In today's Message About Purpose and Strategy, I want to tattle on myself. I've often said that all ministry takes place through relationships. I guess I've never really grown out of youth ministry philosophy and practices. Early on I found that sharing our lives is a great way to share Christ. Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church about this idea. He said they shared their lives as well as the gospel. Tim Burke and I share that incarnational ministry model. We also share a love for the outdoors in general and fishing in particular. Strangely, we have not fished together much (I'm remembering only one time two years ago in kayaks on the Willamette for small mouth bass). In our one- on-one meeting this week, we lamented that we had not taken the time to enjoy a whole day together on a nicer river for more spectacular fish. Well, I was convicted! It is time to practice what I preach about ministry taking place through relationships so I'm floating down the Nestucca all day Friday in pursuit of steelhead! Now that is a great setting for sharing, training, iron-sharpening-iron and enjoying our faith together. Ask us this weekend what we caught and what we learned and what we thought about it all.
"Editors update: Larry didn't catch anything because he never made it to the river. He was following Tim west on 22 and slid off the road on ice, flipping the car in a ditch. He's mostly fine and they plan on trying to catch fish another time."