For several years I have had a burning in my heart to focus more of my ministry on my own city. With InterVarsity I have felt a pulling away from local ministry to more national and even international work. After 11 years on staff with InterVarsity I sense that God is leading me to establish a new ministry here in Tampa. Exactly what that will look like is unclear to me but I am ready to shift some of my time to that end. I already have a committed group of about 50 believers who have been gathering to look at scripture, pray and help me to discern what God is calling us to. Whatever it is we know it has to be something that mobilizes communities of people to share the gospel, empower the poor and change our city. For me starting something new has to come out of a clear sense of direction from God and a clear understanding of the need we are called to meet. In order to grasp that, we realize we have to spend time hearing God and designing our strategy, and of course for me that has to be done in community. For these reasons and others I have decided to take 9 months to leave the country with my community. We are 9 adults and 10 children and we have settled on the city of Manila in the Philippines. I am going to stay on staff with InterVarsity during that time, as this amazing ministry that I am part of has agreed to support our trip as an extension of our ministry here. I will continue to receive support (from all of you) and that will provide my salary to fund our ministry in Manila while we are there. In fact, because the cost of living is lower there, my salary will be able to help fund others on the team that are coming. Here are our objectives:
To walk alongside the poor in manila serving them and being served by them
To be mentored by Filipino leaders who are faithfully serving the poor.
To teach our kids and watch them thrive in an overseas context
To be a self sustaining team, (to not be an undue burden to our hosts)
To host a team from the US, in July of 07.
To set ourselves apart for the purpose of designing a comprehensive ministry
paradigm that will transform Tampa
While we feel strongly about this time of ministry overseas our work here is too important for us to jeopardize it in any way. Our original idea was to be gone for one year but that would have taxed our local work too greatly and so we have chosen a 9 month period that allows us to be present for two of the most critical leadership intensive enterprises in the fall. After supervising the beginning of our school year, and our state wide new student outreaches I will direct our state fall conference (Sonburst). Two days later, I will board a plane to Manila to find our team housing. I will return a week later, tie up loose ends, pack and load up our team. We will be leaving October 31 and plan to return on July 13, 2007.
The project will end with us receiving a US team (comprised of students and others) so that we will really be back with our people leading a global project by the middle of June. I plan on sending out another letter before we leave detailing our partnerships and asking for your prayers specific to that mission. Thank you for praying for us as you think about it.
