Dr. Bob Moffitt, Founder and President of Harvest Foundation, has been one of my best friends for almost 50 years. It was Bob and I, along with our corresponding organizations, who founded the Disciple Nations Alliance.
As part of the Disciple Nations Alliance, Bob and I have had the privilege of traveling around the world facilitating Vision Conferences. Bob is a gifted master trainer, perhaps the best teacher trainer I have ever met.
During one of our first conferences, Bob asked the gathered pastors, church leaders, missionaries, and development workers to close their eyes and envision the story he was about to tell. He related the story of a Latin American man named Juan who pastored a church in the poor community of Las Pavas. As Bob told the story, we were all riveted to our seats. Some were in tears. Here was story telling at its best.
When Bob finished, he asked the conference participants to break into small groups and discuss a question: “If Jesus were mayor of your community, what would he do to heal the brokenness?” The conferee’s spent ten or fifteen minutes in fun, high-energy brainstorming of how the community would specifically improve if Jesus were mayor.
When the discussions were over, Bob said, “Look at your list: that’s the church’s assignment (of what God wants her to do in the community)!” The participants were stunned. Bob’s Parable of Vision and the related discussion had a paradigm-shifting effect.
I hope you enjoy A Parable of Vision.
– Darrow Miller
2 Comments
Jon Davis Jr.
March 31, 2012 - 2:02 amThat is a great assignment. I think I’ll use that in my Worldview Study Group. 🙂
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March 31, 2012 - 10:33 amJon, thanks for your enthusiastic response. Blessings on your study group!