Ministry mind-shifts.

I'm slowly working through The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. The second chapter lists 'ministry mind-shifts' that help grow people who are disciple-making disciples of Christ. Many of them are intuitive to anyone who's been at CHBC for a good amount of time and is involved in the church life, but listing them is helpful in teasing out what these principles are.

1. From running programs to building people: start with people in your church without particular programs or structures in mind, then consider what ministries can be built around them. Some programs may have to be discarded when people who made them possible are no longer available.
2. From running events to training people: discard the 'event-based' approach to evangelism and focus on training people to evangelize.
3. From using people to growing people: emphasize development of Christian living and ministry potential will naturally flow out of that.
4. From filling gaps to training new workers: do not focus on filling gaps left by leaders who leave certain programs, but consider each person as a gift of Christ to the congregation and equip them for ministry accordingly.
5. From solving problems to helping people make progress: not damage control. Ministries should not only discuss people's problems, but to move people forward in sanctification and knowledge of God.
6. From clinging to ordained ministry to developing team leadership: 'real' ministers are not able to major leg-work. Ordained ministers need to build team ministry.
7. From focusing on church polity to forging ministry partnerships: elders and congregational leaders should already be active vine-growers before being given oversight responsibilities.
8. From relying on training institutions to establishing local training: training 'on the job' in church life is just as important as seminary education.
9. From focusing on immediate pressures to aiming for long-term expansion: do not be consumed by keeping ministries running.
10. From engaging in management to engaging in ministry: ministers are not primarily managers (i.e. attending committees, managing property, organizing programs, etc.), which is a job that can be passed on to others.
11. From seeking church growth to desiring gospel growth: be exporters of trained people instead of hoarders of trained people. By training and sending workers into new fields, the local ministry might not grow numerically, but the gospel will advance.

General Updates:

• Finally got my Jordanian visa. Randomly bumped into Alex Fischer on the way there, who was just leaving the embassy. I'm hoping that we'll be able to hang out while we're in Jordan.
• Dinner last Friday with the soon-to-be Jindoyans and Claire was awesome. Sophia's cream-of-corn was amazing. Definitely a highlight of last week.
• Checked out Cava Mezze, a Greek restaurant in Eastern Market, last night with Claire for dinner. Was a nice place, good service, and a good change of food style from the usual pasta or stir-fry. Hanging out with Claire a blessing as always.
• Will be hanging out with Fawaz and Matt tonight. Pray that we would be good witnesses for Christ.