The Tide is Turning...

A couple community quick hits...

- It has been exciting to see that the students came back from camp with the mission fresh in their mind.  We have had new visitors every Thursday night, and unlike the fall, most of them have been guys!  Many of them have already started getting involved in a core, and we've had a flurry of new one-on-one studies begin.

- I was on the phone with one of the students that Brianna has been working with, and she was telling me how excited she was that her and Bri only have a few more lessons left in their FOCUS on Jesus study.  Honestly, most students are pretty bummed about that coming to an end.  But when I inquired as to why that excited her, I was pleasantly surprised to hear her say, "Because then I can teach someone else!"  She has a vision to turn and share those powerful biblical truths with others.  And that, my friend, is what it's all about.

-  I had a similar encounter with another young woman last Thursday night.  She has been around most of the year, though she's pretty quiet and I don't know her well; I have enough trouble keeping up with all of the guys!  She asked me for a copy of FOCUS on Jesus.  I was excited because I assumed she was going to be studying with one of our student leaders.  However, once again, when I asked if she was going to be studying with someone, she replied, "Yeah, there's this newer girl that I asked to study and we're going to start."  What??  I found out she has already gone through the study and is already eager to turn and invest herself in another.

How fun it is to watch the Kingdom grow--to see people brought face to face with Christ, consider his call and count the cost, and then surrender all to him and his eternal plan of the world's redemption.  When you succeed at producing not just disciples, but disciple-makers, then we will see exponential growth--growth that will far outlive these few years at the university.

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On an unrelated note, our staff has been reading through a book called Spiritual Leadership together, and this last chapter was pretty challenging to me personally.  It focused on the leader's schedule, focusing primarily on what things creep in and stifle spiritual leaders from moving their organizations forward--more specifically, moving forward onto God's agenda.  Here's an excerpt:

"The most inefficient and unproductive leaders have as much time  as history-making, world-changing leaders.  Each is constrained by the need for sleep, food, exercise, and family concerns.  Everyone encounters financial issues, unforeseen circumstances, and daily pressures.  The difference is wise leaders let God, not life's daily demands, determine their priorities.  Unwise leaders succumb to extraneous pressures and enticements bombarding them so they don't accomplish what God intends for them.  Spiritual leaders don't allow their busy lives or their numerous responsibilities to sidetrack them from God's agenda.  Rather, they become the masters of their schedules through determined and conscientious effort."

I think I fall into the trap of merely reacting to life at times.  I'm laid-back and amiable, so I don't say "no" a lot, and that often squeezes out the critical task of stepping back and taking the long look at where we are, what God's agenda is for us moving forward, and how to direct us there.  The authors say that's what distinguishes managers from true leaders.

One of my first steps forward in this was to take another look at what things I hold on to that I should be delegating.  The authors made this statement, "Conscientious leaders strive to make every person they lead into a productive contributor."  I think I'd forgotten what a great opportunity the spring offers me to do this.  In the fall, I'm hesitant to delegate much to the student leaders because they are already doing so much.  But in the spring, we've got a whole new crew of students that are eager to step in and serve however they can.  So I've already begun to pull them into projects, and they're getting excited about it, and so am I!

Keep praying for us.  You're prayers, love, and encouragement are never wasted.  All my love and gratitude,

Casey