I'm a sucker for Top 10 lists. When Letterman was funny (80's?) the Top 10 list was one of my favorite bits he did. We're now into the 2nd month of the New Year, so most of the 2010 Top 10 lists have been made, published,and forgotten already. Here's one I made in Dec.; http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/note.php?note_id=482685799576 .
One of my favorite mags (now only online) is PASTE http://www.pastemagazine.com/ . Their tag line is "Signs of Life in Musc, Film and Culture". They help keep me informed on what's going on in those areas of interest, but that team is Top 10 list crazy. They go overboard! I mean, do we really need to know the Top 10 songs with "Spam" in the title? And yet, for some strange reason, I do want to know.
Whether or not you share my affinity for Top 10 lists, I'm not alone. For the 2nd year in a row, the Motion Picture Academy has chosen to nominate 10 films in the Best Picture category; http://oscar.go.com/ . (Look for The King's Speech to win, see A.I.M.'s 2nd shot).
Okay, enough about music & movies. Let's talk ministry. (NOTE: The recent High Council had a "Top 10" list until Commissioner Jim Knaggs graciously declined nomination). A few months ago, Stacy and I had good reason to develop a sort of Top 10 list for how we approach ministry as officers in The Salvation Army. I've included the list below. It is by no means meant to be definitive, (even for us). However, it might cause/help you to consider your own approach to whatever ministry you are involved in. We could all use a bit of focus as we serve #1, and OTHERS in His name.
Ministry Philosophy of Stacy & Rob Birks
We believe…
1. That the health of the officer couple and their family is most important.
2. The officer (leader) should know his/her gifts and passions and interests, as well as strengths and weaknesses, and lead from there.
3. The Corps and Local Officers best know the needs of their Corps and community and they should lead the direction.
4. That to be “Army” is to be missional, outwardly focused, innovative, Spirit-lead, inclusive, relevant, creative, bold, compassionate, collaborative…
5. That the priority of Officership is authentic discipleship: Bible study, prayer, worship and service.
6. That the church/Corps exists for people who are not there yet and that the Corps must constantly evaluate motives and methods to make sure we aren’t just entertaining ourselves.
7. That the church/Corps is the most important ministry in The Salvation Army.
8. That in a corps the “priesthood of all believers” plays out when the Corps Officer identifies, equips, challenges, trains, models and gives opportunity for the local leaders to do the ministry. The Corps Officer is the one who needs to be visioning and identifying dangers/opportunities ahead.
9. That we agree wholeheartedly with the Army’s stance that women and men have an equal role in leadership and ministry.
10. That in order to stay up-to-date, relevant, and fresh, the Officers need to keep reading and to be aware of what is going on inside and outside the church.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------May God continue to bless you as you continue to be the word and work of God in the world. Amen.
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