What's next?

As I reflect on my experience in Atlanta last weekend, the question that I keep coming to is "What's next?" I already wrote about this a little bit, but the question continues... these are the things that I am reflecting on...

1. What's next for me? One of the most challenging speakers I heard was Doug Fields who was talking about the way that we lead people. His message was challenging to me because it was convicting about some things that I struggle with. He talked about how many people are self-preservation leaders - they are focused on themselves, see their ministry as their identity and want the credit for the work that we do. Fields says that we need to move from self-preservation leadership to spotlight leadership where we work to shine the spotlight on others. To do this we must be secure in ourselves and willing to not get any credit, we must search into the lives of others to see what gifts they have that we can put in the spotlight, and we must serve. I would like to be a spotlight leader, and sometimes I think I do ok. But often I fall back into self-preservation leadership. Interestingly tonight I went to Joshua House, the young adult service at the Vineyard Columbus, and the message was sort of about this - about honoring God by honoring others. This is what I personally feel I am being called to work on.

2. What's next for SUM TEENS? This one is a little harder for me to answer because I think there is so much more that goes into it. And so many more things that have been running through my head. One thing that I have been considering even before going to Atlanta is that I want to do a high school only international trip. I would like to do the first one in 2014 over spring break then do one every 4 years so that all the high schoolers would have the opportunity to do it. I also am challenged by some ideas, like that our identity needs to be mission. I am not sure where God wants me to go with that yet, but it's got me thinking. I also am thinking that I need to do a better job of spending time with youth outside of Sundays, and have been considering what that might look like. So yeah, the truth is I am still processing this one...