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Ministry? With Vicky; Seven Month Delay

7/27/2014

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Would you like a FREE advanced copy of; "Open Doors for the Open - Behind the Scenes" when published?  
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The decision had been made on Father's Day 2013 .....

to step back and be a servant in whatever way that evolved by allowing Vicky to lead the team (?) in our Open Doors for the Open outreach at the 2014 U.S. Opens.  Even though the plan I had put together; following the template provided by Dan Williams for the MTG 2012 Summer Olympics, had been, basically, ignored by the entire team, especially by the leader, Vicky.  But, I felt the Lord was calling me to be obedient and to serve Vicky as the leader of the Outreach from that point forward.

So, we talked on a regular basis, not in formal team meetings, in fact, those team meetings were few and far between, but, the interaction between Vicky and me as we focused upon her need and the general direction of preparing for the Outreach was always my focus.  But, our time was consumed with the efforts to fund her ministry and activity.  I had made the decision and, told her several times, that any funds received in whatever way would go into her 501C3 for use for the Outreach and ANY funding needs she had.  I encouraged her to marry her ministry and her business together because it made perfect sense to me for her to engage with her target customers right in Pinehurst using the Outreach vision to get herself into the network of churches, para-ministries, golf clubs, golf organizations, associations and those in the community that had a passion for golf and a love of Christ.  Again, in my opinion, it made perfect sense for her to promote herself and her ministry, including her books, her videos, her speaking engagements and her one-on-one coaching clientele to draw business clients, Champion Coaching candidates and donations to her and the Outreach. I helped her with an outline for her business as well as coached her on finalizing a business strategy and plan.  I converted her book from a PDF document into a Word document in order to be imported into Kindle Direct Publishing and begin her account on the Kindle platform. I established coaching time with her for her business and walked down the pattern I had for engaging with other clients with similar needs in my job as a business specialist in the Small Business Development Center I was working in.  We talked about the churches within the local and regional area around Pinehurst and how this was the perfect entree' into the churches to grow attention to her business in the area as well as promote and connect with the churches to solicit their partnership in the activities associated with the Open Doors for the Open.

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She refused to do any of it or did not fulfill any of it!!!!

How frustrating is it to spend time serving someone that won't implement nor take advantage of an experienced business adviser and golf ministry partner?  Very!!!  Especially when I receive emotional calls every other week and am told by Vicky that she doesn't have the funds to pay her bills or rent, etc.  I even convinced my son who is a wonderful competitive amateur golfer with a bit of a sports psychological challenge with combating negative thoughts while competing in events like the U.S. Open qualifying, U.S. Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Public Links Amateur competitions.  I convinced him to engage with Vicky through her Champion Coaching efforts.  He agreed to contract with her for the process and paid a significant amount for the six or seven session engagement.  I believed her coaching would positively impact his competitive performances and it did to some degree.

My point is; I was serving the fulfillment of Open Doors for the Open by allowing the "visionary" (I thought at the time) to lead and attempting to provide assistance for her needs at every point along the path to the Outreach.  My thoughts were; "If I can't minister to one person in need, how can we, as an Outreach, have a Godly impact on some 400,000 people coming to the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, NC in June 2014?"  My conclusion was, over and over, that we couldn't so that I needed to follow the Lord's lead and guidance to minister to the needs of Vicky as well as I was able.

This resulted in a 7 month delay, from May 2013 to January 2014 in the full implementation of our Outreach for the Open in June 2014.

Would you like a FREE advanced copy of the book; "Open Doors for the Open - Behind the Scenes" when published?  
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The Challenge with Ministry; People, continued

7/20/2014

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As I related earlier, the funding of Vicky as the leader of the Outreach became a sticking point in May of 2013.  

In that regard, in fact, Jimmy and I had several discussions about the fact that the chapel had, through the Board of Directors, agreed there would be some funds, approximately $10,000 committed to the event, but it would not be available until January 2014 and, it would NOT be used to fund Vicky.  This point on the remuneration of Vicky became the sticking point for the next 7 months of ministerial non-action.

Two days before Father's Day 2013 there was a discussion between Vicky and me about who should lead the Outreach.  It was, really, an off-the-cuff discussion as we pondered several obstacles associated with moving the Outreach forward.  We were discussing leadership in order to ensure that we had a high caliber individual that would be able to move this entire operation forward.  Vicky began the discussion by saying that Dan Williams should be the leader because of his abilities and his involvement in the More Than Gold (MTG) London 2012, the Christian outreach during the 2012 Olympics.  I had a few conversations with Dan up to this point and was told that he did not plan to be involved in the US Open Outreach on a full time basis.  So, as Vicky mentioned Dan Williams, I immediately came back and said, “I want to be very honest with you. I believe that if we're going to move forward with this outreach, considering the obstacles we have come up against up to this point, that I should be the leader of the ministry.” I recognized quickly this was a non-starter because of the coolness that came over the line after that.  She resisted, she became very cold toward me and the discussion didn't go much further after that.

As I said in an earlier section, on Father's Day 2013, I received an email from Vicky expressing her concerns about our conversation on leadership;

“With regard to positions and roles---we are still functioning informally as a team and there have been no "formal positions" agreed upon yet--I felt very uncomfortable with some comments you made yesterday with regard to who is leading what.  All of that needs to be agreed upon as a team and we are not quite there yet.  With regard to Dan Williams, he was part of the team even before you came on board and is still advising us organizationally.  No one person is leading this vision or "taking the lead" of it--we are all still just serving the present needs. 

I am expressing my concerns because it is obvious we all have our perspectives, perceptions, and desires--and I think it is a good idea to spend some time in the next meeting coming into agreement with "how we are going to live together" in this quest.”

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When I received this email, my wife and I were in the car driving around on that Sunday. I showed it to her and she said I should call her directly and set her straight.  Initially, I was infuriated, but I quietly prayed and began to hear the question; “Why are you so angry?”  “Why are you so offended by her email?”  I started to think about that and realized that if I was angry about this simple email that expressed her thoughts about my saying I should be the leader, why was I having such a hostile response?  I realized at that moment; I was, indeed, wanting to take control, take leadership of the Outreach and it was not my right, nor, role at that point to suggest that I should take over leadership of the event.

This was huge for me!!  This set me on a course to recognize God was chastising me for trying to take things into my own hands.   This had been the problem with my following Him and His leads in the past.  This had been the problem in my life, even, throughout former difficulties in jobs and relationships, etc.  I did not know how to serve!  I wanted to lead!  I needed to learn how to serve before I could be the leader God wanted me to be.

Wow, what a revelation.  So I called her three days later.

Read next post....

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The Challenge to Ministry; the People, continued..

7/14/2014

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PictureBuilding a Strong Foundation for Ministry
So, as I said before, the greatest challenge in ministry is; the people.

After finalizing the draft of what would become the “Open Doors for the Open” business/ministerial plan, I distributed the copies though email to all of the individuals that attended the initial meeting. What surprised me most after this was the lack of response from anyone in the entire group other than Vicky (fictitious name).  Her response was a two or three page summary of the plan that I had put together with very little comment other than, "Here is the plan I generated from your notes."  At no time after this was there any real discussion of the comprehensive plan draft I put together from Vicky or from any of the other recipients of the initial plan. We're talking about an entire year of walking down the path to success for a ministerial outreach without a formalized plan accepted by the entire team.  Doomed to failure, right?  Not on His watch.

This, then, leads to a segue into the difficulty, again, that the main challenge in ministry is the people. It became apparent from my conversations with Vicky that her two to three page summary of the entire plan was considered by her to be the actual plan from that point forward. I didn't understand this for awhile, but it was pretty clear to me as things moved along that, indeed, this was thought of by Vicky herself as the actual plan for the outreach.

I referenced earlier that Father’s Day 2013 was a big confrontation between Vicky and me. We had a serious discussion 2 days before Father's Day, I believe, regarding the identification of a leader for the Outreach. Up to this point, Vicky continued to tell me the Outreach was brought about through a vision she had back in 2005 when the U.S. Open was last conducted at Pinehurst #2. During that time, she expressed, the Holy Spirit had shown her what really needed to be glorified during the Open was Himself, Jesus Christ, as opposed to the international media, the Players or the game of golf itself.  What really should be glorified is, of course, Him!!  This is what we are called to do in all things, right? On this fact she and I, firmly, agreed.  

Regarding leadership of the Outreach, I had already bought into the fact that she would be the Executive Director or day-to-day leader of the ministry. Early on, Vicky and I had talked about how she would be remunerated in that regard.  In my plan and in our discussions, I quickly identified the main priority on acquiring funding for her through donations or other initiatives and, indeed, had accepted this as the primary focus of the beginnings of the ministry.

In fact, this was, once again, a concern regarding a team approach to the ministry.  I had written a comprehensive draft of the business plan and a rough financial development model and, we weren’t walking down a path of order and agreement.  I had included in the plan all of the major components for implementation as well as draft financials to support the strategy, including marketing, travel, monthly support of the Executive Director and funds  for general management of the entire process for the next year to 14 months.

I began to take an aggressive approach with the rest of the team as we continued to discuss the overall focus of the outreach even though we didn't further discuss the formal business plan.  It was clear to me that each of us was focused on securing the first donation which we estimated at approximately $10,000 in order to fund Vicky to be the daily operator of the Outreach.  This focus, however, was met with a significant amount of resistance from the folks at the Chapel, specifically from Jimmy Schneider. I spoke with him a few times about this during those first few months, in fact, several times over the next year, making it clear that in order for Vicky to work as the full time action person, she would need to be compensated.  In addition, she needed the money right away.  This continued to meet with incredible resistance and I kept hearing the same story as to why.  I, finally, heard from Jimmy that the funding for Vicky was not going to be covered by the Chapel and he would not recommend that Vicky lead nor be compensated from the first donations.

This was a significant obstacle and became the reason that very little activity was done on the initial plan nor was there ever another full team meeting to continue down the road on a comprehensive work on the Open Doors Outreach for the next 6.5 months. 

Challenges ….. people!!!


So, who's gonna lead??

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The First Day of the Open - Continued

6/26/2014

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So, I continued my trek inside the Village of Pinehurst.  

The Chapel is just some 300 yards (a driver for most PGA Tour Players) from the first tee of Pinehurst #2.  I continued out of the Chapel parking lot onto Azalea Road and headed over to the entrance just in front of the Chapel.  It was 4:45 AM or so now and still pitch dark.  There was a guard at the gate and, once again, I could sense that my presence, on foot, was a bit intimidating to this poor fella.  I walked up to him and said;

"So, you have the early duty, eh?"

"Yes, Sir." He said.  I could sense that he was ready to inform me that there was no way I was getting in that gate.

"Well," I said. "I am just walking around praying for the Village and the people involved with the Open.  May I pray for your?"

"Sure." He said.  "Father, I pray that you bless my Brother here.  I pray that he is able to enjoy this day and honor You with his work and his life.  Please bless him today and let Your presence be with him as he serves You and the people coming to the Open this week.  In Jesus' name, amen."


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He still looked a bit bewildered.  I shook his hand and walked on my way up Azalea Road to the circle which is the entrance to the golf course (the photo here is the flag at the circle where Carolina Drive comes into Azalea and you can see the full moon over the trees as it was at the entrance). 

The traffic was picking up now with passenger vans, mini-buses from the hotels and resort as well as alot of police and other security folks.  I was hesitant, but, I mustered the courage to walk up to the two or three men standing at the gate. 

Again, I could sense their alertness to my presence and readiness to challenge my credentials.  I just walked up and greeted them and told them I was walking around praying for the Village and they acknowledged me.  That was all, so I turned and walked back to the circle and prayed for awhile on that spot.  I turned back down Azalea and headed to the Chapel.  The Memorial to General George Marshal came into my view.  A quick prayer for him and our country as I continued past the Bank of America on the corner of Azalea and Village Green Road West.  I slipped through the trees went behind the Too Blond Tavern and into the Village proper by the Village Welcome Center.  I prayed there for a few minutes and continued around to the front of the Village Deli and stared over the beautiful setup the Village had prepared with the big screen TV, the putting green and the stage used for the various shows that would appear there over the next ten days.

I walked down Cherokee Road a bit and onto Dogwood Road.  Dugan's Pub sure looked and smelled like it had been very busy over the last few days.  There was activity outside of the Pine Crest Inn as the waiters prepared for the breakfast crowd on this historical venue where many a professional golfer and celebrity had enjoyed the times over the years.  I continued around and through the back parking lot onto Community Road and paused at the front of the volunteer fire station to finish off my round trip prayer voyage.

What was accomplished during this, almost, two hour journey around Pinehurst Village and THE golf course on which the U.S. Opens were being held?  I have no idea!!  I only know that I was obedient to the Lord's inspiration for me to travel around this historic place, seek His face, pray like almost never before for things that didn't even make sense to me; the roads, the houses, the people in the houses, the parking lots, the men at the entrances to #2, the people driving the vans, buses, cars, the young MC Foundation man I discovered praying by the Chapel, Dugan's and the folks that would visit there, the Square itself and the people arriving there that day, the Pine Crest Inn, the Players, the caddies, the media and the fans.

What was accomplished?  I'm sure, His will and His providence and His purposes.

Praise Him for letting me participate.

I walked into the Village Chapel Care Cottage to begin the day with my new friends .....

Keep reading the story...

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The Road to Open Doors for the Open; a Story

6/24/2014

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The first day of the Men's Open...

After months and months of planning and coordinating and working, the week had arrived for the 2014 U.S. Men's Open being conducted at Pinehurst #2 and, our Open Doors for the Open outreach from the Village Chapel on the Square in the Village of Pinehurst. 

The first day of play was complete amongst all of the hype that accompanies a championship of this calibre.  The Coore and Crenshaw radical redesign of the course, the recognition of the Payne Stewart memorial, the play of Kaymer and the failure of the rest of the field to match his stellar play were the focus of the media and the crowds.  But, our attention was upon something else and it was difficult for me, personally, to be patient as we were not able to be in the Village on Thursday, but, after working in Murfreesboro, TN  that morning and hitting the road around 2:30 PM we had a 500 mile ride to the US Open for the third time in the last four weeks.  Thankfully, this time, the ride was uneventful except the settling in between Scott and me as we had never been in such close quarters for 9 hours before.  

Scott Bennett is my best friend.  The story surrounding our becoming Brothers in Christ and friends forever is a very deep and devine encounter that is enough for us to refer to in remembrance, especially when we begin to grate upon each other.  He's a prize, really, and I so much appreciate his friendship and faithfulness to the vision of Open Doors.  Thank you, Brother Scott.

Arriving late in the evening that Thursday of the first day of the Open after that long drive from Tennessee was very tiring, but, it was entertaining as we had been texting the boys from Warren Baptist Church and the Warren Golf Association from Augusta, GA all along.  I didn't, really, know these guys at all, but, I had heard of Shane Pangle from our mutual friend, Wally Armstrong, and reached out to him the day following the 2014 Masters to introduce him to Open Doors.  He jumped right on the concept and, eventually, committed to visiting the Open to get a flavor for how the concept could be implemented during the 2015 Masters.  He brought three other Brothers with him; Jim SeCrest, Al and Matt.  They were traveling the same day and we were communicating with them by text most of the day.  At one point, Jim introduced himself to me by text for the first time and I was glad to make his acquaintance.  I thought he was the same fella through whom Bobby Clampett and I had arranged the Masters breakfast back in 1995, but, I wasn't sure.  At one point Jim and I had a funny "texting"  interchange where Jim messaged me that they were excited about arriving and visiting with us in Pinehurst, but, the next text said they had stopped for dinner at a steakhouse and would be there for a short while.  He ended the text with; "I love you.".  I thought this was a bit strange for just being introduced to him, but, what the heck, a Brother that really gets it; we are one in Christ.  I responded with an; "I love you, too, Brother".  His quick response was; "That was meant for my wife."  We had quite a chuckle about that around midnight when we were all together in the Village Chapel Care Cottage.

So this was the scene when we arrived late on the Thursday night after the first round of the 2014 US Open.  We were all in the cottage; Shane Pangle, Jim SeCrest, Matt, Al, Scott and Ron Wilcoxson, my dear friend, doctor of pastoral studies, author and former PGA Touring Pro who had lived in Murfreesboro, but, now, was pastoring a Baptist church in Pensacola, FL.  We also had Bobby McIver, golf coach to Scott Verplank and others and, now, author of the book, "The Heart of the Game", but, he was asleep upstairs and we didn't bother him until later that next  morning.  We agreed that we would convene again at 7:30 AM on Friday for a devotional, discussions about the venue for the Outreach and discuss our agenda for the day.  We hit the sack a bit after 12 PM, just glad to, finally be safe, in Pinehurst for the Open and in a reasonably comfortable bed.

My alarm went off as usual at 4 a.m. which was 3 a.m. Central time, because we had lost an hour when we crossed the timeline around Crossville, TN.  This is my normal routine; getting up at 4 AM, one which, I believe, the Lord provided for me, my, Circadian Rythm cycle, where I just can't sleep  past 4 or 4:30 a.m.  But this day was extremely special as I had been promoted to jump up and spend whatever time it took that morning to walk throughout the Village and pray.  This is not my normal shtick.  I have not been one of those neighborhood prayer warriors like some of my church members in Murfreesboro.  That ministerial approach was never inspired in me, but, for the past several weeks, the Lord had been prompting me to walk around the Village of Pinehurst and pray.  The first time I was able to do that was a few weeks before the Open when I had driven down myself to visit with Jimmy Schneider, coordinate final preparations and complete the picture in my mind of what the Outreach was going to look like and how it would operate.  On that day, I was also inspired to travel (by car that time) within the Village on a Sunday morning.  I just rolled around the Village, street by street, and called upon the Lord in prayer for His presence and His providence upon everything I came in contact with.  It was amazing and I hope to expand upon that in a future posting, but, for the purposes of this post, the Lord empowered me to jump up, put on my shorts, tee shirt and flip-flops and I was out of the door at 4:15 AM at the latest, just hobbling about the Village from 55 Community Road throughout the Village, the outside of the Pinehurst #2 area and the surrounding streets.  

It was pitch dark that morning at 4:30 AM, duh!!  It was a strange environment, but, lovely as the temp was about 70 degrees and clear as a bell.  I wasn't sure how odd I looked, and, really, I didn't care, but, one of the wonderful things that validated this effort came as I walked down the parking area behind the Chapel about 4:45 AM and saw movement from the corner of my eye near the back entrance at the walkway.  I was hesitant to approach this person. I thought it might be Jimmy Schneider, but, I sauntered over toward the person that, as I got closer, I recognized as a young man dressed in the "uniform" of one of the MC Foundation youth working for the food vendor during the Open.

He was startled as I approached and pulled back a bit when I reached out with my hand to shake his and asked him how he was and what he was doing.  "I am just praying." he said, "Praying for my friends and our work here."  I was ecstatic!!  I couldn't believe this.  Here I was out on the streets of Pinehurst Village at this "Godly" time in the morning and I encounter a young man also praying.  It was amazing to me!

"Do you mind if I join you?" I asked.  Somewhat reluctantly, he agreed and I sat down on the step near him and offered up my prayer to the Father.  Once again, I prayed for the Village, the day, the Open, the Players, the media, the visitors, the team and for His providence to prevail during that day at the U.S. Open.  He prayed for his friends, their work, the supervisors, the day, his family, his fiancee' and for his future.  It was incredibly awesome.  I reached out my hand again and looked him in the eye and reassured him that the Lord was with him and his future.  I thanked him for praying with me and, again, praised the Lord for our meeting at that time, in that place, for His purposes.  I was newly invigorated to continue my trek throughout the Village to pray as the Lord was leading me.

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