New Life For Haiti

Brian Miller and Michelle Donnell were interviewed on the WCIA noon news show concerning the upcoming fundraising banquet on January 12, 2008 at the Walkway in Mattoon, IL. See www.newlifeforhaiti.org for more information.

New Life for Haiti is an organization that was founded by three Church of God churches in the Midwest Region. We are working with missionaries Steve and Jolene Moore (whom some of you may know). The work is in southwestern Haiti, south of Jereme, in the Grande Anse River Valley. All of our work so far has been in Marfranc.

This year, we expanded a primary school. Next year, we plan to build a Medical clinic, a secondary school, and a guest house so that Steve and Jolene and our teams can be closer to the work. If anyone has any interest in working with us, please let us know.

This work came about because of an encounter we had with Pastor Bob Roberts in Keller, TX. We had asked him how we could be more successful in planting churches since his church plants more churches in the United States than anyone else. He said, "Boys, if want to plant a few churches around Chicago, don't waste my time. Find some place hard in the world to work. Work there 20 years. And then you will know what to do around Chicago."

Bob Roberts on Developing Leaders Part IV

Fourth, you have to hold people accountable. Good mentoring doesn’t start by hugging, but by listening, observing, and then challenging. We generally hug too quickly and challenge too late. We should first challenge and then hug when they do it or at least attempt to do it even if they fail and want to try again. The question is what are you trying to produce and what does the person need? Often, we let our own emotional vacuums color relationships with people we are trying to mentor. I’m not afraid to say to a young guy, "Hey man, you gotta work on this" or "That ain’t gonna cut it" or "Why do you think you’re like that?" or "Wow, that’s incredible!" To do that, you have to critique yourself with your mentors and others. An example, I recently mailed a form that I’ve used for several years that allows church members, leaders, family, and friends to critique everything from my "performance" to my character.

"Good mentoring doesn't start by hugging..." Whoa. "We generally hug too quickly and challenge too late." I've been learning this. My thought was that the mentoring relationship needed to be more personal to be effective. The problem has been this hasn't been true. And then when the need for the challenge comes, I'm not sure it doesn't cause the person more pain than if you weren't so close. I'm not sure. But I am sure that 2007 is going to bring more challenges from me than hugs. But I'm sure there is a balance.

It seems like many of the best people ask for critique. Ouch. I'm sure Bob is careful about who he allows to critique. I wonder if it is anonymous.

Bob Roberts on Developing Leaders Part III

Third, they have to be around you in your context. I used to not understand that--and it’s something I have to keep learning again and again. Whether we are in church, or overseas, or involved in a project or ministry, together is crucial. People who are busy doing don’t always have a manual or journal near them while they are working to write down everything-–and if they did--they wouldn’t stop and write it. They’re caught up in what they are doing and living it and it is their passion. I’ve always wanted to get more education in international relations. In fact, I’ve considered getting a degree in it. So, a few months ago, I was at a meeting in D.C and a prominent professor from Georgetown was at the meeting. At a break, I went over and began talking to him about getting a graduate degree to learn more and gain some "credibility" in a field. He stopped me and said, "You’re living it, you’re practicing what those guys I teach come to school for. You’d be wasting your time unless you want to be a professor." I think the apostles followed Jesus because they wanted to watch Him.

This is something I want to change in 2007. I want to create more times to be together with leaders. We've started a journaling group in our home. We are remodeling (slowly) to make our house open for people to come over in groups. I plan to start meeting with a group of young guys one morning a week to talk about pastoral types of ministries. My wife is talking about a starting a small group. We are considering opening our house up on Sunday nights for people to come over and hang out with us. The youth leaders have begun meeting once a month to hang out and plan together. That is one of the best meetings of the month! I had tried to set up these type of meetings on the first Sunday evening of the month at the church, but it has been very ineffective. If I could get more groups to meet like the youth leaders, that would be exceptional.

This also makes me think about whether I want to further my education. I've thought about it, but I absolutely want to make sure it is a benefit to my work. It isn't that I've ever wanted a title (Dr Miller) but I value education and have thought there about has to be an education that would truly benefit our work. George Fox?

Bob Roberts on Developing Leaders Part II

Second, you teach first from what you've experienced. Anyone can write or talk on a subject and, yet, not be a "doer." Those who "do" and those who "talk" at first sound similar, but the deeper you go, the more you learn the differences and what may sound like semantics becomes key. Also, those who "experience" it will generally read more and more because they want to understand more. I’ve learned over the years there are two ways to gain influence, one is by what you know--people want to hear you talk about that. The other is by what you do--people want to hear the stories of what and how you did something. Teaching is passing on information. Mentoring is life-on-life and the more healthy experiences a mentor has, the more he/she has to share.

This is why I went to Haiti. This is why I want to continue to pastor as I start to coach. There are a lot of people who talk. There are much fewer who do.

Developing Leaders

Bob Roberts' posted on Developing Leaders. It is certainly something I'm very interested in. It is the way to multiply the power of your vision. In my younger years, I heard advice like this but decided it wasn't the best advice. After trying my way for 20 years, I think I'm ready to hear the advice again. Roberts, while speaking off the cuff, gave seven tips for developing leaders. They were interesting enough, I think I'm going to post them one at a time and reflect on them.

First, you live the life and do the stuff you talk about. Bobb Biehl has taught me that credibility is gained by 3 threads, results-time-character. Results are simply what is seen. People generally listen not because of what you know or what you did, but because of what you are currently doing. Character is what you are. No one is perfect and everyone has flaws. Time gives us the ability to see those things, both good and bad, that helps us filter counsel from someone. It is the ability to be over consistent.

Three threads -- results. That is a key and it takes time to develop. I haven't seen all the results I want, but I have seen some results. We have planted our church. We have helped plant three more. We have adopted an assessment process. We have developed some leadership within our own church, but not as deeply or effective as we would like. Results take "time." But that also goes with the last sentence. "It is the ability to be over consistent," which is character. Interesting. My preaching goes in waves. Sometimes I think it is fantastic, but it will fade over a period of time to where I don't even like to hear myself preach. The answer is character, to dig deep and not be willing to accept less than a good sermon. Building character would lessen the fading periods and might even make them disappear. This is also true with leadership development. What builds character? Time with God and time with passionate, truthful, mature friends.

"Character is what you are. No one is perfect and everyone has flaws. Time gives us the ability to see those things, both good and bad, that helps us filter counsel from someone." What is he saying here? I think he is saying that everybody gives good and bad counsel because everyone has some character flaws. Getting to know them helps you to discern the good counsel from the bad. The problem is we don't always know good from bad counsel as it leaves our lips. I know also that I take things less personally than I used to. My feelings still get hurt but not as badly so hopefully it doesn't taint my counsel as badly as it used to.

No wonder they don't call him savior

I took this whole post off Bob Roberts blog. I thought it was excellent.

It isn’t that hard to understand why the Vietnamese government is nervous about Christianity--specifically. They really don’t have that many challenges with Buddhism or animism--because it’s in their culture. I’ve been told by people who know the General Secretary that even he has an altar to his ancestors in his home. The first large-scale introduction of Christianity came with the French Catholics. It was a typical religious Colonial response. Vietnam represented a vast economic opportunity for the French, thus, the Vietnamese must be conquered and their resources captured. Sadly, as the French came with colonialism, the church came, as well, and they were viewed as the same.

I sit typing this in a hotel Americans know as the "Hanoi Hilton." Most of the Hanoi Hilton is gone, only a part of it for tourist. But, in Vietnamese culture, it’s known as a place where, for decades, Vietnamese who challenged the French would go to a famous court across the street from me, then be sentenced and marched across the street to stay in the prison where many American POWs would ultimately stay.

Then, of course, there was our own conflict with the Vietnamese. And, often the Vietnamese that allied with Americans were also Christians--often Protestant Christians. That meant God and politics all got mixed in together.

Why would they call him Savior? This is the faith of the men who drove them to produce for a foreign land. This is the faith of people who used faith for less than noble purposes.

Will they ever call him Savior?
-Only if those of us who know Christ live the radical life of Christ as servants to them instead of making servants out of them.

-Only if they are able to separate the history of the church here from the person of Christ here.

-Only if when we speak of religious freedom--they see we are concerned not just about what concerns us, but what concerns them.

There is not a place in the world where the church has more of an opportunity to be the church than here. But, for that to happen, it will have to be a radically different kind of church.

My purpose in life is simple--not just in Keller, Texas where I live, but here in Hanoi, as well. "To see the whole Kingdom of Jesus engage the whole of society through the whole church," This is my message.

In the early days of my ministry, I focused on preaching sermons that were good. Today, I focus more on what message God has given me--then the preaching follows. The message of Jesus, in and of itself, is powerful enough--what is not, is the example of what it looks like. That, my brothers and sisters is our responsibility, our call, our life.

VIAGVIANGELISM!

Trying to catch up on my blog reading this morning. Bob Roberts is one of those guys that blows me away. He is getting so much right these days. He tells this story on his blog. Notice he doesn't comment on whether this is a good idea or bad. He just tells the story. What a great discussion story!!

Yesterday, with his permission, I told the story of Tracey Goen and his work in Africa. He was a lot of fun to be with. He’s a very unorthodox guy. You can read Tracey’s story in the November issue of Christianity Today @ www.ChristianityToday.com. We spent a week together in Egbe, Nigeria. We went out with the Fulani people, 30 million strong, nomadic, cattle ranchers--it was very fascinating. We’re mobilizing churches there now.

As we were riding out, Tracey began to talk about what it was like for the men to have multiple wives and all the tension, etc. He told me he always took them "power pills." What are those? He answered, "Viagra!"

"What?" I asked him. He said when there are multiple wives there are lots of issues, jealousies, etc., and trying to be fair and keep everyone happy was really a chore. I asked Tracey if he would be willing to do a men’s retreat at NorthWood and pass out free samples! He declined. I thought of how this would have been good for Solomon and others in the Old Testament.

Tracey’s been made a Fulani King--a white man, a Christian, a doctor--he’s totally identified with their culture. Who would have ever thought in a million years God could use Viagra for evangelism?!!!