Thursday, August 09, 2007

Follow Me...

August 12th-19th is our third Global Briefing for Stinters.

For those of you unfamiliar with the lingo, the Global Briefing is a week that we get together with all of our "one year" missionaries to give them some preparation for the amazing things they are about to do around the world this year.

We have Bible teaching, we worship together, and we have training on how to love God, love each other, learn a new culture and "launch movements" (do ministry).

It's an amazing time that I really enjoy.

This year is a little different, in that the leadership team for the conference asked me to be the Bible teacher for the week (this was also embarrassing, because I'm the facilitator for the leadership team, so I didn't know what to do when I was nominated). Our theme is "Follow Me", so every morning I'll be sharing from the gospels about what it means to follow Jesus, all told within the framework of Simon Peter's experiences following Jesus.

I'm really excited about being able to teach during this time. I've felt a deep peace as I've spent time preparing, and have really enjoyed my time in the word. Which, honestly, has felt a little dry in the late spring and earlier this summer. But God has met with me during the preparation for this time... and I am interested to see what he will say to me and others during the conference.

I love this logo, too, designed by Scott Freeman. It gives the impression of both blood and growth, pain and beauty and sacrifice in a way that I think is suggestive of what it means to be a follower of Christ. We cannot be like him unless we are willing to go the places he went, and do the things that he did. Which means that we cannot avoid suffering, and must not avoid death. Along the way there are also moments of unbearable beauty, flowers appearing in the midst of despair. And if you look closely you'll even see plants that are clearly going to seed... they are about to spread and multiply and create more fruit like themselves.

Anyway, I would love to have your prayers next week. I'll post a prayer calendar that Andy wrote up for us.

Thanks, everyone. Don't worry, I'll update you. (I know you were worried.)

P.S. I am excited to say that Tifah will be providing us with the music and contributing greatly to the atmosphere of worship!

5 comments:

  1. i'm so jealous now, can I come? or can you record your daily teaching so I can learn from it?

    you can do a podcast!

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  2. As it turns out, we are recording the talks...

    I've never done a podcast, though, so I might need some tutoring on how to upload it!

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  3. podcasts are easy ... but if you're recording the talks, won't the AV people take care of posting them?

    but even so, they'll probably be on some secret AI link that I don't have access to - sad. You must make sure i get it somehow. I'm excited already.

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  4. I will be praying for you next week.

    The logo is beautiful, it's almost hard for me to look at it too closely...

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  5. I, too, am jealous! As much as I am excited to go home, this just makes me wish I were going on STINT again...

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