Leave Behind/Take Away

At the conclusion of Dwelling 1:14 trainings, we ask people to participate in a simple activity that gives us a pretty good idea of what God has stirred in their hearts.  We ask them to write down something that they will “leave behind” as a result of the training and something that they will “take away” with them.

After their training, the leaders of Lord of Life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on April 14, 2012 told us:

I will Leave Behind.../I will Take Away...

• I will leave behind... that living missionally is scary/I will take away... intentionally responding to opportunities that He presents every day
• Some of the hustle and bustle of busy everyday activities/New ways to enjoy other people
• The formality of "evangelism"/The invitation to establish relationships with others
• Fear and anxiety to carry out His mission/The Holy Spirit's power to work through me
• Having to be perfect and know everything about God in order to disciple others/That discipling can be simple
• Fear of not being able to continue the mission/Looking for what God is already up to
• The fear that I am not in a place in my life to do this/It is easy to be a friend and God is with me
• The need for another program/The desire to get involved with God's mission
• Closed eyes to opportunities/Be intentional
• Inviting people to church before they are ready/Being a friend is the first step
• The old mentality that I have to get people to the church building as the first step/That Jesus does the heavy lifting
• My fear and skepticism/God is already at work with or without me - He will succeed!
• I will leave behind my perception that I am not well enough prepared to live missionally/I will take away an attitude like that of Jesus

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After the Southern District's Mission Summit in New Orleans (January 27-28, 2012) here's what people told us:

Leave Behind/Take Away

• Fear/Confidence
• My agenda/His Possibility
• Apathy toward my neighbors/The determination to work with my wife in connecting with our neighbors
• Weight on me/Empowerment
• Frustration/Peace and clarity
• That I have to do it all by myself/Missional community
• “Shoulds”/Joy
• My obsessiveness with details/Enjoy connecting with people
• My fear of not doing what God wants/Two new actions to implement
• Fear of rejection/Take the first step
• Anxiety/Love for People
• Laziness/Courage
• The Many/The Few
• My fear/More excitement
• Plans and prejudices, fears and false expectations/Joy knowing the Lord is working ahead of me
• The burden of thinking I have to get Jesus into the world/The fact that Jesus is already in the world
• The guilt of failure/Begin with those closest to me and work outward
• The desire for perfection before I begin/Permission and value in having fun with people, it’s not goofing around but building relationships and discipling
• The idea that it’s up to me/Knowledge that God is working everywhere
• The old definition of missionary/A renewed faith that Jesus is already out there ahead of me… fear not!
• Judgment/More prayer time
• A sense of narrow community/Embrace a larger community as my own
• My lack of paying attention to the opportunities God places in front of me to be missional, incarnational and to make disciples/ Re-imagined goal of using “Christ Chapel” as God’s tool for discipling
• Control Issues/Joyous privilege
• Any fear I had about reaching out right here/The plan to be a better neighbor. Here I come, neighbors!

Additional Leave Behinds from the Summit:

• Doubt
• Fear
• Me solving all the issues
• Need to be perfect
• Blindness to what God is already doing
• The idea that I have to take Jesus to the world (He’s already out there)
• My fear and doubt
• The church as club
• Fear of imperfection
• Uncertainty
• I can’t do this
• Doubt of God’s advanced preparations
• The unknown
• Fear of failure
• Trust in me for trust in Jesus

 Additional Take Aways from the Summit:

• Love and joy
• Peace
• Encouragement
• Greater Knowledge
• Intentionality
• It’s a lifestyle
• Jesus is already out there!  That takes the pressure off us.
• It’s fun!
• The Five Questions
• Confidence – it’s easier that I thought
• Relational reinforcement of the incarnational approach
• I am a disciple as I follow Jesus!
• Renewed passion for neighbors
• Knowledge on discipling
• Re-enforced confidence in what God is already doing
• The challenge to be in my neighborhood, away from my office
• It’s time to get to work
• New friends in mission
• Importance of discipleship in LCMS being strengthened
• What God has already put in our hand
• The confidence to do what God calls me to do
• Focus on discipleship
• Confidence
• New friendship with and coaching from Greg and Susan Finke
• Having conversations
• Jesus is already out there
• Confidence in the power of the Gospel
• Listen to God and continue to figure out what He is asking
• Loving one another as Jesus did
• The time to care about others
• Jesus is already out there in people’s lives… I get to build on it
• The Kingdom of God is near because Jesus is loose in the world

In New York City, (January 20-21, 2012) here's what they told us:

Leave Behind/Take Away

• Lack of focus/Desire to develop a Missional Community
• Misconceptions/New prospective
• Overlooking opportunities for building a Neighboring Environment/the Value of offering to pray for others despite my insecurities
• Pride and getting back/the Responsibility to seek out and be available to lost people
• Expectations when fruit is not ready to be harvested/Prayer for and with pre-Christians (especially People of Peace)
• Being cynical/No-agenda friendship
• Friendships with an agenda/more Intentional discussions to develop friendships
• My fear of witnessing because I won't know what to say or when to say it/the Desire and determination to meet people where they are and foster loving relationships - I am excited to see God work!
• Inattentiveness to Kairos moments/Motivation to create neighboring environments with the people in my apartment building

In Panama City, FL here’s what they told us:

Leave behind:

• Allowing my neighbors to be anonymous in their faith
• Fear of failure and old paradigms
• Indecisiveness
• Timidity when it comes to reaching out to others
• Not helping
• Putting it off, making it more difficult than it has to be
• Old perceptions of the church
• Going it alone
• Build the church by getting more people to fill the pews
• The presumptions of western church culture
• Doubt

Take away:

• Confidence and determination with God’s help
• A new way of making disciples
• Introduce people to Jesus through relationship and pray for the Holy Spirit’s empowerment
• Talking to my neighbors more in depth
• Help start a new church
• Confidence in God’s promise
• Searching for my mission team
• Watching for ways to be a part of God’s redemption
• More intentional personal devotion life
• Prayer walk the neighborhood; start now… do not delay
• Hope