It's difficult to explain the significance of saying a proper “good-bye” when one is in a period of transition. Saying good-bye to what was is as significant as saying hello to what will be, but we often forget this as me move into the future and what is next.
In October of this year, our family was celebrated by our community in grand fashion as we prepare for the future. First of all, we were treated to a wonderful dinner with just our staff team and our NieuCommunities' director, Rob Yackley. As we enjoyed our meal, words of encouragement and love, healing and hope, were spoken into our lives. What a blessing.
After enjoying our meal we made our way back to Pangani to join our wider community of apprentices and friends. When we arrived we found that the entire place had been transformed into an art gallery. But this was no ordinary art gallery. This art gallery featured pictures of remembering, letters from past apprentices that we had coached, messages from friends, as well as art that Daleen and I had done over the past 7 years. It was overwhelming in the best of ways – almost too much for a heart to take in.
There was more food, fun and a “show” featuring the talents of our local friends. There was a community prayer for our family. There was thanksgiving.
Again, it is hard to put into words what an evening like this will do for the soul. It heals, it brings closure, it releases. We are grateful for being part of an intentional community of people. It is something we will look for wherever we go.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Change
December 2009
Change is a natural part of life. Without change I suppose I'd still be hitting my wife over the head with a club and dragging her off to my cave. Change is good. This year has been filled with a lot of change, and the next year promises to be filled with even more.
When I mention making some modifications, I am not talking about small changes. Rather, NieuCommunities is revamping how they will apprentice young leaders, as well as who they will be apprenticing. The team will be moving away from the suburbs and into the city of Pretoria, and they will begin to focus on apprenticing South Africans. The apprenticeship will be slimmed down and stretched out over a longer period of time, as well as less curriculum-driven and more mission-driven.
to change : to deepen
The past seven years have been highly formative for Daleen and me. Most importantly, we have deepened our intimacy with Christ. We have also grown in our leadership abilities and deepened our understanding of who God has created us to be. We see our true selves much more clearly.
to change : to move
Daleen and I are both wired to mentor/coach others, helping men and women reclaim their hearts and all that God has for them. We also enjoy creative worship, unleashing creativity in ourselves and others, and encouraging creative expression. We want to help people better understand their spiritual formation in order to be transformed in their love relationship with Jesus. And we see ourselves using our hospitality gifts in an intentional community of people.
What we feel called to can happen pretty much anywhere in the world. Therefore, in order to help us better understand where God might be leading us, we are going through a Mid-Career Assessment at the CRM home office on December 9-10. We want to continue working with CRM, but we are not sure where we will be located. Daleen and I both sense that we will be leaving South Africa, which would most likely mean a move to America or Europe sometime next year.
to change : to pray
Please pray with us:
Change is a natural part of life. Without change I suppose I'd still be hitting my wife over the head with a club and dragging her off to my cave. Change is good. This year has been filled with a lot of change, and the next year promises to be filled with even more.
When Daleen and I were called to serve with NieuCommunities in South Africa we didn't know just how long we'd be here. Our calling was the strongest we'd ever sensed, and the most specific as well. We were not about to leave NieuCommunities until we were confident that God was leading us that way.
to change : to modify
This year it became clear that NieuCommunities South Africa was on a journey of its own. What we had created over the past seven years was good, and it was affecting deep change in our apprentices' lives, but it was not sustainable. It was evident that our staff was becoming less missional, and our apprenticeship was becoming more programmatic. It was obvious to our staff that it was time to go back to the drawing board, learn from our experience, and modify our course.
When I mention making some modifications, I am not talking about small changes. Rather, NieuCommunities is revamping how they will apprentice young leaders, as well as who they will be apprenticing. The team will be moving away from the suburbs and into the city of Pretoria, and they will begin to focus on apprenticing South Africans. The apprenticeship will be slimmed down and stretched out over a longer period of time, as well as less curriculum-driven and more mission-driven.
Although these are changes that Daleen and I completely agree with, we don't feel called to make these changes with NieuCommunities. We sense that it is time to pass the mantle to new leadership that will guide NieuCommunities into its future. Therefore, at the end of this year we will be moving on from NieuCommunities into our future.
to change : to deepen
The past seven years have been highly formative for Daleen and me. Most importantly, we have deepened our intimacy with Christ. We have also grown in our leadership abilities and deepened our understanding of who God has created us to be. We see our true selves much more clearly.
In light of this, we sense that God is calling us into a new phase of life and mission. We feel that we are moving toward a more focused time of ministry that will utilize our 18 years of cross-cultural experience with CRM, as well as a clearer understanding of our personalities and gifting.
to change : to move
Daleen and I are both wired to mentor/coach others, helping men and women reclaim their hearts and all that God has for them. We also enjoy creative worship, unleashing creativity in ourselves and others, and encouraging creative expression. We want to help people better understand their spiritual formation in order to be transformed in their love relationship with Jesus. And we see ourselves using our hospitality gifts in an intentional community of people.
What we feel called to can happen pretty much anywhere in the world. Therefore, in order to help us better understand where God might be leading us, we are going through a Mid-Career Assessment at the CRM home office on December 9-10. We want to continue working with CRM, but we are not sure where we will be located. Daleen and I both sense that we will be leaving South Africa, which would most likely mean a move to America or Europe sometime next year.
to change : to prayPlease pray with us:
- for clear direction.
- for peace in moving away from South Africa. We have been amazed with how God is bringing peace to our children's hearts already. Daleen's dad is in ill-health and we know that it will be emotionally hard on her parents if we move away.
- for attacks of the enemy to be thwarted – we have been facing some pretty tough attacks lately. In this, we are focusing on who God is rather than on what the enemy is able to do.
- for needed financial resources – in light of the future, we need to raise about $1200 per month in new support - monthly, yearly and one-time gifts all help to provide for this need.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
