“By the way you lead, are you creating an army or a nursery? An army conquers the enemy and takes their territory. A nursery feeds the children, wipes their fannies, and tries to get them to stop whining and crying.” Jim Putman Church Is a Team Sport
This past week I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Post Falls, ID that focused on the ever so important element of the church, relationships. We discovered through interaction how to deepen our relational environments and just how important the element of authenticity is in the heart of a church.
While listing out the most vital elements to be considered in the qualities of a leader we would follow the one that stood out to be a deal breaker would be their level of authenticity. If they were going to live at arm’s length and try and posture their way through leading us, the deal was over. We naturally long to be with those who are willing to do life together.
It made me fondly recall our life verse: 1 Thes. 2:8 “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” This is my calling in a nutshell!
We are beginning to have those in our circle of influence voice their desires to join us in Bonney Lake. A core team is going to develop over the course of the coming week and it is so cool to see that those who are interested are living on this deep, relational level with us already. We don’t have to wonder what is happening in the other person’s life, we know. There is transparency and honesty at the deepest of levels.
Sounds like a biblical foundation for a great work of God to me.
