its interesting being asked into a role of leadership at a church. all i know is that its very important to do things right from the beginning. the church has asked me to facilitate as they plan their mission, vision, strategy, and roles. I am really excited to serve them in this way, sense over the last two years this has been the efforts of my degree.

I also am finding it easier to gather material on this topic as I presently am writing my thesis almost on the exact same topic. I am excited by the idea of Leading them through some of the key points of what it takes to develop the local community. It is going to be an interesting journey. That is for sure.

we have our first meeting on wednesday. I have been advised not to let the meeting go longer then one hour and to have a very timely and strategic plan for our time together. for this reason my first point of conversation will focus on developing each personal leader and helping them figure out where they stand as leaders, what is important to them, how they want to serve, and what type of leader they they do not want to become.
roughly I am thinking this will come through figuring out

*what each leader's personality is
*what each leader's love language is
*identified "bad" and "good" leadership moment
*developing personal vision and mission statement.

that in and of itself is a lot of work for a first meeting... so we shall see if i keep all those things. My bottom line question is it important for leaders to enjoy each others company? is that vital to the success of strategic planning?

interesting...

bean

today I went to my classmates fiance's funeral. It was such a privilege to be a part of honoring this man of God. I only ever had the chance to meet him once, but the way my friend talked about him completing her, inspiring her, loving every bit of her personality, it was incredible.

i thought she would just talk all about what she lost... about what she didn't get to have... but it was one of the most beautiful things as my friends stood on that stage and spoke from her heart about the joy of getting to feel the ultimate fullness of love, of being honored to be in a completely deep and honoring relationship with the man that she loved, to have experienced for 7 months and to continue to experience the full extent of God's grace.

she truly was one of the most inspiring people I have been blessed to know.

I still can't wrap my head around it, and walking up to my friend afterwards and giving her a hug and a kiss was one of the most heart crushing moment... i'm still processing it all, but as we drove oh our car load was jut overwhelmed by how powerful it was to see a so many people have joy even in the midst of pain.

all those promises God has made to us, just became that much more real.

Almost done with all my interviews for my thesis....

only two more to go... eeeee we are getting close to the finish line people!

It was really good to have Valentine's Day on this monday. I know that a lot of people hate this day, because it is so "commercial"... one of my roommates has a tradition to wear black on this day and to call it the "day of morning". I know it can go over the top a little some times, but I found today really... nice.

It was good to hear some of the people I love the most stop and say "Hey, you know I love you". I appreciated that today. In this moment and in this time. I have a lot of reasons to be happy and feel love.

my friends and I are still hurting over our lost friend, we will for a while. This is truth. But if I have learned any lesson over this weekend its to appreciate each day you have, each love you have, in the moment you have it, to love with everything you have.

steve comforted me over this weekend when he reminded me of Romans 12

9-10Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply

this is me on Valentines Day.

its been a month of death for me.

earlier this month i heard, from a childhood friend, how her serious boyfriend of two years struggles with colon cancer. She told me over a heartbreaking facebook message how she wouldn't change anything for the world. How her boyfriend helped her heart feel in ways she never knew it could. and how she doesn't regret a moment. He just started a new treatment of chemo and if it doesn't work (which they are ready for it not to) he will be dead by spring.

A little later this month i heard about a couple from my work and few other couples that had been married for forever that were all separating and more then likely going to divorce. I struggled more with seeing things that were once so alive, start to fad and die.

today death hit closer to home then it ever has. one of my close classmates, who recently got engaged and was planning an april wedding, found out today that her fiance died in his sleep last night. It makes no sense, and the sting of death has my heart flinching in pain for her. Death is consuming and so final. It just happens. My heart hurts right now, for lost lives and lost loves. For hurting so much that words don't matter and silence that just stings. For tears that are combinations of hatred and sympathy, anger and thanksgiving, confusion and faith.

I didn't like this day. i've come to hate death. and its hard to see God. death makes things well blurry. how do you comfort those that death leaves behind? why do good people have bad things happen... that can't be okay!!

I was reading this book on urban ministry. This quote make wonder if the church models I promote and engage in really are making as big of a difference as I would hope.

"careful examination might show that the church's 15 percent growth over the previous year came from other churches and that the reason was the simplicity of the preaching or the availability of a daycare center for infants. If the church is interested in conversion growth over against transfer growth, then expectations have not been met. More than that, the church may be attracting christians in disregard of other local ministry.
Such a pattern are habit forming and often irreversible. You have learned how to promote your ministry to christians rather than non Christians, and by all appearances you have found success" (conn&ortiz, urban ministry)

Just reminded me that all growth is not good. And that we have to be intentional about the growth we are seeking. I don't know how I would do this, but it helps me to be aware of it.

It's awesome to be around Christians but caution should be taken when more Christians are attracked to what you do then anyone else.

i spent a long week, and weekend, opening my thesis with a defence of why its important for 24-7 Prayer to be focusing mission in Europe... (altho after reading some of brian heasly's blog this weekend and a reviewing my Guildford Boiler Room notes i might have to do some editing!)