VantagePiont3 has been around for about a dozen years.  In that time we have encountered remarkable changes in the lives of hundreds of people who have gone through one or more of our processes.  And, we have also been able to see some of the ripple effects from those changed lives upon their local church communities.  We have experienced in good measure James Houston’s wise words, “Shape the person and you shape everything else.” This work I’m a part of at VP3 is such a good work…a deepening and empowering of peoples lives so that they might participate more fully in the ongoing Kingdom work of God.  But, it has also been a hard work and in my more honest moments I sometimes confess why something so good and consistently life changing has been a rather difficult sell.  “What am I or we doing wrong?” is usually the question that immediately follows such honest moments. It takes a while to sift through thoughts like, “We need a good marketing consultant,” or “Maybe it’s time to publish articles in those fancy Christian magazines,” or “Maybe we need a better business model,” or “If we could just tell our story better,” or “We ought to travel the Christian trade show circuit with a nice display.” Our growth is usually one person telling another (addition), rather than a growth that comes from thousands of hits on our website (multiplication).  Just had another thought…”We could use a little jazzing up of our facebook page.”  Sometimes it feels like we are selling a rotary phone you plug into a phone jack in a wall, when people are wanting a fancy new 4S iPhone.  Then I think my thoughts become prayers which lead me to a more hopeful, and I might add peaceful perspective that some things by nature of what they are meant to do may need a slower sort of attention–even when it comes to selling. Admittedly, I am not the sharpest stick in the pile when it comes to the latest and proven marketing strategies and selling techniques.  But, I am also aware that inviting people to consider something that will cause them to slow down and invest more deeply in the particular formation of those around them is a bit dissonant with the need to disciple as many people as efficiently as possible. Some things are not efficient and can’t only take place en masse.  Like when it comes to paying attention to the formation of the people around you.  And maybe even when it comes to selling processes that will help with this sort of work.  Some things will simply take time, require an unjustified amount of resources, and grow slowly.  Some of the right things are just that way.
Lori Rasmussen On March 2, 2012 at 9:33 am
When I pay attention to the growth in others and even in myself, I too, notice the slowness of this process. Sometimes it feels painfully slow! I also notice that if I get caught up in trying to control the pace or move people along faster than they are ready, all kids of frustration seems to come. Often missing some very good things. A slow, steady pace seems to be the “way” that allows our hearts and minds to absorb what God has for us.
Randy Reese On March 2, 2012 at 10:05 am
Good words Lori