I'm Back

Wow, the Christmas holy days along with family gatherings sure ate into my blog time. Our son Tim and his wife Shelley are getting ready for a new baby due on Valentine's Day so we have been happily busy. There is nothing like grand kids.

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Since I have not been on the road quit as much this fall I have been able to work with lots of pastors, elders and their families. This is my first love for a healthy local church is the key to evangelism, world mission and cultural change. And, a healthy, vibrant leadership team is central to a healthy church. And, a healthy marriage and family life are central to a healthy leadership.

A friend asked me recently if I was doing what I had always wanted to do. The answer is yes, but I did not know I always wanted to do this. In fact, I never, ever knew anyone who flew around the world to help build healthy Christian leaders and healthy Christian churches. This caused me to meditate about the ways God prepared me to do what I do.

I was caught by the Holy Spirit at age 20 and brought to my knees in humility. Just after that dramatic experience I heard the clear call of God to go to college. I had not pursued higher education but decided to work and make some money.

I attended a local community college because it was inexpensive and easy to enter. It proved to be a wonderful experience. The guidance counselor, Betty Ann Ward, modeled warm love and respect toward all of her students and made me want to be a counselor.

I taught school for five years and learned a lot about education, teaching and working with people. But most of all, I learned how to equip the students to help each other. For four years I taught all subjects to 30 to 35 kids in the 5th and 6th grades. It was an impossible task. So, I learned how to motivate the smarter kids to help the slow ones. I used small groups, buddy systems and self motivation. The children learned far more from each other and me than they would have learned from me alone.

Finally, I was forced to coach all sports. I had to coach to make enough money to survive. I am glad they made me do it. This is where I learned still morecabout discipleship and equipping the kids to do the work. The coach was not allowed to play so I had to prepare the team in advance to go out and perform. After the game begins it is too late.

These lessons combined in my mind to prepare me for ministry. Unfortunately, the western church has adopted a model that is from the Old Testament not the New. The OT model had the Priest doing all the holy activities. The NT model has all God's people performing. Teaching and coaching children taught me how to do just that.

More later!