I wrestle with the fact that in my line of work there is always more to do. So many things I could do combined with a desire to do them well is a weight that never seems to be lifted. As I complete 1 task, 2 more tasks are added to the list.

If I’m going to thrive in the job of campus ministry and help my team move toward our vision of seeing the campuses of Portland transformed I have to figure out how to focus on the right things. The question I keep coming back to is how do I focus, when it seems like everything is important? Unfortunately a big audacious vision doesn’t help this problem either.

Here’s a couple things that I think could help free me up to focus on the things that only I can do. I just  need some discipline to put them into practice.

• Make a stop doing list. Identify the things that I’m doing that do not fuel the vision of our team long term and stop doing them. Identify the things that won’t matter in a week or month and stop doing them.

• Block out 2 hour “think times” at least once a week. This allows me to lift my head above the urgent, focus on the big picture and plan according without distraction. I must put these in the calendar and not fill them with meetings.

• Be ok with not completing every little task. Completing tasks is great but I often find more satisfaction in accomplishing the wrong tasks than I should.

What strategies do you employ to hep bring focus to your job?

There are three spaces that we do ministry, whether we realize it or not. Straight out of Acts 17 while Paul is in Athens.

Space #1 – This is the place you come from. People look a lot like you and smell a lot like you. In Acts 17:17 Paul reasons with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks in the Synagogue.

Space #2 – Out in the marketplace. This is public domain in everyday life for you. In Acts 17:17 Paul also ministers to people in the martketplace who happen to be there.

Space #3 – Someone else’s turf, culture or way of life. This is where you are an outsider. You might look different and the culture definitely looks different. Acts 17:19 “Then they took him”…Paul get’s invited into a meeting with the Areopagus on their turf and then he’s given the chance to influence their space.

Implications to my personal ministry:

• Recognizing that I’m comfortable in space #1 and dealing with the hard question of, “Am I open to change?”
• Recognizing that if we are successful in only space #1 that it’s probably not going to accomplish the vision that God has given us.
• If everyone that I minister to looks like me, it might be an indicator that I’m in love with my myself, my organization/church. Perhaps I’m willing to do whatever it takes to reach people as long as they look like me.
• Do we lack credibility in space #2?
• It’s difficult to train people to be kingdom minded in space #2 if we aren’t ever successful in it ourselves.
• Space #3 affords us the chance to influence people in their space with their permission. Does a portion of my ministry efforts reflect this?

Does this biblical reality challenge your ministry initiatives at all?

These are my notes (and my interpretation) from Erwin McManus during Movement Day Conference.

Lest you think I’m suddenly voiding past thoughts about innovation…I’m talking about imitating Christ’s ministry. He’s our model.

We are not here to invent ministry, but imitate ministry.

And that imitating is done in the context of partnership…a deep union in Him and a participation in what he’s already doing. All ministry is derivative. In other words, I’m just “hitching a ride” on what God is already doing. No need to proclaim that I’m “starting a ministry”, because in reality I’m just showing up to discover where God is at work. He gets the credit. He should, He’s been at work for eternity.

If we don’t understand imitation and participation, our ministry is reduced to programs, strategies and techniques. Our ministry becomes man-centered, not Christ-centered.

This reality has implications on my perspective about how I view the people I rub shoulders with every day. It’s humbling.

I’m processing these thoughts that come from a “Theology in Ministry” seminary class taught by John Johnson of The Village Church.