone doesn't work and there is a massive pile of messages/post/paperwork to go through. It looks like my work is cut out for me from now until Christmas just catching up on what I missed, paying bills, replying to emails and generally sorting stuff out! Here I am, pulling a selfie at the computer whilst writing this blog post!





Monday 9 September 2013

Caring for missionaries

Did you know?
Many of God's people live with HIV/AIDS
Many of God's people suffer depression and suicidal thoughts
Many of God's people feel isolation and loneliness
There are God-fearing people in desperate need all over the world.
God's people suffer.

A harsh truth, hey!? We don't like to hear that on a bright Sunday morning from the pulpit. We especially don't want to know that the missionaries - the people who travel the world dedicated to preaching the gospel - are affected by these things.

The truth is, they are.

Missionary care is all about recognising that there are difficulties, issues and problems that can and do occur within the mission field. In fact up to 50 percent of those who venture into missions come back before the time that they have originally pledged to serve. They get burnt-out, exhausted, frustrated and disillusioned.

We are currently on the second part of a missionary care foundation course which will equip us to help ourselves and others to be aware of the dangers that we face in missions and look to support one other in handling the difficulties that life throws at us. In AfriCom we look to equip missionaries with what they need to communicate what they're doing to others. However, a lot of what hinders them is connected to circumstances and difficulties they're facing.

I'm hoping that the tools this course is equipping me with, will help me to fulfil what God is calling me to do in AfriCom. Please pray with me in this.


Thursday 4 April 2013

Podcasting


You might think with the advent of YouTube and other such media that radio and podcasting are soon to be a thing of the past. However, the trend internationally (and especially in Africa) is still that audio dominates.

YWAM is entering into a new season of podcasting. The global YWAM Podcast is awesome, thanks Bill for your hard work on this. If you haven't already, please take a look – follow the link and listen to the latest podcast. It really helps us see how God is moving continuously in the nations. Also, this is great if you're an intercessor and value an update on which to focus your prayers.

Now, YWAM AfriCom is entering into the game with ywamafricapodcast.org. It is still to be launched and will be spear-headed by our latest addition to the team, Stefan Hall. Please keep AfriCom in your prayers as this will be a big undertaking for us, contacting friends across the continent to get their updates and share the news internationally.

Collaboration is the name of the game, encouraging all within YWAM to share their knowledge, share their news, update each other and build mechanisms for good flow of information. May God continue to guide us as we do this.


Wednesday 3 April 2013

A new season for Africa

Yesterday I watched a TED Talk on ending acute global poverty given by Bono known as the Good News on Poverty. The talk was very inspirational and showed that if we all worked together, fought for just laws and preferred our neighbour over ourselves, we could end global poverty by 2028.

Exciting, hey!?

I have great hope for Africa. I see a generation of unsatisfied Africans being raised up to bring about a change that will rock the world. Just this morning received an email from a Rwandan friend of mine where he talks of his own journey with God.

In it, he said:
Telling and explaining the truth, it seems, requires God's own tutorship and investing much time in learning all that the Lord brings before you:-) I thank the Lord for great opportunities not only for having knowledgeable instructors but also for the grace of learning new things.

All this makes me turn my eyes to my beautiful country, Rwanda--with all her vast needs, not only physical but, even much more, spiritual. There's no poverty so dire as spiritual, so much so that when it's met by the Lord the poor are deemed rich in his estimation, no matter how materially poor they may be. The example is the words addressed by the Lord to the Church of Smyrna: ... I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan (Rev. 2:8-9 NIV).  

Rwanda, too, has vast needs, that is, in a total sense, encompassing physical and spiritual. I believe the Lord has ordained that i should be one of the people whom He shall use to meet some of the needs. That's why He has brought me to South Africa, as it were in a wilderness, to learn His Word and different ways to minister it. He keeps me in school because, i suppose, spiritual needs will grow worse and worse; whereas for the saved, there's a dire need for growth which is brought about not by mere length of time but by proper feeding from the Dish of Christ. Without this we can expect degeneration at every turn. Therefore, brothers and sisters, pray for us, that the Lord, having committed this ministry to us, the earthen vessels, may form us accordingly, and that we may in the end not prove to be stubborn but obedient.

The fact that I'm British living in Africa doesn't mean that I have the solutions. I do not have a saviour mentality or rescuing complex. Far from it. What we have is a faith in the God who created this beautiful planet and a willingness to serve Him wherever He sends us. This perspective means that when we enter a new place and meet new people, we ask God for what He wants us to do and allow Him to move us, challenge us and use us affect positive change for those around us.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Matthew complete

I have just finished reading Matthew. What an awesome gospel. I love this book. If I can recommend anything, it's reading big chunks of text – even whole books – at one sitting. Matthew was too much for me, but I managed it in three sittings (I'm a slow reader, with a 2 year old kid!). The Jesus represented here is so different from the one I hear about often in the media and at church. He's radical, daring, bold and courageous. He's compassionate and kind. He does not suffer fools and applies great wisdom.

I really had to wrestle with some of the text, especially when it came to the place of the chosen people of God. I knew the importance of Israel in God's eyes, but I really didn't appreciate it until I read this gospel. Jesus strongly, passionately, walked in obedience to what his calling was that people often took it as insolence and arrogance. He knew who his Father was and He unashamedly carried out His Father's business.

I know the Bible wasn't written to me, or for me, but the inspired Word of God to reveal His character and His purpose. And if you allow the Bible to speak to you, and change you in your thinking, it has the power to transform. Reading the Bible in this way is uncomfortable and can be irritating – challenging us to our very core.

Reading Matthew, I began to get revelation that demons also worship Jesus; that proclaiming and confessing his name is not enough; that God calls us into something so much higher and more important. It starts with worship and then moves on to simple, child-like obedience.

It's so wonderful to get to know the God of the Bible: His passions, His purpose and His calling. He's the one I will follow. However, I may get very broken along the way!

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Out of the mouths of babes


I'm still working on reading my Bible. I'm only up to Matthew 17. I'll let you know how I get on later today...

Meantime, I've been debating whether to use English terms with Joshua or American. Where we live is quite British in its history and way of working, but the YWAM campus has a lot of Americans. I therefore want our son to have a grasp of both American terms and British so that he doesn't feel alienated when a babysitter says: "let's change your diaper".

This morning, walking to creche with him, it was rush hour, with lots of traffic, he pointed and said, "lorry", I said, "yes, well done, that's right". I then said, "it's also called a truck..." to which he said, "kuk, kuk" (not being able to pronounce the 'tr' sound yet). However, it sounded a lot like 'kok', which, when said out loud appeared that he was swearing!

So when I walk into creche, his first words to the teacher was: "Daddy saw a kok".

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Jesus is radical

Just read Matthew 6-14 and I'm learning more about the character of Jesus from Matthew's account. He's such a bold, courageous, daring, fearless leader. He took no nonsense, he had huge humility and compassion, yet was not a people-pleaser. This is the leader I want to follow.

I'm reading the Bible in a new way this year: whole books at a time. Matthew is a bit more challenging because of its length and the amount in it. I'm finding myself stopping and imagining in the character of Jesus and how he was received when he walked the earth.

Sermons are good and necessary in every Christian's walk, but if we're not reading the Bible regularly and allowing it to challenge us directly, we can end up following some crackpot ideas created by fallible humans.

The part of seeds and the separation of the good from the bad on judgment day filled me with an awesome fear of God whilst reading it and my heart skipped a beat as I realised in a new way how real God's authority, power and judgment is.

May God continue to guide all of us who are serving Him to protect ourselves from the snare of the enemy. Help us Lord to know you, be obedient to your call and to keep ourselves pure and Holy in Your sight. Amen.

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Trying again

I thank God that my journey with him is so full of grace and mercy. When I have failed in my work God is giving me a second chance. Where I have failed at spending time in prayer, intercession and quiet times, God is giving me a second chance. Where I have failed to read the Bible, God is giving me a second chance.

I recognise my skills and abilities, but often overlook my failings. Having done StrengthsFinder as a team, we can clearly see our gaps in our skills and I have been praying for a few weeks now for God to help me staff my weak areas in my ministry. However, God has been guiding me to a different thought: allow Him to work in areas that we cannot; allow Him to get the glory. Just as when we don't have the finances (more often than is comfortable - great tips, by the way on the YWAMKB on how to fundraise), when we don't have the skills, God is the one who can give us the tools to get the job done. So, personally, I am really trusting Him now to bridge the gap of skills that we currently have on the team, and if that's supernatural provision, then so be it!

Part of my recent lack of discipline is not having regular fellowship and bible study outside of the Sunday church service. This has happened because of having a two year old who needs to be in bed at the time when most groups meet. However, right now, my wife and I are trying out a new home group which fits better with our current circumstance (it meets in the afternoons and includes childcare). The topic this week is grace and the power that it has to spur us into action. Rather than grace being a reason to give up, quite the opposite is true: grace is the very thing that should kick us into action. Under God's grace we will be effective, productive and worthwhile citizens of this earth - pleasing to Him who made us. It gives us a purpose, a place and a reason to keep going when times are tough.

At church we are going through the gospels and just seeing if we can learn more about the nature and character of God through what the gospel writers present. The new rector of our church encouraged us this week to read through the book of Matthew. For those of you who've been following my blog for a while, you will know that last year I tried and failed to read through the entire Bible in a year. This year, I am trying a new tack which has so far been met with moderate success: read through entire books at a time. The Bible I use has a table of the books with the estimated time it takes to read through. It's surprising how many books can be read in less than an hour. Matthew is a bit longer at 2.5 hours, so it's probably not one sitting! Yet totally do-able in a week.

This morning I started and read the first five chapters. Tonight I plan to read five more. I'll let you know how I get on!

So far this year I have read Hebrews, 1 Kings, James, Malachi, Ruth and Esther. As I read, I'm asking God to transform me by its content. Watch this space to see what happens!

Thank you God that when I failed to read your Bible last year, you gave me another chance this year, with a different way of doing it. Amen

Tuesday 19 February 2013

What is a luxury?

Just read a thought provoking blog post from Pubol's Post on Cultural Economics - basically how it's not easy to compare the cost of living from one country to another, because of so many variable factors. Where one thing might be cheap in one place, other things may be more expensive in another.

Living abroad, but getting funding from home means that you continuously have to work out exchange rates and compare prices of what is available to what you can afford. What might seem like an unnecessary luxury for some, may well be essential for another. For us, the debate is often about healthcare. Coming from the UK, health expenses were never really a big discussion and certainly not something that would need budgeting. Yet, living in South Africa, where healthcare is insurance-based and expensive, you can find yourself having to pay a significant portion of your budget on sickness prevention. I know for some missionaries, working in difficult situations, security is one of the big expenses. Many have to have private security guards and insurances - an expense which can prove very costly, yet completely unnecessary in the UK (and therefore often not easily understood).

From this must come a certain measure of trust from the supporters who keep us here. When we pay out a significant sum for something, we have to ask our supporters to trust us that this item is important/necessary for our continued work here. That, in itself, is a step of faith on their part.

Right now, I'm fixing my car. If this was in the UK and I had a car which was 15 years old, with over 260,000km (c.160,000 miles) on the clock with the engine that needed a whole overhaul, the cost comparison to getting it done compared to scrapping the car and buying a new one would be laughable. It would be considerably more expensive to fix than to replace. Yet, here, to fix the car will cost a fraction of what it would cost to replace. The reason? There's a flat second hand car market, making used cars really expensive. Therefore, even if it's expensive to get the car fixed, it's still worth doing, even if it is an old car!

We all look at financial decisions based on our own culture and experience. The more you travel, the more you realise that these decisions are different in every place and not always easy to make. The missionary is always in a difficult place, because they face criticism from local people on searching out 'unnecessary luxuries' that the missionary is missing from home, and spends a 'fortune' buying, whilst facing the need to defend actual necessities that those back home think are an 'unnecessary luxury'. Therefore, part of our job when we budget is to explain clearly the importance of spending extra on the 'unusual' things and why they are important to budget for. And never underestimate the importance of local knowledge!

Thursday 14 February 2013

Learning to wiki


As I gradually learn that, as a team, we can work stronger than any of our individual contributions, I'm also seeing that the same can be applied to the mission movement – that is, YWAM – as a whole.

YWAM Knowledge Base
Today I've been learning how to write 'wiki'. It's all in an effort to build a connectedness in Africa without 'doing everything' for the people we're trying to reach out to. With the advent of social networking and wiki sites, it is now perfectly possible for the masses to be literally in control of web content. Rather than just having a central office which updates and maintains the information about YWAM, we are now entering a season where any and every location which calls itself YWAM can update not only about themselves, but also about history, books, learning experiences, people groups, health care, biblical worldview etc. In fact, anything that would be useful for others to know about is now shared - or available to be updated through the YWAM Knowledge Base.

YWAM KB, as we refer to it, is a wiki website which, once registered, can be accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world. The principle behind it is: we all have things to share and here's a platform with which to do it. Things (techniques, experiences, knowledge) change over time and to have one office that is responsible for keeping up with all that is YWAM would be impossible. AfriCom champions some great stories on our website, but we are so pleased to be working on a project that hands the responsibility and ownership back into the hands of those working at the grassroots.

Writing in Wiki takes a bit of learning (hence my lessons, with my trusted friend and AfriCom staff member, Arnoud). However, when you've got the hang of it, you can share with the world some of the expertise that you know that someone else may benefit from.

As a movement, we are made up of many organisations from very different backgrounds and different giftings. It's really exciting that a tool like this can be used to pool our knowledge and resources together. It's right to the very heart of AfriCom's vision and mission.

Friday 1 February 2013

Our heroes are also human

It is wrong to idolise, but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater!

It is human nature to idolise - God knew that, and he told us not to do it! Yet there needs to be a balance between idolising the people we admire and showing them the respect they deserve. Though others are not above us (humans are all made equal), we can have a healthy respect for those who have gone before us and done many great things. Many have sacrificed their own wants and desires to serve God in amazing, life giving way. Yet we are not called to worship or idolise these people.

The reason I write this is because I am prone to idol worship in this way. As I stand in their presence, I find myself urging towards worshipping them. A colleague once teased me about this, suggesting that I admired our heroes a bit too much, going glassy eyed and tongue-tied in their presence! Many talk of Loren Cunningham in this way, though I have yet to meet him in person, so haven't had the opportunity to go all weak kneed! Yet not idolising our heroes doesn't mean that we don't hold them in respect and see what they have achieved in life and the anointing that such obedience (often sacrificially) carries. There is an anointing on those who serve Christ in the mission field and yet so often we focus on what they do not who they are. We idolise their obedience and sacrificial service, rather than the God who made them. This leads to an expectation that when they come to a natural turning point of handing over the work that they're doing, they become 'redundant' in the minds of the world. Yet, the anointing does not go from them, if they continue to walk in obedience with what they carry (i.e. by stopping 'works', they do not become passive in their walk with God).

Right now I'm sitting with members of the Africa leadership team for Youth With A Mission. If you look at what they have achieved in their time serving with YWAM (pioneering, maintaining, building, relating) there are many books that could be written. Just the longevity that they carry is so inspiring.

I hope and pray that these heroes of our faith will continue to be long after they complete the projects that they are doing. That way, the new, younger leaders and pioneers can have a stable foundation on which to build the next season of YWAM's work in Africa. The next generation, if they understand the anointing carried by the previous generation, will lean into them and look to see how they display Christ-likeness, giving stability and wisdom. Good leaders don't step down, they step aside, maintaining a presence and a love for what God has called them to do; they stand at the sidelines, cheering others on to achieve higher and better than they did. They coach, love and support; they bless and cherish.

But if they 'disappear' back to their home countries (like has happened many times before), without maintaining contact and good communication, the orphan spirit which exists across YWAM in Africa will be  perpetuated over and over again.

I admire these leaders and they have my vote to stay here, supported by us - the next generation - and being the stability for us to continue to press on towards the higher goal. (Phil. 3:14)

Friday 25 January 2013

On the journey

Getting the balance right between striving towards that higher goal, whilst recognising that we are far from it and have a job to do now in our current state and abilities is a difficult one. Coming towards the end of 2012, I felt that 2013 would be a year for action and I'm not wrong. I have spent the past few weeks reflecting on who I am and where I'm at. Then, this week, suddenly, it's time to put into action all that I know will help me and my team serve him better this year. Taking the lead from the Book of James (faith without deeds is dead), I'm saying that, not only do I trust God that I am supposed to be here and to do what I'm doing during this season, but I'm going to embrace it with my whole heart, even if it hurts. So, while I read a very interesting post from Paula Cummings' blog on her reflection on a time to stop/give up, for me, it's a time to plough on into the work that I've been tasked with doing. I now know my strengths (thanks Holger for your amazing training), which also means that I'm more acutely aware of my weaknesses, yet I have the opportunity to do something about that, rather than pretend that I am the "super boss" who can achieve anything and everything.

I'm challenging my team this week to be on the journey with me. Walk with me, partner with me to support my skills (my strengths) and support me in my weaknesses. Being on the journey, it's a time for boundaries, deadlines and specifics for now. The future, though I love to discuss possibilities of where we can be, can wait for tomorrow.

Friday 18 January 2013

Making life more meaningful

After discovering a person's name, what is the first thing that you ask them? "What do you do?", right? And when we ask that question, what we are really asking is: what are you paid to do? What do you complete during the hours of 9-5 Monday-Friday.

Which leads the conversation to describing each other in terms of the current job that we do. We are so accustomed to labelling ourselves in these terms that it comes to define us and who we are.

Jesus, during his ministry on earth, continuously attacked such paradigms, whether that's him renaming Simon, Peter, to give him a greater purpose in life, or asking the disciples "who do you say I am?".

Yet to step away from this cultural norm takes away a comfort in social etiquette. If we are to define ourselves by who we are rather than what we do, then we're going to have to develop a whole new way of talking to one another. For example, here's a typical conversation on two new people meeting:

- Hi, my name is Brian.
- Hi, Brian, I'm John.
- What do you do, Brian?
- I'm a builder.
- That's interesting. What kind of projects have you been working on recently?
- I just finished a house down by the river. It's a great source of pride for me actually.....(and the conversation goes on, and flows neatly back to Peter's job and how they might be related/interesting anecdotes etc).

Take that social norm away and replace it with a deeper understanding of who are are and we have something a little more awkward:

- Hi, my name is Brian.
- Hi Brian, I'm John.
- Who are you, Brian?
- I'm sorry!? What do you mean, John?
- I mean, what is your calling in life? What were you put on earth to do/be?
[awkward silence]
- A builder, I suppose. How about you?
[John, who's thought about it, replies confidently:]
- I'm a command achiever. I see a problem and I fix it, no matter who's in my way.
[Brian, getting a bit scared, starts to back away and make his excuses to leave]
- Anyway, nice to meet you, John. Must go.

So, how do we step into a zone where we are heading towards a meaningful, fruitful life, without alienating ourselves from cultural practices and norms?

For me, as I'm processing this, I think – to a certain extent – our everyday job does define us for others (at least for the first meeting). It usually is connected to our greater life purpose and goals and if it's not, at least it gives us a way in to discuss further dreams, ambitions, goals. This week I heard someone give a good explanation of this:

Know your calling/life purpose. Have a good idea of the career that fits into and then let the decisions you make in your current job lead you towards fulfilling that purpose. When someone asks 'what do you do', tell them first who you are, what that means and then what exactly you're doing right now to achieve that goal.
Grace Samson-Song (paraphrased)

So, let's re-visit that conversation again and apply this principle:


- Hi, my name is Brian.
- Hi Brian, I'm John.
- What do you do right now as a job, Brian?
- Right now, I'm a builder. What do you do?
- I'm an IT guy for a paper supply company. I enjoy it, because if see a problem, I can usually fix it, no matter what is the obstacle to overcome. There's something in me that I know I was designed to tackle problems.
- I can imagine that is a useful skill to have.
- Yes, and it's applicable in so many circumstances. How about you, what interests you in building?
- Making things has always interested me, in fact I designed all the houses I have built.

The key part, is then how we define others, based on this principle.

Old way:
Today I met Brian. He's a builder. We don't have much in common as I'm an IT geek, but he's a nice guy. 

Here, not only have I limited Brian to just being a builder, but also limited myself to geek status.

Alternative:
Today I met Brian. He has a real gift for design and he's using it right now in his job as a builder - designing the houses that he builds. I can see how his skills for visualising the end product could compliment my skills in problem solving along the way. We had a great chat. 

Both Brian and John sound like much more interesting people in the alternative scenario.

By limiting ourselves and, more importantly, to definitions of job title, we become a very dull society indeed. Because God created each one of us unique, with gifts, abilities and skills, you can never know the skills of those around you until you dig a bit deeper, where you will discover absolute gems under the most mundane job titles.

Let's redefine who we define ourselves and others to be and not limit ourselves to the 'builder' or 'IT' guy that our job title says we are!

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Who has the whole picture

I love how God physically demonstrates to us how to live. The ultimate and most glorious of these demonstrations was through his Son, coming to earth and dying on the cross. But it's not just that, but every way in which he is, is the example of perfection.

Take, for example, the Holy Trinity. Although God is all seeing, all knowing, all powerful and so on... he shares the load among three beings. These three are in perfect harmony and fellowship. Each Member has the ability to work alone, but chooses to be in continuous relationship with one another. God shows us, by His very character, a perfect way of things.

If we ask ourselves, which teacher/prophet/leader has everything we need to know about God. The answer is, of course, nobody. God purposely created us so that we would need to be in fellowship to gain understanding and wisdom. Fellowship with him and fellowship with each other. The term fellowship might be old fashioned, and give you an image of 'the shire' from the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, but I prefer the term as it gives a deeper understanding of the type of relationships we are to have.

In the past, some groups have mistaken the idea of pooling our giftings to mean that we don't need a leader because 'Jesus is our leader'. This is not true and often ends in dis-unity. We do need leaders among us, who will guide us to where we're supposed to be and stand behind the body, encouraging, supporting it and continuously pointing towards Jesus and giving all glory and credit to the Maker.

This week, my wife and I are doing a course entitled PIN code. It's designed to pick out and bring out some of our unique giftings and characteristics that shape us. Just as the PIN you use to access your cash at the ATM, this code is designed to help you unlock some of the amazing things that God has created you to be.

But we're not doing it alone. We are with an intimate group, who will reveal their PIN too. This way, we will hopefully learn and see how the body of Christ can work together in fellowship with one another. If we choose to put Christ at the centre, raise up leaders from among us who will themselves put Christ at their centre, and whose purpose is to serve and bring out the giftings of those they are leading, then we will have a mighty army, strong and powerful, able to do awesome things together.

Monday 14 January 2013

Entering into Sonship

On the radio this morning, there was a song playing, with the repeating lyrics, "I refuse to replay the mistakes that yesterday I made". I heard this during the time I was taking my quiet time with God, reflecting on my past sins and failures and trying to work out how I stop myself from returning to them. I find it wonderful how God uses nature and those things around us to guide and support us sometimes.

January is often a time for action, shedding off the mistakes from last year and looking to become something better. One of my failures last year was Bible reading. I was trying a chronological 'bible-in-a-year' plan. However, I kept falling behind. I got so behind, that I gave up.

"The Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't"
Charles Spurgeon
Yet, thankfully God is a redeemer, a pursuer, a life coach, a friend.

This year, therefore, in the spirit of I refuse to replay the mistakes... I am going to pick myself back up and read through the Bible and dedicate time to doing it.

I have asked God for keys to stop myself slipping back into passivity and this is what he said: read whole books at a time. At first, this seemed daunting, as if he were raising the bar higher for me when I'd already failed to jump over the first hurdle. But, as I start, I notice that I can actually read many, if not all, of the books of the Bible in this way. In fact, it has given me a much better contextual understanding of the book. Thankfully the Bible I own has an index of timings, showing how long each book takes to read.

So far, I've read Hebrews (45 mins), Joel (15 mins), and Esther (30 mins). Today's task is Revelation.

As I read, I'm discovering some of the nature and character of God that I have been missing for so many years. God is a pursuer. He longs after a relationship with us.

As I gain a better understanding of who he is, I can better understand the world around me and have discernment for what is good and what is not; for what is right and what is wrong. Rather than searching scriptures to back up or test claims made, I find myself having a deep revelation of truth that God is injecting into me through my study times with him.

Stepping into this new season, I'm finding myself understanding what it is to be a son of the living God. I'm boldly stepping into a relationship that without the blood of Jesus, would be impossible.

And I'm loving it!