Wildfoote: A Leadership Journey

Don't Panic - Part 2

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to facilitate an afternoon session with board members from several Illinois Youth For Christ chapters.  After some excellent discussion and sharing of ideas, I closed the session by giving them some a few thoughts on how I believe nonprofits should be responding to the economic crisis that we are facing.

I shared a couple of these (Don't Panic and Be Realistic) on this blog in December.  Here are the rest of them.

Real Estate, Break In, and Sabbatical

Long time no post.  Lots happening.

On the Real Estate front, I have been playing a major role on RCC's facility transition.  We have been working on identifying properties and getting ready for a big move.  Actually hired architects this week and got moving on designing our next space.  Most likely we are going to move into an existing building and turn it into "our space".  We have some cool ideas, so will post more as we get further into the project.

This past Monday night, our next door neighbor had a guy with a gun come into his house and demanded money.  Ended up forcing one of the occupants to drive him to an ATM and made the neighbor take out money.  Kind of scary.  About the same time, I had our front door open and the screen door unlocked.  That has changed. 

Pastor Jim is on sabbatical through July and then on vacation the first week of August.  I spoke at the three services this morning, finishing up our series on the life of Samuel.  Wow, I forget what it takes to give the same message three times, back to back over a 4 hour period.  Believe it or not it takes a lot of emotional energy out of you.  It didn't help that one of the air conditioners went out, making for a warm meeting space.  But overall, I enjoy communicating in that forum. 

So that's a quick update!  Hopefully more to come.

Brian McLaren

About 10 days ago, I took a couple guys up to Northern Baptist Seminary in Lombard to hear Brian McLaren.  Brian was the featured speaker for the annual William W. Brady Lectures.  As always, Brian was both challenging and inspiring.

I got to know Brian while I was serving at International Teams and have memories of challenging discussions in cafe's in Seattle and the DC/Baltimore area, at a conference center in Costa Rica, and in our own board room in Elgin at the IT USA office.  His questions and thoughts have been postive markers in my own journey with God. 

The lectures were a good experience for all three of us and our brief conversation with Brian before the lectures started was encouraging.  I took away from the day his challenge to be engaged in contextual theology, a narrative hermeneutic, a missional vocation, and a deep global conversational ecclesiology.  I am looking forward to his next book which focuses on the contemporary global crises and how we apply the gospel to them.  Should be an interesting read.

I snapped this quick photo of Brian on my cellphone following the lectures.  Thanks for a great day Brian!

Home In P-Town

The parties are finished, the good byes are over.  Yes, it is official...we are home in Peoria. 

We wondered at times if we were going to make it. Liz did an incredible job of packing and preparing while I was traveling right before we moved.   I think we were both delirious before it was all over.  But we made it...thanks to lots of help and encouragement from old friends, new friends, family, Allied Moving company, and mostly the grace and strength of God.  Thanks to the Hilberts and Liz's parents for the ton of food on Saturday.  The movers were excited about the "buffet" they were able to experience. Thanks to Scott and Holly, Jessica, Heidi, Tom and Dottie, and Joel and Emily for unpacking, setting things up and help us make those decisions as to what goes where.

Now to get down to business...Getting the kids in school, finish setting up the house, and putting energy and intentionality behind my role at Richwoods Christian Church.

Guess What We Are Doing...

This is just a small snapshot of what is happening at our house at the moment...boxes, boxes, everywhere.  We are putting on a full court press to get packed and ready to move.

I returned home from Peoria tonight to help get packed.  The movers are scheduled to load the truck on March 15, we close on both houses on the 16th, and the movers deliver our stuff on the 17th.

The kicker is that several months ago, I agreed to help facilitate a retreat for the Regional and Ministry Leaders of International Teams in South Carolina, March 11-16.  Hmmm...see a problem here?  Liz and I have worked it out, and I will return early before the retreat is over but before the truck shows up.  I will plan to blog some of the retreat while I am there next week.  Apparently we are supposed to have wireless internet.

One thing I can say, our life is definitely not boring!!!

Transition Thoughts

As we are packing, cleaning, attending "going away" parties, saying good-bye, etc, Liz and I are having an ongoing discussion about the impact we have had on people in our neighborhood and community.  If you haven't already, you need to check out her latest post here on her blog. 

In reading Joshua this morning from The Message, I was taken by a line from Peterson's introduction to the book.  He wrote the following:

"God's great love and purposes for us are worked out in the messes, storms, and sins, blue skies, daily work, and dreams of our common lives, working with us as we are and not as we should be."
(The Message:  The Old Testament Historical Books, p. 10).

I find that line comforting.  We have strived to be who we are, without pretense...to be open and authentic...to be honest about who we are and who we are not.  I have to say that Liz does a better job of this than I, as it seems that I can be too concerned with how I am perceived by others.  But all in all, I am grateful that God uses us as we are.