I've heard this question a few times in reference to my role in New Zealand over the past few weeks. While I can summarize my role here--"I am serving as the National Youth Consultant of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of NZ. This means my role is to be a pastor to youth workers and a source for them of consultancy and resources, to bring a sense of unity and "team" to Wesleyan youth ministry in NZ, to encourage and facilitate the development of new leaders, and to help plan national youth/youth leader events," there are still lots of moments when I am trying to figure out what exactly that looks like! I can tell you some of the activities I participate in on a regular basis--research/preparation for future training, planning meetings for the national youth calendar, traveling to churches, sharing my story and preaching, meeting with youth workers and individual students... But in the midst of trying to sort through how God wants to use me here, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me so much about the way Kingdom work happens, especially when we are serving in a context that is foreign to us. I want to share a few of these lessons I'm learning.
1. Mission takes time. Most missionaries, upon entering a country, spend the entire first year just learning the language and the culture and building relationships. Just because most people in NZ speak English does not mean that a missionary here is allowed to skip over the culture-learning stage. Also, NZ is such a melting pot of cultures that this stage is even more complex in some ways here than it would be in a mono-cultural setting.
2. Taking the posture of a learner and focusing on relationships are key. One of the most important concepts in NZ culture is that of "mana." Mana is a Maori word that means a deep, earned respect/trust. Without having established mana, an outsider coming in could easily offend and burn bridges, doing more harm than good. Thus, rather than coming in with an attitude of arrogance, a foreigner has to come with humility, recognizing that the host culture has a lot to teach him. In many ways, the missionary is the most ignorant person in the Church of the host culture. Thus, before anything can be taught, a LOT must be learned. The missionary should be the first to experience transformation as a result of his presence in the host culture.
3. Spirit-led planning is just as important as acting. Especially in a role focused on national development, a lot of planning has to happen on the front end to ensure that objectives are being accomplished. Spirit-led planning is not somehow less important than the actual "work" of the ministry being planned.
Even in the midst of transition time into a culture, God can graciously allow us to see fruit. Even though I am still very much in this time of transition, I can testify to how God has worked through my time here. I have had the privilege of praying with teenagers, watching them get excited about a relationship with Christ and serving in His Kingdom. I have seen the Holy Spirit begin to tear down walls and minister freedom and healing in young people's lives. Through relationships with non-believers and struggling seekers, I see how God is drawing them slowly to personal knowledge of Himself. I have been privileged to pray and share my heart with fellow youth workers as we walk this journey together. Every now and then, God pulls back the curtain to reveal some small purpose of why I am here. While I believe Him for great things, I am humbled to even be part of the small things. What exactly am I doing???? I am looking to Jesus. (See the devotion below)
"...We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help." 2 Chronicles 20:12 NLT
As a leader you'll be called upon to make decisions regarding relationships, money, time, values, opportunities, and disputes. And your decisions will show up on the bottom line. There, in the clear light of day, your leadership will be judged. And there's something else you need to know; in that realm it takes longer to recognise your brilliance or stupidity because you're forced to lead for long periods of time without the benefit of knowing if you made the right call. By the time your crop starts coming in, it's too late to change your agricultural procedure. You have to wait until the next season of planting.
When it comes to leadership, uncertainty is a permanent part of all progress; it never goes away! Furthermore, uncertainty isn't an indication of poor leadership, it just underscores the need for it; it's the environment in which good leadership is most often discovered. As a leader you may think you should always know what to do, but in reality there will be few occasions when you are absolutely certain. It's why King Jehoshaphat prayed, 'We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.' Since you'll constantly be called on to make decisions with limited information, your goal should not be to eliminate uncertainty but to develop the ability to trust God and be courageous and clear in spite of it.
It's not your job to remove uncertainty; it's your job to inspire clarity, faith and progress in the midst of it. When you can do that, you are learning to be a leader.
--The Word for Today, March 15th
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