The Power of Together

I had just landed at the Denver airport and now was waiting for my associate’s plane. I had a lot on my mind. The Navigators Church Ministries leadership team was gathering to meet on our strategy. I wondered how these meetings would go. 

How would I pull them off? Like everyone else, we had not been together in person since February of 2020. 

We had a new team member. How would he get plugged into the team? How would the team dynamics change with a new player? 

I was a bit anxious as I waited, but I had been feeling this way the last two weeks. And there were still more things to consider.

We had mission statements that needed to be reviewed and renewed. Would we get some momentum together on these statements? We also had several details that just needed coordination and prioritization. 

Would the agenda I set work?  Was it the best way to strengthen our ministry? Would we come out energized and aligned to tackle the challenges we faced? Would we come out divided on our strategy? Would we come out of the meetings flat? Would everyone go home believing the time spent away from family and ministry was worth it? I did not know.

I sat there with all these questions in my mind, wondering how it would all go.

The next day, when we started our meeting, I took a deep breath and jumped into a discussion about our mission statements. It began slowly with a few questions. Then it happened! One teammate suggested we write down the key words of our ministry? Another then suggested we set up a process to refine our statement. Then one how we would roll it out. We were off and running. The meeting had energy, discussion, honest questions, and even better conclusions. We all thought, “Hey we have something good here to work on!”

We all know the adage “We’re better together.” It is a part of slogans for companies and sports teams. We know it biblically. As Ecc 4:9 NIV says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” It was what we experienced in our Lead Team meeting. We were coming out stronger personally, strategically, and corporately because we weren’t each trying to do it alone. 

Yet, all too often we as church leaders do it the American way. We do it alone. But there are better ways, ways to ensure a good return for our labor for the Lord. There are ways for us to lock arms with others across the body of Christ. When we do that we can gain momentum, encouragement, and effectiveness.

Can I give you a way to join in with others in the big task the Lord wants the church to be about? It happens this fall. November 4^th and 5^th Navigators Church Ministries will be in Nashville for the National Disciple Making Forum put on by Discipleship.org. The Forum is a gathering of like-minded organizations and church leaders. We will gather to consider God’s big goal for his church, a disciplemaking movement that reaches around the globe.

When I think about the audacious commission the Lord has given us I am personally overwhelmed. How can I make this happen? I am not that good at any part of disciplemaking to cause a movement to flourish. I know my weaknesses and the weaknesses of my ministry.

That’s where the Forum can help each of us. We learn from each other. We truly are better together. At this event we partner with co-laborers like Bill Hull, Greg Ogden, Bobby Harrington, and Jim Putnam. They also have thought through and wrestled with how we make disciples. Like us, they have learned over the years and love to share what they know with others.

But the best part of being at this National Disciple Making Forum is that we rally around a common value. Bobby Harrington states it well, “No one ministry or organization can do all the disciplemaking needed. We need each other to build a disciplemaking movement.” We can all gather together and contribute our part and receive others’ part enabling us to advance the Great Commission.

Navigators Church Ministries is playing a big part at this year’s Forum. First, we are leading an Español only track on how to build disciples in the Latino church. It will be led by two of our Latino staff, Alex and Mandy. Our English track will teach the concepts from Navigators Church Ministries staff, Justin Gravitt’s ebook on “The Foundation of a Disciplemaking Culture.” We look forward to the impact and encounters of both of these tracks. Would you consider joining us in person and in prayer for this time? Together we can see Christ’s Great Commission become a reality.

Join with us and the body of Christ this November 4-5 in Nashville at this link! https://discipleship.org/national-disciple-making-forum/

We really are better together. We hope to see you there.