Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Team

We often under appreciate team dynamics in North America...we often suffer with vinegar and water relationships because we seperate work and life...on the mission field this tension can sink the cause of Christ and it is painfully realized. This is no less true at in North America but it is easily overlooked and the lack of chemistry or toxic chemistry is endured and even apathetically accepted. I'm watching mission teams here thrive as well as come to sober assessments about team and who is in and who is not and chemistry and the ability to have life together is a key part. There are entire teams that relocate together...they are family forged out of hardship and mission and then others fragment because of intolerable chemistry that is suppressed, endured and accepted. I'm not sure I have ever fully appreciated the gravity...When the cause of Christ is dependent upon the chemistry of the team it is vitally clear how important team becomes...and make no mistake the cause of Christ is dependent upon how we live together, dwell together, unite and love.

2 comments:

John Walters said...

I relate to your thoughts concerning the prayer warriors. I felt much the same about the missionaries (can’t use their name here) in Morocco. I think about the differences as one shares Jesus to those who see Him as irrelevant as opposed to those who see Him as a threat to their religious system. Each missionary I guess has a whole set of problems some similar and some very different as they work to win some to Christ. It is like fishing in different ponds. Here in the U.S. some of our fish like the food we put on the hook, some have tasted it and want to try other stuff, some are disgusted by the smell and won’t come near it. But at least we in the U.S. have a whole pool of fish still willing to taste it, to take the bait so to speak. It must be very difficult fishing in a pond that won’t even come near the worm.

archie said...

We can pray for God's continued blessings on your travel and spiritual enlightenment. I know I look forward to hearing of your EPIC journey.