We just renovated the Coaching page on our website! Our goal is to make the process, the purpose, and the pricing more clear. If you can check it out and let us know if there’s anything more we can do to answer your questions up front, that would be a lovely gift to us today!
Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend the live IF:Gathering in Austin, TX. If you’re unfamiliar with “IF:Gathering”, the short of it is that it’s a movement of women in the church, across the globe, to help each other live out God’s calling. This year’s conference focused on discipleship in the early church. I left with one clear message: the world isn’t going to be changed by books, events, or platforms. Transformation of the next generation happens on the living room floor, Bibles open. It happens when someone opens the door of their home over and over, with offers of coffee and maybe some chocolate chip cookies, and then God shows up at the doorway of their guests’ hearts. Jennie Allen (founder of IF) credits her mentor from her college years, who did just that, with the existence of IF:Gathering — which this year alone reached 2,200 live-stream locations around the world in over 120 countries. Jennie’s fear is that the relationships that fostered our generation’s spiritual growth and deeper love of Jesus will be missing for the next generation.
I couldn’t agree more that discipleship happens best in authentic communities of believers “doing life together”. I was challenged to look for more opportunities to “give what I’ve got, where I’m at.” What I want to add to that conversation is that the church, in all the various forms it can take, has a crucial role in nurturing those discipleship relationships. At every Ascending Leaders event, workshop, or webinar I’ve been a part of, I’ve been heartened by seeing church leaders who are earnest in doing that, and doing that better. These leaders…they CARE. They are all-in with this discipleship thing! And I know that after the workshop, after the event, they are in the trenches, tools in hand, covered in sweat and grime, building paths for disciples to move forward on. Rejoice in this! God is at work.
Now I have a challenge for you, leaders. If you’re feeling alone in this work, pause right now and find a community of fellow path-builders. Registration for DiscipleOn, our very own online learning community for discipleship leaders, is open through Monday (02/13/2017). It might not be the community for you. It may not be for you for right now. If that’s the case, keep looking and keep praying for God to bring you your tribe. If you think it might be your community for the next six months, you can:
I hope you’ll join us. DiscipleOn communities are full of those amazing church leaders I get to meet at our workshops, and I just know that you’d like them too!
Matthew 6:16-18 The Message (MSG)16-18 “When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well. |
“Do you know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-26
The Christian life is similar to athletic training. It involves a two-sided strategy of doing things that improve athletic performance while avoiding (or abstaining from) things that degrade performance. Athletes will abstain from certain foods, risky activities in other sports, and events that conflict with their exercise and rest plans. Paul uses the metaphor of a runner in the previous passage. It is clear that he led a “simple” life. One uncluttered with things, activities, and events that (although okay) would turn out to be detrimental to his life goals.
Part of “Christian training” is controlling the desires that come naturally to us. In many cases, they are inherently okay, but can be an enemy of the best. They can crowd out our goals, cloud our motives, or become addictive. Desires like food, sex, fun, praise, influence, and popularity are okay unless we become slaves to them. Fasting is one way to refocus our attention on God.
Anything that we go to in place of God for comfort in a time of need has become an idol to us. It is when you go to any of them first in a time of need that they have ceased to be good for you.
In her book Soul Feast, Marjorie Thompson calls the habit of simplicity and abstaining “self-emptying.”
But isn’t that, well, draining? Where does sacrifice fit into a life of joy?
Jan Johnson writes in Simplicity and Fasting (Spiritual Disciplines Bible Studies):
“But the death to self is difficult! train us to relinquish what we want. But when done as God leads, they do not need to make us miserable. teach us to truly enjoy each blessing of creation as it comes–enjoying one simple luscious grape at a time, being grateful for a car that runs well, getting us from one place to the next.
We learn to love the world God loves without running on the fuel it runs on–unlimited amounts and varieties of food, media and words.”
Pause and pray for guidance as you reflect on the excesses in your life. Then complete the following exercise.
Examine your motives for saying “yes” to too many things. Think of three times you said “yes” in the last three days. Ask these questions about these times:
Stay tuned for part three: When to Exercise Abstinence. Or download your free copy of Simplicity and Sacrifice today!
Mindy’s passion for church leadership and disciple-growing cultures is clear from her body of work. She’s the founder of Soul Care, a spiritual formation ministry that exists to increase “soul health” in the body of Christ. She previously served as the Director of Transformation Ministry for the Willow Creek Association (WCA) and currently serves on the senior alignment team at Gloo as the Compassion International & Church Initiative Lead (www.gloo.us). Mindy is also a speaker and leadership consultant, working with local churches and national organizations such as Renovare, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Salvation Army, and her home church, Ascent (www.ascentcc.org).
Register for the webinar (FREE!)
Wow! Our donors are amazing. Thank you, to everyone who gave from $20 to $1,000 on #GivingTuesday. Checks are still coming in, but so far your gifts have exceeded those received for National Giving Day last year by a whopping 63%!
With one month left to go in 2016, we’re over halfway to our year-end fundraising goal. This has been a year of growth, momentum, and humbling gifts as God continues to work through Ascending Leaders to make a discernible difference for discipleship in the churches we partner with. So what do you think — can we fly right on past that stretch goal? Can you help us do more than we could possibly envision on our own?
Good news: our Matching2Multiply crew is standing by to double your donations through the end of the year!! You may have missed #GivingTuesday, but you can still multiply your impact by sending a check or giving online before midnight on New Year’s Eve!*
*As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, your donation to Ascending Leaders is tax-deductible.
