people working together in a committed way to achieve a common goal or mission
As we make our way to Minneapolis/St. Paul, we do so as a team. Tiffany Mayes is a fellow CRM staff person from Southern California, who she will be joining our family on this journey. Tiffany is 28 years old and graduated from San Diego State University (my alma mater) with a degree in Economics. Her family has been working with CRM for 14 years, and her father is the leader of ChurchNEXT, which makes him our boss.
We got to know Tiffany when she came to South Africa in 2006 to launch an Enterprise International business to help support CRM ministries in the area. Tiffany then went on to work for CRM-UK in London, where her heart was to reach “creatives” and intellectuals, who are beyond the cultural reach of the existing church. Tiffany hopes to gain valuable experience in the years to come and then one day return to the British Isles to continue her ministry there. We are excited to have Tiffany aboard for this journey as she shares our heart to live “on mission” wherever we find ourselves.
We also have a wider team that surrounds us as we embark on this new adventure. You. You are part of a team of people, who partner with us through prayer, financial support, encouragement and love. Without you, we wouldn't attempt such a journey – it would simply be too much for us. The “support” role is not always the role that gets noticed, but I believe this role to be so vital that we would be fools to embark on this journey without you.
expedition
an organized journey or voyage for a specific purpose, esp. for exploration
As I think about our upcoming move to Minnesota, I think of it in terms of an expedition. We are not just haphazardly flying off to some other part of the world, but rather, we are embarking on a voyage that has been designed by God. And, although we have some idea of what lies ahead, there is much to be discovered. Therefore, as we prepare for our departure in mid-January, our team has begun to listen.
Listening is an art. It is a discipline. It is a posture of life. Rather than blaze into the Twin Cities ready to change things, we will arrive with hearts ready to discover. We will treat Minneapolis/St. Paul like any other place we have ever moved to. We will observe, ask questions, take notice and celebrate what God has been doing long before our arrival. We will come as learners.
Once we are physic
ally present in St. Paul, we will actively listen and explore, knowing that God will lead us into the roles, the lives and the places that He has for us. We will slowly begin to submerge into Thirdway, the Midway neighborhood, local culture and individual lives. We commit to learn, practice and encourage others in missional living, spiritual formation, creativity and new expressions of faith communities.
We honestly cannot wait to begin this expedition. It has been over two years in the making and it is time to set sail. We invite you to stay the journey with us, and continue to be that wider community of support that our family so vitally needs. Who knows where these winds might take us?
