On Leading Well

Category: Movements

  • Pop Quiz: Ministry or Movement?

    Here are a few scenarios to get us started in our thinking about movements. These may seem simple at first, but can we clearly articulate where we see ministry activity, and where we see genuine movement? Take the quiz…

    1. The Place to Be. At one large university of 15,000 undergraduates, 600 students regularly attend a weekly Christian meeting. They come for three main reasons. Primarily, because their friends are there. Second, each week a very gifted 35-year old staff member delivers a fantastic biblical message. He blends passion and charisma with a great sense of humor. Third, the worship band is tight, fronted by a rockin’ junior gal and backed by humble, talented musicians. Most people think they sound “better than the CD.”

    Is this a ministry or a movement? Why?

    2. The Faithful Few. A short-term mission team just left another country after a 10-month effort to lauch something new. Prior to this team’s arrival, there were no known Christian groups or local churches engaging non-Christian students on this campus. A few weeks after his return, the short-term team leader Skypes one of the young disciples he left behind. He discovers that of the seven new believers in community, two have walked away. However, the remaining five have been meeting regularly for meals, prayer, and study. They’ve already seen three more friends come to faith since the mission team left. “We’re praying for revival on our campus,” Jorge reports, “and seeking God’s leading for a country to go next summer. Maybe God would allows us to send a few students.”

    Is this a ministry or a movement? Why?

    3. Generations. After a summer away from campus, the staff team and interns gather to pray and place returning students as leaders and participants into small-group Bible studies. Following 90 minutes of conversation, discussion, and white-board drawings, the clouds part and a solution emerges. Three strong, faithful 4th year students will each lead 3-4 3rd year students, who in turn will divide up the remaining 35 second-year students who signed up for Bible studies. “Once we sort through the first-year students,” an intern announces, “we can put them in groups led by 2nd year students. That will give us four generations, just like 2 Timothy 2:2.”

    Is this a ministry or a movement? Why?

    4. My current scenario. Is it ministry or movement? Why?

    Answers tomorrow.

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  • August is Movement Month

    “So, what exactly do you mean by movement?”

    People keep asking this question and they are serious. I believe people really want to know.

    We have a vague notion in our minds about movements. We’ve grown up hearing about political movements, the womens movement, the civil-rights movement, the gay-rights movement, and the Islamic fundamentalist movement. But the specificity seems to stop somewhere between the headline and the real story.

    Well, August is movement month. We’re going to explore the question “What is a spiritual movement?” and its implications. Feel free to add comments, questions, or better yet, examples of what spiritual movements look like in your context.

    After all, if we’re serious about pursuing Movements Everywhere we need to know the end game. As Stephen Covey says, let’s begin with the end in mind.

    Nugget for aspiring leaders: Begin with the end clearly in mind.

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  • Korea: Now It Only Takes 27 Hours…

    When Hudson Taylor left England for China 140-odd years ago, the boat ride took 23 weeks. And he went alone. At 21 years old.

    How times have changed. That’s Keith Bubalo (check out his blog) and me waiting for bags at the Incheon airport. We were just passing through en route to Busan, South Korea. We’ll be joining 16,000 thousand college students and CCC staff members from 127 countries this week. New pages will be written in missions history. Yes, we are here to hear from God and help change the world.

    It only took me 27 hours door-to-door from Orlando to Busan hotel bed.
    Lesson for aspiring world changers: There has never been a riper, more accessible time in world history to consider going to the remotest parts of the earth.

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