Life Plan 3 - Slovakia vision

It has been a week since I was in the midst of the Life Plan process. I cannot express what a humbling, yet exciting, process this was for me. To look back over almost 48 years and consider as many turning points/events of my life while asking the question, “What was it God taught me from that then and now as I look back?” And to consider the question, “What patterns do I see in all of that?” was also stimulating and refreshing.

I guess it probably is similar to someone who is in the process of writing an autobiography.

At the same time, this whole process can be (and is for me) quite sobering. It sobers me to recognize that an eternal God has been involved in my life since before I confessed knowing Him. It sobers me that He has been working to prepare me for a work for so many years before I am to do that work. It also sobers me to know that He has not yet finished with me and has more work for me to do on His behalf. And that is probably most sobering of all.

In recognizing that, I have come to see what the next step of our ministry in Slovakia is to be. God has clearly laid upon my heart the necessity to develop a network of trained youth workers throughout the country of Slovakia -- and perhaps further, if He allows me the grace & time.

How is this going to be accomplished? I’m not sure totally. However, I do have some thoughts and, as always, I am open to feedback from you if you have constructive criticism. I have a friend who does “Kitchen Table Training” for church planting in Central/Eastern Europe. I believe that adopting a similar style of training of youth workers may be just the ticket for me in fulfilling God’s calling in Slovakia. My strengths include: discipling/mentoring and leadership -- among others. It would be a joy for me to sit down with youth workers and help them establish a strategy for their ministries that is custom-made to their setting: their style of leadership, their style of communication, their giftedness and their culture.

It seems to me that the best way to accomplish this kind of training is to apply the principles of effective youth ministry to each setting in a customized fashion and to release each youth worker or youth ministry team to do youth ministry as God has called them.

Again, I am open to prayer support and input from you if you have some suggestions as to the application of this kind of “Kitchen Table Training” approach.