"When you begin to think outside the box, you often become some other "leaders" lousy follower. That usually costs something" (Andy Rayner)

"Our guardian angels are bored." (Mike Foster)

It's where I feel I'm at these days. “In the second half of life, it is good just to be a part of the general dance. We do not have to stand out, make defining moves, or be better than anyone else on the dance floor. Life is more participatory than assertive, and there is no need for strong or further self-definition” (Falling Upward. Richard Rohr.120).

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Sigh- Wishing You Asked the Real Questions Churches Should Ask!

Questions Churches ask Missionaries.

"What makes an effective missionary? While most missionaries dread evaluation, church mission commit- tees aren't sure what questions to ask - or what exactly they're evaluating. A church's attempts at evaluation can be sadly comical. On a home assignment from Africa, our supporting church's missions committee members couldn't think of anything to talk about, so they asked if we had any snake stories.

Another time, a Christian foundation director asked Jim, "How many people did you win, and how much money did it cost per soul? If we fund this project, how many people per dollar will come to Christ?"

The snake story episode reveals wasted chances to ask probing, meaningful questions about the essence of our work. The committee was mired in trivial things irrelevant to assessing our effectiveness. The cost-per-soul discussion revealed crass materialism and a corporate mindset for what only the Holy Spirit can bring about. …………"

(World Shapers, "The Seven Habit of Highly Effective Missionaries", Jim & Carol Pleuddemann. World Pulse February 27, 2004 Vol 39, No4.)

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