No Missed Turns

This little proverb has been at the center of our discussions here at the Indonesia manager’s conference for Mission Aviation Fellowship.  Depicting the need to make course corrections when the environment changes, this theme has helped us discuss how MAF can adapt to the new state of global missions. From new technology, like glass cockpits and diesel fuel aircraft engines to alarming negative trends in the state of the national church, MAF-Indonesia has plenty of reasons why it needs to think carefully how to apply its service ministry in the years ahead.

Thanks to a generous Christian Indonesian businessman who owns this hotel and offered free rooms and meals to MAF, we’re enjoying a lovely venue in an upscale suburb of the capital city of Jakarta. But a heavy schedule with long hours of discussion and dialog have precluded much opportunity to try out the swimming pool in the tropical gardens or the world-class golf course next door.

My particular role has been to facilitate several sessions on program effectiveness and relevancy. To do that, I’ve proposed to MAF leadership a “strategic framework” that involves the three contexts of Kingdom Effectiveness, Cultural Relevancy, and Organizational Fit. By asking key questions from each context, field programs can quite easily evaluate their various ministry thrusts, such as air transport, IT support or radio communications. So far, I’m encouraged by the positive response I’ve received from everyone participating in my sessions, even the MAF wives. The next challenge will be to turn these discussions into practical evaluation tools and processes.

For sure, our dynamic world environment is forcing all sorts of new bends in the road for world missions. But if MAF leaders keep a sharp eye on their course, as they are doing at this conference, they can be assured no bend will be the end of their ministry service any time soon.