The word TRANSFORMATION has felt like it was “my” personal word for many years. Its nature is organic….flowing and going….moving…. and life-giving. When it’s initiated by the Holy Spirit, it sheds unneeded or unhealthy ways as it takes on unique forming aspects. It’s a word that has movement. When it first seemed to drop into my thinking, I began to realize it would be a word that would have significant impact.
PREGNANT TRANSFORMATION
I was reminded of pregnancy and birthing children. I have 3 children. As these little lives formed in me, it changed my form every day. It wasn’t a one time formation change either. Daily life formation inside was my formation too. The growing child not only was transforming my body shape, but my reasons for living, my daily activities, my relationships, my thinking processes…everything was in transitional formation. Oh, but after the child was born, didn’t you go back to the way you were, someone might ask? As any mother knows, the answer is no. Physically you might be able to look on the outside like it didn’t make a big change, but internally you are different forever. Emotionally? Oh my goodness, let us mothers count the ways our emotions change because a child is now in our life! But when they are adults doesn’t that go away? That’s what I thought too until I had adult children. You are changed forever by the experience and its ongoing effects in your life.
DON’T YOU JUST GET TIRED OF BEING IN TRANSITION SOMETIMES?!
Transformation is continual transition for me. I have tasted its delicacies enough to cause me to welcome its ways and deliberately strengthen my intentionality in embracing its outcome which has become my missional outlook.
WHAT KIND OF OUTLOOK?
Don’t let the word missional throw you into a typical definition of someone who lives overseas doing evangelism activity. Yes, I am a short term missionary, mobilizing short term mission teams, but a missional outlook has to do with all the areas of life, not just when you go on a team or do a particular task labeled as spiritual or ministry service somewhere “over there.” It’s the way we see who we are alongside the active awareness that we live in relation to those we encounter.
FROM HERE TO THERE AND EVERYWHERE
The teams are formed and mobilized to come alongside areas and ministries for the purpose of individual and community transformation. They are one to one, small group, and area-wide endeavors.When I work with team leaders or lead a team with Aglow, I experience a treasured gift from our heavenly Father. Its the gift of getting to know these precious ones who have a heart to be a catalyst for transformation wherever they are and are willing to take risks to see that happen. Most of them have never stepped out in experimental obedience in this type of setting or this way. Their discovery? Its dramatically transformative both in those they meet and in their own personal lives.
WITHOUT TRYING YET INTENTIONAL
The Aglow Transformation Teams help activate people in a fresh reality of God’s personal intervention and willingness to empower them. They find themselves developing spiritually without trying. As they get involved, they are both inspired and challenged and again – changed inside and out. It’s Divine activation! Its God’s demonstration! It’s illumination! And its our Transformation! Yahoo and that’s all good.
I WANT I WANT I WANT AND I BET YOU DO TOO
As sincere Christians, we read, study, hope and pray for an experiential expression of God’s Word to implode and explode in our lives. We want to be exhibiters of His glory! Oh how deeply we have desired to partner with His Word and ways and be a demonstration of His love and power! This is what we are experiencing on the Aglow Transformation teams! We don’t just have front row seats! We are in middle of dramatic face-to-face encounters with people as they discover God’s personal love!
I believe in spiritual growth classes and Biblical educational development opportunities. It’s learning and growing, knowing and experiencing truth. We all realize that lecture learning was never designed to exclude our experimental obedience. In these transformation team outreaches, we have found that sometimes before the person is even aware of the Biblical truths they are experiencing, as they intentionally step out, they put into practice Biblical principles and Scriptures. Let’s get face to face with God’s Word and as we do get face to face with some people on behalf of His love for them and discover His Word lives and breathes in us!
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