McPherson Lecture Series 2011

Prospectus

found on this website.

Dates of interest – Applications close for 2nd Semester enrolment

27 June 2011

Moving from an active ministry into a passive, class based learning environment has been an interesting transition. Some great advice from General Eva Burrows however puts it into perspective: “There is a time for projects and a time for study, this is your time for study. Paul withdrew for 3 years, you only have 2″.
This paradigm shift has helped enter the mindset of learning and inner growth before being re-launched out into the mission field!

What have you learnt about yourself ?

That God speaks in the quiet times, as well as the busy. Taking time to stop, think and reflect is harder than it sounds but leads to – among other things – a wonderful inner-peace. I’ve also learnt how easy it is to put on weight at College – 10 kilo’s so far! Time to get out and start using the wonderful parks that are all around us!

What are you expecting of Officership?

Giving of myself for a community, a whole community. An opportunity to give a life to serve and save the poor from the hell on Earth in which they live as well as from an eternity of darkness.

I am a Cadet-in-Appointment, so the most difficult thing for me has been learning to juggling the demands of training with my responsibilites at the Corps. But there has also been the benefit that I am able to implement what I learn almost immediately.

What have you learnt about yourself?

I have become aware that the way I organise my life often has selfish motives. But through my training experience God has increased my love for people. As I have learnt to share my life with others my times alone with God have also become increasingly important and precious.

What are you expecting of Officership?

I am anticipating being a life-long learner and that each new appointment will not only require me to learn new skills, but will also deepen my understanding of who God is and how He relates to His creation. I am expecting to be stretched beyond what I can do in my own strength; that I will have to rely on God completely.

For me, adjusting to community living has been the biggest challenge – learning to live in close proximity with so many others.

What have you learnt about yourself?

I have learnt that even in the hardest of times, my calling to become an officer has been confirmed and I feel is stronger than ever.

What are you expecting of Officership?

The only expectation I have is that I will continue to allow God to use me anywhere, anytime and in whatever way that will bring others to Him.

For me it has been a combination of a few things, not least of which is the distance from home, family and all the life experiences I cannot share with them. Spiritually speaking, it has been a time of revelation about myself, how God views me, how I view myself, and how others see me. Do they see Christ in my actions, in the things I do and say?

What have you learnt about yourself?

That I need to rely on God in all things, because when I try to hold things together, they don’t fit in my hands. Inside each of us was a God-shaped hole that only God can fill. In each of our lives there remains an issue which fits only into the hands of God. I have learned to let go, and let God. God carries me, and the weight of my thoughts and actions… why then do I insist on holding onto them, burdening myself with the weight, when God already carries these things, and all I have to do is let go.

What are you expecting of Officership?

The opportunity to defend, the opportunity to uphold, the opportunity to encourage, the opportunity to grow… tough times ahead, and not all of them pleasant, but in each, and every one, the opportunity to rely on Christ.