Please, are you the Mr Seabourn who taught Electronics when I was a young boy at Government Technical College, Bukuru, Nigeria? If you are, thank you for helping me learn how to be a committed Christian as a young man with very little experience of life. Many thanks. ~Isaac Ajibade
So began a conversation through Facebook Messenger.
I currently pastor a small parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God here in the United Kingdom in a town called Gillingham, Kent. I am also a Professional Environmental Health Practitioner to support the work of the ministry.
Later, Isaac shared more.
On the 21st April 1979 during a Fellowship meeting where you spoke, I felt the need to make a better faith commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. I pleaded with Him to take away the sin of anger towards others which I often demonstrated while playing football, often injuring others. Jesus took the anger away and I made peace with God. The change continues today with fellowship with Jesus and love for fellow men. God used you to be a source of the help that I needed as a young person seeking. I fell in love with Jesus.
It’s exciting to hear stories of God’s faithfulness almost 40 years later. I was a teacher of electronics for the government in Nigeria. Part of the joy of walking with God is that we never know when a conversation will be life-changing for someone.
Knowing God Personally on the God Tools app
On a trip this week, I handed Heath my phone opened to the Knowing God Personally section of the God Tools app. Heath read through the gospel. We discussed it. Although Heath is comfortable as a childhood-Catholic attending a Unitarian fellowship, seeds were planted.
Success in witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.
Who knows, maybe Heath will have an Isaac story in the future.
Oliver’s white hair stood out in the room of black hair. His craggy face was very different from the many young faces we were teaching. Some in the room had to leave the afternoon session to go to classes at the local school.
Not Oliver. He had probably not been in school in 40+ years.
Oliver didn’t let his age keep him from pulling his chair into a small group and joining the foundational Bible study about How to be sure you are a Christian or How to walk in step with the Holy Spirit.
Oliver is different that way. Sometimes, older leaders don’t fully engage. They sit at the edges. They let the younger ones do the lessons, especially in hierarchical cultures like Africa.
Oliver is humble. He is also effective.
Oliver walks 2 hours every week to an area outside of the capital city of Guinea-Bissau to minister in the church he planted. Oliver has no car and no bicycle. Oliver is too poor to take a taxi or bus. Part of his journey takes him through the forest where snakes and other dangers lie.
When the team leader asked him why he didn’t choose an area closer to where he lives to plant a church, he responded, “Then who would reach the people in the Oyo area? God told me those people needed to be reached.” But Oliver, what about the snakes, he was asked. “God told me the people in Oyo area needed to be reached. He will protect me or he will provide someone else to reach them.”
Kay and I are not too much younger than Oliver. As we each stood before the trainees to impart our wisdom and knowledge, I was aware of how much I could learn from Oliver about following Jesus.
In case the link stops working sometime, here is the list:
Sets clear strategic direction.
Knows when to stop analyzing an issue and make a decision.
Follows through on actions, promises, and assignments.
Has the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively perform job duties.
Demonstrates high ethical standards.
Lives, leads, manages, and works with integrity.
Accepts responsibility for own actions.
Leverages the strengths of each team member.
Treats others with dignity.
Creates a working environment that motivates high individual performance.
I found the list very interesting also. In fact, I think I will use it in my coaching of others.
#2 Knows when to stop analyzing an issue and makes a decision. You may have heard the term paralysis of analysis. Some leaders are paralyzed by a decision and continually seek more information. I think those gifted as analytical leaders can overcome this tendency with wisdom gained over time in making decisions. Those of us who are gifted in the area of analysis tend to start out over-analyzing. But over time, especially in the context of deadlines, we can be like the spider in zero gravity mentioned in the article and adapt and learn to speed up the decision-making process.
One of the things that I have learned is that most things work out better than I ever expect them to work out. I never feel adequately prepared for a conference. I always wish I had more time to prepare my talks. I think there are more facts to research that would add value to my presentations or better graphics or better powerpoint themes. But I have learned that I generally am prepared enough and that my facts are good enough and that people are blessed and that my desired outcome is achieved.
If we focus on outcomes and not on process those of us in the analytical world can better let go of process and lean into the outcome. After all it’s the outcome that we’re after and the process just needs to be good enough to deliver the outcome that we want. It’s helpful for me to clearly identify the outcome and decide if what I have is good enough to get the outcome I’ve identified. If so, then doing more is wasted effort because I’ve already got enough to achieve the outcome I need.
I also appreciated the number one desired attribute: #1 Sets clear strategic direction. I have been working hard in my leadership to develop it. Andy Stanley says it this way: the role of a leader is to provide islands of clarity in the sea of confusion. He says that the role of a leader is not to provide certainty. Only God knows with certainty. But a leader can say with clarity this is what we will do. Out of all the possible things that might deliver the outcome we want, this.is.what.we.will.do. Then he measures the progress towards outcome and humbly makes mid-course corrections and if necessary he pivots and does a completely different process to deliver the outcome. A good leader does not pretend know with certainty, but he leads with clarity.
Which of these ten would most improve your leadership over the next 12 months?
This year we both celebrated 65 years of life, 40 years of fulltime ministry with Cru and in a few days, we will celebrate 45 years of life together in marriage. Who would have thought that high school sweethearts from a (then) small town on the edge of Dallas would be on their sixth passport filled with amazing ministry engagements, would have friends and ministry in over a hundred countries (we haven’t visited that many but we’ve made friends and enabled ministry through conferences and communications) and would have a powerful team of ministry partners who have enabled it all!
And we are not ready to retire, but feel that God is blessing and leveraging our gifts, skills and experiences in additional opportunities.
As Kay and I move around the world helping advance the good news through trainings or leadership conferences or even personal evangelism opportunities, I am reminded of what the angels said on that first Christmas, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Everywhere the good news goes, there is great joy. As people realize that this good news is for them, joy settles and often erupts.
This is why Kay and I train church planters to connect with the lost and to plant churches that multiply. This is why we develop training curriculum. This is why we develop digital technology tools to expand the scope and engage more people in the Great Commission.
Kay and I are honored to be a part of this with a team of ministry partners. Undergirding with prayer is important. I invite you to pray for every village, every neighborhood, and every high-rise apartment. Click on the Shine link and watch the Shine video while praying. In 2017, we want to train and plant and engage even more so that the good news which brings great joy will come so that no place is left behind.
I met Joseph last Sunday. He was easy to spot. The Sunday School class I was visiting is helping him walk the path back into connectedness after some time on the street.
Kay and I were speaking about our ministry with Global Church Movements. He asked if we could talk. He wants to influence people he knew while on the street but doesn’t feel he is getting through to them. He wanted to know how to get into ministry more like Kay and I described.
I encouraged him to develop his personal story into a powerful tool that he can share with those he has known. We talked through a shortened version of one of the sessions we teach on sharing your personal story (testimony). I asked him to read Acts 22 and Acts 26. Paul shares his story. I encouraged him to look for this structure in Paul’s story: 1) my life before receiving Christ, 2) how I received Christ and 3) my life after receiving Christ.
I asked Joseph to read Paul’s story out loud and time how long it took using a clock or watch. I told him that most readers can read Acts 22 (about 400 words) in about 3-4 minutes and Acts 26 (about 600 words) in 5-6 minutes. So if Paul can tell his story in 4-5 minutes, then why can’t we also work to develop a version of our story (about 400-500 words) to share in 3-4 minutes?
I encouraged him to think of one word that best described his life before Christ, one word that described how he come to know Christ, then one word that describes his life after receiving Christ. Then write 3-4 sentences expanding thoughts for each word. This will help him write a story that is focused around these 3 big ideas and flows smoothly. I suggested he practice telling this story until it is natural and he can tell his friends. I reminded him that, like Paul, he is not preaching a sermon but telling what God has done in his life.
Joseph was encouraged. He said that he’s tried telling his friends but he got lost and used too many words. He likes this idea and will work on it.
What about you? Do you have a 3 minute way to tell your story?
What an adventure Kay and I are living!
