La mia rottura di Blogging: Un Debrief
Scritto da Mark Van Steenwyk: 5 luglio 2007
Ho inviato soltanto una coppia dei periodi nelle settimane ultime. Sarò indietro nella sella blogging il lunedì. Ma prima che scavi indietro dentro, desidero ripartire alcune cose dalle settimane ultime.
Ho speso appena una settimana a Madison, Wisconsin che convince un certo addestramento a piantare un capitolo di InterVarsity all'università di Riva a Ovest del Minnesota. Hanno sgranatura fuori del 30k in tre anni per fornire l'addestramento, abbinando le concessioni per la nuova raccolta di fondi ed i materiali per la pianta di capitolo. Sarò onesto, io ero scettico circa la qualità di addestramento. Ho letto MÓLTO sulla chiesa che pianto e sono stato coinvolgere con due piante della chiesa. Sono stato sorprendo da che cosa hanno fornito. Hanno preso la chiesa degli S.U.A. della chiesa del patto che piantano il modello (che è definitivamente fra quei migliori fuori là) e contextualized l'inferno da esso. Hanno portato 65 anni di esperienza della città universitaria, una chiesa solida piantanti il modello e una certa riflessione seria sul ministero di incarnational ed hanno fornito un metodo impressionante a piantare un ministero della città universitaria.
I loro materiali realmente tradurrebbero piacevolmente qualunque che piantano un ministero o una chiesa basata su un incarnational, piuttosto che al attractional, metodo. La maggior parte della chiesa che pianta i libri non prende il contesto in considerazione. E che cosa sono i più interessati dentro stanno piantando un servizio settimanale. Tutto altrimenti è supposto per essere costruito su un servizio settimanale di qualità che può riunire una folla. InterVarsity, tuttavia, consiglia alle piantatrici sviluppare un grande gruppo all'inizio dell'anno 2. After, the planter has done a lot of homework about context, the first year is spent gathering a core team of “missional Christians” on campus, doing outreach, praying, and meeting a lot of students 1:1 and in small groups.
My time with InterVarsity was very affirming. They value what I bring to the organization and affirm my perspective as a thinker and practitioner. One of the hardest things about my church planting experience has been that so many people have written me off and concluded that my approach has been too naive or foolish. It feels good to have people from InterVarsity thrilled about my approach to the campus and the neighborhood.
While I was in Madison, a couple of unexpected opportunities fell into my lap. First, I’ll be leading a point-leader session on New Monasticism at the upcoming Willow Creek Group Life Conference in September. A while back, I spoke to a group of Willow Creek interns at Bethel Seminary and one of them talked me up to Bill Donahue at Willow Creek.
Secondly, there is a scheme afoot to launch something like the Greenbelt Festival here in the states. I’ve been invited to be a part of the 12 person planning committee. The groups backing the event are serious about creating a solid event and have committed resources to make it happen. Sounds like a lot of fun, and I’m honored to be asked.
I’m excited about these opportunities…but even more than that, I feel a sense of God’s provision. Both of these things are a bit above my “pay grade.” My sense is that God wants me to focus on being faithful on the West Bank and to let him provide cool opportunities like this. After all, my efforts to get involved in lofty things have usually been a waste of energy. In prayer on the last night of the InterVarsity training, I felt like God said: “Stop looking for success. Stop trying to prove yourself. Stop trying to make things happen. Simply obey with great love. I can bring you “success” any time I want. Trust me.”
And so that is what I intend to do. I’m going to do what I know I’m supposed to do and stop fretting over how it will come about. I’m going to labor within the West Bank–on and off campus–and speak and write when opportunities arise that don’t distract too much from the priorities God has given.
for further reading . . .
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that’s all so great! congratulations! I’m totally jealous about the planning committee opportunity, I’ve been drooling over greenbelt ever since I first heard about it.
welcome back. i’m looking forward to seeing and discussing intervarsity with you later this month.
-j.
Sorry to provoke jealously, Makeesha…I hope that we’ll come up with something good.
John, I’m looking forward to your visit. Do you think your future includes InterVarsity?
Mark,
Perhaps you’ve heard this from me before, but one of my great epiphanies in life came when I was completely stalled and frustrated in what I wanted to do for God. In one of those great but rare revelatory moments God spoke clearly to me and said: “Stop worrying about what you’re going to do for me and start focusing on who I want you to be.” I decided then that I was going to focus all my efforts on just being a disciple of Jesus and soon after that “success” in ministry followed.
I hope that you will hold tight to what God said to you that night and it will be a definitive bookmark in your story.