Support, Strengh & Resilience
14 Oct 2022
“…though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecc. 4:12)
By way of vivid analogy, the Preacher dispels any notion of going at it alone, focusing rather on the essentials of team-centered ministry: support, strength and resilience.
In the unreached locations of the Muslim world in which our workers serve, they face tribal systems built to ensure the continuation of the established physical, religious and social systems. From every angle, the systems discourage and rally against change and different perspectives.
The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a disruptive force (Matt. 10:34) to the established norms of individuals, families and communities long bound by the evil one. Challenge, resistance and threat is always a characteristic of the reality faced as the light of the Gospel is seen and understood.
Teams, as the Preacher describes, provide an empowering environment for individual workers to face the realities of speaking the truth of Jesus Christ in unreached locations. In teams, workers draw on spiritual and emotional support from their co-laborers. Renewed vision, hope, encouragement and understanding are offered to each other as members experience the real-life effects of resistance and challenge from the communities they serve.
In teams, workers experience greater strength through numbers. In many cases, the diversity of the co-laborers’ gifts and skills working together enable the Gospel in a greater variety of settings. At times, the presence of other co-laborers will empower a specific worker to take greater strides or risks for the Gospel at specific moments.
In teams, the accumulated effect of support and strength is a greater level of corporate and individual resilience. Unreached locations demand a continuing long-term perspective, and undaunting perseverance. Both of these are sustained within individuals through their resilience. While each worker comes with an established level of resilience, teams cement and grow resilience by providing resources beyond that of the individual worker.
Because teams provide a level of support, strength and resilience beyond which an individual holds, we believe teams are essential for serving in unreached locations.
L.L, a pioneers worker serving in the Middle East
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