Jesus called them together and said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matt. 20: 25-28
Not long ago our staff met in Japan for our annual Spring Retreat. It was a delightful time as family together worshipping, relaxing, and having fun together. We spent some time in God's Word going deeper together as we sense the Lord calling us over these next few years. We also spent a good deal of time getting to know our new strategic sending partner, SIM USA. It was a great time together.
These retreats are so important to our mission family as they solidify our relationships and hold us together in our vision "to see a vibrant community of servant leaders, leading the Church across Japan." In order to do this together, it takes a lot of support: a diligent and faithful leadership team pulling together all the details and a crew of volunteers to help us worship Christ and to shepherd our children while the parents spend time together.
This year, we had a wonderful team from King's Harbor Church in Redondo Beach, CA serving in a dual capacity as the worship team and the children's ministry team. They embodied one of our core values: servant leadership. They called themselves "Team Undone" and you can follow their blog of their time in Japan here. We couldn't have asked for a better team, as they served us so well and the wonderful news is that they want to return and improve their service. Imagine that, they were outstanding as is, and they want to get even better.
They truly modeled what Christ talks about above to his disciples as they served us right and left. Team Undone, thank you for your wonderful spirit and service. We couldn't have had such a fruitful time of fellowship and retreat without you, and we are grateful for you!
Joe Handley
President
We want to hear from you. If you have reflections on servant leadership or want to encourage Team Undone, drop me a note at:
P.S. - Thanks to Ken of Team Undone from King's Harbor Church for use of his photos.
