WHAT I LEARNED FROM MOVING TO A NEW YL AREA
Last August, I was asked by a dear friend to pray about moving to Colorado. In my head I said, “heck no!” but what came out of my mouth was, “sure I’ll pray about it, I’ll pray about anything. I love to pray!” Within three months, Alli and I packed up our home to make the biggest move of our lives.
Moving across the country meant we would be leaving behind our family, lifetime friends, and a thriving ministry. There was one thing I wanted to know for sure. Was I running from something or was I running to something? There is a huge difference between the two. In no way did I want to run from where God had planted me based on a false belief that the grass would be greener. I wanted to be SURE that we were running TO a place God was calling us…no matter what color the grass was! He made it clear to us that this was His move, not ours and we had complete confidence He would go before us.
We have been in Colorado for almost a year now and God has been faithful! He has taught us so much through this process. In the first few months, I felt strongly about taking time to listen and observe, without making any big changes. This was partly because I read a book my friend Ryan Wiggins gave me, The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins. During this time of observation and prayer the Lord showed me four values He wanted for our area long-term. I believe that if we commit to these four things, we will continue to see success in our relationships with the community we serve.
Humility - One of the most attractive attributes of an influential leader is Humility. This is particularly true when you are coming into a new area. People are often waiting to see what the “new guy/girl” will do. Humility is the gateway to Kingdom leadership because it creates a culture of honor. I wanted to honor the work that our leadership had been doing before I entered the scene. Although I am far from where I would like to be in this area, I have seen the incredible difference it makes when, by God’s grace, I choose to lean into humility as a leader.
Proverbs 18:12- "haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor"
Teachability - The second thing the Lord revealed to me earlier this year is that humility precedes teachability. In my beginning conversations, I was finding that most people responded to feedback in one of two ways: with excuses or eagerness to grow. It reminded me that I want to be the kind of leader that is teachable and willing to ask for help. I’ve found that people are honored when you say “you are better at this than me, can you help me succeed?” It empowers people! I truly believe weakness is the doorway to God’s strength. Over and over I have seen how saying "I need help" leads the unengaged adults in our area to step up and meet those needs.
Initiative - I also learned that being humble and teachable only goes so far. If you lack initiative, you end up losing the honor and respect that you’ve worked so hard to earn. For me, the simple act of responding to people (ie. texts, emails, etc.) and follow-through has been a game changer in moving to a new area. I have been very far from perfect in this but when we’ve shown this to our leaders and committee they have responded with initiative of their own.
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23
Faith - My friend, Steve Larmey, VP of Africa, told me on one of our assignments together that “faith, is the key that opens up God’s grace in our lives. When we live by faith, God pours out His grace all around us.” Without FAITH all of these principles are just great relationship tools. I saw this clearly during our spring fundraising event. Being humble, teachable, and willing to take initiative were helpful to get people in the room, but without in faith in Christ and his ability to supernaturally do more than I could ever hope or imagine, we wouldn’t have prayed BIG prayers leading up to that night. We wouldn’t have walked away with triple the amount we had hoped to raise. Faith is inviting Jesus in the boat…that’s when we get to where we are supposed to be.
“Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.” John 6:21
And
“And without faith it is impossible to please him” Hebrews 11:6
I believe that in Young Life, we aren’t just building into an organization. We are building culture - a Kingdom culture that the world does not know. I am excited about the way this transition has caused me to really see those around me, and how it has pushed me to grow as a leader and son of the King.
Things to Ponder:
If a friend or mentor asked you to consider moving across the country would you: A. Shut it down immediately? B. Say you’ll pray but not really. C. Really press in and see what Jesus is doing?
If you’re currently considering a move, how would you answer the questions, “Am I running from something” or “toward what God is doing”?
Can you think of an influential leader you know personally who has demonstrated true humility? Can you think of one who hasn’t? What are three things about the one with humility that you respect?
What are the things that you believe could move a Kingdom Culture into your community? What are the things you hope your leaders, committee, and staff will live out?