City News - Dreaming Big and a Glimpse into What I Do

This is a copy of a newsletter that City sends out periodically to keep our staff updated. The first article is by a friend of mine who is a wonderful personal coach. Her tips for dreaming here are very good and I hope you'll be encouraged and inspired yourself. The second article is by me :). It gives you a little picture of the work that I do for Cru staff. Dreaming Big Rhonda Bennett    Greetings on this summer day. Next month Cru17 staff training begins and you may love that idea or cringe at the thought! Regardless, I know your desire and dreams are to Be Who God Created You To Be.      With that in mind, I want to encourage you to use your time in Colorado to revisit those God-given dreams. For some of us it means taking advantage of the beautiful surroundings and being still and perfectly quiet to hear God's voice and for others it is intentionally seeking out specific people to share our vision with.     Being together on the CSU campus is unique. Where else do we have thousands of people resources, time away from the usual distractions, and opportunities to learn information that will propel our goals - from latest technology to leadership skills.     Yet, the time can slip away and you head back home with “I wish I had…”     Let me encourage you to be intentional and proactive with your time. Here are some questions that may help you identify next steps to living your God-given dream. 1.  What do you need to do to make sure you have time to be silent?  Where and when can you getaway? Who can encourage you, especially when the extrovert in you wants to fill every hour with people and activity!? What are your internal compasses telling you about next steps?  2.  Revisit some of these possibility statements:   A.  If I didn't care what others thought, I would...   B.  If I had unlimited financial resources, my upcoming year would look like...   C.  If I let go of my fear, I would do (fill in blank) differently than I have before.  3.  Who are the people that you need to meet with that will accelerate your goals? If you only can meet with two, who would those be to help you take the most next critical step?  4.  What other resources are available at Cru17 that you need to seize while there instead of procrastinating? MPD materials, HR questions, studies from the bookstore to launch your creative outreach, etc?  5.  Who are the people you need to be aware of who want to steal your joy - the dream dashers, the pirates who take you off course? What strategies can you put in place to handle these people? Remember, they could even be loved ones operating out of their own fears.  6.  Cru17 has the potential for surfacing all those mistaken beliefs in our heads: “I am not good enough”, “My director would never say yes to that”, “My support is too low”, etc.  Use these two questions begin turning those beliefs into possibilities: Is that absolutely true? What are three ways it might not be true?     The world needs us to be ourselves, just the way God created us. We are His poem, designed to contribute in a very unique way. May you have a wonderful time with Him and with others as you navigate your way through Cru17. Dreaming with you, Rhonda

So your staff friend is interested in City.... Kerri Thorn   Do you ever find yourself talking with a friend who serves in one of Cru’s other ministries and thinking “City would be perfect for this person!”?  Particularly in the spring and early summer, I have conversations weekly (if not multiple conversations a week) with Cru folks thinking about transferring to City.      What kinds of qualities to we look for in a strong transfer candidate?  As you head to Cru17 where you will likely encounter all sorts of friends from other ministries, I thought you’d find it helpful to know what makes City a good fit for a person considering a transfer. Vision and Calling.  In our experience, the number one indicator of future success withCity is a strong, clear calling from the Lord to a particular city accompanied with a clear vision of how and where the Lord wants to use one in that context.  This spring, I’ve talked to folks called to Chicago, San Diego, and Miami, amongst other places.  God has given each a heart for the people in these specific cities and their calling and vision will do much to get them through those difficult first couple of years of transition to city ministry.   Reflecting the Diversity of the City.  We want our movements to reflect the beautiful ethnic and cultural mosaic of the city. Our commitment to ethnic diversity means that people transferring into City need both a heart for reaching across ethnic lines and a growing experience in doing so. Entrepreneurial.  A staff person joining City will find that their days are filled with quite a bit of “white space” and a whole lot of freedom.  Not everyone finds this exciting and energizing - in fact, most people perform at their best with at least some structure in the context of a team (this makes sense as the Lord did not necessarily create us to be lone rangers).  However, in City, one needs to be OK creating their own job while pulling together non-traditional teams of folks working together to help usher in the kingdom of God in the context of our cities. As you talk with people this summer who wish to know more about City, consider these characteristics.  If you think they fit the bill, please feel free to direct them to me (kerri.thorn@cru.org) and I’d love to hear their story and help them think through how God might be leading them.