For these past 18 years, we have been learning about the Christian leadership context in Asia and relationally empowering pastors. We began in Singapore and then reached out to several nearby countries.
While in a transitional sabbatical year to discern what is next for us in ministry, I am still passionate about serving Christian leaders in Asia, where the resources and support and role models are scarce. We see a great need and the Lord has given us many open doors, especially in Vietnam and China.
Some of the distinct characteristics of how we approach mentoring:
Personal - it is built on relationships more than curricula, so we meet in small groups and individually many times over a period of years. As the relationships grow, the trust and personal support grows with increased understanding of the leader's gifts, personality, challenges, and dreams. We go deeper with fewer, and encourage the leaders we mentor to reproduce their lives by investing in others.
Pastoral - it is focused on spiritual and character growth more than on skill development. When we are together, there is a lot of group Bible study and reflection and discussion that is attentive to what the Holy Spirit is pointing out in a leader's life for change and direction. We focus on who the Lord is shaping us to be, where he is leading us, and what he is calling us to accomplish for his kingdom.
Practical - mentoring starts in the context of where the leader is serving, and is put into practice within the leader's relationships and ministry. The starting point is where God has put us and what he wants to teach us, and the end point is applying what we are learning where we are at. We are not finished until the learning is put into practice.
Being the pioneer and the leader - and usually the only Westerner in the room - has been fulfilling. But is also tiring and sometimes lonely. While my greatest desire has been for reproduction and I have seen that in many, many Asian leaders, I also recognize the need for more colleagues around me to keep going strong. To go the next lap in a healthy and effective way, I am looking for others who share the same values and vision and who want to work together. Here is a link to a fuller description of my ideal for an apostolic mentoring team.
Would you please pray with us over the coming months that the Lord would lead us to close ministry partners? If you have input regarding this search, please let us know!
Father, thank you for Jim’s fruitful service over the past 18 years and for the many leaders, ministries and lives that have been touched as a result. Now please lead Jim to others who share his passion and perspective for developing Asian leaders. Give him colleagues that will sharpen each other and complement each other and lead to greater multiplication across Asia in the coming decade, in Jesus’ name.
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