I still see the tendency, in myself and others, to want to follow someone else’s model: the successful organic church guy’s strategy, or the hottest apostolic disciplemaking methodology, or the latest book on how to perfect the house church gathering, or someone else’s ministry whom we revere.
Yes, I think we must learn from each other.
But let’s not discount the unique persons that we are. I believe we will go further investing in the lives of others if we honor the passions that are stirring within us rather than trying to clone ourselves after the likes of others.
Bob Pierce prayed “Lord, break my heart with the things that break your heart.” He followed his deep compassion for neglected children, founded World Vision, and reached thousands of people for Christ through that ministry.
William Booth’s passion propelled him to care for the poor in London and work to right injustices out of which the Salvation Army was birthed. Again, thousands upon thousands have been impacted for Christ over the decades.
My point is that these two men, as examples, had differing passions that moved them into different kinds of settings where they each made an impact for the Kingdom using very different methods. And each of them differed from the passion that moved Billy Graham to gather tens of thousands into crusades. These men did not model their ministries after one another, but they followed Jesus with the passion that gripped their own hearts by the Spirit of God.
It seems to me that we would do well to do the same.
