Recruiting is Like Dreaming

Recruitment is important because a movement is nothing without activists. It will be impossible to reach 1000s with the Gospel of Jesus in the Northwest through planting churches without recruits for the task!

Many people want to be involved in something bigger than themselves (esp., spiritual endeavors that are inline with the Great Commission of Jesus); they just need to be asked to join.

I'm finding that recruitment works best when you "paint a picture" for the individual about what you are trying to accomplish. Help people see this opportunity like a dream.

1. Tell them what the dream is all about.  Use vivid, creative language.  Show them a picture or a video that communicates the heart of your message.  Help them to "see" what you "see" before it can be seen!

2. Tell them how they fit into that dream.  They have a leading role in this dream and need to be told what that is.  Stress the importance and the opportunity of the moment to get involved!

3. Tell them the predicted outcome of their involvement with that dream.  Will people be saved?  Will lives be transformed?  Will a community or city be reached with the Gospel?  Explain just what you expect to find on the other side of reality once the dream comes true.

Here are some questions to ponder regarding recruitment:

- Who should I try to recruit? (First determine your need, then ask what kind of person can fill it.)

- Who is "off limits" in recruitment? (Will you recruit unsaved people? Will you recruit believers connected to other ministries? etc.)

- Are there lines in recruitment that should not be crossed? (What are the values that compose your recruitment criteria?)

What has worked in your recruitment efforts? What hasn't worked? I'd like to hear!

Indispensable to Mission

Frustration to mission is often found in the context where there is an absence of relationship with Jesus.

It just might be that they ain't going cuz they ain't knowing (Jesus) and growing (in Him).

Relationship is indispensable to mission: without relationship, mission is "running on fumes"; and if true relationship were present you wouldn't be able to stop mission--people would feel compelled to go and tell the world of the risen Jesus.

So my question is this: what can be done to foster and facilitate a deeper relationship with Jesus among the body with whom you have been called to serve?

Figure that question out and a passion for mission will naturally emerge.

Recognized Dependence

The vision of reaching 1000s of people with the Gospel of Jesus in the Northwest will not (and cannot!) happen apart from complete dependency upon the Sovereign God who reigns above.

I'm reminded of the words that the angel said to the prophet Zechariah:

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." - Zechariah 4:6

Again, in the words of the Psalmist:

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." - Psalm 127:1

The vision is God's, and so is the work.  Always has been; always will be.

Paul says it this way:

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." - 1 Corinthians 3:6

"Father, help us this day to continue in mission with complete dependency upon You, Your faithful Word, and Your Holy Spirit. Raise up and send forth effectual laborers into this great Harvest for the fame and glory of Your son, Jesus. Amen."

Personal Vision

It's great to know and believe in the vision that your church's leadership has for your particular body of believers; but it's powerful when YOU have a personal vision of what you can do to help bring things to reality.

When people catch a personal vision there's real movement and momentum to get things going! Once people have caught a personal vision, it then becomes the leaders job to help connect that personal vision with the overall vision of the mission!

Leaders should help connect people's passion and match it with God's purpose.

Leaders need to unlock and unleash the people that God has brought into our fellowships of faith so that they can dream DREAMS that are BIGGER than they are!

Ideas
Imagination
Inspiration

These are the things that make up a personal vision; and these are the things our people must experience if we really want them to participate in the vision of reaching 1000s of people in the Northwest with the Gospel of Jesus!

Here's a great question to get people dreaming about their own personal vision of what God can do in and through their lives:

"If you could do anything for Jesus' Church (sky's the limit!), what would you do?"

Ask a few people that question today and see the amazing responses you get--then connect that vision with the mission and you'll be starting something real!

(APEST) Apostolic + Teaching: This explains a lot!

I've been casting a lot of vision lately . . . talking to several different pastors about a renewed mission of reaching 1000s in the Northwest with the Gospel of Jesus.

In the process of doing this, I've been asking myself some very difficult questions about my strengths and weaknesses and about my role and capacity in the body of Christ.

I remembered hearing about an online ministry strength assessment test created by Alan Hirsch called APEST (Apostolic | Prophetic | Evangelistic | Shepherding | Teaching) based on the realities of Ephesians 4:11-12.

So last night after my prayer time of seeking the Lord, I paid the $10 and took the test.

The results? According to this simple 50 question test, my ministry strengths are as follows:

Apostolic 32
Teaching 32
Evangelistic 25
Prophetic 24
Shepherding 3

Apostolic + Teaching?  That makes sense!

Here's the assessment of the Apostolic + Teaching combination:

The Apostle Teacher inspires by communicating the need to pioneer new endeavors. The AT takes time to explain so others understand the dynamics of mission. The AT has a keen sense of systems, particularly the inherent logic of Christianity as a whole. The AT is creative and inventive with words, moving people forward with new ideas. The AT promotes active learning in the process of mission. The motivation of the Apostle Teacher is the urgency of taking the Faith outward, crossing boundaries of understanding to reach those who need to know. The AT is thus a natural activist-philosopher - ideas serve the cause.

My primary strength is Apostolic.  The Apostolic has the ministry impact of extension, and is the one who is sent.

Here's a short description about the Apostolic ministry strength which I feel very accurately identifies who I am:

• Visionary thinking and motivation.
• Comfortable crossing boundaries - intellectual, social or cultural.
• Entrepreneurial interests to build communities of faith.
• Starting something new is energizing.
• Pioneering new endeavors.
• Strategic decision maker.
• Innovative approaches and solutions.
• Uncomfortable with the status quo.
• See things holistically, part of larger system.
• Understands multiple dynamics and components.
• Deep relationships at a distance, in outside networks.
• Need to move occasionally to pursue a new thing.

Here's the assessment to the Apostolic strength:

Cast vision to those around you. Do not be afraid to let your passion and excitement ignite others lives. Listen to the questions and comments of others. Often, these elements will identify details needing to be integrated into your message, providing greater clarity. Do not fear over-explaining why certain people, organizations and resources are necessary to stabilize the vision . . . What you see as needed to further a missional cause may not be immediately seen by those near you.

I think this affirmation sheds a lot of light upon my role and capacity in the body of Christ; and it helps identify so many of the pulls and struggles that I feel intrinsically within . . .

Take the test for yourself here.

Sketching a Missional System

A missional system is what takes your vision for mission (reaching 1000s in the Northwest with the Gospel) and tells you the skeletal process of how it's going to work.

Here's my sketch of the missional system:

*It's important to begin living the system with your core group of people FIRST. This creates a culture within your body that becomes the norm. If your core people can't (or don't) live it first, there should be no reasonable expectation for those who convert the Jesus to live it next.

Here's how the system works:

1. Synchronize to mission - the emphasis here is connecting people who were previously unrelated to come together and begin walking in step with one another in order to fulfill the mission.

2. Solidify in mission - the emphasis here is developing, maturing, and strengthening the walk of the individual and the bonds between people to rally them in a commitment-oriented atmosphere to enjoy and participate in this community intent on fulfilling the mission.

3. Sustain the mission - the emphasis here is the participation and contributions of the people to keep the mission viable, durative, and effective.

4. Send to mission - the emphasis here is the releasing of people (per their distinct spiritual gifting and calling from God) to accomplish the mission by doing their part.

It's just a sketch, and comments, critique, or suggestions are more than welcome!

Finding Leaders

An indispensable need for a great new work to occur is leaders.

Without the catalyzing and influential affect of strong, spiritually gifted leaders within a group, that group is bound to flounder and spend its time "spinning their wheels."

Leaders set the pace, embrace the values, and determine the culture FIRST.

Where do you find good leaders?

How to Reach 1000s

Having a BIG vision is great (it keeps you on track), but now what's the process of seeing that vision become a reality?

Our vision is to reach 1000s in the Northwest with the Gospel of Jesus.

If you set out on the mission to reach 1000s of people with the Gospel of Jesus in a California city, what would be the steps to accomplishing that?

Think basic
Think simple
Think doable
Think practical
Think spiritual
Think measurable

Prayer Journal 001

These words came to me during my prayer time w/ the Lord this afternoon:

Participation
Action
Commitment
Training

Northwest Mission

The heart of this blog is to function as a running journal of the thoughts and discoveries I encounter along the way as we re-imagine the vision that God has for our church: to reach 1000s of people with the Gospel of Jesus throughout the Northwest Region of Sacramento: from North Natomas, to West Sac, to Downtown, to Del Paso Heights, to Rio Linda, to South Natomas.

· How is this done?
· What steps need to be taken?
· What are the lessons learned?
· What works?
· What doesn't?

Journey with me (and if you're down enough, JOIN ME) on this Northwest Mission.