Reflect on Paul’s strategy of re-visiting the Christian communities that he had founded. Does this practice of his hold any lesson for you in your own life, or for your own church community?The obvious lesson in Paul’s strategy of re-visiting the Christian communities that he founded is that those of us who are in ministry need to understand and appreciate that consistent follow-through is necessary. It’s not enough to sow seed once and then move on to other ground and hope that what has been done will be sufficient: one has to tend to what one has planted, and sow further seed where necessary.
If I think about my personal development and growth as a Christian, I can give credit to particular individuals who have guided and taught and supported me along the way. And because I’m a fairly insecure person, I need a whole lot of reassurance! So the people who have encouraged my growth have on frequent occasions reminded me of things I had been told previously. I’m a bit like the guy who looks in the mirror and then goes away and forgets what he looks like. The Christians around me are my mirror – as long as I keep seeing myself (that is, who I am in God) reflected back to me in the things they tell me and show me, then it’s so much easier to remember who I am called to be, and to continue to live that reality.
From this perspective, it’s hardly surprising that burgeoning Christian communities would need some support and encouragement from leaders in ministry who can continue to remind them what they are called to be: to hold up a mirror so that people can see the truth of their situation, appreciate what’s good, identify what needs work, and be able to monitor their own progress in this regard over a period of time.
Growth in relationship is also important. The Good News is all about a relational God who calls people into relationship with himself and with other people. So it follows logically that there should also be relational development between ministers and the community. For a community to receive input from a skilled and insightful “travelling consultant” can be useful, but it’s far more helpful for a community if a minister is able to speak to their particular situation and context by applying his/her skill and insight to the community’s lived reality. This means that the minister has to make return visits, and spend some time getting to know the people and the issues that affect the community, in order to be able to give constructive input that will effect positive change and growth over time.
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