cultural dichotomy

Close the Door Behind You

Posted on 11. Oct, 2008 by ray in Gospel, IMB

We’ve lived here in Western Europe for about 2.5 years. When we first moved over I hadn’t given any thought one way or the other towards a strategy for impacting the lostness with our population segment. I had spoken with our team leader and knew his basic strategy for the city. But I came in not knowing exactly how to go about getting in to our community and what I would do if any of them came to Christ.

Over the course of our time here God has, through events only He could orchestrate, caused our focus to change to a different segment of the population. I feel comfortable in having developed a strategy for reaching this community and I think I even have a good idea for grouping an discipling those that come to know Christ.

But one of the things I’ve never thought through is an exit-strategy. That is, a strategy for handing the local work over to nationals in the hopes that it continues on the course that I’ve established. This of course, freeing me and my family up to move and start a new work somewhere else. One of the things discussed within the rank and file of IMB’ers is being a catalyst. It seems that a catalyst would work most effectively by being seen as an “inside” strategy coordinator. And that if faced with the possibility or opportunity of moving to start a new work the nationals could take over the local work. I mean, isn’t that the whole point of being a catalyst. I know that there are those that are true apostles, that move into an area, that are blessed to be able to start a new, viable work, that build up local leaders, hand the work off to them, and then move on to start the whole process again somewhere else. That seems to be the definition of a catalyst.

I’m not so sure though, that missionaries need to have an exit-strategy. I’ve never thought through developing an exit-strategy because I’ve never thought one was needed. It almost seems a little arrogant that I would take the time to develop a strategy that involves me walking away from the work that I’ve started. What if the timing in my exit-strategy doesn’t line up with God’s timing? On the other hand, what if I feel that God may be lining things up for us to move on. If that’s the case don’t I need to have some sort of strategy for my exit? Don’t I need to insure that the small things that I’ve started continue on? And is the development of an exit-strategy even missional?

To develop an exit-strategy, or to not develop an exit-strategy…that is the question.

Tags: strategy