Go Beyond

Me and Mike (the old guys) climbing the wall.

Our staff took the day off on Tuesday of this week while technicians upgraded the computer servers at the church. Well, we didn’t actually take the day off. We devoted the day to staff development and team building at the YMCA Day Camp at Cinco Ranch. We had lots of fun doing things that required teamwork or that were made easier because of the encouragement of others. Perhaps the most challenging of the day’s activities for me was climbing the rock wall. For others it was mustering up the courage to do the zip line. As I slowly made my way up the climbing wall, I could not help but think that I was doing something that looked easy on television. It’s interesting how watching a guy trudge through the snow on television or sweating it out to complete some task on “Minute To Win It” always looks deceptively easier than it actually is. However, in reality, even the easiest things are always a little harder to do when we finally leave the spectator’s seat, put on the harness, and attempt to climb the wall.

We had a fun and challenging team-building day at the YMCA. Here are a few of my observations from our time together.

We need each other. | The work of the kingdom is bigger than any one of us. Just like the guys that held the ropes for Paul when he escaped from Damascus by being lowered over the wall in a basket (Acts 9:23-24), we need to hold the ropes for others and to have others hold the ropes for us. We need to work in cooperation with others in order to advance God’s purposes.

Communication counts. | We have a saying around our offices at Kingsland: Communicate early and often. Many of the exercises that we did at the YMCA required that we communicate clearly with one another. Success was contingent on good communication. We even did a couple of activities that required us to use non-verbal forms of communication.

Responsible rigging. | Those of us who climbed the rock wall had to wear a safety harness and a helmet. Our instructors made certain that each harness was rigged properly to ensure our safety on the climbing wall and zip line. But, before we were allowed to make our summit bid, we were assigned someone to belay us. The person on the ground who belays a climber literally holds his partner’s life in his hands. The ascent was made a bit easier because we were attached to someone who cared about our safety.

Stay attached. | One of the games we played required that we stay attached to our team-mates. Initially it was not easy moving as one, but the more we did it the better we got. We learned to rely on each other to get the task done. There are thirty-five passages in the New Testament that use the words “one another.” We do a better job of advancing the interests of God’s kingdom when we work in harmony with others. We are most in danger when we become unattached. An old preacher cautioned that Satan is a pirate looking for a vessel without a fleet. He was right.

Give encouragement. | Encouragement was a common thread that ran through every activity. We laughed a lot, gave a lot of high-fives, shouted out lots of encouraging words, and applauded accomplishments. Encouragement was just what we needed, especially when trying to climb up the high wall or leave the security of the zip line platform.

Overcome fears. | The high platform that served as the launching pad for the zip line probably generated more fear than any other challenge. You could see fear on lots of faces. But, every single person on the team that was fearful managed to muster up the courage to overcome their fears and take the plunge. It was a beautiful thing. Nobody had any regrets for doing something they never imagined they would do.