Life-on-life Ten-pin Style
by John Kimball, Director of Church Development
From the very beginning, the leadership of the CCCC has believed that we could not ask our members to do something we were not doing ourselves. When it comes to our priorities and our guiding values, we all feel this is critical. That said, some of these can be a logistical challenge because teams like the Church Development Team are spread out all over the country.
We know we need to model what we teach in Church Development. A great example would be how we put our value of a “Shared Life and Shared Mission” on display. The Church Development Team meets twice every month — once for planning our ministry together and once for intercessory prayer for the pastors and churches in the LifeFlow stream. We love and value these online web meetings and appreciate each other’s input. We have a good relationship with each other. But as good as all these virtual gatherings are, they are not the same as spending life-on-life time together. That’s why, at least twice each year, we make every effort to spend real time together. Sometimes that’s a mid-year retreat (like last year’s gathering of the whole team for the Renovate! Conference in Orlando). And it always includes planned time together during the CCCC Annual Gathering.
This year’s Annual Gathering in Rochester, New York was no exception. Several of our team members taught workshops together, many of us made plans to eat meals together, and several sat together during plenary meetings. But the best part was the special time we planned together for Thursday after the Annual Gathering was completed.
Our team gathered for a retreat — spending the afternoon learning how to better mentor the pastors with whom we work. We then met for supper together with our families and some others who were still in town. Twenty-two in all, we took up an entire section of the Charbroil Restaurant. It was wonderful to catch up and laugh together. Then, as is our tradition, we went bowling!
We have planned bowling outings every time we get together for the last several years. Some of us show some skill. Most of us don’t. But all of us have fun. We laugh. We cheer. We grieve histrionically for every gutter ball. And best of all, we all yell “Nine!” every time someone leaves a single pin standing…. (There’s a story behind that. You’ll have to ask next time you see a team member!) People around us usually start laughing and cheering with us (and some stare… but that’s okay). When folks find out that we’re a bunch of pastors, it’s hysterical to see their reaction. Each time we come away from our outing saying it was the best fun we’ve had. And it didn’t hurt to all go out for frozen yogurt afterward in Rochester, either!
I’ve been in the Conference since 1991. For me, the most important feature of our Annual Gatherings has always been the relationships. It seems almost more like a family reunion than a business meeting. But the deepening relationships I have with my Church Development Team members have taken these events to a completely new level. I love and respect these brothers more each year. And the relationships we have with each other have also helped us to greatly improve how we work and teach together — putting the life-on-life priority of our LifeFlow Church Development Process on display. This is just one way we live out our shared life and shared ministry together.
Can’t wait until we get to Carlsbad!
