As I'm beginning to think about keeping up this blog, I'm realizing that I've already lost a LOT of time since I started. In September of 2008 we launched year "zero" of the Rome City Focus. Since then, my thoughts about ministry in Rome have really taken a new direction. In order to make sure that anyone reading this is on the same page, I think that it would be good to rewind and walk through some of the major changes, events, and lessons learned from year zero. This could take me a while, but I would love to do it.
As a disclaimer, I will be explaining things from my point of view, so I'll include only what I see as the most critical elements and my thoughts on things may be a little different than someone else's. I will also take a little bit of liberty where needed to simplify the process or explain things in the way that I see them.
So much has happened since last year that it's hard for me to know where to begin. So come with me as I rewind to a sunny September day in downtown Rome. I had recently returned from Ethiopia (I'll write about this in a future blog entry) was enjoying a gelato as I walked by the Spanish steps to our first meeting as a team in year zero. With 15 long-term staff in place and 9 short term (stinters) just arriving from the United States, the National Leadership team came down to Rome from Florence to present the newly minted "direction package" which would guide our ministry. This direction package was a real blessing for us, giving us a bearing to set out on our journey...
The Direction Package - The Antioch Job
the following is just an overview - if you read anything and want clarification, just let me know. I would love to explain it in more depth. Really I would - I love this stuff!
Our worldwide vision as an organization is to see:
- Movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.
Our mission as Agape Italia is to:
- Transform Lives - Jesus transforms lives and the Gospel sets people free to live out God's purpose in their lives.
- Ignite Movements - Transformed lives ignite movements. Passionate people, living with purpose, infecting everyone around them with the joy of Jesus.
- Change the World - God calls us to be his agents of restoration advancing His kingdom around the world, and participating in His mission to redeem the whole world to himself.
Guiding Principles - These are our guide posts that keep us on course moving toward our mission.
- Starts with me - The Gospel is for me. First and foremost, I need to be living a transformed life. I need to be a catalyst launching movements. I need to be engaging in God's mission to change the world.
- Embody the mission - Use a missional and incarnational style of ministry.
- Multiply yourself - Discipleship is critical.
- Be lean and mean - Focus on what matters and be a good steward of what you have.
- Be a learner - Innovate, create, adapt, and take faith risks. Be a student of 21st century missions in Europe. We don't know the solutions yet.
- Pass the Baton -Mobilize Italians and give away ownership of the ministry.
Missional Stepping Stones - These are the things that we track to see how we are progressing toward our mission.
- New relationships initiated
- On-going relationships
- Gospel heard
- Decisions of faith
- Gospel communities
- Multiplying Disciples
- Missional Team Leaders
- Lifetime Laborers
- Full time Agape Staff
Our Faith Goal is to ignite 100 movements by 2012!
Well those are the most critical and or unique elements of the direction that the National team set out for us. The majority of what we have done since then is mostly building off of this. I think that it is a good place to start in processing my thoughts on Rome.
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