Jeff and I just returned from a new start training in Boise. We meet with national leaders in the new faith community movement as well as numerous leaders from the west who were launching their own unique ministries. Much of what we heard was both a reminder of past trainings and a celebration of new faith community development across the denomination. There are a lot of really cool and exciting things happening out there. Check out www.cloakedmonk.com for just one innovative example of faith community creation in the digital world by a passionate servant of Christ.
One of the things that Jeff and I came away with was a sense of renewed commitment. We are so excited about what is unfolding here in Sellwood! To help us be more strategic and to communicate better we also decided this past weekend to set weekly staff meetings for the two of us and to commit to pray for one another and the new start each day. For our first staff meeting we planned an hour on Thursday. I’m sorry to have to report that I was late, but those of you who know me well will not be too surprised. When I was finally pulled together we headed down the street to Starbucks where we worked on the plan for our upcoming service event, talked about how each of us planned to engage the community in the next two months, and some structural and financial issues we needed to resolve. I took minutes and then sent Jeff an email of those minutes.
This may all seem a little silly, but then my uncle told me a story from a Franklin Planner Business class he took a number of years ago. The instructor said something like “if you were on the Titanic and could only save three things or people what would they be? Friends? Family? Money? The iPhone 5? What or who would would you grab? Let’s say you get to the life raft and there is only room for two. Does the iPhone go overboard? Then finally you are on the life raft and it begins to founder because it is overfull. Does the money get the splash? So if what you are left with is family open up your calendar and show me where you have that time with those people scheduled.”
The basic idea is that if it matters we should make room for it in our lives. This new faith community matters to us so we are committing to time in prayer and time to plan. The cloakedmonk is similar in that it is an online reminder to make space in life for spiritual practices.
We are working our plan and planning our work centered in best practices and God’s guidance. Good things are happening here and we’re thankful for the ways we are continuing to learn how to put this holy vision of a faith community into practice.
-Eilidh
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| Just one of the many coffee shops in the neighborhood where we will infuse our staff meetings with caffeine |
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