What does partnership look like?

(This post is the text of an e-mail we sent to our distribution list earlier today...)

We have enjoyed the beauty of snow for the last couple of days, and Evan has worn a path down the hills in our yard with his sled. Smoky, our little black puppy has romped, and played and bitten all the snow he can get his teeth on. I have spent some time meditating on just what it means for our sins, as red as crimson to be as WHITE as snow! Wow. God is good!

I often think that a lot of people have a difficult time putting an image to the things that I say I do in my role as a “Church Partnerships Advocate”. My team has boiled it down to a phrase that might help: “Cultivating partnership to reach forgotten peoples” but for some that would be equally ethereal. I have decided to write some anecdotes as they happen, to help you get an insight into what it is that God is doing through my ministry here.

Last week, I had lunch with a missions pastor from a church in Northern Virginia. We had met some months ago at a conference in Maryland, and he had expressed some frustration with the “partnership” that we had with his church. He said, “We talk about partnership, but I don’t even feel like we have a relationship!” at one point. I agreed, and we both heaped the blame on ourselves. I decided I was going to do what I could to make the relationship a reality.

I called and left a voice message. I e-mailed several times. I called again. I looked up another e-mail address on his church’s website. It took some perseverance to get this relationship “jump-started”. Finally, he wrote back. I told him that I would like to drive up and have lunch with him when it was possible. He suggested a date, which turned out to be last Thursday.

We met and had a nice lunch as we got to know each other. At some point in our conversation, I said that before I left that day, I would really like to hear his image of what our partnership should look like. Our conversation quickly turned to the 2 missionary couples they have in Central Asia that have been sent from their church. Then it narrowed in focus to his concern for the wellbeing of one of the couples. He felt that the church hadn’t done a sufficient job of caring for them in recent days.

Interestingly, I had talked to our Member Care Director several months ago about that very couple. She was concerned that we needed to do more in caring for some special needs they had. I was able to share with this missions pastor, how we shared his concerns. We made a plan to meet to discuss the needs with me, the Member Care Director and him around the table together to formulate a plan to do a better job from all sides to care more fully for this family.

I felt tingles up and down my spine as I felt like I was seeing God’s care for this family unfolding before my eyes. He was using me. He was using this pastor and their church. He was going to use Pioneers as well. I found myself thinking, “Now THIS is what partnership should look like.” This church probably doesn’t have all that much expertise in caring for their people in Central Asia. But they are the body that God used to send this family to that place. They have a role to play. We each have a role to play.

I believe that, but for this kind of care – from all who have such a role in their lives – this family would have to cut their time in Central Asia short because of some of the issues they are facing. (Their issues are not marital, moral…etc…more to do with ministry transition and educational issues.) However, given a concerted effort to help them walk this stretch of road, I believe they will continue to serve faithfully for years to come.

Please pray for our meeting next month, that we will understand the best way to care for this family so they can have a fruitful ministry for years to come in Central Asia! …and pray for me that I will see more opportunities to develop relationships that will have this kind of impact…for the sake of unreached people!

Encounter w/ a hacker...

I had a new, wierd experience yesterday. I was sitting at my computer chatting on Skype with a co-worker in Kenya when a friend in Japan popped up in a chat window to as a question. This is not new. I often have chat windows open with people from various countries chatting. The next one was the wierd one...

I had Facebook open as well, and a "friend" (my cousin) popped up in a chat window and asked if I could help her. "Sure." She said that she was stuck in W. Africa. Huh?! I have traveled around the globe a bit, but this cousin doesn't tend to show up in W. Africa on a regular basis. I figured she was playing a word, or maybe including me in her experience of some role-play game, and would explain soon. ...so I played along.

Next she says that she's been robbed and wants me to help her. Still chatting away with Japan and Kenya, I say, "Sure, what can I do for you." "Can you send me $700 to help get me out of here? STILL playing along, I said, "What do you need that for, booze and cigarettes?" She doesn't touch either, so I thought she'd see the humor and come to the table with some explanation.

"I already told you I was robbed and need the money to get home." And now, I started to pay more attention to the situation. I picked up the phone and called my cousin. Seeing my number on caller ID, she says, "Yeah, I know. I've been hacked." I told her I was chatting with the hacker and would keep him busy for a while, so he couldn't hurt anybody else.

I chatted with him (while still mainly focusing on my discussion with my co-worker in Africa) for 20 or 30 minutes, keeping him busy explaining to me how to use Western Union...etc...and allaying my "fears" of sending money that I am not sure will get to my cousin. After a while, HE started to get suspicious, so I told him I knew for most of our chat that he was not legit. Then he started to brag about his abilities as a hacker.

When I asked him if he ever felt guilty, he started using foul language and turned on me. "I am a good harker. Your account is next. If you are harked two day be suprised!" At this point, I changed my password to something like, "Mickey Mouse Loves Minne4 Mouse and lives at 123 Elm St., New York N3w 40rk!!" and told him to hack away!

I was really tired at the end of the day...partly because of adreneline and partly because I worry if he really knows where Mickey Mouse lives! Enquiring minds want to know!

This morning, I went to Facebook....to see if I am still there....and the chat window popped up:

Harker: "Hi Greg, are you there?"
Greg: "I am here. Are you there?"
Harker: "OK"
Harker: "What are you saying about this account"

.......SILENCE......Offline.

Umm...I thought this was a non-smoking flight!

Well, I had a new experience at the airport last Sunday. An evacuation. That sounds all dramatic and everything, but I guess it was considered that.

All passengers were onboard and the entry door was closed. The captain was making announcements about flight time and such as they were cranking up the A/C. I have flown a LOT of times and I am kind of used to the smell of fuel as the Auxillary Power Unit is first cranked up. I am used to a bit of steam vapor coming in the plane as the temperature begins to cool down. This was not that simple. It was smoke.

It started as a trickle and I figured it would clear up pretty quickly, but it just kept getting worse. Soon the pilot came over the PA system and asked people to calmly leave the plane. "Leave all your belongings and simply calmly exit the plane, please." For the most part, everyone was calm and didn't get too irate as they realized they were now in for a significant delay.

The airline offered a free round trip ticket to anyone who would volunteer to take the same flight the next day. Many of the less patient people jumped on that....then I heard one of them complaining, "What do they expect us to do, spend the night in the airport?!" I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying, "They don't expect you to do anything except show up for your re-scheduled flight tomorrow! Get a grip dude, they just gave you a free round-trip ticket!"

I actually enjoyed the comaraderie that began to develop among some of the more patient passengers as we stood and talked about our options. The staff handled it really well and no tempers seemed to suffer significantly. (Even when I asked if I could arrange to get a Non-smoking seat on the next flight!) The crew cleared the smoke from the plane, allowed everybody to get their belongings off the plane and then tested the systems to see if maybe we could go after all. No such luck.

We spent 6 hours in the airport and finally the "12:00 noon departure" actually happened around 6 p.m. and we got to Orlando in very good time. The pilot made up as much as he could on the way down and made the 2 hour flight in less than an hour and a half. I only missed one of my scheduled meetings and was able to reschedule that one for another slot the next day, so all in all, I was out 6 hours and gained a $75 credit for my next flight with the airline. ...and I got some reading done in the interim. :-)

When I got back home, Brenda said my parents had seen my flight discussed on the evening news. I guess there wasn't a lot of news in Richmond that day! The "story" is here. In what I consider to be an ironic twist, while there were no injuries, it was a flight attendant that had to be taken off the plane in a stretcher by emergency because of breathing difficulty. I thought she looked a bit on the panic-stricken side when I left the plane.

He's ba~~~~ack.....

OK...so that's is a quote that many may not remember. It comes from a 70's horror movie. ....AHEM....."You had to be there..."

No, seriously, I wanted to preface what I am about to write by saying that we have been really busy with a MAJOR international move, and resettling, so I have been "out of the loop" for quite a while. Here is an update that we sent by e-mail last night, that will fill in some of the blanks. Wanna know more? Ask!

...and I quote:

Greetings!
We wanted to take some time and share with you some of what we have been thinking of late, and where we are at this stage in our journey. Please take a minute to read this and stay in touch with where we are. The theme for this update will be "TRANSITIONS..."

All of our belongings were packed into a 20 ft. container in Perth and shipped to Norfolk. Here, the kids are saying goodbye to their stuff!









We visited Sydney and friends in the area a couple of weeks before we left Australia. Here we are seen standing near the Opera House, with the Harbour Bridge in the background.






After Sydney, we drove to Melbourne (via Canberra -- can't leave Oz without visiting the War Memorial and Parliament House, can we?) In Melbourne, visited the Pioneers of Australia office and also caught up with a number of good friends there.



Once back in Perth, we stayed with some good friends for the few days before our flight from Oz, via KL, to Japan, then the US. Here, I am in Perth at Douglas and Ming Ming's, and Douglas and I are having a "chat". (Not REALLY, of course!)





On the way back to the USA, we stopped in Japan for a few days. Here Brenda catches up with a very good friend in Shimonoseki after many years. Our daughters also made a special connection!





Once we got to Virginia, the kids were ready to see some SNOW! Thankfully, there was a LITTLE...













Erika is good friends with the camera...(Like her camo jacket she bought at a discount store in Japan?)

TRANSITIONS

GEOGRAPHICAL TRANSITION

Our transition out of Australia, and back to the U.S. for a season has been an interesting time for us. We knew that a transition back "home" is always something that cross-cultural workers struggle with. However, we had not realized how complex this move would be. God has blessed, and we have managed well, but it hasn't all been easy. We would appreciated your prayers as we continue to "re-learn" how to live in America.

A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Part of our desire for this phase is to build a house that will add another layer of stability for our family. Specialists say that "Missionary Kids" (and other TCKs if you know that phrase) succeed much better in later life if they have enjoyed the stability of knowing where their "roots" are, and have a place that they can consider "home" even as they live on another part of the globe. Since our kids (and their parents, of course) are getting older, and we have always been renters, we have decided - after prayer and consideration - to "take the plunge" and build a house. This has been a significant challenge as we are trying to do as much as possible ourselves, and save money. This does not signal our intention to live in the U.S.A. for the long term. Rather, it is a part of our strategy to build a plan for our future, and to consider the needs of our children at this stage. We would love to think that God will allow us to return to service on a foreign field in the near future, and this is just an interim assignment. At this stage we cannot discern His longer term plan. Please pray for the myriad details surrounding this important construction project. (UPDATE! I got a call today, 4 April, saying that the house will be delivered on the 23rd!!)

A NEW ROLE FOR GREG

After the family is well settled, and we have visited most of our churches, Greg will, Lord willing, be taking on a new role with Pioneers. He has been asked to join the Church Partnerships Team. In his new role, he will be able to work from Virginia, and will see a long-time desire fulfilled. He has long wished he could encourage and impact a wider circle of churches in their involvement in the Great Commission. His new role on the Church Partnerships Team will give him a much wider circle of churches that he will be able to assist and encourage in their work for the sake of the Gospel around the world. He will be connecting by e-mail, phone and in person with many churches who are partnering with Pioneers in sending and supporting missionaries. The idea is that churches will be challenged and encouraged to take an increasingly active role in their partnership with Pioneers for the sake of the harvest. Please pray for wisdom as Greg approaches this, yet another transition.

THANK YOU

We would like to take this opportunity to, once again, say "THANK YOU!" to all of you who faithfully pray and those who also faithfully give financially to see this work go forward. Without your partnership, we could not do the work that we do. As we approach a new role, we will continue to seek God's provision for our daily needs. He is faithful! While there have been times when our pledged support was well below what we needed to meet our requirements, we have never lacked what was required each month. At times, we have been astounded by unexpected gifts that have arrived "out of the blue" to fill a gap. Please pray with us that God will continue to supply our financial needs so that we can continue to do the work that He has called us to do.

If you are a financial donor, you may continue to send your gifts to Pioneers and they will go to our account. If you are NOT a financial supporter, and would like to do so, you can send gifts to: Pioneers, 10123 William Carey Dr., Orlando, FL 32832. Attach a note to your gift specifying that it is for Greg & Brenda Fletcher, and it will get to the right place. After your first gift, you should receive a remittance slip each month to send with your gift.

If you have any questions about our transitions, please write and let us know. Please know that we would also like to hear how things are progressing in your life. Please take a moment to jot us a note. We'd LOVE to hear from you!

CONTACT DETAILS

We will be making contact with all of our churches in the coming days, if we haven't already. If you would like us to visit your church, small group or your family, let us know, and we'll do our best to make it so!

Address:

Greg & Brenda Fletcher
9513 Lawyers Rd.
Spotsylvania, VA 22553

Phone:

Greg's cell - 540 845 5577
Brenda's cell - 540 850 9939

We look forward to hearing from you!

Blessings,

Greg Fletcher, for the family

Young Adults and Word-of-Mouth

On another blog, I have been musing about word of mouth, young adults and how to promo events. This year, I made a decision to NOT do a print brochure for a young adult event that I have been chairing for a couple of years. It wasn't particularly popular with the Baby Boomers who help to facilitate the event, but I was (and still am) convinced that the cost-to-benefit ratio for a full color glossy brochure just didn't justify the brochure.

Then Michael sent me this post from an unrelated-yet-related blog, with this quote, which was quite insightful:

MySpace is over, it's just not cool anymore; Facebook is still cool, but that might not last much longer; and the biggest thing in their life is word of mouth. That's how they hear about music, bands, everything."

If the conclusions drawn by these high-powered, high-paid "gurus" is correct, we have some homework to do, in order to understand how to get the "word" out about events for young adults. What do you think is the way to infect the word-of-mouth machine with info about new and upcoming events and the like?

Mind Dump: 12 August 2007

Wow. Yesterday was a pretty full day. I spoke at two churches, and facilitated a "Speed Dating" event to help my church get to know the couple who are serious candidates to take the role of Interim Pastor. It was a lot of fun, and I was feeling so good last night, about the way the day had gone that I didn't want to go to bed. :-)

In the morning, I spoke at our church. I spoke on something that runs deep in my veins. Ephesians 2 talks about the work that God does in us to prepare us for the work He wants to do through us. I don't know what everybody else got, but I was quite moved by what the passage had to say! :-)

Charles Dickens penned the words, "Marley was dead; to begin with." as the opening line of "A Christmas Carol". What a funny way to open a novel that will go on to become one of the best known of his writings! A significant character in the drama is dead in the first sentence of the book!

Well....Ephesians 2 opens by saying something very similar. Only the opening line of this chapter is, "You were dead." HUH?! I really enjoy the jolt of the paradoxes that Paul lines up in this chapter. You were dead...but God made you alive. You were an object of wrath....but God loved you so much he showed mercy. You were going in a direction 180 degrees away from God's plan for you.....and he chose YOU as the one to continue His work in the direction He is going! Is that not ironic?! Fun stuff!

God brings stuff across your path that He either plans to use to prepared you for the work you were designed to do, or because it is the work you were designed for in the first place! There is something about being told that God has chosen--in advance--something good for you to do that is quite motivational. Especially when you realize that this means you are a unique part of the work that God is doing in this place. What if you are the ONLY one who could play that role?

Think about Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob...etc... There are times when God seems to be unwise in His choices because He narrows the plan down to the point that it depends on the obedience and faith of ONE person! Awesome thought!

So. That was my topic on Sunday morning.

Immediately after the service, we played A Game Similar to the Game from 'Fill in the Blank Network -- Who Wants to be a Millionaire?". (PHEW! Avoided the copyright infringement issue there....I hope!!!) We had 10 questions. 5 about the couple we were getting to know, and 5 about our church...and we answered them about each other. It was a fun way to approach a serious task. I think it helped to "defuse" the possible tension over the whole matter of finding an Interim. I had fun anyway... :-) (BTW, I found a GREAT Powerpoint Template if anybody needs one for an even, I can give you a pointer to it... )

Sunday afternoon, I crashed for an hour or so, in order to have some of me left for the evening service where I was to speak.

Sunday night, I spoke on Romans 10, at a church where I knew some people, but had never attended. The message was very well recieved, and I think it helped them to think about mission in a whole new way. I use an illustration for the whole series of events that Paul outlines, and put a chair at the "end" of the series. So it is Sending > Preaching > Hearing > Believing > Calling on the Lord....and sitting down. The PROBLEM is that Paul wouldn't put a chair at the "Calling on the Lord" position like we do. He would make it a cycle, I believe.

Who better to fan the flames of those who are passionate about reaching out than those who have just been reached with the message?! And that will sweep them into the process as they learn to share their faith, and the cycle runs again. This is not a linear process....though we often tend to think, "The Gospel is about me not going to Hell." No, the Gospel is about me coming into relationship with God, and bringing others to that relationship!

So...you have had the "opportunity" to sit through two sermons of mine back-to-back! Exhausted? I know I was, but it was a very good exhaustion. :-)

GO! Reachout 2007!

For the third year running, I am involved in the day-to-day operations of GO! Reachout. GO! Reachout is a special mission event for young adults in Western Australia. I enjoy the event, but I must admit that some days, dealing with the logistics of day-to-day planning and the occasional "committee-style" meetings can be grueling. What I *LOVE* about GO! Reachout is the opportunity to spend time with Young Adults who just love Jesus and want to find the opportunity to serve him to the fullest! This year, we are also going to be the Premiere Opening event for the "Voices Tour". I am looking forward to the event, and to how it can be used to encourage young adults to consider their response to the Great Commission. Drop by the website and have a look! Let us know what you think... Thanks!

Do we need vocational missionaries or laymen??

Hi Y'all. I was reading this morning and came across this, which I enjoyed reading, but it tweaked a thought for me. Why do we always chase after some extravagant or extreme and miss the nuance in our understanding of ministry. I really enjoyed reading that article, but I was bothered that they felt it necessary to sort of put down the idea of trained, professional missionaries in order to raise the profile of short-term, layperson centered mission work.

I am not one to advocate the importance of "professionals" as more highly valued than "lay people". I don't make that distinction very strongly at all. However, it isn't necessary to go to the other extreme either! You don't have to devalue career missionaries in order to make the amazing potential of short-term lay ministry visible. Each has their place. Neither will function as it should without the other being a part of the picture.

The other thing that bothered me about this article was when Bob Roberts, Jr. seems to be taking a stab at "Business as mission" and summarily dismissing it as "an insult to the businessman". It would seem to me that either Mr. Roberts doesn't understand business-as-mission, or at best has been given a misunderstanding of what business-as-mission is.

In my experience, it is the business people who are EXCITED about business-as-mission, because it validates their role AS A BUSINESS PERSON in the whole mission endeavor. It doesn't leave them in the position of "financier" that they have been relegated to for so many years. It welcomes them to the front-lines of ministry. Why would that be an insult?

There are many things I don't understand. I try not to dismiss them based on my lack of understanding. I wish Bob Roberts, Jr. would have done as much in his treatment of business as mission. I wish that we could develop a vision for mission that would embrace the value of career missionaries without devaluing what laypeople can bring to the picture. Can we also raise the profile of short-term and lay-involvement without devaluing the career missionary?

I agree HEARTILY with Dr. Roberts that the Great Commission was given to the WHOLE church! We each have our role to play. Let's not make it a competition.

EDIT:
I need to add something here. :-) It is funny how you can write something and create (or be the victim of??) a tone that you never intended to inject into your own words. It seems that sometimes Dr. Bob Roberts, Jr. is misunderstood. I guess when you make a seemingly negative statement regarding a "time-honored" institution, emotion charges forward and the backlash can be unexpected. I found this post on Dr. Roberts' site that reads like a script for what was running through my mind when I wrote this post earlier! So....Dr. Bob....we agree, I think. :-)