Reflections on this week

Now that I've had a couple of nights following the meetings in Anchorage, here are a few of my reflective thoughts:

On Soul-Winning

I agree wholeheartedly with the major premise of Bob Folkenberg's ShareHim initiative. What is the major premise? As I understand it, it is that every church member should be active participants in the gospel work. Even when I was at Tualatin, that was my vision of what all churches ought to be.

The misgivings I have are in regards to the processes and methods. Maybe I'm too cynical and skeptical... Maybe I've worked in teams and with projects too many times... And maybe I shouldn't be projecting my experience in software development processes and projects to spiritual processes and projects... But I think my experience in the software world is quite relevant to the spiritual.

I just don't believe in a one-process-fits-all world. I don't believe in (an anti-pattern, using a software development process term) silver bullets. I believe that all processes need to be tailored and customized to the environment and circumstances in which the processes will be applied. So when the call is to take the process and methods that were presented and apply them directly into every context, I hear loud alarm bells ringing inside of me.

So what does this mean for me? I believe I need to firmly resist attempts to push cookie-cutter processes and methods. I need to take the principles and derive tailred processes and methods that have the best chances of success in my local context. It may end up looking very different from what was presented, and I need to make a case showing why this is better.

On Enthusiasm

There were a couple of workers at the meeting, only shortly removed from their conversion experience. I envy the enthusiasm they have. Have my years of growing up and living in the church made me too cynical of some things that go on? Have I become too comfortable? Could I, should I, be doing more?

On Confidence

In these meetings, I was surrounded by most who have had formal theology training, and many who have done post-graduate work at the seminary. I felt wholly inadequate for the work I've chosen to take on.

The comfort I take is that I believe that when God calls, God also equips; that God's strength and grace work best in my weaknesses; that the first generation of the Christian church was built up by mostly those who were unlearned through formal schooling but had been trained by Jesus himself in his school of daily experiences.

So although I have no confidence in myself as to accomplishing the task that I believe God has called me to do, I have confidence that God will not let me down. This is the one and only thing that keeps me going day after day. Whatever natural gifts and abilities I have, when I place them in God's hands, he is able to use them to work out his plan in my life and in the life of others that I touch.

Both right before leaving for the meetings this week, and during it, the work I've been doing has been affirmed by a number of individuals. I'm grateful for these affirmations. They strengthen the tiny faith that I have, and they give me the courage and confidence I need to take the next few steps into the unknown.