A good day at the office

Most people here require a good deal of explanation from me when I have to say that I don't have an office - that my work is all over the city. But then, since when is anything I do ever easy to explain? My office here in Russia, as it mostly was in Richmond, is wherever and with whomever God wants me to be. I like it that way.

The other day was notable, because I saw some elements of ministry strategy that, by faith, I see coming together for something big. The first moment was at the boys' school, where I meet twice a week with Pastor Igor for mutual coaching. Today he was coaching me, and we discussed the upcoming Biblical Problem Solving class that they have so enthusiastically embraced, as well as the coach training that we both have had and want to introduce to the church.

I gave expression to a thought that had been swimming in my head - that I could see a day when both the counseling training and the coach training being implemented on a citywide scale as part of a larger unique process for leadership and discipleship training. We had a great talk about the possibilities.

Later that day my office moved to the south into a coffee shop. There I met with another key pastor in the city - key because he is well connected, well respected, and has a track record of multiplying leadership through church and ministry planting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ways I could help him with his new school of missions - though what that looked like, I could have only guessed. He showed me a curriculum that someone had drawn up for him of classes to be covered in the course of the three month training. He showed me the list and asked my opinion. I hesitantly expressed concerns that it was highly academic, without attention to the practical side of ministry, nor the development of self that is so crucial for good leadership.

Not only did he agree, he outlined what he would do differently that gave the school a whole new thrust:

• development of students' personal relationship with God
• application of biblical principles into real life
• models for multiplying leadership (as opposed to churches - they have a vision for places where churches have to go totally underground)

I could not agree with his model more enthusiastically. When I shared with him a summary of the Biblical Problem Solving and coach training classes, he immediately saw them as filling the need he has. "I know what I want, but I have never been one to take the time to put it into a system." he explained.

Was I pumped! Now I could continue to focus on the one thing that God had already assigned me, but it would have application in a wider sphere of application. And maybe that dream of a discipleship training center was not crazy after all! Stay tuned...