Focusing on Strategic Values

We noted elsewhere on this site that personal development flows in three channels:

·         Godly character

·         Ministry skills, and

·         Strategic Values

We saw that godly character refers to progress toward Christ-likeness, and ministry skills means increasing effectiveness and productivity in using gifts and abilities to accomplish God’s purposes, strategic values have to do with the interweaving of a lifetime of learning and growing in ministry that grows toward an increasingly clear ministry framework that gives direction and focus and ultimate purpose to one’s life.

This handout provides additional information about progress toward strategic values.

A Focused Life

Dr Bobby Clinton says, “Leaders must make decisions about life and ministry which flow from their understanding of who God has made them to be and for what God is shaping them. These decisions will lead them to effective purposeful lives which, in retrospect, will be seen to have been focused lives. Bit it is not a self-seeking individualistic choice of life but a seeking of what a sovereign God is doing—His purposes. All of the focused life thinking must be done in the light of a strong understanding of the sovereignty of God.” (Strategic Concepts that Clarify a Focused Life, page 1)

He goes on to define a focused life in this way:

“A focused life is:

• a life dedicated to exclusively carrying out God’s unique purposes through it,
• by identifying the focal issues, that is, the life purpose, unique methodology, major role or ultimate contribution which allows
• an increasing prioritization of life’s activities around the focal issues, and
• results in a satisfying life of being and doing.” (Strategic Concepts, page 3)

Clinton defines several key terms in this definition like this:

“Life purpose is the driving force behind what we do. Major role is the occupational position from which we accomplish that life purpose. Unique methodologies are means that are effective for us to deliver our ministry that flows from that life purpose. And ultimate contributions are the lasting results of that ministry.” (Strategic Concepts, page 3)

He continues by saying that, “It is the discovery of these focal issues, that is their movement from implicit to explicit, which provides the possibility of prioritization, or in other words, proactive decision making. The earlier we can discover these issues, the earlier we can proactively act upon them.” (Strategic Concepts, page 3)

A Social Base for Ministry

(adapted from a presentation by Michael Littlefield, based on Dr. Bobby Clinton)

Home Environment Needs

• Economic Support: Financial base which covers living expenses, medical, educational, basic physical needs like food, clothing, transportation, recreational  etc.
• Basic physical needs: The necessities of life--how we eat, sleep, laundry, meet our physical drives.  Where do we stay?  Are we safe? What is our home?  A place of retreat?  An Outreach?  Open House?  Castle?
• Emotional Support: Companionship, someone to talk to, recreational outlets, empathetic understanding, affirmation of personal worth, etc.
• Creativity - Renewal Support: The sharing of ministry or career ideas, philosophy, dreams, creativity.  That which challenges and calls us to be and do what God desires.

Balancing Home and Work - some models for Singles.

1. Isolation: Completely alone, providing for one’s own needs
2. Partial Isolation Usually alone, but retreats to other social settings every so often
3. Same Sex Partnerships - follows along the lines of patterns for married couples.
4. Opposite Sex Partnerships - co-ministry. This can be dangerous.
5. Team - Part of a team that is committed to each other and provides basic needs.
6. Family - be “adopted” into a family.
7. Community - groups formed with singles and couples who live in community. Not just living in the same location, but deciding to meet social needs.

Balancing Home and Work - some models for Marriages.

1.      Releasing one for ministry: One spouse involved in heavy outside ministry and the other spouse  primarily in a support role.

3     Both are still called - they are in fact working together.

3     Absolutely critical that both spouses be included in negotiations about the ministry

2.      Partners together in the same ministry: Each spouse see themselves operating in the same ministry  together and each has a significant role. 

3     With children (or parents)

3     Without children.

3.      Different ministries for each spouse Both spouses give themselves to full time ministry in different settings.

4.      Taking turns in ministry:

3     Spouses alternate the release profile, internal ministry, for varying portions of time. Each releases and helps the other develop the external ministry or career for significant portions of time.

5.      Delaying ministry for one's spouse:

3     Both spouses had ministries before marriage.  One spouse enters the release profile dropping ministry and concentrating on mainly providing support needs.

6.      Unhealthy model:

3     One or the other spouse opposes the other’s role or in some significant way hinders fulfillment of potential.

Summary Insights on Home Environment Processing

1.      There is no absolute ideal profile: each person/couple is unique.

2.      We need to affirm the various diverse profiles and support people in them.

3.      Over a life time it is normal for the home environment to change.

4.      Each of us needs to periodically assess our home environment and see to what extent needs are being met.

5.      Home Environment Processing is important!  People’s lives and ministries can be ruined for lack of meeting various home environment needs.

Insights from Generalized Ministry Timelines

(Adapted from an OMF Self-Study Guide, based on content developed by Dr. Bobby Clinton)

Key Boundary 1 During the transition time marked by the first key boundary, emerging leaders...

·         accept responsibility for ministry,

·         commit to a leadership role,

·         commit to a term of ministry,

·         initiate a growth ministry phase, and

·         cross a logistical barrier.

Provisional ministry Typical characteristics of the provisional ministry sub-phase include...

·         lessons learned through negative experiences,

·         learning through trial and chance success about role and giftedness,

·         large drop-out rates from ministry (3-5 years)

·         focus on skills leading to role and character:

·         first, ministerial formation--learning to do, and

·         second, character formation--learning to be, and

·         generally inefficient and inconsistent ministry--some good, some bad.

Key boundary 2 This boundary is characterized by...

·         disappointment with ministry and in ministry,

·         Are we getting out of it what we expect?

·         interpersonal conflicts with other leaders,

·         disappointment with more senior leaders as relationships intensify,

·         neglect of inner life because of pressure to perform, and

·         inadequacies of training are revealed. (Example: In training, leader mastered exegesis, but not conflict resolution.)

·         Saying: “Nothing in our training prepared me for this kind of experience.”

·         Result: A common experience is to go back to school and study counseling.

·         Mentoring helps: In this critical boundary transition, mentoring can provide an experienced leader to: teach, counsel, coach, and sponsor. Leaders who discover or recruit mentors find springs of running water.

Competent ministry

In this phase, leaders...

·         do things right,

·         apply personal gifts and abilities intentionally,

·         taste the joy of seeing things coming together (Clinton: “mini-convergence”),

·         select productive roles, and

·         minister with confidence.

The tendency we have when we get here is to “build three tabernacles.”  We plateau, becoming so comfortable with what we’re doing that we don’t have to work at it anymore.

Key boundary 3 At  this boundary, leaders begin to...

·         grow toward “being” as a base for doing, ...

·         pursue strategic ministry over competent ministry,

·         develop a unique personal mission statement, and

·         expand and deepen their spheres of influence.

Unique ministry Leaders in this phase...

·         select the right things to do rather than just doing things right,

·         modify their roles to fit who they are, as they pursue convergence,

·         share well-developed personal mission statements, and

·         sense they are fulfilling God’s plan for them personally--“their destiny.”