The following is PART ONE of an edited transcript of a presentation by Kay Kotan, Director of Equipping Vital Congregations, at the 2018 Susquehanna Annual Conference, Plenary 2. The video of her full presentation can be viewed at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
SCENE 1
Three friends sitting in camp chairs surround by what will become a campfire. They have backpacks, camping gear, hot dogs, marshmallows, and other camp items with them. They bring the cooler on-stage with them.Daniel: Ah … gotta love the great outdoors! Can’t wait to get this fire going. I love the smell of fire, the warmth it gives off, and I’m ready for some roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.
Jen: I’m right there with you on all counts, but I can’t help but remember the last time you tried to start the fire; you needed a can of gasoline and a flame thrower, and you still couldn’t get it going.
Kris: Yeah, and prior to that you were rubbing two sticks together for an hour and a half, disproving the saying, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
Daniel: Alright … I’m not a firebug. You don’t have to rub it in.
Jen: Well, you’re not as bad as Kris. The last time we were out here, he was trying to start the fire with a magnifying glass … wait for it … AT NIGHT … with a flashlight!
Kris: True … so true. I guess I’m not on Smokey the Bear’s most wanted list.
Daniel: Yeah, me neither, but Jen, you’re not exactly an Eagle Scout yourself.
Jen: This is true … but since the last time we were out here, I’ve done my homework. I’ve learned that getting a fire going requires certain tools and conditions. With a little effort, it’s not so hard to get a fire started, keep it going and maintained, AND even make it bigger - in a safe way of course.
Daniel: Kris, call Smokey the Bear, we’ve got an expert here.
Kris: On it!
Jen: I’m serious. Tonight is going to be different. No more struggling to get the fire going. I’ve got a secret weapon.
[Jen goes to her backpack and pulls out ...]
Kris: Woah, what’s that?
Daniel: A shoe box? Did you bring special shoes to start the fire?
Jen: No, this is a tinderbox. It’s a toolbox for starting fires. Everything we need is contained within. I’ve studied, practiced, and now it’s time to get this fire going.
[All three approach the fire ring and get down on their knees around the fire. One adds kindling, the others adds larger wood. Jen pulls the flint from the tinderbox and strikes it. The fire is lit.]
Jen: … And we have fire.
Daniel and Kris: Impressive!
* * *
How many of you have been on a campout like our friends [in SCENE 1], and when it’s time to start the fire, you just can’t get it going? Or how many of you got the fire going, only to see it fade out to soon? How many of you saw your fire grow so big and intense that you had to back off because the heat was so intense?
Through the [next few LINKs] we’re going to stoke that fire and share with you how Equipping Vital Congregations can help you set your ministry ablaze.
In the opening scene, we didn’t have experienced fire builders. They had to experiment and try new things. Not all fires are built the same. We have to do things differently depending on our circumstances.
Equipping Vital Congregations have developed for you what we’re calling a Tinderbox. A tinderbox is a toolbox for building fires.
There are various compartments in our tinderbox, all of which contain different tools to help you start a fire that we want to keep burning for a very long time. I want to share with you five tools that are contained within our Equipping Vital Congregations tinderbox:
- Consultation
- Coaching
- Small Group Resources and Curricula
- Workshops and General Tools
- New Places for New People
***
Watch for PART TWO in the next issue of Susquehanna LINK.
View the full presentation at tinyurl.com/susumcAC2018video
