Am I an Area Director or an Area Doer?
Our business cards might say “Area Director,” but at the heart of the job is “doing,” “going,” and “engaging.” Quite frankly, I believe whole-heartedly that we are “Doers” first, “Directors” second. But we are certainly both.
I am reminded of First Sergeant, Carwood Lipton, from Band of Brothers. Serving with Easy Company, in the 101st Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Lipton was a favorite among his troops as First Sergeant. He had “boots” on the ground with his men from the moment of his parachute landing in France, through Holland, through the long and wintry Battle of the Bulge, and all the way to the Eagle’s Nest (Hitler’s mountaintop fortress in Austria). He kept them focused and kept them encouraged. He never sent his troops on ahead. He always showed them the way and courageously led them into battle, every step of the way. Carwood Lipton was the embodiment of the “Doer.”
(a few scenes of graphic war time violence)
By the end of the war, he had received a battlefield commission to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.
While we are not in military combat with actual bullets flying, we most definitely have boots on the ground, fighting the most worthy and the most holy of battles. Our mission? To charge the hill and help take back the land for kids, so that they might clearly see, hear, and experience the beautiful story of Jesus and His message of hope, love, healing and forgiveness. There is a real and present enemy who “seeks to kill, steal and destroy” not only the hearts of teenagers, but our hearts as well, but we fight alongside and for the King of kings.
We must be the ones to lead the way for our volunteers and other staff…our great privilege and you’re up for the task! We must first be the ones to spend time in the cafeteria, in the stands, in the parking lots of the school campuses. And we must be effective in teaching our “troops” what relational excellence and efficiency looks like, along with the “why and the how” of the fight!
1st Lieutenant (US Army), Amber Thompson, one of our Young Life leaders, summed it up this way:
“1SG Lipton was promoted to Lieutenant because his vision was bigger and far reaching, making him more suitable to take command rather than to just follow orders. His vision needed to direct (2LT) came from his first ‘going and doing’ (1SG).”
The Area Director must have boots on the ground (we go and we do), all the while strategizing and seeing the bigger picture and view of not only the battle, but the war on the enemy and for the hearts of ALL kids. And before we “do” and “direct”, we pray fervently to the One who has already laid claim to victory! There is no forward movement without Him.
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Matthew 24:6
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2nd Corinthians 10:4
Written by: Glenn Austell, Senior Area Director, Lubbock, Texas (ylhubcity@msn.com)