Growing Pains in Spain

grow·ing pains (grng) plural noun 1. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. 2. Emotional difficulties that occur during adolescence. 3. Problems that arise in the initiation or enlargement of an enterprise.

Recently several supporters have asked the question about my role in ministry here in Spain. The truth is that it has been slowly evolving for the last 5-6 years. At times it has been difficult to define and even more difficult to pinpoint and share what God has been doing all around me. 

I'd like to try now to illustrate what I understand God to be doing in Agape Spain during a season of incredible growth for this ministry. I'd like to do in through a Bible story and some organizational numbers.

There is a story from Exodus 18 that illustrates the strain of growing pains and that "a-ha" moment in Moses' life where he realizes that changes must be made.

The story goes that Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, comes to visit Moses. Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them. Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the LORD had done....

The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people and they stood around him from morning until evening. When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning 'til evening?"

Moses explained how the people came to him for counsel. Jethro replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear themselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone....You must be the people's representative before God....teach them his decrees and instructions and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens....If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

Agape (Campus Crusade for Christ in Spain) is growing. From its creation in 1969 until the end of 2000 (31 years) Agape gained 22 staff. From 2001-2013 (12 years) Agape gained 40 additional staff! This is a different organization from what it was even 15 years ago. Our staff has tripled in the last 12 years! This rapid growth has been an incredible blessing from God. He has raised up laborers to go into His harvest. At the same time, due to this rapid growth, Agape has been noting the strain, specifically in its ability to lead, serve and care for so many staff. 

Around 2008 our national leadership experienced an "a-ha" moment in recognizing the relationship between the strain and the growth. Over the last 5 years steps have been taken to create a greater infastructure to meet the needs of this growth. This includes creating a directional leadership team vs. one director, a Human Resource team vs. one person, the staff application process, the hiring process, communications system, financial administration policies, ministry support development and coaching, staff morale and motivation, staff shepherding, staff training and development, etc.

I moved to Barcelona in 2004 and began working in the national office just as this rapid growth took off. In the midst of the growth and the confusion, the strain has been, well, a strain, for many of us. I have experienced confusion, discouragement and even despair in the darkness of this organizational strain. The absence of some of these needed systems and structures has taken a toll on me personally. (Don't forget the additional milestone events, personal setbacks and deep losses we have experienced during this time as well.) In the meantime, I have been obedient to the Lord by serving to help create and move the process along in many of the areas mentioned above. 

In 2013, the bulk of my time has been focused on my role as Pay Roll Systems Administrator where I contribute to the spreading of Christ’s message throughout Spain and the world by helping to keep our 60+ national staff in the field and prepared for ministry. I serve and support our staff by ensuring that they receive their monthly paychecks, ministry and personal reimbursements, as well as tracking their incoming financial support and providing coaching for ministry support development.

Through it all, God has been here. He has been faithful. He has been good to me and to our ministry. God has been gracious to provide Jethro- and Moses-type leaders in our ministry to help us move forward so as not to collapse from the strain.

As God solidifies these new systems and brings in additional team members to serve in these areas, my heart's desire and prayer is to return to the front lines of ministry to introduce people to Jesus, teach them who He is, model the Christian life for them and build them in their faith so that they can do the same.

You, too, my dear ministry partner, have also been here. You have been faithful in your prayers and your giving. You've been patient as you've waited for updates, prayer requests and visits that have frankly, more recently, been few and far between. 

Thank you for your emotional, spiritual and financial support during this period of ministry growth and what I hope has also been personal growth. I´m trusting the Lord that this season of growth and growing pains (personally and organizationally) will soon segue-way into a new season of fruitfulness for me and for Agape Spain. I do hope you'll come with me as the Lord leads us into this new chapter.