"I breathe in strength and breathe out weakness," is my mantra during marathons–it calms me down and helps me focus.
– Amy Hastings
101 Workshop in England!
The Mission Adventures 101 Workshop at YWAM Harpenden was an epic success! Nineteen YWAMers from 12 bases spent four days together learning the why, how, and what of Mission Adventures. From big picture sessions, to discussion groups, to the details of a sample schedule, everyone learned the ins and outs of how to create a great and impacting ministry at their location. Highlights include:
- Carl Tinnion making bread during his talk
- Anders and Zhenya's dynamic training
- An ice cream party after the community meeting
- Up up down down and through the green glass door at The Old Bell
Many thanks go to Anders and Zhenya for making this event happen. Stu and Amy were epic hosts and made everything run so smoothly. And of course, to the one and only Beth for serving us with excellence and keeping us in snacks!
Check Out YWAM LA's Video!
Becca Prins of YWAM Los Angeles whipped up this really sweet video of their MA program. They've been using it to recruit teams and volunteer staff for their program this year… See that? You could create something similar that's specific to your ministry this year, so that you can recruit teams and staff for next year!
Check out Ensenada's Exhale Inhale Set!
So I'm down in Ensenada visiting our Mission Adventures team. Spring Break outreaches begin in nine days and they are putting the finishing touches on their complete re-design of the lecture hall. Here are a few photos to inspire you!
Look at the scale of this project! This set is sure to wow all the students who come to Ensenada!
That lettering is at least nine feet tall! Despite the large scale, this is actually pretty easy to make happen. All you need is the Exhale Inhale Art, a projector, and some paint!
If you don't have the Exhale Inhale Art, you can get it here!
The stage features a ginormous set of lungs made of tree branches. Again, this is a simple and inexpensive concept. Yet it all comes down to execution. What you may not see from the photograph is how many screws are holding this together!
As you can see, they're doing an incredible job! Today they are stringing Christmas lights above the seating area and finishing up a lot of the details. By the time the students get here, this space is really going to wow them!
So, why are they going to all this trouble to design and build a set like this? I mean it is really cool, and a lot of fun to create something at this scale and do it with a high degree of excellence. But it's not just about our own satisfaction, there's so much more:
- It bonds the staff together to accomplish an "impossible" task like this
- It exceeds the expectations of the students and their leaders
- It imprints on the minds of the students and becomes a part of the memories they take with them
- It honors God when we go above and beyond to do our best for him
You may be thinking, "But I don't have a whole crew like they do in Ensenada!" That's okay! You don't have to do what they did! Instead, lean into Jesus and dream with him what you can do, and do that! You'll be glad you did!
The iMAC in Four Devotions
Each morning during our international Mission Adventures Circle of elders gathering, one of us gave a short devotional thought to start our days. As I reflect back on our time together, I feel like these are lasting words for us all. Here's a short synopsis:
Be Honest with One Another
We started our time together with a challenge to be real, honest, and transparent with one another. At first, this seemed like something very easy for us to do because we have all known each other for many years. But then we were challenged with the idea of what it means to really know one another. It was good to consider this and see that God is calling us to a deeper level of friendship and intimacy with each other.
Immerse Yourself in the Word of God
Each of us was given a stone and then asked to consider the Pacific Ocean. If we are the stone, and the ocean is the Word of God, where do we want to be? It was obvious to us that we spend far too much time on the shore only occasionally getting wet. We felt a clear call to spend more time reading and meditating on the Bible as well as practicing the presence of the Word himself.
Be Childlike not Childish
We discussed the time Jesus told the disciples that in order to be a part of the Kingdom it's necessary to become like children. It was clear to us that even as adults, we find ourselves acting child-ish, instead of child-like. We found it interesting that Jesus made this distinction when the disciples were concerned about their position. This is a clear call to us to create a family-like circle that's based on pure relationships and not on position, authority, or power.
Celebrate One Another's Gifts
We finished our time together by celebrating our diversity. We took time to share with each other the different gifts we see in each other. It wasn't really a surprise that we didn't have enough time to even finish this. However, the takeaway was that as we grow closer together to God and each other, we will have a greater appreciation for the strengths, gifts, and callings we see in each others' lives.
Of course, the iMAC included lots of other discussion, but we think a main theme of our time together was to create the kinds of relationships where candor, trust, and even love can abound. And it's in this kind of environment that God somehow extends covering through us to our Network around the globe. In the same way, we encourage you to create these kinds of relationships in your teams and circles where you are.
Exhale Inhale Speaker Notes Are Here!
A whole crew of theme teamers worked super-hard to bring you an amazing resource that can really help your MA sessions come alive. They've developed comprehensive, session-by-session notes to help unpack the deep meaning of this year's North American theme. Seriously, their work makes your session planning and your speaker's preparation so much easier! Visit the Exhale Inhale page to download this super valuable resource!
iMAC Snapshots
Tuesday, February 16
Anders made a simple point during our morning devotion that resonated with us all. He said, “We tend to compare our weaknesses with others' strengths.” We recognized ourselves in this statement, even though we've been believers for many years. It kills us when we compare. It makes us feel as though we’re not enough, and that we’ll never be as good as those we compare ourselves to. It shuts us down from being confident in whom we are and causes us to shrink back. And we recognized that it's tempting for us to compare ourselves to one another. Anders went on to make the point that instead of comparing ourselves, we are designed to celebrate each other's gifts. And when we do that, we create room for one another. We build each other up, and we function like the full body.
~Kay Charlotte McClurg~
Wednesday, February 17
Today we discussed the topic of eldering, and how part of the role of elders is to come alongside one another and operate in unity. Almost instantly, we had the opportunity to put into practice what we were talking about. One of us is walking through a difficult leadership challenge. We prayed, gave counsel, and offered support and help. Not that these situations are the easiest, but it was amazing how we talked about a principal, and then had the opportunity to live it out.
~Mike Davies~