Strategic Thinking

A quote from one of my leadership manuals: "Strategic thinking starts with reflection on the deepest nature of an undertaking and the central challenges it poses. Strategic thinking develops with understanding of focus and understanding of timing."

I know that this has been true for me as I think about missions in our community. For some time now, God has been causing me to reflect on the deepest nature of the undertaking. I used to think Christian Community Development meant “Christians developing the Cedar Valley”. I thought the word “community” meant location in the phrase. The more that I’ve spent time entering in and learning, the more I recognize it’s about God developing “Christian community”, as in friendship and life together in Christ. And the more that Christian community is deepened and developed, the more God changes the worldview and values of those involved in that community into His worldview and Kingdom values. It is difficult to fall in love with our brothers and sisters who might be suffering, oppressed, and under-resourced, and not be moved to more passionately join God in his pursuit of restoration and justice. It is in my relationship with God and others different than me, that I am challenged to confront what I give allegiance to in my life…admittedly things that often are in direct opposition to reconciliation or justice. Truly, when Christian community begins to develop (as in relationships), God begins to transform whole communities (as in locations). For me, God has been trying to help me unlearn “us/them” and move me toward a theology of “we”. This has been the deepest nature work, the alternate vision of His reality that He is trying to help me “get” ever so slowly but surely.