Together we grow (53/100)

The value of community is increasingly evident. Today particularly, I was reminded of this in spiritual direction and in a time of seeking counsel from those who have gone before us in this realm of starting a ministry.

This has occurred after being challenged this weekend by my professor that doing community at the leadership level is not an easy prospect. Yet, I am absolutely convinced that this is God's intention, at least for us. Because of this, we have begun and will continue to function out of this context. It is part of who we are as an organization and ministry. Our community covenant captures this in the following statements:

Our intention is to gather as an authentic spiritual community around the person of Jesus, growing together in love, being intentional about spiritual transformation and committed to discerning the will of God in our lives and as a community. We make a commitment to the following community activities:

• deepening personal intimacy with Jesus through consistent and intentional practice of such disciplines as prayer, silence, solitude, lectio divina, study, and seeking spiritual guidance as ways of keeping us open and surrendered to the work of the Spirit
• growing self-awareness in our giftedness, callings, longings with God, frailties, and dark-side issues
• nurturing relationships with each other by increasing intimacy through vulnerability and transparency, creating a place of safety in which to share, and speaking the truth with love and grace
• helping protect our limits by establishing healthy boundaries and growing awareness of when to say, “No."
• continuously seeking God’s will together by growing in our understanding and practice of discernment as a community
• creating a rhythm of rest, retreat, and renewal through biannual weekend retreat as a community (1/2 time for personal retreat and ½ time being attentive to God’s voice for the community)

It is our desire and conviction that although the ministry is important, the purpose for us is to grow in intimacy with Jesus, and as we do so, the ministry will flow out of that relationship. Those who then have a desire for this will be drawn to join us, and God will manifest to them (and us) how they will contribute to the fulfilling of the ministry.

O. Lord, gather together those of us who will fulfill Your heart's desire of caring for Your people serving unto Your glory in the harder places of this world.