Effective Ministry: Finding Your Core

I took a moment this morning to write out a list of what I call my core. I think we can take something from the fact that Jesus had 12 guys that he primarily focused on. Sure, Jesus' message was for the whole world...but after he left? He left everything up to those 12 that he focused the majority of his energy on to actually take it to the world, starting the wildfire that Christianity is. Jesus' life was a model. I think it's important to focus on a handful of people, let them become your disciples. God has given us the ability to do this. He has given us authority. Make a list of your core. Who are the students or peers that love you to the point of heeding your every word, taking what you say as gold (which is why everything you say needs to be thought out and purposeful and done with care. You have the ability to create a lot of hurt as well.) This is your core. These are your disciples. These are the people you need to seriously equip to the the point of them being able to reciprocate this disciple-making ability. They themselves are going to gather up a core. They are to equip their core to do the same. It's the ripple effect.

I also made a core-potential list. These are students that I see as having the ability to step up and lead if I only spend some time hanging out with them and speak some truth into their lives. Maybe this is where you're at. Maybe you need to make a core-potential list and brainstorm ways you can get involved in their lives.

These lists will change over time, which I think is important. People slide in and out of your lives and on into other people's lives. That's why the moment you do have with them is so incredibly important.

...Or, maybe you're not to this point yet. Maybe you have someone you are looking up to now and seeking out the wisdom of. Whatever the case, it is important to be in one of two situations: putting together/leading your core or being equipped by someone you view as a leader, being a part of their core, in order to one day lead your own core.

Being viewed as a leader is a very scary thing. You have the ability to totally empower someone or completely destroy a life. That's why it is always important, no matter how many people or who views you as a leader, that you are constantly seeking wisdom outside of yourself. I am in the process of learning this. It is taking me out of my introverted box of comfort to seek out others that I know will speak love, truth, and life into my own life. We all need that in order to give life. Reading is a huge thing too, and a extra hard choice for me. I find, though, that once I force myself to sit down and read, I NEVER regret it.

Today I got a text from a student that I had on my core list. We were talking about a year and a half ago and he voiced to me that he was thinking about dropping out of school. I advised against it and we both shared our reasons. He voiced to me what he observed about his situation from his point of view and I voiced to him what I observed about his situation from my point of view. Thankfully, lot of changes happened in this student's life over the last year and a half to change his mind. He was behind a little in school but was working really hard to catch up. My text from him today read, "I just finished talking to Poyer and laying out my schedule and when we were done, he congratulated me and said I was officially set and good to graduate on time." How fortunate do you think I felt that this student thought to text me so that we could celebrate this together? Having and leading a core is an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience.

Cores are effective ways to change this world modeled by Jesus himself. When the time came for Jesus to leave this earth, he had equipped and empowered his core enough to do the same work he did. They found their core and lead and empowered them to do the same and so on. This is how the world changes, through small and simple but effective communities as these.

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