Being a leader of a Christian mission organization with responsibility for mission staff and partnerships in Eastern Europe and social ministry outreaches throughout Europe – while living in “the sticks” of central Virginia – people often ask about what exactly it is that I do. In a nutshell, it’s this: building a community of reflective practitioners of integral mission. There is a multiplicity of threads coming out of each of these words, so we’ll be circling back here often. But let’s get started.

What do I mean by “reflective practitioner”? I didn’t make the term up, but it’s one that I’ve been using among those I lead and with whom I (net)work for a few years now. It sums up what I think are some of the most important qualities that I want to cultivate both in myself as a leader and in those whom I lead…