Date: August 8, 2021
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
Host: ATL (Ask The Lord)
I had a vision for my team when I started leading at the beginning of May. I wanted our team to be an example of the church body. United. Each playing our own unique part. Walking out our giftings. Allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us. Sharing what we had with each other in every way: physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Loving each other deeply in the language we individually understood. Being intentional. Growing alongside one another. Boldly sharing and living out our faith.
All these goals rolling around in my mind, yet I was at a loss for communicating them…
I attempted to communicate it in our first month together during our time in the Dominican Republic. I had each person share their spiritual giftings, talents, and love languages. I attempted to explain my goal for us to walk in our strengths and grow in our weaknesses together. We made a little headway when Antoinette offered to share about intercessory prayer, one of her strengths. We practiced that together in a variety of ways. We expanded on that with each team member leading a devotional during morning team time. It was great! However, not the full extent of what I hoped for.
I got stuck there.
I had the broad concepts and vague goals laid out, but lacked the steps to get to my undefined end target.
Fast forward to two months later… I’m sitting down for breakfast with Jenn and Abbey after we had a hilarious (thanks to my not-so-trusty steed, Curly) experience riding camels together in Cappadocia, Turkey. We chatted about discipleship and personal growth as we ate the traditional Turkish breakfast spread of cheese, rolls, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Jenn pulled out a pen and napkin and began diagraming a processing tool. Her animation, depth of knowledge, and the incredible practicality and vital need for what she taught us struck a chord in me.
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It was as though a light bulb blinked on above my head and the angelic chorus began singing. I excitedly told them this is exactly what I had been hoping for since the beginning of our team! I realized what I was looking for was to see each team member sharing their individual passions and talents for the growth and unity of the team. Sharing not only abstract spiritual concepts, such as prayer or biblical study, but also practical and fun life tools like nutrition or changing a bike tire (thanks, Lynneal!).
As we dove a little deeper into what that could look like practically for us, keeping in mind that we only had one more month together as a team, we decided to host a team retreat. With experience in retreats and gifting in administration, Abbey took the lead on planning. Each person was given space to share on a topic about which they were personally passionate and knowledgeable.
We hosted the retreat two weeks later during our first weekend in Georgia. (Remember the last-minute guest house God gave us after our first booking was burned down that I talked about in my last blog post? That’s where we did it!) The retreat turned out to be a great success! We cooked, taught, grew, laughed, and cried together. I’ll share some of the content and what I learned from my wonderful teammates in an upcoming blog.
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In hindsight, I see areas where even further expansion of that goal to tap into each others’ gifts and passions is needed. The retreat catered to the gifting of teaching. It was highly impactful and allowed each person to either thrive in their existing strength of teaching or grow in their ability to teach. However, I want to find ways to allow people to thrive in all gifts – apostleship, evangelism, exhortation, discernment, faith, healing, helping, mercy, prophecy, knowledge, tongues, wisdom, shepherding, leadership, serving, and administration.
To be a whole and thriving church body, whether in a team of 6 or an auditorium of 1,000, we need members to operate in every gift. How do we get there? I’m not 100% sure yet. Maybe you can help me dig deeper into this…
How have you seen others or yourself practically exercise the use of a gift?
What effect has it had on your community?
What are new ways you want to try using your gifts, talents, and passions?
I have found it is often in the unexpected moments God equips me for the job He wants me to do. We all know that I have no gifts when it comes to horsemanship, but I do have gifts of problem solving. Today, when one of the ponies (Thelma, Louise, Louise Thelma – will I even remember which one is which) decided she was not ready to come in from the pasture, I was able to convince her otherwise. It took me 20 minutes to do what the rest of you would have done in two, but all ponies were where they belonged. Philippians 2:13 reminds me it is God who is at work in me, giving me the desire and ability to what pleases Him. I find that as I put aside Julie, I find gifts I never knew I had so that I can accomplish His good and pleasing will. Know that I am praying for you to witness Jesus’ gifts in every day moments among your team.
Aww I love that! Such a practical (and funny) example of the truth that we do all things through Christ in us, not in our own strength.
Thank you for your continued prayers. I was praying for The Right Path this morning. I know God and you all are hard at work there too. 🙂