That bounded open space thread II

After many good years on "the hill", we sensed a major change coming.  While we understood that our next life-phase would contain much of the same grace and life-flow of previous eras - and continue to reflect the bounded open space theme in various ways - it needed to become geographically untethered, and also less dependent on our own personal presence or leadership. The Lord used my 2009 sabbatical to go deep on some of this, working in me to freshly lay things down and letting Him orchestrate the process of refocusing and re-engagement.  

He worked in both Charlene and myself, enabling us to embrace a number of shifts - including the fact that in the season to come the two of us would be less “joined at the hip”, focused more independently of one another, still supporting and resourcing each other as needed but less structurally and strategically engaged in each others’ spheres.

For me that sabbatical space also accelerated the shift, already in motion, from direct ministry (doing the thing myself) to more indirect ministry (coming alongside, resourcing, catalyzing, supporting, cheerleading).  It helped me prioritize some areas where I needed to invest in a further, more extended and deliberate process of transition (our kids’ post-college launch, the Three Hills legal and financial closure, the GDI network, the DDQ initiative).  And it helped me identify some arenas where I was ready to invest fresh creative energy.

Interestingly, all of these carry that bounded open space gene.  The GDI network has matured and grown, including greater structural and organizational clarity and a maturing of the core covenantal commitment that provides the framework for God’s script to continue to creatively unfold in an expanding array of places and sociological pockets around the world.  And, happily, the GDI ball is mostly being carried by a growing crop of able, younger leaders.

The next phase in our kids’ lives continues to unfold as well, as they partner with God in their own ongoing script-discovery process - bounded by an increasingly clear sense of identity and personal core values.  We continue the discovery process of how to simply “be” with them in this space, in ways appropriate for the new season - increasingly as adult friends but still carrying that “watchful parent” thing so much a part of the prior two decades.

Destiny Discovery Quest has evolved from an immersive, Three-Hills-centric seminar to a decentralized and increasingly varied range of destiny-and-design discovery resources, mediated by a growing pool of facilitators and coaches (I’m rarely involved hands-on anymore).  But one thing all the DDQ components and experiences have in common is that they create a safe, Biblically-grounded, well-resourced open space where people are invited to meet with God and freshly discover and engage the script He began writing in their lives when they were yet in their mother’s wombs.

Fresh initiatives bearing the bounded open space gene that came into focus following the 2009 sabbatical include the LifeLong Learning Community and the Toccati travel brand.  More thoughts about these newer developments in another post.