Welcome to New Look - Finishing Fourth Book!
I hope you like the new look of the blog. I’m pumped about it. Now, I can add pictures, lots of them, from wherever I am in the World--and meetings. I like that blue map - to see who’s around. Bobby’s gonna have to teach me some stuff . . . Maybe we can get the pictures from our trip to Kenya up--we had some cool stuff there.
I haven’t been blogging because I’m writing. Give me another week and I’ll starting writing more. I’m learning a lot. Putting on paper what I’ve been observing and learning the past 24 months. I’m moving into a whole new dimension in my thinking on faith, society, church, and what God means when He says things . . . but later for that . . . I’m in the middle of my fourth book. It’s for everyone, not just preachers and church leaders. Its on how to use your job to change the world. Yesterday was a very powerful day for me. I’ve written the corpus of the book; but I began interviewing NorthWood members that are doing stuff around the world and in our community. WOW. I live here, so I get used to it. But hearing all the stories, I was filled with emotion and even tears listening to what this “community,” of which I’m a part, is doing.
I heard from young people who grew up here who are doing everything from living in the inner-city to starting global companies. I heard from teachers, businessmen--even a church planter. I’m so, so, so, so, so, very grateful God has allowed me to be a part of all this.
Saturday, I spent the day with my daughter Jill at Mission Waco. Nikki and I are so proud of her. She showed us her classroom where she teaches at-risk children, then the homeless shelter where she checks people in, then the house she lives in, then some of the other programs she’s involved in. Sunday Ben and Ashley, my son and daughter-in-law, were with us--listenning to Ben talk about how he is merging his faith and business is exciting.
This is the kind of stuff I’m going to write about. It will be more of engagement and current issues and how faith intersects and how the church responds to cultures and communities in action. That’s missional. I’m tired of books on missional, emerging, etc. It seems to be not getting us where we need to be. I’m convinced, more than ever before, we must make disciples and reinvent the church from engagement--not study groups, book reads, and conferences.
Toying with a concept of learning adventures--so many people are wanting to visit our church. We’ve slowed it down and offered the turbo conference to help - but as good as that is, when you see it, it’s different. What if people went with us and sweated with us, and read books before we went somewhere, then discussed it during the day and night--and you leave with a commitment to work somewhere? Just thinkin out loud . . .
All I know is this - the people of NorthWood are not who they are because of my great preaching and our great programs and our great worship (though it ain’t bad!) but because of individuals engaging the least and the farthest. How do we get churches and disciples to do that?
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Jun 17, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Bob, I'm excited to hear your thinking about learning adventures. I've talked with a number of pastors - several of them in the first 24 months of planting churches - who came right out and said that they don't have time or energy or resources to connect regularly with other pastors, to partner with other churches, to "go global" in any way, shape, or form. I have such mixed feelings about those young churches: I rejoice because I know people who haven't met God will now do so, but I grieve because they will miss out on so much of God's heart if they are birthed in this community-focused bubble. I've talked with pastors of churches like this that are now in their second decade and, predictably, their global impact - if any - is languishing because of the DNA injected at birth. A big part of my passion is to see young churches planted with a big vision - a vision for the world.
No, I don't think I'm a church planter; too much to learn and grow myself. But I want to build into some of these young guys that have such a fire in them, and I want to help point that fire to a vision bigger than a 20-block radius.
Jun 17, 2008 at 10:49 AM
That new book sounds awesome! When can we expect the release?
Jun 17, 2008 at 02:32 PM
Aaron it will be in 9 months. Randy - wanna help me?
Jun 18, 2008 at 07:36 AM
I love the learning adventure idea. I've been asked many times, how did I get started? Many times people want to do something but they don't know how to start.
Unfortunately, some people want to start of with the grand schemes, and God wants them to start off with little. As they are faithful in little, God starts moving toward the grand plans.
People need to see missional living if you want to call it that modeled. I think the learning adventures are a great idea. It would allow people to "start doing something" and see it happening without being overwhelmed by the idea... in addition they wouldn't be doing it alone at first. Great idea.
Jun 18, 2008 at 08:31 AM
Bob,
I too think that there should be some preparation for the attendee of one of you turbos. Although, I enjoyed it a great deal and the vision of it all. I sort of felt that there wasn't enough meat to take back home. I think if the attendee had some of the background information before hand then the vision could be better understood when the training takes place and the Q&A;would be more productive.
Personally, I am a hands on learner. So the more I can participate in the teaching, the more I will learn. Classroom type settings can tend to be dry and watered down. Jesus taught as He walked and I think this is a fabulous method that if beneficial to all students.
Jun 18, 2008 at 08:42 AM
Cindy,
Great suggestions! I'm like you, I learn more by doing, not listening (that's why I struggled so much through school... too much sitting and listening, not enough doing and participating). I agree, giving the Turbo attendees some homework beforehand is a good idea... but how many are actually going to do it? With jobs, kids, and in most cases, ministries begging for attention, this would be the thing that would have to go.
I think most people who attend a Turbo have either been reading Bob's blog for some time, read one or all of his books, or have heard him speak at another conference so they get the general idea of what he's trying to teach.
Just curious, other than the leader's guide (curriculum) that we gave all of our Turbo attendees last time, what would you suggest as "meat to go home with."
We LOVE to hear everyone's suggestions on this in order to make our Turbo's even better every time we do it!
Thanks!
Jun 18, 2008 at 10:32 AM
I agree with both points. You will have trouble getting people to do the homework. (Who pays the price for neglecting their work?) The next question would be why would you have trouble getting people to do the homework? (Poor time management, not a priority, just need to get out of the office to be refreshed, coming just to spend time with friends, etc.)
(We usually dont reap more than our expectations because we don't expect much.)
Next, who are you trying to attract to these? It would seem to me that the purpose is to find disciples who you want to bring into the program in a deeper way. I try to identify people to pull into my discipleship by watching them. If I take note that they are already following me, then I invite them into discipleship. I explain what the expectations will be and I hold them to it. If that means homework, I expect them to do it. I will meet with them to talk to them individually to make sure they are making progress and answer questions. If they don't dedicate themselves to growth then I move on to someone who is truly seeking discipleship. I don't see this venue as being any different. You are fishing and looking for those who will get into the boat and follow. Those who are serious will do the work. Those who don't understand how to follow may not get in the boat this time but they might comeback and try it again having done the homework next time.
I think you need to realize that there are 3 different crowds at this type of event. 1. The business man/woman wanting to be able to contribute 2. The church planter who whats to learn how to get connected and a strong view of what they can expect. 3. The church leader/clergy who is looking for new perspectives and ideas to refresh a tired ministry. With this in mind, you can determine if you need to cull or expand what is offered and how to offer it.
In addition, when leading a training type meeting, I feel that two things are very important. First, that the individual has the opportunity to have a visual tool to put into their toolkit which will trigger memory points for application. (Example: home church training might focus on different music worship options that can be used at home easily. View them together. Give them a resource guide to take home with a challenge to use one of them in the next 4 weeks and let us know what happened.)
Second, open discussion time. It almost never fails that we may do a lot of work and planning to fill the time but ultimately the best works come from the movement shared by individuals in different settings. When personal experiences are shared as a group on a specific topic, there is dynamic movement and transformation.
I hope that helps.
Ground well cultivated and fertilized yeilds more wheat than one that was never till or tended to before hand.
Jun 18, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Cindy,
We are, in fact, looking for people who will get in the boat, not necessarily to follow us, but to walk and sweat alongside of us. The Turbos provide a venue for us to get to know people and begin relationships. Some prove to be key in our involvement around the world, some will just take what they learn and run on their own which is great too!
Awesome feedback! Thanks!
Jun 18, 2008 at 07:53 PM
Yes, Bob, I want to help you! I just don't know how...especially from here in Portland, while I'm in seminary, working FT in financial planning world (ugh!), and with kids 5, 9, and 13...and just 2 years after having moved up here. I'm plugging into the global piece at Imago Dei - going with a team to Liberia in the fall, and I know we're trying to get things moving for RM to join you on a Vietnam trip before too long. (I'd love to go on that, too. Money, work, and school schedules all present challenges.)
For what it's worth - my wife is an interior designer at heart, just itching to get into that field. We're exploring ways to get into real estate investing and building/selling custom homes (one at a time, probably) so she can use her passions in design to earn enough money that I can go to school more and work less (temporarily), and to help fund global work. It's been a hard struggle for her over the past couple years to feel like she had to give up her dream of getting her own education (so I could go to sem), but to see her eyes light up and her passion come out as she sketches house plans, talks with a builder here...it's literally bringing tears to my eyes as I type.
I love Paul's prayer in 2 Thess 1:11-12 - "...that by [God's] power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith...so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him...."
So, Bob...bring it on, and let's see what God can do!
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