CRM-US is looking for a new VP for Finance.

Because it is predominantly an administrative role, the person doesn’t have to raise all their financial support. In fact, all we ask is that they generate ¼ of their need via gifts from friends, family and churches who believe in them and their call to such an essential missionary function. We subsidize the other three-quarters.

We recently approached a reputable, well-known head-hunting firm in California to see if we could employ them to undertake a search for this position. They turned us down. The reason?

“ … doing a search where someone raises their own support is in conflict with our goal of presenting four excellent candidates. It takes a special person who trusts the Lord enough to raise their own support…and to find [such]candidates is just too tough a search for us to take on.

While we really respect those in service to the Lord who raise their own support; it take a much deeper spirituality in one sense for someone to do that.”

I guess our option is to accept someone with less spirituality. Not.

Each year since 1998, I have tried to pull together what I’ve grown to call a “Leadership Mentoring Group” made up of guys in their 20s and early 30s.

These are men who are usually grappling with issues related to calling and what God wants to do with their lives. Most believe they are headed into some form of vocational ministry. We meet one evening a month for several months.

This is the latest group that wrapped up this week.

They read through several books such as Clinton’s Making of a Leader and Connecting, and we process a lot of leadership and spiritual formation stuff together. The end game is coming out with a sense of personal calling.

When I look at this group, the caliber is remarkable. They have the potential to affect the nations for the sake of Jesus and his Kingdom presence. Dominus, planto is sic!

A must read.

This book, written by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay who lead CRM’s Missio team in Denver, (published by Josey-Bass and available on amazon.com), is a challenge to the Christian movement to live out its missional, incarnational calling. It is illustrated with loads of personal experiences from Hugh and Matt’s own journeys as practitioners.

Tangible Kingdom captures the reality of missionality in a moving, practical way.