One of my jobs is being the Executive Network Coordinator for MTS Tasmania. At our Training Day in February I laid out some goals or values I would like us to adopt. Here are two of the headings:
1. Own the Transition to a Movement
It is tempting to say “We don't need MTS Nationally, we're too busy with our own thing here”.
It is tempting to say “Oh I see some things differently to the standard MTS bandwagon”.
I would like us to be one step ahead of the reactionaries who want to distance themselves from MTS. I would like us to say “I'm not some mindless groupie, I can see that there are flaws in this approach... and yet I am still committed to the overall direction. I only see things clearer because I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. What we have in common is far more than what we don't”.
MTS is making an exciting transition from an organisation to a movement. It is a great opportunity for us to be a part of this national movement.
Even if we don't get anything tangible out of it, we should want to share in the heritage of MTS.
Even if we don't get anything tangible out of it, we should want to identify and be aligned and visibly stand beside the network of MTS.
God-willing Tasmania will be even able to make a contribution to Australian evangelicalism through our affiliation with MTS.
2. Training Should Be Expensive
If the training we offer is actually worthwhile we should feel it in our weekly schedule. We can't take the credit for being committed to ministry training if we don't also suffer loss because we are spending precious time in our busy weeks on training.
We must regularly attend ministries of our apprentices for no other reason than to observe, encourage and critique our apprentice.
We must regularly invite our apprentices to do things with us for no other reason than to observe us.
The formal MTS guidelines recommend us to be formally training our apprentice for three hours a week, on top of meeting with them for one hour a week one to one.
These guidelines also recommend that we spend ten hours together in ministry with our apprentices every week.
This is a “love language” thing too. We must train our apprentices in such a way that they feel, know and understand they are being trained. This is where the cumbersome paperwork can fulfill an important function.
