Leading through letting go
Jonny Pollock
This summer saw a team effort in our back garden as my 12-year-old son and I prepared to build a raised garden bed. I am not in any way "handy" like this and had some doubt, but he was just so excited to be included and “grown-up". Then came his inevitable request: “Can I do it, Dad?”
Efficiency told me to say no. I had things to do: boards needed cutting, screws needed putting in with a power tool. But something nudged me... This moment wasn’t just about wood and soil. So I let him try. Of course, the initial measurements were off, and all the screws fell on the floor. Tears welled. “I can’t do it,” he loudly announced. My hand twitched impatiently, ready to take over. Yet the real project was not a garden bed but a boy learning perseverance, and a father needing some humility! If I stepped in too quickly, I’d definitely save the project but perhaps stunt the growth of my son. I could easily take over, but lose the real lesson for him and for me.
Mission isn’t easy – but isn’t that the point of it to start with?
Jonny Pollock
In Western Europe, the refrain is common: mission and evangelism are hard.
It’s an oft-heard lament, one that sparks endless discussion, strategy sessions, and even discouragement among Christians. But what do we really mean when we say it’s “hard”? Beneath the surface, it often seems we’re using “hard” as a catch-all term for something deeper – uncomfortable, difficult, and complicated. These realities, while challenging, are not legitimate reasons to abandon the Great Commission, or to throw in the towel in despair. Instead, they demand that we reframe our approach, recalibrate our expectations, and reaffirm our commitment to the task at hand.
We must watch how our leaders respond to failure
I think we might have a problem with how we measure Christian leadership.
Our contemporary frameworks feel inadequate when we turn to Scripture's most celebrated figures.