Yesterday we had our monthly "All Staff" meeting. I guess I am new enough that they haven't become mundane to me yet but I confess especially lately it has been easy to focus on how much I have to do. The meeting plan was to spend some time in prayer and worship over people who are far from God. The 67% as we tend to refer to them because of a statistic that referenced 67% of people do not have a relationship with Jesus. Some people were asked to prayer specifically and then others were invited to prayer for their ministry, campus or just the specific people on their hearts. From there we would return to our normal stuff which isn't bad stuff by any means. We have been blessed with some great stuff in staff meetings lately - Scott Hodge, Alan Hirsch and that Dave Ferguson is no slouch either. As the prayer time unfolded it became apparent that God's Spirit was really powerful in that place. The staff that prayed out loud poured out their hearts and their passion for helping people was so apparent. It was really cool. Dave responded to the Spirit and just scrapped whatever else we were going to do and we just spend the whole time and a little extra just praying and worshipping. I know I needed it big time. I need Jesus to intersect my life when I get focused on me and what I have to do all the time even if it is something good like ministry. I need to know that the people I am in the trenches with working, creating, and sweating along side are there because they love Jesus and love His people.
The cool part was after the meeting I got to have lunch with my friend Nick. I have really come to appreciate my meetings with him in a new way. First it is just plain fun. We love to laugh, at each other, life and the crazy people we get to work with. It's also great joy to strategize and talk about ministry. What can we do different, better, more - all of that. As we took a moment and reflected on the events of the morning Nick, as usual, made a poignant statement. He said "I bet you don't miss staff meetings from a year ago." A reference to my "old days" in the car business. Another excellent reminder that I am so lucky to be where I am doing what I am. I love doing this! And I love the people I get to do it with. I worked for a long time doing something I didn't have any passion for and it is so good to not be in that environment anymore.
And I love when Jesus knocks me off my donkey - what a great day!
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1 comment:
I totally agree--it was a powerful staff meeting! (much more powerful than any I had as a computer programmer) It is a great reminder too that for all our strategies and vision and meetings and budgets and work, it really comes back to a group of people that is simply seriously sold out to the Jesus Mission.
And I'm so thankful and excited that you're in that group now!
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