ARMENIA

Updates: We are safely in Armenia and currently participating in ministry here. We drove far into the night to get here, and we are getting ourselves adjusted. Furthermore, we got to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ (Easter) in Armenia at an international church, which is a special treat! It's awesome to be part of the larger body as we remember Christ's death and resurrection. More on these happenings in the next blog!

Yet this post is dedicated towards the journey to leadership that the Lord is taking me on. Right now, I am part of a new team called Vessels of the Holy Spirit (VHS). We changed teams at Georgia's debrief, and I am now serving as a team leader (TL). It is an exciting time, and things have just began as we broke off as a team shortly after arriving in Armenia. Please pray for me as I step into and serve in this role during the next two months of the Race.

The Lord opened the door to serve with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) while at college. During those years, I found myself helping empower college students towards their Christian faith while on campus. Yet during this time, I began to discover that my leadership style is that of the "go-getter" type, focusing on the mission and the excitement of external ministry (i.e. sending out the church from a "base camp" to reach the lost). This put me in the position of writing about different nations to pray for, bringing up evangelism at meetings, and coordinating events to reach out to athletes on campus.

In 2020, Covid-19 hit, ushering in a new season of life. My involvement with FCA ended, and I transitioned to a new church community in the mountains of North Carolina. A few months later, I would join that leadership team and help steer the direction of the church. Again, I found myself as someone who helped spearhead things externally. We coordinated trips to do evangelism in Asheville, NC, and I also had a list of places and people to connect with throughout the southeastern US's NPL (No Place Left) network. Covid limited the number of trips that I was able to take, but the vision of connecting people and uniting them towards the missional cause / going after the lost has not been forgotten.

As a leader, one of my greatest challenges yet blessings over these past seasons has been running with those who love internal ministry (ministry towards the Church). Yet it also shows the beautiful manifestation of the church body- and those who have different gifts coming together to advance the kingdom. It's a big balance for the Church to take. Too much internal ministry forms a church that cares for one another but does not equip and send each other into the harvest field. Too much external ministry sends people into the harvest without a strong, healthy church to anchor them. Ultimately, we are like an army but on a mission to fulfill the Great Commission. An effective army needs to have both offensive fighting units and support logistics to work (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/30/russia-military-logistics-supply-chain/). God's church needs those who are both on the "offensive" in terms of the mission along with those who shepherd and support them. And there is also space to do both at once.

I started out the World Race as a treasurer (https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/the-joys-of-being-a-treasurer) but later relinquished the role at the end of Kosovo. Furthermore, the church community that I used to be a part of went their separate ways a few months back. In this time of transition, I had no official role on the squad. Yet it was a time of being refined by the Lord and walking through a fairly lengthy wilderness season. It was a time of immense testing, and the Lord continued to cultivate my heart towards caring for one another along with the desire to charge after the mission. A few months later, the squad leadership (after some prayer) decided to raise me up to team lead. And this is what is taking place now!

This time around, I am taking this position differently from the times that I have served in the past. While I look forward to seizing opportunities, it's also important to slow down and rest. There are so many things to plug into in Armenia, but being selective has proven to be a crucial trait. TLing is an important position of prayer, and this has led me towards interceding for my team and creating a space for corporate prayer together. Being diligent and thorough are qualities that I hope to walk out as well. It's also been terrific to cast vision for the team but adjust it according to the needs of the team and God's direction (Hint: the team vision has changed a lot since finding out about my team shortly before Georgia's debrief/ burn). God has also walked with me as I learn how to build out structure and cultivate team rhythms that will be helpful as we serve in Armenia and also with Ukrainian refugees next month. Serving in leadership brings about a tremendous dying to self and putting the needs of the team above personal ones. This is a beautiful thing- molding the leader into a servant; just as Christ was. Please continue to pray over us as God leads us on this homestretch of the Race!

"When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you." John 12: 13-15 ESV