The title of this post is a bit deceiving. I’ve been home from iNFO training — which is what they call staff training for Navigator newbies — since the night of June 4. I haven’t been reflecting for the past two weeks. I reflected for maybe one week and then I forgot to write about it.
The training was held in Colorado Springs where the Navigators have their headquarters. This was second trip out there, having been there two summers ago for the National Collegiate Program. I was very excited to get back to Colorado. Each time I’ve been there now I’ve felt a very real sense of peace. Maybe it’s the thin air affecting my brain. But in any case, a break from cubicle land was just what I needed, even if I was going to be working the entire time out there.
There were about twenty-five other people there for training, eight of whom were with the collegiate mission. (Our training was not done with EDGE Corps, although they were out there at about the same time we were.) The rest of the participants were joining Nav staff in the military, metro, or overseas divisions. It’s one thing to be told that the Navigators has their hands in all these different areas — and I have been for the past five years — but it’s another thing entirely to meet the people who will be serving in those areas. I had the chance to grab at least one meal with just about everyone there and hear their stories of how God called them to what they’re doing. That was probably the highlight of the week.
My small group included our team leader and two couples going into collegiate ministry. It was during this small group time that we went through the Bible study we’d been asked to prepare. We also rehearsed a number of interview scenarios together. Ben, our group leader, is a staff member at Wisconsin-Madison. Josh and Mandi are going on staff in Texas, while Dawn will be a staff member in Massachusetts. Dawn’s husband Andy was also in our group but will not be going on staff. I can honestly say that I never really felt like the “fifth wheel.” I think the lack of single folk in my group actually worked to my advantage. It allowed me to be a little less social, and this was one introvert that was dying by the time each day was over as it was.
But this group was about more than just going through the various exercises and work the leaders had prepared for us. I really got to know them. We talked a lot about our hopes and fears relating to the coming year of ministry. We prayed for each other and, I would wager, we’re all still praying for each other. The woman in charge of iNFO training told all of us at the beginning of the week that we’d meet people here that we’d be friends with and stay in contact with for the rest of our lives. I think she was right.
I came away from this training having learned a lot, but there are two major lessons that stand out. The first is that fund raising is ministry. I came into this summer just wanting the fall semester to start. I just wanted to survive fund raising and get enough money so that I could start my ministry work. But the truth is my ministry work as a staff member of the Navigators started on June 2 when I made my first fund raising phone calls. I have a responsibility to minister to my prospective donors, and over the course of this year I’ll have that same responsibility to the people who are led to contribute.
I also came away with the sense that this wasn’t an impossible task I had signed up for. I admit, when all the numbers had been crunched and I arrived at the bottom line for what I needed to raise I experienced a little “sticker shock.” But that was before going out to Colorado. I’ve now been trained how to make a petition. I’ve been taught the biblical basis for fund raising. I’ve seen people with less who are trusting God for more than I am. I didn’t mention this yet, but I had the smallest amount of money to raise out of anyone at iNFO. There were people there looking to raise more than $7000 per month in order to support their family and ministry. Incredible!
As I mentioned at the beginning I’ve been back for almost two weeks. At the time of writing this I have had six face-to-face appointments and plan to have at least another two this weekend. Two people have contributed already. This weekend I’ll be putting the finishing touches on my support letter. I’ll be sending it out to people I won’t be able to see this summer, plus all the people in Connecticut that I may or may not see when I make a five-day trip up there in July. The progress is slow, but it’s steady. It’s not easy to spend twenty hours each week working on fund raising when you’re also working a job forty hours each week (I’ll be switching to part-time in August). But I believe the time I am putting toward this goal is being blessed. I have a team of people praying for me and a team of people at Nav Headquarters just a phone call away with all sorts of resources at their disposal.
I would appreciate it if you would continue to pray for me as I fund raise for the next couple of months. Pray for the people I’ll be meeting with and talking to over the phone. Pray that I’ll be able to do all that’s required without utterly exhausting myself. I’ll try to keep you as up-to-date as possible with how things are going. If you go to my website you’ll see a progress bar in the top right that will track how close I am to my goal.
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