Wherever you are be all there

One of my favorite quotes is from Jim Elliot, who was savagely murdered in 1956 while bravely attempting to take the love of Jesus and the message of a Savior to the Waodoni Indians of Ecuador. Jim once said "Wherever you are be all there." Truthfully I have a love hate relationship with that quote because it has both kept me centered and frustrated at the same time. As a visionary leader I can sometimes leap to the next thing and prematurely abandon the current thing...or I can effectively nod my head in agreement while my mind has raced miles ahead. So wrestling with this idea "Wherever you are be all there" at home and at work is great for me but challenging for me.

On that same note, Andy Stanley did an amazing job applying this idea to our work context in part four of "Game Plan". Go HERE to listen to the message. Andy wrapped up with four great probing questions for us to wrestle with:

1. Based on your current performance would you trust you with a better opportunity?
2. Are you preparing for the next opportunity or just waiting for it?
3. What can you begin doing where you are now to begin preparing for the next opportunity?
4. Is there an opportunity where you are now that you are ignoring because the income doesn't match the work load?
   

A better city?

I love the fact that there are a group of people in Charlotte that heard the name "Ridge Church" for the first time as we were serving them in practical ways! I heard one of my pastor friends in the area say this and I believe it's true for our church, "We don't just want to have a better church we want a better city". Don't get me wrong, Charlotte is an amazing city, but what city wouldn't be better with more love, more serving, more generosity, more selfless acts?

Close to 50 people participated in a work day for Piney Grove Elementary this past weekend and the goal was to make improvements to the physical grounds of the school so that the students, parents, and administration of the school would step on to that campus with pride. It was amazing to experience Ridge Church families serving along side the families and administration of Piney Grove Elementary School...TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER!

Yet again, for Ridge Church when it comes to put up or shut up you guys stepped up to the plate and hit a home run. Thanks for being generous. Thanks for being selfless. Thanks for serving. We are doing for one school was we wish we could do for all (and one day maybe we will--as this revolution of Christ love continues)! This is just the beginning.