Second Year Master's Commission Atlanta Retreat

We left Thursday morning for MC ATL Second Year Retreat. We rolled into South Carolina about 2 1/2 hours later and are at a camp that is, no joke, very similar to the "rustic" Camp Adventure ... except the spiders are HUGE here. I think I'd take the deer flies of CA over the spiders of SC. There are 40 of us sitting in a square, much like we did at Camp Adventure, listening to Jeanne cast vision for the 2008-2009 year. She's a brilliant communicator, brilliant leader and, most importantly, brilliant when it comes to walk with Jesus! In oh so many ways, she is the real deal. I feel so honored to be able to sit at this table.

Last year I sat in the same square, with different second years, not knowing a single one. This year, I know them all. I get goose bumps thinking of who they were just one year ago and who they are now. In just over a week, these students will help lead and disciple 50 first year students. They have been put in their AC families and are excited beyond belief.

Earlier this evening we had our Creed Service outside where we were given the opportunity to pray for them individually by the moonlight and tiki torches. As I stood out and looked over them, there was both a sense of awe and fear that overwhelmed me. Awe when reflecting how far they've come and fear in regard to the opportunity before me and the rest of the team to speak life into them and lead them over the next nine months. The quote, "where goes the leaders, so go the people" came to mind. My next thought was, "what kind of residue will be left on them after having me around them over the next nine months?" Which of my good qualities and which of my negative ones will they pick up.

Earlier today Jeanne says, "Judy, they absolutely love you, why don't you take some time and speak into them at the beginning of the next session?" Hmmm, what do I say? The only things I could think of were from some of recent late night discussions with Jay. Jay is my Tristan of years ago. He is the guy that hangs out at the office until late in the evening just to chat. The only difference was that Tristan was a drummer and Jay is a sound guru. Here were the "Judy's thought shared with Jay" in recent days.

1. Team Unity. Over the summer the staff spent a week together and the outcome is that we are unified. In most teams, differences divide, but in ours they unite. We will celebrate each other. There is little chance you will negatively infiltrate this leadership team. I challenged them to do the same with their own team of second years. I went on to talk about what makes the Cadres so special. In all reality, both Jeanne and I realize, there would be no Cadre without the MC gang. They are what makes them special. Each time they bring their "A" game and there is this undeniable sense of unity. And that's what we need in MC ATL. MC Atlanta will "be the place to be" if they make it that way. More so than the staff, they will be the ones to create the tenor.

2. Authority and Gratitude. If they learn these two things, they will 99% ahead of their peers. 1 Samuel 16:21 says, "And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; adn he became his armorbearer." Armorbearers lift up. What would that look like if we did that for the staff?

3. Health. 3/4 the staff, including yours truly, is exercising and watching their weight. Health to the body is good and there are all sorts of Bowflex and Jenny Craig commercials that tell us so. But no one talks about the health to the soul that comes with integrity and character. Which, in turn, affects our physical health. If you choose to walk with integrity and character, you can alleviate so much of the worry, fear and stress that plagues so many people today.

4. Your walk with Jesus. The staff at MC Atlanta will watch out for them and, in many ways, protect them by carving out an hour of their day to spend in the sanctuary. But, it's up to them whether they are fully present while there. We'll try, but no one will watch out for you like you. I quoted the verse in John where it says in Him was the life and that life was the light of men. In Him is LIFE and that life is the LIGHT of man. Apart from Him there is no life and there is no light ... remember that!

Later on, we talked about leading people older than themselves (since some of the students coming in will actually be older than a few of them). Jeanne asked the staff to give advice. I referenced a Mayoism, "Don't let your charisma take you where your character can't keep you." I reversed it a little and said, "Your character will open doors that your charisma alone seldom will." The reality is that many of them are a little fearful, not because of their age, but because they don't have the charisma that some of the others have. I told them that if their character is in check, they need not worry, chances are it will earn them the right to be heard. I went on to say that I know of many employers who have hired a person based on their charisma and then regretted it. I know of no one that's hired on character and ever regretted it.