Hello, friends!
“Our mission is to be a community that shares Christ’s
love with every Asian and Asian American on campus.”
For the past 8 years, that has been ACF’s mission
statement, and the phrase I said to myself every time I washed my hands.
When I was first starting out planting ACF, I was told
that I needed a vision. ACF needed a vison/mission statement so that when I met
students, I could tell them exactly what ACF was going to be about. It was a
way for me to be able to make sure that I was consistent in my message and
would never fumble through the question of, “so, what is your group about?”
After much prayer and talking to others, I settled on
that vision. The original wording was a little different but the sentiment was
the same. What I needed next was a way to practice it. That’s when I decided
that I was going to say it every time I washed my hands, regardless of where I
was. That vision has been one of the first things that I’ve thought of when I’ve
gotten up in the morning and one of the last things to run through my mind
before I’ve gone to bed. I’ve said it before and after most meals and it’s been
on my mind every time I’ve cleaned the house, done yardwork, or had a
particularly long bike ride. Back when I was driving my old car with the ratty
steering wheel cover, I said the vision practically every time I finished
driving somewhere.
But now it’s time to wash my hands to something new.
Last year about this time, I started the process of
discerning whether or not I would continue staffing ACF. When I started the
process, numbers were up, leaders were being recruited, and things were looking
great. Still, I felt in my soul that we were getting towards the end of my time
with ACF.
This year, as things progressed, it became clear to me
that God was calling me in a different direction. I was being asked to do more
on an Area and Regional level. I was less effective in reaching students. My heart
was still very much in it, and it still is, but there continued to be this
nagging feeling that if ACF was going to take it to the next level, it was
going to be with someone else at the helm. That realization led to another one;
because for the past 8 years, ACF had been “my baby,” I was going to have to
break my staff work off with ACF completely. In order for the new staff to make
it “their baby,” I had to make sure that I was nowhere to be found. I have too
much institutional knowledge and too strong a personality to be of any help.
In sports, oftentimes teams will fire a head coach
because the team needed “a fresh voice.” Oftentimes, that new voice gives the
team new perspective and they reach heights that they had only dreamed of
before with the old guy. That is my hope for ACF. Matti, who has been a
volunteer with ACF for the past 2 years, is taking over and I have full
confidence that he will lead ACF in a way that will see more fruit than what I
could have done with another year in charge.
Of course, that’s not to say that I didn’t fight with God
to stay. As the year progressed, numbers went down, leaders started doubting
the mission, and things looked to be on the verge of collapse, I begged to
stay. I wanted to turn the ship around. I wanted to leave on a better note. I
didn’t want to be the guy who left when the going got tough. But you can’t argue
with Jesus. He has constantly be reminding me throughout this process that he
is the one in charge, not me. He is taking care of ACF and he loves those guys
and gals infinitely more than I possibly could.
So, what’s next for me then? Well, I’ll be continuing to
do planting work at Lincoln University in Jefferson City. I’ve also been tasked
with spending some time thinking through how our Area does its fundraising. My
hope is to spend some time scouting a few more potential planting opportunities
and helping the region move forward in its cross cultural planting,
particularly to Asian Americans. I’ll also have a son that will definitely be
well fed, groomed, bathed, and diaper-changed. =0). Don’t worry, I’ll still
have plenty.
My biggest concern at this point is what to do now when I
wash my hands. I haven’t settled on the vision for Lincoln yet so I need to
spend some more time in prayer on that. Here are a few ways that you can be
praying too:
-
As mentioned above, I need a vision for Lincoln
University. Please pray that God will give me a vision for the school that has
stood the test of time as much as ACF’s has.
-
Please be praying for Matti and the new crop of
ACF volunteers who will be staffing the chapter next fall. Pray that God will
prepare them for the new adventure ahead.
ACF’s mission is to be a community that shares Christ’s
love with every Asian and Asian American on campus. Even though I won’t be
there to watch them do it, I know that God will continue to bless the ACFers
and experience more of His love in their lives. It’s been a great ride.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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