Risk-Taking Equals Failing, Sometimes

We had a great week in Greece!  The preacher, worship, and fellowship with colleagues was wonderful.  Elise and I worked hard through the week and have needed a few days of quiet to recover, but we are getting there.

One of the many things I enjoyed was thinking about our values.  Risk-taking being one of those that I am not too good at.  I prefer knowing something will work before going for it.  Not very impressive, I know and agree.

Grady Bauer writes in the blog, in the missional space, "Companies, churches, teams that play it safe...rarely do much. Sure they may maintain...and sure they may succeed at being successful at mediocrity....but they don’t really succeed. A key part of success is failure."  I need to learn the art of not playing it safe, of trusting when I don't see the end, and of giving it my best when I don't know the results.

Risk-taking does not entail failure to plan and prepare.  It does mean trying things when the results are not known.  And, it means celebrating what we can learn as a result.  No matter what.

Pray that those of us in central Europe would have the courage and wisdom to step out of our comfort zone and do everything we can to reach out in the world around us.  Pray we would have the grace and humility to accept the results and to learn from them.

Greece in a Couple of Hours

We leave for Greece this afternoon.  While it will be all the fun it sounds like, it is a work trip for us as well.  Pray for us as we travel there today and return next Sunday.  Pray for our time with colleagues, that we would be encouraging to one another.  Pray for renewal, revival, and refreshment from the Lord.  Thanks!

Happy Father's Day!

Elise, Mom and Dad at the Big Waterfall

First view of beautiful Plitvice National Park

Happy Father's Day to my dad, who is receiving this many thousand miles away. The support and love I have grown up with and enjoyed as a man are significant factors in anything good I have done or that is in me. I appreciate and love my mom and dad. And, this Father's Day, I especially want my dad to know I love him and am thankful for him.

Thousands of peaceful waterfalls

The city of Rab

Elise, Mom and Dad on the Island of Rab

Mom and Dad just visited Croatia in May. We had a wonderful time together and were able to enjoy a couple of day trips, including Plitvice and the Island of Rab. The picture at the top of this blog is from our trip to Plitvice. More from those trips are shown in this post.

in front of old tower

flowers of Rab

Plitvice has miles of running water connecting several lakes

Al Mohler wrote a blog post yesterday, "Watch Out for Myths About Fatherhood."  It is an excellent article underscoring the importance dads have in the fabric of families and society. Mine has had that important, positive impact and continues to. As the father of an 18 year old and a 16 year old, I need God's wisdom to be the father they need.

This Hurts! Personnel Cutbacks at the IMB

Many of you who know Elise and I are aware that we are serving in a bit different role for the IMB.  We serve personnel in 7 countries now and are humbled and honored to do so.  In recent days, this has meant helping lead us through the reality of personnel cutbacks.  People are not being laid-off, but not appointed as quickly and some programs have been suspended.  It has a great impact on our European teams in two ways:

1.  Teams develop strategies based on how to best reach their people.  This normally involves some mixture of cooperating with local Baptists, working with other mission groups, and developing an IMB team.  The last element of that is now in jeopardy.  If no new people can be appointed through the journeyman, ISC, or Masters programs, our teams will have to change strategy.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but is certainly disappointing.

2.  People on the field in the ISC, journeyman, and Masters programs have always had an option, if approved by their supervisor,  to extend for another year, ISCers could turn around to become career personnel, or they could "re-up" to another term.  Now, that option seems to be in doubt.  The impact on these people is very difficult.  When the board of trustees made the decision to suspend these programs, we were left with the reality of people leaving the field in ten weeks, unless an extension was granted.  Thankfully, those extension were granted.  But, a new round is coming this fall, and then early next year, and then...

These cutbacks hurt.  Real people, called by God to go are not being sent by our sending agency.  I am not laying blame on anyone.  The board of trustees had few options.  We have 5,700 or so people on the field and money for a few hundred less than that.  Still it hurts.

Below are a few links which discuss the state of Southern Baptist life today.  These authors don't agree with each other, but I think a consensus is reached between them.  We need a fresh touch of revival in our midst.  It is a good thing that God is patient and loves us so much.

Pray for Elise and I to have wisdom as we lead and serve during these days.  Pray for missionaries to be able to keep their hands to the plow despite the economic hardships right now.  Pray for a fresh wind of revival to renew our hearts and focus our churches on the transforming power of the gospel throughout the world.

SBC Myopia.

ie missional's thoughts on it.

Dr. Akins and the GCR.

Hemphill Asks Who cares?

Bikes and Falls

Please lift Elise up in prayers today.  She fell off her bike yesterday and is sore as well as scrapped and skinned up.  She has "owies" on both hands, one knee, two places on her face, and a bruised right shoulder.  The swelling is down this morning and we are thankful the injuries are not serious.  Thanks.