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LEADERSHIP LETTER ARCHIVES
A MONTHLY READING
FOR ALL ARC LEADERS
January 2006
HIGHLIGHTS
FROM NEW JERSEY
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
Recently I sat down
with the team of leaders at the Lamb of God Fellowship in West Orange NJ.
My purpose was three-fold:
One of their elders,
Kevin Gann, asked if I would write my comments down and email them. I am
more than happy to do that and thought about that old analogy of killing two
birds with one stone (who does that and why would they want to?).
Consequently, I want to bless you with the report on the spiritual health at
our New Jersey family.
First
observation—after many years together, these folk really enjoy each other
and are quite comfortable with the next generation of leaders (Troy and
Noelle Rhodes, the LOG youth leaders, have been graciously received by the
older leaders.) Laughter seems to me to be one of the most upfront signs of
health in a marriage, family or church grouping. The laughter that
recognizes the peculiarities and challenges of our human condition and
foibles. These folk live out in the open with each other and like it.
Here are the
observations I made about the specifics of their life together:
-
Commitment to
biblical worship. LOG is a nice blend of the modern and liturgical.
Very talented and committed musicians and an on-purpose expression of
being before God together that admires His transcendence and embraces His
immanence. Tough to pull off, but they have been quite conscious of
seeking to honor God is this manner.
-
Valuing
plurality of leadership. Scott has led this group to a place that
honors and receives the individual giftings while insisting on the blend
of differences that speak of Christ's presence among them. There seems to
be a healthy corporate ownership of the mission and a freedom of
individual expression in coordination with the whole. This is not easily
achieved, but they have worked through the many issues that haunt this
process of unity. They genuinely "clothe themselves with humility toward
one another" (I Peter 5:5) and have largely overcome that ugly hubris that
pollutes teams.
-
Human identity.
I've recognized this as one of the most attractive features of the ARC
that, when properly understood, appreciates the spirituality of all of
life (rather than the mere religious segments) and conversely allows
leaders to be sinners, i.e. we are secure enough to look at our individual
needs and to learn to receive from other members. But this must be
guarded. And the LOG do well here. I was deeply blessed last summer in
Brazil as Scott taught on this truth so winsomely from Romans. He not
only teaches it well, but the leaders around him have drunk deeply from
that well.
-
Creativity.
LOG has been blessed with a disproportionate number of fine
artists—painters, sculptors, musicians, poets—and they have done a great
job of incorporating these gifts into their mission. Monthly concerts,
art exhibits, prose and poetry publications are woven into the holistic
mission to the whole man. There seems to be very little gap here between
gospel and creativity. One doesn't eclipse the other. And a larger
beauty is the fruit that adorns the LOG life.
-
Covenant and
community. Although these elements have been tested through the
years, LOG has persevered, held on and maintained a healthy expression of
intentional community that is gospel-rooted and value-driven. This
metropolitan culture is not ideal ground for building this vision. But
they have pressed through and continue to go after this work with both
zeal and understanding of the fixed costs. I have lived in real communes
and have honestly enjoyed all of these expressions but have come to
believe that authentic community is never limited to proximity of persons
or total agreement to particular values, but more so to the kind of
Christian life that joins together for mission with real human beings from
whom I learn and to whom I must extend forgiveness—and receive the same
while seeking to portray the love of Christ to a deeply broken culture.
It will always demand sacrifice and those willing to pay it, like LOG,
reap sure rewards.
-
Stewardship.
Several years ago, Scott was ignited regarding the dismal record of most
evangelical Christians in their disposition toward planned, regular giving
to church life and foreign missions. So Scott studied, share with his
leaders, and preached and taught financial stewardship. LOG responded and
there has been an ongoing transformation not only in finances, but in
worship, discipleship and the extension of influence in both local and
foreign missions. They have come to firmly believe that how an individual
or church handles their finances will be at the center of God's
responsiveness to them and His blessing on their missional efforts. You
could not dissuade one LOG leader from this belief. They've tested God
and tasted His grace.
-
Foreign
missions. Two and a half years ago I had the privilege of being with
Scott for his first trip to Brazil. I watched God capture his heart for
Brazil and the mission there. But even more was the enlargement into
God's heart for the world. And this rather quickly translated to the
whole congregation. Northern Ireland has also become a part of the
international mix of LOG. But what I most like about their approach is
the determination to enter into sacrificial partnerships rather than mere
budgetary commitments. There have been numerous people exchanges with
Brazil and Northern Ireland. Every elder has gone to Brazil and LOG has
received their leaders and now have received a young Brazilian woman,
Giselle, to live and work in the U.S. and become part of the LOG milieu.
-
Unity and
social responsibility. I praised this leadership team for succeeding
in their "failures." They have made at least three attempts at
interracial shared mission. None of them has been terribly fruitful. Much
work, many discussions, great hopes and eventual disappointment. But in
their efforts they have learned a great deal about God's heart for unity
and authentic reconciliation. Now God is using Scott to help spearhead an
interracial monthly prayer meeting of seven churches in Essex County with
more than 100 people coming together to pray and seek God for awakening.
I attended this gathering while there and was impressed by the heartfelt
desire for God to move and the evident vitality of the Spirit. I enjoyed
the mix of working through a Reformed leadership and liturgy with
contemporary praise songs and a black contingent that were demonstrably
enjoying the music more than the rest of us and a charismatic element that
were laying hands on each other after the meeting. It takes some real
effort and large doses of humility plus a personal devotion to Jesus'
prayer in John 17, but there must be a way for God's people to at least
pray together. LOG is in that holy soup in Essex County. Let's pray with
them.
There are certainly
other areas I've missed and perhaps I've overstated some of the progress in
some areas. But not by much. I hope that God continues to increase the
borders of His influence in and through LOG. I am praying for them—their
leaders, their life together, their mission and their influence that will
continue to stretch to the ends of the earth. And I pray for you in that
way, as individuals and churches. I am hoping and working toward pleasing
God by the way that we are faithful to the good deposit He has given us and
the ways that we influence His beloved broken world for His glory.
Remember to make
particular effort to attend our annual conference April 28-29. Doug and
Charlene Fike from Virginia will help us get a better hold on leaders,
leadership and spiritual transition.
In the love of
Christ,
Ned
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