what’S STILL GOING TO BE true in 2,000 years
2,000 years ago Paul reminded Timothy to tell others what he had been told. Today, we use cliches like “I Do You Watch…” but not much has changed, and some things will continue to be the same.
At Lp we don’t have money for marketing, but I do continue to write “2 Timothy 2:2” on the back of 97 cent coasters and snail mail them to leaders every month. I’ve done this since we started this in 2018.
I do this because I have a coaster on my desk that convicts me every with the question Who’s the Next You? On the back of it are some names of residents who are learning how to lead.
I’m on my third coaster. Turns out cheap 97 cent coasters don’t last very long when you spill coffee on them. Another reason I am on my third one is that I can only fit about 40 names on the back of a coaster. This is my prayer list of names of 20 to 25 year olds (and a couple of 40+ year olds) I hope have someone telling them leadership things like Paul told Timothy. We call it coaching. We know that their success rises and falls on someone coaching them.
This takes patience. It also takes focus not be to distracted by shiny things.
It’s a difficult time to be a church leader. It always has been. Seems like there are shiny things to be distracted by every day. I’m not just talking about A.I. (altho have you seen the thing that released yesterday…oh never mind). It’s not just shiny-techy-new-things it’s also the shiny curriculum for kids, shiny old fashioned books to read, and 47 new worship projects will release today along with a proven process for centering prayer and healing. It’s all shiny…even the ancient stuff feels shiny. How do we keep up with it? We can’t.
Sometimes you just gotta focus on what you know will still be true tomorrow.
Something that will still be happening in 2,000 years is one leader showing another leader how to lead. We may have buildings, we may not. We may look very different and have progressed, or we may resemble something more like a scene from Mad Max.
We may still call it residency…who knows, but the question for 2,000 years ago, today and 2,000 years from now is Who’s the Next You?
The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others
2 Tim 2.2.