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Lead Like Love Matters...

 SHANNON’S CORNER

Lead like love matters!

This month I was asked by Here2There Ministries to speak on their network on the topic of ‘Loving through Member Care’.  I based the talk on the passage of scripture from Matthew 22:36-40 (see below), which is the biblical foundation that I use for doing member care, The Great Commandment.  It is a three-part relationship of God, Self, and Others.

I find it very interesting that it was the Pharisees who brought this question to Jesus to try and trap him.  Yet, Jesus starts with quoting the command that Moses gave the Israelites to do in Deut. 6:4-7, the main concept being to love God.  I believe if Jesus had stopped there the Pharisees would have been justified in their actions and lifestyle of keeping the laws.  But Jesus didn’t stop there.  He went further and added that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  The authentic test of our faith is how we treat people.  How we love God will affect how we love others.  Jesus went even further to solidify how important this idea is by stating in verse 40 that all the law and prophets hang on this commandment.



When you love God, you grow a deeper faith that leads to loving others which builds stronger relationships and loving God leads to loving yourself which leads to smarter decisions.  In the book ‘It’s Just A Phase’, I love there definition of faith through the lens of the Great Commandment, “Trusting Jesus in a way that transforms how you love God, self, and others.”  


As I meet with people and hear their stories there are a few times that I use this three-part relationship of God-Self-Others to see where they are in their relationships.  How are they loving God?  How are they loving themselves?  How are they loving others?  The hope is to bring them back to an understanding of who is God by remembering that we are created to pursue an authentic relationship with our Creator.  Discovering what is means to follow Jesus that their identity is anchored in him, and he defines who we are by what he says.  And realizing the meaning to participate in his mission, by demonstrating God’s love to a broken world.  Andy Stanley states, “Spirituality is determined by how well one loves, not how much one knows.”  I have used this concept on myself as well to see how I am perceiving and loving God-Self-Others.


Producing content for a training I have found is a lot of work and sometimes slow going than I would have thought.  Maybe it is because I have a lot of information and do not have the time to use all the information.  So, what do I cut and what do I keep?  I am definitely old school in that I have to write out what I want to say on paper to get the flow of the content in a time appropriate manner.  Maybe it is because I really do not enjoy using power point and that takes a long time for me to arrange all my slides, to visually be aesthetic, and to add the notes in case I am not the only one who will give the training.  Whatever the case may be I am very grateful to have finished the main draft and a couple of revisions for the training on ‘Partner Care 101’ for OMS.  A training they are hoping to use to teach and equip their sending churches on how to care for their missionaries alongside of OMS.  The missionary is an extension of the church, a conduit, and how the church supports and cares for their missionary.  I have a wonderful team who has given me their insight, input, and encouragement along the way.  It has also been fun working with my sister, Rachel who has been helping me to design, create, and build a game that puts the information from the training in a cooperative learning, fun filled way.


Exciting news!  Safe Place Ministry has given me the green light to create a training with follow-up group sessions for parents of pastors’ kids.  This has been a desire of mine for a while since I am a pastor’s kid and I want to bring awareness and guidance to equip parents who are pastors and raising kids to understand some of the common challenges their kids will face because of living the life of a pastors’ kid.  My colleague, Mark will be joining me as we co-facilitate.  Mark is also a pastor’s kid, and his experience is different than mine, yet we have had many of the same challenges in our growing up years that has come with us into our adult years.  If any of you who are pastors and are interested in the training, ‘PK Parent Cohort’ let me know and I will give you the information of where you can register for the training.  You do not need to be a parent of a PK to attend this training, if you yourself were a PK or if you work with many PKs then this training is also for you.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart

And with all your soul and with all your mind.’

The is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:34-40

PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise the Lord for sunshine!

Praise the Lord for the women in my Bible Study!

Praise the Lord for His agape love!

Praise the Lord for His leading and direction when meeting with people!

Pray for wisdom as I meet with people either one-on-one or debriefs.

Pray for building community and relationships where I am living and the church I am attending.

Pray for wisdom, guidance and direction as I put content together for developing trainings.

Pray for my Safe Place Member Care Trip to the Dominican Republic to serve my KAI missionary friends Feb. 24th-Mar. 4th, wisdom, strength, guidance, protection.



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Shannon Eaton

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Harrisburg, PA  17111

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Email:  shannon.eaton76@gmail.com

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