Starting Over
2 February, 2009 - "Your direction not your intention determines your destination"
For many of us the beginning of the year brings sun, holidays and rest. It’s a season of refreshing and refuelling. We’ve taken the time over the break to do things we love to do, catch up with friends, go places and do the jobs around the home we have neglected all year (well we can’t have it all good). It’s great having a summer break to transition from one year to the next.
Last week I snuck back into the offce before the rest of the team. I took the opportunity to clear my desk, sort the fles, and discard papers that were no longer required. Somehow this process enabled me to set a new foundation for the year. The old patterns have been interrupted with rest, and now there is new opportunity and energy to recalibrate my settings and set the direction to proceed into a new ministry season. There’s something empowering about a fresh start, it’s like getting another shot at things. How important this process is for us and for the people we minister to, both on a practical and spiritual level.
Practically, a helpful exercise is to take a piece of paper, (I like a large poster – just because I can!) draw a line down the centre of the page. On one side record all the wins of 2008 include personal and organisational. On the other side record all the losses. By taking time to refect on what worked well and what went not so well, we can avoid the pitfalls of the past and be proactive for the future. As Andy Stanley says “Your direction not your intention determines your destination.”
With the holiday break also comes the challenge of creating organisational momentum. How do you get people out of the holiday mode and fully engaged? Ministry kick off events are not just an excuse to have yet another BBQ, rather an ideal time to cast vision, inviting people to respond to and engage in a compelling cause. As a leader, it is vital that we are attentive to where people are at, and then intentionally give them a detailed picture of what could be, carefully outlining the wins.
Not only should we take every opportunity to paint the vision picture, but remind people of the progress they have made. “Look how far we have come” When you wrap real life evidence that the church is making a difference, faith levels rise in people and they get energised to go another round. As Bill Hybels says, “vision leaks.” It is crucial that we take this opportunity to passionately cast vision for why the church exists.
Spiritually, this time of the year gives us the opportunity to lead out of rest. Make choices for our own lives that come as a response to opportunities, not a reaction to circumstances. When we respond to life, we do so with the knowledge of who God has made us, our unique gifting, passion and calling. We set a direction for the things we must do to sustain our spiritual well being. Our personal time with God, our rest and refuelling time already marked into the calendar, activities and relationships we know we must invest in so we lead from a healthy soul. While we still will have challenges, we decide ahead of the pressures of ministry, what patterns will and will not determine our actions.
May you recognise today your unique giftedness, and calling on your life. May your choices enable you to experience joy in serving God in 2009.
Blessings
Margaret Spicer
National Director
