Sunday 22 August 2010

To Jimbo's and back



Vicki came to see me this week, all the way from blighty to see little old me. It was a super snazzy time which included 20 hours of driving going down to our furthest Boardstore in Port Macquarie run by Rob and Boris' friend Jimbo. Drivingvandrivingvaniamdrivingthevan. Vicki heard that alot this week. I was very blessed by her trip she is uber special to me and a massive encouragement. Love you girl.














Saturday 14 August 2010

The Facilitator

Sounds like a bad action movie perhaps starring Vin Diesel. Or Angelina Jolie. She could play me. Or perhaps not.

Last Monday I was asked to stand up at base worship and catch everyone up on my ministry. What I was doing, more importantly what God was doing. I was freaking out the week before. Seven months ago I was doing the Create2Skate workshops and running weekly girls nights but the workshops ended, I received no response to doing another set and the girls nights fizzled out. Sitting thinking about it I was suddenly scared that I wasn't doing enough and I didn't know what to share. So I shared this...

Boardstore is an example of Business As Missions (BAM) as opposed to Business For Missions. There is a company in Australia called Network Communications that was founded to fund missions and actually pays for the Australian Christian Channel on TV. Rad. We are not like that. Boardstore IS the mission. The purpose of Boardstore is to connect with the skate community and show God's love, make Him known, in that community.

Last year I was working in Boardstore, meeting kids and parents. I felt like I was working in Ministry. With a capital. And then Rob and Boris asked me to take on the role of managing the shops which I happily accepted as I love a challenge, I love business, I'm a workaholic and an organisational obsessive (some people have experienced this side of me, others, such as my parents or anyone that sees my bedroom, may be confused by this revelation)

So I stepped into this new role which involved more and more working at the office and cutting back my hours at the shop, eventually relinquishing them altogether. I like being productive and I think I fill this new role well, but I was confused at first by the amalgamation of office job and ministry. Sitting at a computer 9-5 Monday to Friday didn't feel like ministry. And at first I felt like I needed to do more outside of these hours which would then be my ministry. But I've learnt it's not like that.

My job is ministry. God uses Boardstore to reach people. To meet people and build relationship and reveal His love and goodness. And God uses me to help keep Boardstore running. When I hear from Esther about a great conversation she had with someone in the shop I know that it is all a part of our ministry here. It is a part of my ministry. So when I'm sitting in the office doing stocktake or out at Bunnings buying binbags and chain, I am in ministry.


After I spoke Hensser, our base director, told everyone that the higher you go in leadership, the less it becomes about your personal ministry and the more it becomes about the people around you and facilitating what they are doing and in this way ministry is multiplied. I felt really validated in my role and for the first time I felt that I haven't taken a step backwards in ministry, but forwards.

I used the word ministry 12 times there. It kind of lost meaning in my head for a minute.
Vicki will be here in 3 hours and I am SUPER MUCH EXCITED!