My Blogging Break: A Debrief

I’ve only posted a couple of times in the past few weeks. I’ll be back in the blogging saddle on Monday. But before I dig back in, I want to share a few things from the past few weeks.

I just spent a week in Madison, Wisconsin getting some training to plant an InterVarsity Chapter at the University of Minnesota West Bank. They’ve shelling out 30k over three years to provide training, matching grants for new fundraising, and materials for the chapter plant. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical about the quality of training. I’ve read A LOT about church planting and have been involved with two church plants. I was surprised by what they’ve come up with. They took the Covenant Church USA church planting model (which is definitely among the better ones out there) and contextualized the hell out of it. They brought 65 years of campus experience, a solid church planting model, and some serious reflection on incarnational ministry and have come up with an impressive approach to planting a campus ministry.

Their materials would actually translate nicely to any one planting a ministry or church based upon an incarnational, rather than attractional, approach. Most church planting books don’t take context into account. And what they are most interested in is planting a weekly service. Everything else is supposed to be built upon a quality weekly service that is able to gather a crowd. InterVarsity, however, encourages planters to develop a large group at the beginning of year 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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