Summer Study Plan

Well I finally decided... What area of study I was going to work at this summer. I always like to focus on developing in a particular area to help "sharpen the cutters (or saw)" as it were. So much of my Fall and Spring is spent expending information and energy, that I need to re-group or re-coop in the Summer. I always think of the Henry Kissinger quote: 'When I got to the White House, I realized that I had to rely on the intellectual capital that I had already built up. I had no time to keep building, things were coming at me so fast all I could do was maintain.' (recited loosely here).

Several years ago, I chose "Women in Ministry" and read most of the (then) contemporary books related to this topic, studied the passages, talked to senior staff and several pastors, read current periodicals, learned the InterVarsity policy & position, etc. trying to get a solid understanding on this issue. It really helped me since I talk to so many young women during the year to know what the issues are. Plus I work with female colleagues and I want to understand what they have to deal with, and this can be such a contenscious issue in the Church today.

Then I chose "Public Speaking or Preaching". I took a homiletics class. I read some classic texts as well as some contemporary books. I listened to about 100 sermons from a plethora of preachers. I may even have learned to speak better, but I mostly learned that I am glad God gifted me more in the discipling area (personal preaching) rather than pulpit preaching.

On another occasion, I took the ML 530 class from Fuller Theological Seminary, Lifelong Leadership Development, It was based on Bobby Clinton's model of discipleship and figuring out how to use what God has given us. I studied: Joseph (of technicolor dreamcoat fame), Barnabas, Billy Graham and myself, among others. It's where the philosophy of ministry -I wanna be like Barnabas- came from.


Also I've studied "Leadership" from a management as well as a ministry perspective. I was able to read only some of the texts on this subject as they seem to be published mulplicitively. I learned that the greatest model of leadership from both paths is Servant Leadership. Also, some of the most provacative teaching on Leadership is coming out of the Christian community.

One year I studied Counseling, in order to help know how to deal with difficult circumstances with students. I took a class from the Christian Counselors Training Center, met weekly with the director. I wrote a paper on Guilt. I learned how to do basic Biblical problem solving and how to know when to refer.

On another summer I took a Sabbatical and talked to Christians around Europe: missionaries & business people, pastors & laymen. I learned about Catholicism, C.S. Lewis, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, post-Christian westerners. I read C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Susan Howatch among others. I spent countless hours with Doug Gresham (C.S. Lewis' stepson). But most of all that was the Summer I learned about a theology of GRACE. I would say the sabbatical brought a major paradigm shift to my work.

Last Summer, I studied "The Prophets". I read classic texts from Jewish & Christian backgrounds. I read all of the Prophets in the Bible. I took a class on the Minor Prophets. I saw men who were sold out for God in the midst of crazy life circumstances.

So what about the Summer of 2006? I am moving deeper into the subject of Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Formation. I believe I will read a number of current books, meet with several local Spiritual Directors and/or Pastors of Spirituality. I may even do some study on Soul-Types (using the personality types to help train & disciple). I will probably take a class on further Spiritual Direction.