Servant
Servanthood is a foundational value of Christ’s kingdom and is central to our role as representatives of His kingdom. Contrary to human nature’s pursuit of power and prestige, Jesus exemplified humility and selflessness throughout His entire ministry and redefined greatness as service, not authority. He challenged His disciples’ worldly mindset by demonstrating that true leadership comes through serving others. He emphasized this message repeatedly, even demonstrating it by washing his disciples’ feet hours before he would be condemned and crucified. We are then commanded to take on the same mindset that He had when he left heaven, became of no reputation, and came to earth in human form (Philippians 2). We clothe ourselves with the servant-attitude of Christ as we learn new languages, embrace other cultures and become part of new communities. This leads us to a willing surrender of our own rights and personal comforts. And it is with this posture of a servant that we anticipate His Kingdom to come on earth, even as it is in heaven.
Resources
– Going as Servants by Merle Burkholder
– Core Value – Servant by Henry Blank
– Go Needy by Joanna M
Anabaptist
It might be helpful to first clarify what we do not mean by Anabaptist. We do not mean copying and pasting Mennonite culture from Lancaster County to Asia or Africa or Europe. We are not thinking of Anabaptist as a denominational label that we put on a church sign, such as “First Anabaptist Church of Cambodia”. Instead, we envision churches that are obedient to all the commands of Scripture and appropriately adapted to the cultural context. It is our conviction that these two things are not mutually exclusive. In the words of Menno Simons:
True evangelical faith is of such a nature it cannot lie dormant, but spreads itself out in all kinds of righteousness and fruits of love; it dies to flesh and blood; it destroys all lusts and forbidden desires; it seeks, serves and fears God in its inmost soul; it clothes the naked; it feeds the hungry; it comforts the sorrowful; it shelters the destitute; it aids and consoles the sad; it does good to those who do it harm; it serves those that harm it; it prays for those who persecute it; it teaches, admonishes and judges us with the Word of the Lord; it seeks those who are lost; it binds up what is wounded; it heals the sick; it saves what is strong [sound]; it becomes all things to all people.
We think of Anabaptism, not as a culture but as a hermeneutic, a way of approaching and interpreting Scripture. The Anabaptist hermeneutic has been called a hermeneutic of obedience, a hermeneutic that not only pursues a correct theology but also produces a transformed life; a hermeneutic that seeks not only to understand, but also to obey everything that Christ commanded. What makes this hermeneutic uniquely “Anabaptist” is that obedience is not just a personal thing between me and God. It is a commitment in community to God’s Word and to each other.
Resources
– How Anabaptists Understand Scripture – Part 1, Part 2 by Dan Ziegler
– Anabaptism as Worldview by Steve Brubaker
Team
While conflict with teammates is one of the primary reasons that cross-cultural workers leave the field, we are still convinced that team is one of the most powerful components in ministry. The synergy of team results in greater effectiveness than going it on one’s own (for example, two draft horses can pull triple the weight that they can pull individually). Teamwork also provides safety, as we all have weaknesses and blind spots and need others around us to help us see clearly. The metaphor of the body (Ephesians 4) further emphasizes the importance of teamwork. However, teamwork is often misunderstood and what we often call a team is more like a working group. In “The Advantage”, Patrick Lencioni defines teamwork as a small group of people who are collectively responsible for achieving a common objective, which requires figuring out what that common objective is, being mutually accountable for achieving it, and using our resources and abilities to accomplish it. This is a strategic choice that involves accepting the work and sacrifices necessary to reap the benefits of true teamwork. While it is hard work and requires practice to learn how to pull together in the same direction without stepping on each other’s toes, it has so much potential to be a beautiful thing that brings glory to God. Two people are better than one, and three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, paraphrased).
Resources
– Core Value – Team by Henry Blank
– Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
– Are you an ideal team player? by Patrick Lencioni
– The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni