(D-47) A sailboat, not a power boat...

You may wonder what the title means. It was about what our ministry model should be. Let me elaborate.

A power boat moves by the power of the engine, regardless of the direction of the wind. It is controlled usually by the captain of the boat. Other crews have certain roles, but usually assisting ones.

On the other hand, a sail boat moves by the power of the wind. It has a captain, too, but the captain coordinates the crews to take actions towards one goal: sailing into a direction in light of the power and direction of the wind. The crews will have to work together: partnership.

This discussion was part of the Project BGAN Executive Committee's Retreat over the last weekend (Dec. 12-14) in the Pocono Mountains. The sail boat theory appealed to me strongly because it compares very well to many ministry or organizational models.

An organization led by a strong leader is like a power boat while an organization led by an effective team or partnership is like a sail boat. The sail boat model depicts more of a biblical model because it requires all stakeholders to sense the direction of the wind (discerning the will of the Holy Spirit) instead of trying to bulldoze everything with a strong leadership. The power boat model depicts more of a self-righteous organization that depends on its own resources more than the Lord and His power. It makes great sense and draws a nice picture. I need to study more on this analogy.

It was a blessing to fellowship with three missionaries currently focusing on mobilization. Just being together with these godly people was encouraging. Sharing thoughts on where the divine wind is blowing was uplifting and enlightening. Sharing how God has been working in our lives was enriching. Praying for each other was greatly empowering. And exploring various options for Project BGAN's future ministry foci was inspiring and challenging.

They will continue to trot the world, preaching the gospel, presenting biblical mission models, providing safe harbor ministries for Kingdom workers, teaching leaders effective leadership, networking God's people for the Kingdom purposes, and pulling resources for the Kingdom causes. May God bless them wherever they go!

Please pray that:

* the Lord will give us the clarity on the Mission and Vision Statements for Project BGAN;

* the Lord will provide us with His people and resources for re-defined Kingdom purposes; and

* the Lord will guide us through the transition time swiftly before we leave for Rwanda.

Praise the Lord for the blessings that we received from the retreat! - Jeffrey