Relationship v. Institutionalitis

Both this picture and this video are from WDA’s work in Africa. Which impresses you more? Both of these things happen in our ministry, but which one is more encouraging, inspiring, motivating?

Jesus tried to escape the crowds to spend time with the 12. The only reason he chose to teach the 5,000 was because he loved them and saw they were like wandering sheep with anyone to shepherd them. It wasn’t because he “just couldn’t turn down such a great ministry opportunity.” He genuinely cared about people and relationships more than his teaching ministry.

I’m talking with 2 other guys about starting a WDA school of ministry here in Fayetteville, GA next year for the times when I’m NOT in Africa. Oh it would be awesome! We’d meet like outlaws in WDA’s grungy, cluttered basement, training small groups of Jesus follower to become radical disciple-builders. They’d go out with a mature zeal that would catch like a wildfire around the globe.

I think God must have a sense of humor because He laughs at me all the time.

I keep asking Him about this thing and he keeps putting it back on me.  He’s saying things like, “Don’t focus on what I might do in the future, but on what I’m doing right now. Right now, this is about you 3 growing together and becoming more like me. It’s about me training you in faith and love, showing you to say “no” to ungodliness. I’d rather have your heart than your talents.” He seems to be telling me to focus on building relationships more than on building ministries.

So I’m standing in the shower saying, “let me get this straight God. So you’re saying this project is about the relationships and you want me to focus my energy on the individuals as much as on the project?” And He replies, “Child, some day you’ll understand that everything you do is about the relationships you build and NOT about the structures or institutions you can create.”

So if we do this school of ministry… or if I just keep focusing on seminars in Africa… you might catch me trying to impress you from time to time with pictures of big gatherings and huge “successes”. But catch me at an honest moment and I’ll tell that all that stuff is really just a cover for the real important stuff: long afternoons drinking tea, prayers on the phone for old friends, deep rapport built with one individual at a time. It really is “all about the relationship.” Thankfully I work with people who share that value—we even have an acronym for it—though of course, we all seem prone to “institutionalitis” and lose our perspective pretty easily.