Great Team

I will be posting personal reflections on the Kenya experience for several days. They are going up as I have the time and the thoughts, so they are in no particular order and may not even make much sense. Oh well.

My thought for today: what a great team. I minister alongside people like Brian and Kim Hill, Nathan and Heather Gonzales, and Steph Modder every day in Washington, DC. But there was something about seeing them do their thing in Kenya that made my heart swell with gratitude that I get to be a part of their lives and do ministry with these people.

Brian and Kim are zone leaders, and I know they are gifted group leaders and disciple-makers. But watching them in action in Kenya as they shared from the Bible and their experience stirred a new appreciation in me. Brian and Kim were also my Aarons and Hurs on this trip, stepping into leadership capacities when I needed a reprieve.

Nathan and Heather are amazing communicators. They teach from a place of humility and learning. They don't present as those who have arrived, but as fellow pilgrims on the road of following Christ. They are funny and engaging and their words are practical and memorable.

Steph is a gifted worship leader. We all know that. And we take it for granted. I've heard Steph lead worship hundreds of times. But I don't know that I fully appreciated her until that one unforgettable worship set in Kenya. I think I probably wrote in my journal "Thank God Steph is on this trip" about four times.

I could go on and on about each and every person on our team and the unique contributions they made.

We have a little formula around here:

Change of Pace + Change of Place = Change of Perspective

That has proven true in my life over and over again. On the Kenya trip, my perspective change came profoundly in the way I viewed and appreciated the people that God has placed in my life. In the future, I hope it doesn't take a trip half-way around the world to remind me how blessed I am to minister alongside people like Brian, Kim, Nathan, Heather, and Steph.

Who is on your team? When were you last in awe of the way God worked in them and through them? When did you last tell them how much you appreciated them?

Let's take some time today to appreciate the people on our teams. Thank God for them. And thank them.