What If I Just… Can't?

In the last few weeks I've encouraged you to take advantage of this pause. I said:

• Use this time to work on your ministry

• Use this time to deepen your wells 

• Internal and external fears can be fought with perspective and humility

I think all these are really good things. But what if I just... can't...? What if I don't feel like I have the energy? Are these messages of, "do more this", and "become more that" just piling on the guilt?

This whole pandemic thing is unprecedented. I think we're finding out that there's no pattern for what to do right now. And I admit, I've found myself wondering, with every little tickle in my throat, with every sniffle, and with every tightness in my chest, "Is this the COVID?" I've woken up in the middle of the night more than once and haven't been able to go back to sleep. What if my 80-year-old Mom gets this? What about my Dad who's already fighting the cancer? And, "Would my kids be okay if this was it for me?" 

So there's a part of me that doesn't want to lay a guilt trip on me. There's a part of me that just says, "Respond how you respond, bro..." But that part of me is also self-indulgent. That part of me wants more cookie dough, more Insta, and more Netflix. And I know that more and more of that will push me into a downward spiral. I don't think I should give myself license to just… whatever. 

There's a part of me that knows if I use my time wisely, I'll overcome. If I read the books I've been meaning to read, I'll feel better. If I do those projects I've said I would do, then I'll have grown. If I work on my ministry, then I'll feel a little better about me. 

And maybe that's the problem right there. Maybe this pandemic thing is magnifying that part of me that has always tried to perform in order to be okay. It's that part of me that can deny the completeness of Christ's work and say that I must do this, that, or something in order to be justified. Maybe  this coronavirus time is exposing that part of me so that He can walk me through to the other side of it. Maybe in these stir-crazy days without my normal, and without my friends, I am becoming more me and a better reflection of Him.  

So I guess, in those moments when I just can't, I'll sit in His presence and find out what He can.

Let's Use this Season to Dig Deeper Wells

Last week I encouraged you to work on your ministry instead of just in your ministry. This week I want to encourage you to work on your well. What I mean is, you can use this season to improve your access to the source of your life. What intentional things can you do to make this a season of productive stillness? What can you do to grow closer to the Lord?

When this all started, I found myself doing two things. First, I read and watched everything I could about COVID-19. Second, I spent extra time "self-medicating" with Netflix and Instagram. Overindulging in these activities were not helpful. The first increased my anxiety, and the second numbed it. This was like dumping buckets of sand and rocks into my well.

So in order to dig a deeper well, I've changed my daily routine. Now Kay Charlotte and I wake up and listen to the Bible. We're using the excellent Bible in One Year app. —Recent topics include "How to Overcome Your Fears" and "In the Day of Trouble" --talk about timely! Then we pray. Scripture and prayer deepen our wells. Doing it together deepens our wells.

I'm also making a point to get out for a walk or a run every day. We are under a stay at home order, but are allowed to exercise (and go for groceries, etc.) I'm making a point to eat healthier... during the week.  On weekends I give myself more freedom. (I may or may not have gorged on brownies last weekend... ;) I'm attempting to get eight hours of sleep each night. I'm digging a deeper well by taking care of myself physically.

These are just two areas of my life. There are other aspects of our lives that we can change in order to deepen our wells:

• How can I deepen my well physically?

• How can I deepen my well mentally?

• How can I deepen my well emotionally?

• How can I deepen my well spiritually?

• How can I deepen my well socially?

• How can I deepen my well financially?

So what are you doing to dig a deeper well? Hit reply and let me know!

Peace, 

Craig

***

This post originally appeared in the Mission Adventures Insider Connect Email. See it in it’s original context here.

Let's Use this Season to Work ON Our Ministries

Most of the time, I'm so busy doing the Mission Adventures Network Studio thing that I rarely have time to make the Mission Adventures Network Studio better. With this incredible disruption (shoutout to my Euro-theme team peeps!), I find myself rethinking everything. I'm not in my normal, and that gives me a different perspective. And with this quarantine, I now have time to rethink everything. Michael Gerber in his excellent book, The E-Myth calls this "working on your business instead of merely working in your business". So get with the Lord. Get with your team, (Using Zoom, or Skype, or FaceTime, or if you have to, even Facebook (ha!). Discuss how you can make your ministry better. Now that the pause button has been hit, you have time to position your ministry for something new. This email Connect thing is one of these kinds of things that I'm doing. What will you do?

Peace, 

Craig

***

This Post originally appeared as the MA Insider Connect Email. See it in it’s original context here.

The MA Sling Bag Is in Production at Purnaa

Your Teams Are Gonnu Lurv the New Sling Bag!

We just got a fresh batch of pics from our partners in Nepal. The fine folks at Purnaa are hard at work sewing up thousands of brand new Mission Adventures Sling Bags. These bags were designed from the ground up to be just perfect for your students. The Sling Bag features:

• Solid construction featuring durable nylon in olive green

• Smooth inner lining in bright yellow so you can find your stuff

• Perfectly sized at approximately 12 in. x 6 in. x 3 in. means high portability that won’t weigh you down, yet big enough to carry the essentials and more

• Beefy buckle conveniently located next to the bag for easy on and off

• Pen/pencil holders sewn into the inside top so you always know where your Retro Clic Pen is

• Key fob so you know where your keys are too

• Inner elastic to orient the MA Outreach Journal

• Seat belt quality webbing

• YKK zippers, the zip industry’s best that won’t rip, snag, or stick

• Flap covers the zipper for extra water resistance

• Fancy shmancy woven label featuring our lovely Mission Adventures logo

• Security pocket on the back, worn next to the body that’s perfect for your passport

---

And not only that, we got some great pics of the awesome team hard at work making the Sling Bags. These folks are hardworking craftspeople, and as we all know, they make a great bag! And it’s great to know that the Mission Adventures Network is in partnership with an ethically run business that provides great jobs at a great workplace. Learn more about Purnaa on their site here.

We know your students will love these sling bags! They’re on sale til January 15, 2020, so order some up today!

Top Secret Mission Adventures Prototype Discovered in Nepal!

This just in: A top secret prototype of what appears to be a Mission Adventures bag has been found in Kathmandu. Our sources believe this may become a brand new product for 2020. Several* Bothans died to bring us the following series of photos:

This prototype appears to be a “sling bag” and would be worn either around the waist or over the shoulder. Note the high quality fabric. Approximately 12 in. wide, by 6 in. tall, by 3 in. deep.

Interior of “sling bag”. Note the bright lining to make it easy to see inside. Note also an MA Journal and an MA pen both fit nicely inside with plenty of extra space

Note the high quality buckle for easy on, easy off. The strap is also high quality webbing, similar to what you’d find on a seatbelt. And it adjusts from very very small, to plenty big.

This is a very high quality zipper. It won’t catch or break even under stress. Note too the zipper is covered by a fabric flap to improve water resistance.

This looks like a very good spot for an attractive logo, doesn’t it?

We almost missed this secret pocket. It’s perfect for a passport and it’s on the back side of the bag, close to the body.

We’ll keep you posted as this story develops!

*By several, we mean zero. Turns out no Bothans died to get us this information. That was for the top secret Death Star plans. Sorry for the confusion. —Ed.

Get Marty Meyer's "Mission Accomplished" for Your Students

Mission Accomplished by Marty Meyer is Epic!

If you haven’t heard, our own Marty Meyer, (OG MA Crew from waaaay back), is offering us his book, Mission Accomplished for way below cost:

48 Copies of Mission Accomplished for just $48 + Shipping

Offer Expires June 30

This is the perfect resource because Marty wrote the book to help students figure out how to align their lives with the Great Commission. Click the button below and use coupon code: MAonly1

Check out the Table of Contents:

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Discover Your Destiny in the Mission of Jesus

1. Passion for Life

2. Guidance for the Journey

3. Motives of the Heart

4. Top Priority

5. Mission Accomplished!

Part 2: Unlock the Purpose of Your Design

6. Discovering Your Fit in the Great Commission

7. Pray: Unleash Mountain-Moving Power

8. Tell: God’s Live Savers

9. Go: Searching for Jesus’ Lost Sheep

10. Send: Supporting God’s Greatest Work

11. Stay: Our Call to Incarnational Mission

12. Multiply: Church-Planting & Disciple-Making Movements

Part 3: Empowered for His Purpose

13. Authorized to Go

14. Empowered to Preach

15. Empowered to Heal

16. Empowered to Defeat the Enemy

17. Holy Spirit Directed

18. No Matter the Cost

---

Check out the Introduction:

Marty has made the intro available here so you can find out more of what Mission Accomplished is about.

But Wait, There’s More!

Here’s Marty telling a story from the book on his video blog

Waves New Zealand!

We even got the amazing Jan’s shadow in our group shot at the Shire!

The Waves Gathering in New Zealand Was Epic!

YWAM Matamata hosted this year’s International Waves Gathering, and it was a wonderful event. First off, New Zealand, gah— it did not dissapoint! And for those of us that received the grace to come up the mountain, God met us and fed us, and it was oh so good. Highlights included:

• Matthew Dawson asking us, “If Jesus was sitting in this room right here right now, what would you ask of him?”

• Craig’s XL sized session about the generation we’re trying to serve and how we can make our Mission Adventures E.P.I.C.

• The traditional Maori greeting ceremony including hongi, the sharing of breath

• Strawberry S’mores

• Fijoa fruit!

• The “short” hike to Wairere falls, gulp!

• THE SHIRE! And getting invited to Frodo’s Feast! And Jan!!!

• Aiden and Sara got ENGAGED!

• Epic worship, especially the haka!!!

• The warm springs next door.

Here are two recordings of two of the main sessions:

---

---

All in all, this Waves was awesome and we are grateful to God for meeting us in Matamata! Stay tuned for more information about the next International Waves Gathering!