I woke up this morning with certain themes on my mind. These were brought to the surface from last week when I had the privilege of doing a tour of Lawndale Christian Center led by Coach Wayne Gordon. These themes are: vision, long -term commitment and simplicity.
1. Vision
Let me talk about vision first. One of the distinguishing qualities of leadership is the ability to see. The ability to s...ee something in nothing, a future in the currently unattractive and potential in the decadent. When we came into the John and Vera Mae Perkins Center of Lawndale, more like the strategy room in the White House, and saw how decades ago they mapped out the revitalization of a community in decay and started purchasing abandoned lots and buildings praying for God to use them for his kingdom and then seeing how these buildings have been turned into living miracles transforming the lives of thousands( hospital, fitness center, day care, restaurants, residential shelter, over $60 million dollar of housing and apartment complex etc, I have ceased seeing the ugly buildings and vacant lots in my south side community differently. In fact, I couldn't keep myself from preaching on this last Sunday and showing the videos to our young and small church community at CityLight of what could happen in Bronzeville, Washington Park and Englewood etc.
2. Long-Term Commitment
Many have visions but they are not willing to wait for its realization. People like things microwaved. They don't want it cooked because cooking takes time. I was amazed that many people who started with coach thirty-seven years ago are still there. I met a doctor at the clinic who has been there for over 25 years. He is a white guy who moved into a black neighborhood and he's still there serving. I think those people are the most amazing part of Lawndale, not the thousands who stream into the fitness center, coffee house, restaurants or health center now. It is those people who were able to commit long- term and stay when there was nothing . I could just imagine the various things they would have had to fight in order to continue: discouragement, the wonderings of delayed vision, interpersonal conflicts etc. yet they stayed. They were not flashes in the pan. They are the real deal.
3. Simplicity
Coach impressed me a lot. And I have seen that attitude in some great men I admire like Sunday Adelaja, John Perkins, John Fuder, Sam Adeyemi Etc, the ability to have God do mighty things through you and not having it get into your head, remaining human, accessible, humble and simple. Such people have no notion that they are somehow exceptional and uniquely gifted. They are just ordinary people serving an extraordinary God. They don't claim to be the fathers of alI or the best thing happening in town. I admire such qualities a lot. They remind me of Paul and Jesus. They teach me about what true prosperity and success in ministry and life is. It is not about your big mansion, expensive cars, private jets, massive crowds or fancy titles, it is the ability to walk with God, find the place he wants you to be and be there, knowing you are just one of the weak mortals he gave the privilege and strength to serve his kingdom. It is the ability to access divine resources sometimes even to the tune of millions and millions of dollars not to accumulate it for yourself but to redistribute it into kingdom causes and the decaying world all around. Such people may not have bulging bank accounts on earth but they have heavenly bank accounts that are spilling over to bless the entire world.
1. Vision
Let me talk about vision first. One of the distinguishing qualities of leadership is the ability to see. The ability to s...ee something in nothing, a future in the currently unattractive and potential in the decadent. When we came into the John and Vera Mae Perkins Center of Lawndale, more like the strategy room in the White House, and saw how decades ago they mapped out the revitalization of a community in decay and started purchasing abandoned lots and buildings praying for God to use them for his kingdom and then seeing how these buildings have been turned into living miracles transforming the lives of thousands( hospital, fitness center, day care, restaurants, residential shelter, over $60 million dollar of housing and apartment complex etc, I have ceased seeing the ugly buildings and vacant lots in my south side community differently. In fact, I couldn't keep myself from preaching on this last Sunday and showing the videos to our young and small church community at CityLight of what could happen in Bronzeville, Washington Park and Englewood etc.
2. Long-Term Commitment
Many have visions but they are not willing to wait for its realization. People like things microwaved. They don't want it cooked because cooking takes time. I was amazed that many people who started with coach thirty-seven years ago are still there. I met a doctor at the clinic who has been there for over 25 years. He is a white guy who moved into a black neighborhood and he's still there serving. I think those people are the most amazing part of Lawndale, not the thousands who stream into the fitness center, coffee house, restaurants or health center now. It is those people who were able to commit long- term and stay when there was nothing . I could just imagine the various things they would have had to fight in order to continue: discouragement, the wonderings of delayed vision, interpersonal conflicts etc. yet they stayed. They were not flashes in the pan. They are the real deal.
3. Simplicity
Coach impressed me a lot. And I have seen that attitude in some great men I admire like Sunday Adelaja, John Perkins, John Fuder, Sam Adeyemi Etc, the ability to have God do mighty things through you and not having it get into your head, remaining human, accessible, humble and simple. Such people have no notion that they are somehow exceptional and uniquely gifted. They are just ordinary people serving an extraordinary God. They don't claim to be the fathers of alI or the best thing happening in town. I admire such qualities a lot. They remind me of Paul and Jesus. They teach me about what true prosperity and success in ministry and life is. It is not about your big mansion, expensive cars, private jets, massive crowds or fancy titles, it is the ability to walk with God, find the place he wants you to be and be there, knowing you are just one of the weak mortals he gave the privilege and strength to serve his kingdom. It is the ability to access divine resources sometimes even to the tune of millions and millions of dollars not to accumulate it for yourself but to redistribute it into kingdom causes and the decaying world all around. Such people may not have bulging bank accounts on earth but they have heavenly bank accounts that are spilling over to bless the entire world.
